Ruger Scout Rifle .308

[Usarmyrgr]

Hey guns I'm picking up my Ruger scout rifle Friday and I'm trying to decide what scope to put it. I like the Nikon BDC scopes that are out but I know the rail on the scout rifle is forward and not towards the rear like most so I need to know what kind of scope I need to get. I'm looking for something with good power. Like 4x12x40 or something like it.

 

[redbullitt]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

I would get one of the XS rails. It lets you run open sights AND the scope.

I have a 1-4 viper pst in med leupold QD rings, and it clears the open sight rear just fine. Had to bring to comb up a bit (used foam and a stock pack on top), but it works great. Very happy with it. I can run pretty much anything I want on the rifle in just about any position.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/436943/...-aluminum-matte

Might find this handy too.
http://www.weapon-blog.com/2011/06/fiddling-with-rugers-scout-rifle/

I do not like she scope up front, thats why mine is in a regular spot. BUT if you want a forward optic, leupold makes a scout scope that is decent. You could get by with a cheap pistol scope too, but it is far from ideal.

IF you are going to run the forward optic, you will be best off with a low magnification optic, ie 2.5x or so. IF you are wanting more magnification, you will do better with the scope in the conventional spot.

 

[cwinston]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

The Ruger Scout Rifle comes with a set of 1" rings for a scope in the traditional position. You do have to remove the rear iron sight, but it's not a big deal.

 

[lachoneus]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

The "scout rifle" concept is to use a low power scope mounted forward of the receiver so that the shooter can keep both eyes open, and quickly locate targets, both moving and stationary.

For that, you need an intermediate-relief scope, such as the "scout" scope models made by Leupold or Burris. I have the Burris version and it is a fixed power 2 3/4x scope.

Jeff Cooper's philosophy was that the rifle should be able to incapacitate targets up to 200 kilos at any distance where the shooter is able to place a bullet within the vital zone. The scout rifle thus was not intended for shooting the small groups for which higher magnification scopes are better suited, but rather as a practical and general purpose rifle capable of rapidly scoring decisive hits on larger targets.

Scout rifles can be accurate. I had a Savage scout rifle that consistently shot sub-MOA groups right out of the box, even with the low power scope. And I had no trouble making quick hits on a 6-inch gong at 300 yards, again using the low power scope. If you are looking to shoot tiny groups with a high magnification scope, however, a scout rifle is not the ideal tool.

To mount a conventional scope on the Ruger scout rifle, you would have to first remove the rear iron sight. From the pictures I have seen, you may then be able to use the proprietary Ruger rings to mount a scope in the conventional manner.

 

[Usarmyrgr]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

Very helpful guys, I appreciate it a lot. Rifle shows up Friday. Can't wait...

 

[phillipjr]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

I held one the other day, very please with how it felt!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

IMHO, the only reason I'd consider a rifle with a Scout type scope mount would be if that rifle permitted top feeding with a stripper clip.

I bought a Savage Scout which has no stripper clip slot, and replaced the Scout type mount with a conventional one, removing the rear iron sight. The rifle with the conventional scope mounting is still very pleasant to wield. The Scout Rifle dimensions make it a very nice walkabout rifle.

Unless the Ruger Scout has the stripper clip slot, providing a conventional scope mount makes sense.

Greg

 

[hlee]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

And, if you want to shoot with both eyes open, keep both eyes open. I have no problem doing this with a conventional scope at 9x- maybe i am the only one, but that was how I was taught. I do not know if higher magnification makes this more difficult. However, my wife borders on cross eye dominance and cannot shoot with both eyes open.

 

[redbullitt]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

No stripper clips here. I am a fan of the AI mags though. Nice to have a factory ruger set up for those.

I tried running it for a while as a "scout" with the optics in front, but I just hated it no matter how much I messed with it. Just not for me, but YMMV of course. A little red dot was fairly nice though, and might be worth a try.

I really like the rifle with a low power variable in the standard position (with sights still attached). It is handy, works great for hunting, and shoots very well. I have taken a few deer with it from 30 to 200 yards. No extensive load development done for it, but it shoots a touch over a minute out to 300 yards with 175 smks for me. Too much vertical though, so I guarantee some load tweaking will have it shooting well.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Hogshooter]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

"Jeff Cooper's philosophy was that the rifle should be able to <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #FF0000">incapacitate targets up to 200 kilos </span></span>at any distance where the shooter is able to place a bullet within the vital zone. The scout rifle thus was not intended for shooting the small groups for which higher magnification scopes are better suited, but rather as a practical and general purpose rifle capable of rapidly scoring decisive hits on larger targets."

lachoneus,
I believe you meant 200 meters.

 

[ShakyDave]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

No, lachoneus was right. One of the first criteria was that the cartridge had to pack enough punch to incapacitate a "200 kg or 440 lb" target as far out as the rifle was capable of hitting. Obviously a good-sized deer or a really fat zombie.

 

[BadBowtie03]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

or a smelly hog!

 

[redbullitt]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

Definitely right there. I ran load development with a 4-16 scope on there, and the rifle shot very well. Definitely like it better with the lower magnification optic on there though. It's a much better fit to the rifle and how I use it.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

Although it perhaps employs a marginal cartridge for terminal performance beyond 150yd, I have my SKS set up as a Scout, with a gas tube mount and non-magnifying reflex optic for both-eye acquisition. It's 'on' quickety split

Were it ever to be used for skirmishing, it fulfills whatever imaginary need I might have for a CQB weapon. Ditto as a brush rifle for deer.

My Savage Scout also uses the 7.62x39, and employs 110 V-Max handloads for 1MOA accuracy. They shoot flatter and IMHO, the role of a combat rifle is to incapacitate, and preferably not kill. For deer hunting, SRA pro-Hunter 125SP handloads should suffice, being constructed for terminal performance from a .30-30.

Using handloads for hunting purposes runs directly counter to my basic "commercial hunting ammo only" approach. But it's also an instance where I'm trying to optimize an otherwise marginal chambering's performance for my 100lb Granddaughter.

If I were ever to build a subsonic, suppressed rifle; it would be based on the 7.62x39 Savage Scout.

Call me a..., whatever...; but I like to develop rifle and caliber combinations with an ultimate goal of having a multipurpose generic semi and an accurized bolt gun in each of several utilitarian, economical, and easily obtained chamberings. I have done it for .223, 7.62x39, 20ga, and .30-'06 chamberings so far. Not a bad start, I reckon.

I wish the Saiga could be obtained chambered in .280 Rem. An Izhmash Tigr .30-'06 Ver.02, with the longer of the two 'available' barrel lengths, rebarreled for .280 Rem, would be especially sweet.

.308, nice; but just not for me.

Wiki on Jeff Cooper and the Scout Rifle.

Greg

 

[hlee]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

A nice writeup of what a scout rifle is can be found here...

http://jeffcoopersscoutrifles.blogspot.com/

Some excerpts...

"Cooper traced the direct ancestors of his Scout back to the Winchester ‘94 carbine so prevalent in the American West and the full-stocked Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine which was the classic light rifle in Europe and Africa for so many years. “… they were both short, light, handy, and friendly,” said Cooper. “… they were superb for the individual sportsman or explorer faring far afield and depending on the ‘one shot – one kill’ principle if it could be had in the neatest possible package.”

"The Scout is, first and foremost,not a military weapon but a hunting rifle."

"It is not an assault rifle by any definition and was never intended to be anything of the kind. It is not overly specialized, nor is it some mediocre compromise. A lightweight general-purpose rifle is an admirable end of its own, a simple idea which seems difficult for some modern shooters to understand.

 

[Usarmyrgr]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

Barrel break-in suggestions???

 

[hlee]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

Buy several boxes of ammunition from different manufacturers, different bullet weights, constructions, etc. It may take as many as 20 rounds for your barrel to settle down (many barrels shoot best when a little fouled). Then, shoot 5 from each box to determine which one your gun likes best. Spend more time shooting, less time cleaning.

 

[judgedelta]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

My computer must'of started drinking early. How'd this get in the semi-auto forum?

 

[Ghogs Nightmare]

Re: Ruger Scout Rifle .308

Burris made a 2-7 extended eye relief if you wanted something on the higher power end. Was thinking about getting one myself. However the aimpoint micro on it is just to much fun.