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Anyone a fan of scout rifles?

JB5812

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Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 8, 2006
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Portland, OR
I went to fail on finding ammo like usual, and happened to see the Ruger scout rifle in .308. VERY NICE. I've never really fully understood it's place in the rifle/carbine world, but I really liked it! I have my lever guns, and I have my bolt guns, but I was thinking that a scout with a foldable Manners stock or similar would be AWESOME to throw in my Eberlestock gunslinger to take on hiking trips.

Anyone have any experience or resources for input on this? It's just different, and might be a really fun rifle to have around!

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Check out the late Col. Jeff Cooper's Scout rifle, it was manufactured by Steyr.

I built one out of a Sako Finnlight medium action (30-06) for game. Very handy and light, my "mountain" rifle. I think it weighs just around 9 lbs w/ 5 rounds of 30-06 ammo and a 4x long eye relief scope.

Also serves as my trunk gun when I have to go into commie states.
 
Awesome thanks for the info. I've been researching them a bit, and the only other thing I can think of that would one up a bolt scout gun, would be the SOCOM or similar... BUT, a hell of a lot more money... And for the reason I'd want it, I don't think a semi auto would be necessary. I just like the idea of a short, durable, powerful rifle like this since I only have lever guns that would fit the bill.

Still not sure on it since I've never really considered it, but like I said, It's different, and would be awesome for a pack type rifle I think. You can even mount a normal scope on it I guess by taking off the rear sight if you really want to...
 
I've really liked the aesthetics of the Ruger Gunsite Scout since it was introduced, but wasn't sure how one would fit into my collection. Then I went home for Christmas and took a couple guns to shoot. Dad had recently picked up a Gunsite, and he brought that out to shoot. He mounted a Leupold Scout scope up front on it, and of course let me fire it a good bit. I fell in love. It's a great rifle. Light, easy to manipulate, eye relief for days... I love the idea of a low fixed power scope. I was just thoroughly impressed.

Went to the gun store a few days later and told him "if they have one in left-hand I'm buying it." They only had one Gunsite period... Left-handed. It was meant to be. Brought it home and mounted a Burris Scout scope on mine. I still need to grab a sling for it, but I love it.

DE633ED0-E81B-4767-ABCF-B3ECBFB63383-2848-000004A0836AAA34_zps1c6dfe7b.jpg
 
I got mine right around that price. You won't regret it. It put down some nice groups as well. I really can't say enough great things about it. Like I said, I was a bit of a skeptic until I got to handle and shoot it. I was sold.
 
Never been a big fan of the scout rifle concept, but I don't like chocolate ice cream either. Tastes vary...

Well I never have either until now. Maybe not the concept, but it seems to fit in somewhere where I don't have a rifle for the purpose... Not really sure, but I just see myself using it quite a bit...
 
I've really liked the aesthetics of the Ruger Gunsite Scout since it was introduced, but wasn't sure how one would fit into my collection. Then I went home for Christmas and took a couple guns to shoot. Dad had recently picked up a Gunsite, and he brought that out to shoot. He mounted a Leupold Scout scope up front on it, and of course let me fire it a good bit. I fell in love. It's a great rifle. Light, easy to manipulate, eye relief for days... I love the idea of a low fixed power scope. I was just thoroughly impressed.

Went to the gun store a few days later and told him "if they have one in left-hand I'm buying it." They only had one Gunsite period... Left-handed. It was meant to be. Brought it home and mounted a Burris Scout scope on mine. I still need to grab a sling for it, but I love it.

DE633ED0-E81B-4767-ABCF-B3ECBFB63383-2848-000004A0836AAA34_zps1c6dfe7b.jpg

Just needs a third swivel and a Ching Sling and you are good to go.

The concept is absolutely solid. No, it is not good for precision work, nor is it intended for it. Its purpose is that of a multi purpose weapon. It does everything but LR precision very, very well.
 
The scout is the Crescent-hammer of bolt guns. Pretty versatile and can be built at a decent price.


Old VZ Mauser, $40 19.5" 7x57 Numrich NOS bbl, XM scout rail, Lyman peep and Boyds stock.

dsc04863800x413.jpg



The Ruger is set up for both scout and rear receiver optic mounting.
 
The scout is the Crescent-hammer of bolt guns. Pretty versatile and can be built at a decent price.


Old VZ Mauser, $40 19.5" 7x57 Numrich NOS bbl, XM scout rail, Lyman peep and Boyds stock.

dsc04863800x413.jpg



The Ruger is set up for both scout and rear receiver optic mounting.

Very nice. That's really nice looking. I do love the simplicity of Boyd's stocks, and it fits that scout nicely.
 
The Ruger is set up for both scout and rear receiver optic mounting.

Yessir. I hate the fact that you have to remove the rear sight to mount an optic over the receiver though. The cool part about Ruger, though, is they include the rings to mount over the receiver... and according to the dealer, if those standard 1" rings won't work for your setup, you can call them and they'll replace them with the correct rings for your application.
 
I took a serious look at the Ruger, it is nice as you can use it as a scout or practical rifle, DBM and threaded. Would make a heck of a hog or deep timber rifle.

As for the scout concept, yes it is a niche. I would say that the majority of folks who own them have other rifles at their disposal. Sure a semi-auto carbine is more efficient, but more efficient at what(redundant question)? For the avg civilian, the scout can serve as a great ranch or pack rifle.
 
Well I picked it up. I played with it at the store for a while and absolutely loved it. I'm happy I have a multipurpose rifle to throw in packs, take hiking, put in the truck, and carry around easily.

Now just the optics and base. I'm going with the Burris 2.75x scout. Not sure on the base yet, but I want a quick detach setup of some sort.

Thanks for the input, guys!

IMAG0492.jpg
 
The scout is the Crescent-hammer of bolt guns. Pretty versatile and can be built at a decent price.


Old VZ Mauser, $40 19.5" 7x57 Numrich NOS bbl, XM scout rail, Lyman peep and Boyds stock.

dsc04863800x413.jpg


The Ruger is set up for both scout and rear receiver optic mounting.




WELL HOLY SHIT! I have a 1942 Remmy M1903 sporterized with a nice AC style stock that Ive been wanting to do THIS^^^^^^^^^^^ to. Very Nice! Would you mind sharing a bit of info on your scope rail? Hows it mounted? Where did you get it? Is it specifically for a Mauser or is it universal? I dont mean to ask so many questions but The scope mount solution has kinda been a "stone wall". I want to re barrel it with a custom contour to accomodate the scope but the orig bbl thats on it looks good and shoots great still. Its got redfield reciever sight and redfield banded front. Been thinkin about it for a while. When I saw this^^^ I started twitching and foaming at the mouth a bit. HA, parents thought it was a siezure for a second!

NICE RIFLE!
 
Actually an XS scout www.xssights.com, used to Ashelly Outdoors, they make them for a lot of different scout mounts.

I've had the Steyr Scout for about 10 years with the Leupold 2 3/4 scout scope. Killed a few pigs and deer with it. 250 yd shots are no problem and it's quick up close.
 
Yeah I've decided on those actually. Seem to be the best all around for price and simplicity. I've used Warne's on most of my rigs. So what I've decided (and some will not approve), is to take the rifle's capability a bit further and mount a low power 1-4x30mm Leupold Patrol rifle scope on it by utilizing an XS rail http://xssights.com/index.php?nID=scopemounts&cID=Scope Mounts&pID=scopemounts not in a scout rifle format. Reason why I've chosen to do this is because I sought out to get another rifle that was light, powerful, small, and multi-purpose.

I don't really think this rifle truly fits into the traditional "scout" concept as it is after researching the concept further, BUT it sure fits the bill for the things I've described. It does fit into a category that one would think of when the general term "Scout" is said though which usually describes something light, fast, smaller, and a jack of all trades. So with a low powered rifle scope mounted on the receiver, I think this will be an awesome short-medium (~50-400yd) range rifle that won't be a burden to carry around and utilize due to the original intentions of the rifle. Much like the M1A CQB, tackles the same things when compared to it's bigger brothers when comparing this small bolt rifle to others...

What do you guys think?
 
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BA, as TV66 posted the scout rail is an XS sight. They are made for the Mauser, but If the barrel on the remmy is not tapered (at least a few inches past the receiver), it may work. You just mic the diameter and give them a call. They will suggest the correct size. When it comes you square it, tighten 2 screws, electrical tape the end close to the receiver and then pour in some acraglass. Done.

JB nice score on the Ruger, it may not be a textbook scout, but has all of the features and more.
 
Answer to a question that should not have been asked. In others words completely useless!

I disagree. I think it should have just been marketed as a "general purpose rifle". It IS lighter than most, it IS shorter than most, it IS built as an all around capable rig. But scout rifle, I have decided it is not. Still love it though.

In fact, it absolutely answers a question for me! I didn't have a lightweight, small, general rifle, and now I do! It is good out to around 500 yards and doesn't weigh 13+lbs like all my other rifles!

If they didn't call it a scout rifle, people wouldn't be so upset about it lol. You can't load it from the top, and it's supplied with mags, so why the scout forward rail setup that leaves the action open??? There is no point. That's why I'm making mine traditional receiver mounted, lower powered scope, general purpose lightweight rifle....
 
Answer to a question that should not have been asked. In others words completely useless!

To each his or her own, I suppose, and no offense meant, but that is an "answer to a question that YOU should not have asked".....maybe. Maybe some day you'll be asking it too, for similar reasons to why I ask it. For the sake of your health, I honestly hope you never have to......

I have a 26" heavy barreled R700 that shoots like a dream. I have an AR10 SASS rifle that has put 4 rounds into one hole at 100 yards with my son's much younger eyeballs. I also own a Gunsite Scout, and I love it. It actually DOES answer a question of mine: "How can I get a reasonably priced, off-the-shelf, left-handed, short and handy, fairly light, .308 BOLT-ACTION rifle with really fast sight picture that uses removable box magazines, light enough that an old poop such as myself with a really bad back might be able to carry around?" Answer: "Off-the-shelf, you say? Buy the Ruger Gunsite Scout!"

It is not only my "grab and go" bolt rifle, it is my preferred hunting rifle for hogs and white tails in north Texas. Having some trouble working up a good handload for it, mostly because the bullets I want to buy are impossible to find lately, but I've had decent "practical accuracy" results with Federal Fusion's 165 grain hunting load....say 1.0-1.5 MOA at 100 yards. Where I hunt, I never see shooting lanes longer than about 200 yards, so that is acceptable.

I mounted a Leupold ("SWFA Exclusive") Leupold 1.5-5x33 VX-R Scout Scope on it with a set of Leupold QRW 30mm Rings. The scope body is just a little bit longer than most scout scopes, so I moved it forward a tad and took out the spacers from the buttstock, and it works perfectly and comes up to the eye naturally, just like an AR carbine does. I love this rifle:
RGS-for-web.jpg


Assuming 2400 fps at the muzzle for a 175 grain SMK (I haven't chrono'd it yet, so this is just a guess from this short barrel) with a 200 yard zero, my ballistic calculator says it ought to be no more than 2.7" high at 125 yards to 4.3" low at 250 yards; which means that the Firedot reticle without any stadia lines can be relied on as basically a "point and shoot" reticle out to 250 yards.......well within the hunting capabilities I am likely to run into in the brush. Now, I've still got to go and prove this through load development, but preliminary range sessions at 100 yards have been promising. This is NOT a sniping/varmint rifle, but neither does it weigh 10 or 11 lb. like either of my tactical bolt rifles, nor does it weigh the 17 lb of my SASS rifle. What it is is a lightweight and handy rifle or acceptable practical accuracy that a semi-disabled old man like me can hump around some hunting land without having to work too hard just carrying stuff.

And that most certainly does provide a valuable answer to a question that at least some people are asking......and again, no offense meant.
 
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The original versions of the scout envisioned by Jeff Cooper used a Mauser action that would allow the use of stripper clips as a means of a fast reload without the use of a DBM. Being forward mounted means it will consume less of your peripheral vision while tracking and sighting. Speed of target acquisition is the hallmark of the forward mounted scout scope. At the gunsite course, the instructors would demonstrate this by breaking clay pigions in the air with their scouts.
 
Savage 10FCM Scout 7.62x39. Bought it only for the chambering/bolt face, and replaced the Scout mount with a conventional base and rings. Using handloads I decided to replace the Tasco Varmint/Target 2.5-10x42 MilDot with a Tasco Varmint/Target 6-24x42 MilDot. It's accurate enough to warrant the higher magnification. The rifle is my 16 Y/O Granddaughter's training rifle and her favorite "Zombie" rifle.

Greg
 
Pre-panic, my LGS had a left-hand Ruger Scout in stock. Had it been a right-hand action, I'm pretty sure that I would have done an impulse purchase.

Greg, what kind of accuracy are you seeing with your 10FCM, and with what load? I've had a mild hankerin' for a 7.62x39 bolt gun for about the past ten years, but haven't ever quite gotten around to scratching that itch.
 
Not stellar accuracy, but enough to trust it to my Granddaughter as a trainer. If I had to make a head shot on a zombie at 200yd, there would be no reason for a follow-up.

I'd have to look at the ammo box to see the current load, I've been so busy with another project; equipping several 91/30's with Scout mounted scopes. I'm using H-4198 and the 110gr V-Max with PMC brass and CCI-200's. The x39 is so cheap to buy that handloading only makes sense for very limited purposes. The rifle was never intended to serve any precision accuracy task for me anyway. For that, I use .30BR and .280 Rem.

I also have loads using the above with SRA 125gr Pro-Hunters; and for distances within 150yd, it would be an appropriate deer implement for my 16 y/o fully grown 5' 3" 110lb Granddaughter. But I'd also want to swap the scope back out for the 2.5-10x42.

The .308 bullets work because the Savage uses an appropriate bore diameter. Part of my original thinking involved having the action available for a PPC chambered custom someday down the road.

Greg
 
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So many guns so little time. I have an M1A Scout and a SBR with a 12.5" barrel in 6.8 SC. I keep coming back to this darn Ruger Scout. The only thing I don't like is the 16.5" barrel. Wish it had an 18" barrel.
What king of accuracy are folks getting with the Ruger Scout??
 
The Savage Scout's recoil is definitely mild, and with the 110gr bullets, it still shoots relatively flat, which remedies my main disappointment with the SKS.

My old Norinco SKS resides in a Choate Dragunov stock, and has been Scouterized with an old B-Square gas tube base and a dot scope. Never gonna win a BR match with it; but it's short, wieldy, and shoots pretty much where I point it without much fuss at all. It loads with strippers and works about as advertised.
 
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What I put together does not meet Coopers criteria, but it meets my determined needs ideally. I wanted an all around lightweight "practical rifle" in .308.

I chose to take a stainless Tikka T3 Lite and chop it to an even 20"s and put a Nightforce 2.5-10x24 on it in Talley lightweights. I run a VTAC sling, just like my work guns. I normally run 5 round mags from the Varmint model T3s and they have proven to be super reliable. From jackrabbits to elk, this little lightweight carbine has delivered.



For a "traveling light and covering a lot of ground or elevation", this rifle is the one that has caused my other rifles to continue to collect dust in the rifle safe.




Accuracy has been nothing short of outstanding for a sporter weight rifle. but then again Sako does know how to produce barrels. I run Sierra 165 grain HPBT Gamekings. The biggest challenge is focusing on the fundamentals when running such a lightweight rifle. Any flaw or sloppyness on your part, shows on paper real quick.

 
I love mine, I am honestly getting 1MOA out of it. The complaints about the accuracy were my biggest concerns, but for this MOA is fine. Remember 20 years ago if a rifle was shooting 1MOA it was considered super accurate. Now I'm used to 1/2 MOA rifles but honestly it works fine. Heck at the moment its shooting better than my Remmy 700 AAC-SD!
 
I've had one for about a year and a half now. I have a leupold scout scope, but I needed a bit more magnification at the 200 plus yards. I have a burris 1-6 xtr on it now and I like the setup. I put 20 factory rem corelokt through it at 85 yards and the group was about an inch and a quarter. With hand loads it is better around 3/4 at 100. I am still working up a hunting load for the shorty... Still pretty handy with a ti can hanging off the front. All in all its a solid hunting rig.