IMHO, the only functional advantage of a Scout style forward mounted scope is that they clear the space above the action, permitting loading from stripper clips. In rifles that have detachable magazines, and even lack stripper clip slots, they are a pointless affectation.
My Savage 10 FCM Scout 7.62x39 has had the token peep sight and Scout mount deleted, and carries a 2.5-10x42 scope on a conventional mount.
My 91/30 Mosin Nagant has been refitted with the Archangel stock, which incorporates a 10rd D/M.
Since it also carries a stripper clip slot and conventional scope mounting is a bit of a hassle, I removed the entire rear sight assembly, which reveals a set of lengthwise barrel grooves, very much like those found in older .22LR scope mounting systems. I simply attached a pair of high heavy duty air rifle scope rings and mounted a relatively nice Bushnell Banner Handgun Scope. It's a rugged installation, keeping up well with the Mosin's recoil, and allows a decent method for sight adjustment.
The Mosin's Stripper clip reloading capacity works so well, I prefer it over the provided D/M, and the clips stow very nicely in an M-1923 rifle ammunition belt (marketed as a Garand Rifle Belt). The provided D/M is nice, because it doubles the original magazine capacity; I simply leave it in place.
The M-14 was my issued carry weapon during my RVN service. It become a grafted appendage, never leaving my sight for my entire tour of duty over there. Heavy? I suppose; but since it was an everyday/every moment companion, the weight had ceased to be an issue long before we boarded transport to 'Nam.
I don't have that kind of intimacy with the Gunsite Rifle, but it would need to be pretty accurate to be an improvement over the M-14 (M1A, a reasonable comparison since my M-14 did not have the selector installed).
In a firefight, the chances are very good I'd be dead carrying the GSR, since it's rate of fire just does not compare even close to that available from the M-14.
Greg