Scout Rifle.

[mellonhead]

I really havent messed with rifles much for about the last ten years. I have been really consumed with my revolvers. I kinda liked the idea of a Scout Rifle years ago and started thinking about it again last fall. Just was wondering if any of you guys have had experience with this setup? Likes, dislikes? Been looking at the Ruger GSR and Grizzly customs. Thanks.

Toby

[robl]

I like the concept. I have a couple : A Remington 600 with a Burris 1.75 Scout Scope and a Ruger Gunsite with a Leupold 1.5x4 Scout Scope. I'd like a New Frontier. Not enamored with the butt ugly Steyr Scout. I DO like Steyr's little suedo Scout . My Ruger 77 RSI with 2x7x 30MM VXR is a similar light gun. Read a Rifleman went to war. His brief description of a captured German sporter was the genesis of Cooper' Scout concept. Interesting in that the scope had a amber triangle reticle back in 1914!

[2 Dogs]

My own Scout Rifle project has been ongoing for about a year or better. Its hard to finish custom projects as they take time. My Rifle is based on a Remington 700 short action. It is a switch barrel/switch bolt 223/7-08. It is bedded into a Hi Tech Specialties stock and set up for 10 shot bottom metal. I do not care for nor use the forward mounted scope, rather a scope in a set of QD rings. I havent quite figured out how I am going to handle the iron sight part of the project.

[subsonic]

I'd like to play with one, but just holding and shouldering them left me feeling "meh". If I find a deal on a stainless Frontier rifle in a decent caliber (not a WSM) I will probably pick it up to experiment with.

You loose a lot of field of view when you use a long eye releif scope, so magnification is reduced to get some field of view back. If the sun is behind you, your head is no longer close to the scope where it can block the ocular and you will get glare instead.

I think the best way to go is a good 1x red-dot on these.

YMMV. I haven't shot one.

The concept of a light handy carbine with some punch is a good one.

[robl]

you don't loose field of view with a forward mounted scope you Gain it.... with the low power scope you keep both eyes open.
I have shot several of these and it works just like Col Cooper said it would. Red dot are fine for 150 on in but most are too course for farther out.

[Fowler]

I wish Ruger would make that Gunsite rifle in 223, it would be a more fun rifle to play with than a 308 I think.

I know Mossberg has a bolt 223 that takes AR mags, it might be a pretty good rifle but I have a hard time getting excited about a Mossberg and it doesnt have iron sights on it. Oh and I wouldnt mount a scout scope on it, cant stand them...

[humphrey]

I personally like to build them out of enfields. Cut back the wood, crop the barrel. New front sight and some glass.

[bradshaw]

The INTERMEDIATE EYE RELIEF concept of rifle scope mounting makes for:
* Handy carry.
* Unobstructed peep sight mounting.
* Complete avoidance of "Weatherby Eyebrow."
* Relatively swift action on moving game----providing magnification is limited to 2x.

The IER scope is an impediment to:
* Target visibility at dusk or darker.
* Long range shot placement.
* Combined woods and open country capability.

The hunter for whom shots often come at sunset or after is better off with a conventional scope.

Fastest shot I ever made on an exploding buck was with my Remington M6 pump carbine with Williams Guide rear aperture and Burris Sourdough gold post front sights. I had flipped over the carbine's Leupold 2x IER scope (on hinged mount), as snow descended in cottonballs. No scope, including the "scout," would have equalled iron under those conditions.
David Bradshaw

[450ak]

after fifteen years with my Heinous Poser Scout Rifle( Rem 700, 308 etc) the concept is wonderful for about all uses of a rifle. The Ruger scout is close enough to the idea and works well.
The last coyote i killed with it was at 354 yards running through the sage brush. I do not shoot at game animals past 250 so "long range" doesnt matter to me.

[robl]

Fowler there IS a Scout Rifle in .223/5.56 we call it the AR-15;-)...and YES, they ARE very fun to play with.

[Fowler]

Mar 27, 2013 11:53:09 GMT -5 robl said:

Fowler there IS a Scout Rifle in .223/5.56 we call it the AR-15;-)...and YES, they ARE very fun to play with.

Yea and I am building one slowly, but I still like bolt guns. Heck to tell the truth I like falling block single shots the best of all but they are not very tactical now are they?

[mellonhead]

One problem I see in my situation with the IER scope is I am right handed and left eye dominant . I'm not sure if I would be able to shoot with both open or not. I was tossing around the idea at work today of what I would call a long range scout rifle. Basically a Remington 700 in 308 with a 22" barrel, a set of scope mounts with the peep built in, like the ones XS sells. Put a rugged front sight on it, like the banded ones Ruger uses. Then top it off with a standard Leupold 4X scope in a set of quick release Leupold QRW rings. Then if a guy wanted to he could put a Leupold Delta or a Burris Fastfire on the front base for a scout style heads up display. Just my mind running amuck!!

Toby

[joej]

Mar 27, 2013 9:01:42 GMT -5 bradshaw said:

I had a Leupold 2x IER scope, which I had flipped over on its hinged mount, as snow descended in cottonballs. No scope would have been appropriate at the moment of need.
David Bradshaw

Would that have been the ole Pachmayr Lo-Swing Top Mount??

[curmudgeon]

Having ones personal idea of a Scout rifle is Fine. BUT, many seem to loose track of the purpose of the Scout rifle concept, It is an intermediate range Battle Rifle, not an AAR for everything. The IER scope in the worse lightingMin conditions is better than iron.Robl, the Germans have been ahead of us in optics for many a moon. External ballistics too until we got Werner VonB. Lets keep the Scout rifle for its intended purpose , if its use comes in handy under other circumstances all the better.

[2 Dogs]

In truth, about the only think I scout out is the buffet! Hahaha. Mine truly is more of a Ranch/Truck Rifle.

Well spoken Lee, thanks!