General Purpose or Practical Rifles?
- Thread starter blakeyboy
- Start date
I find that just a properly mounted conventional leupold or quality scope works better for me than long eye relief scopes in the scout configuration. Field of view tends to be far superior, along with light gathering, image quality. And 2.5x and 3x settings easily accommodate both eyes open. I remember on the leupold YouTube instructional video for scope mounting indicated to start off with the ocular bell even with the rear of the trigger guard and move it back from there only enough to accommodate eye relief. I did so in the prone position. My scopes tend to be closer to even with the rear of trigger guards on conventional bolt action sporting rifles. I find most hunters I encounter or know have their scopes further back.. my guess is they’re used to sitting on the bench of their local club to sight in… again, just my mileage and what works for me.
The value of original scout rifle article by Cooper is not the final blueprint, but the reasoning behind it. Read original writing and step back from what Cooper could find available at the time, but think through why he was looking for specific things instead.
https://i.imgur.com/uE5SYHS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zNBWOu3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wzWZoQu.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1zmTIxg.jpg
Reasoning for scout scope had NOTHING to do with how good scout scopes were on themselves, but a balance between having access to top load and minimal obstruction to field of view necessary for a situation awareness and quick off hand shots, ability to hold rifle in the middle by the center of mass on a move. It was a choice from variants generally available in 1986, he specifically says "finding sights for them (rifles) is a frustrating enterprise". So this blind faith in scout scopes or total denial of scout rifle concept value are both short sighted extremes.
https://i.imgur.com/uE5SYHS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zNBWOu3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wzWZoQu.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1zmTIxg.jpg
Reasoning for scout scope had NOTHING to do with how good scout scopes were on themselves, but a balance between having access to top load and minimal obstruction to field of view necessary for a situation awareness and quick off hand shots, ability to hold rifle in the middle by the center of mass on a move. It was a choice from variants generally available in 1986, he specifically says "finding sights for them (rifles) is a frustrating enterprise". So this blind faith in scout scopes or total denial of scout rifle concept value are both short sighted extremes.
If.. I was to go the Scout route and keeping to the original concept by Cooper, it probably follow along these lines
- Rem 700 or Seven
- Tikka Compact or UL/Light
- Blued or SS (doesnt matter either way)
-.308 Cal
- 20” Length 1-11.25 twist #2 profile
- Wildcat or HS Precision Stock
- Leupy 1-7 or 2-8x40 (in case if i have to stretch it’s legs)
Most of these above tick off the original notes by Cooper, save for the 20” bbl which is as short as I’d go in any caliber personally. If I was out West where larger bears are around I’d stay in the .30 Cals and go WM, WSM or the like. Not that I’d really want to touch off a few WSM in a short barrel & composite stock too many times in a row…
- Rem 700 or Seven
- Tikka Compact or UL/Light
- Blued or SS (doesnt matter either way)
-.308 Cal
- 20” Length 1-11.25 twist #2 profile
- Wildcat or HS Precision Stock
- Leupy 1-7 or 2-8x40 (in case if i have to stretch it’s legs)
Most of these above tick off the original notes by Cooper, save for the 20” bbl which is as short as I’d go in any caliber personally. If I was out West where larger bears are around I’d stay in the .30 Cals and go WM, WSM or the like. Not that I’d really want to touch off a few WSM in a short barrel & composite stock too many times in a row…
They are very good articles and interesting reads for sure. Having read them years before acquiring my scout rifle, I realize now one thing that didn’t come to my mind all those years ago when I first read them. I’m not confident or certain Cooper ever achieved what he set out to do with his scout rifle based on his original specs. One could argue a true scout rifle in accordance with his specifications never existed. I can understand wanting the forward mounted scope to accommodate top loading with stripper clips. That’s not necessary however for top loading without stripper clips or if the rifle has a receiver that can’t accommodate them… I could be wrong, but I’d imagine modifying a heavy stripper clip loading battle rifle of yester’year to meet the specifications mentioned in his writings might be a serious challenge...
I really am curious how much he actually used scout rifles for practical purposes back then. Recent video of Coopers former instructor Kent hackathorn and Bill Wilson speaking about the idea, talk about Kent actually mentioning some of the weaknesses to cooper back in the day, and him ignoring them and just “stare off into the horizon” when they were mentioned. For me the big take home from his writings was more in the “Carbine Compromise” article prior to his scout rifle idea.
Check out 11:30
Regrettably I spent a fair amount going down the scout rifle path when the Ruger first came to market and arrived in Canada… the idea didn’t work as well for me as compared to sporter weight rifles with conventional scopes. Just my mileage. I love the idea of a T3X compact in 308 with a decent scope as a practical carbine or rifle. I have a T3x hunter in 223 with a vx1 2-7x, it’s slick, lite and handy.
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Yep, short light, good field of view, back up irons, "points well" and able of taking north American game put to 300 yards.
Could be a 308 bolt, a blr or it could be something like this:
Lots of ways to skin a cat, but we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater...
Yep, short light, good field of view, back up irons, "points well" and able of taking north American game put to 300 yards.
Could be a 308 bolt, a blr or it could be something like this:
Lots of ways to skin a cat, but we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater...
Absolutely
That on all sorts of "scout" size guns seems really cool. It was at home for a couple of hard kicking lever guns here. Certainly lots of platforms for it and it hardly weighs that much more than irons do at 6.8 OZ lol. Had it with Weaver QDs which go way low.
No, I haven't.
I've used more than oneLoved the idea until I started trying it and finding they don't have advantages over a modern optic solution like a Trijicon or other small, light, LPVO
Might have been the best answer back in the day. Today it just feels like a bad compromise.
Ever run both over a timer? lol
Yes. For my eyes, the scout was a faster pickup of the targets, and way better on moving game. Your mileage may vary. It's not a great rifle for LR shooting, but it is (again, for me) a very handy, fast set up for a walking around gun. - dan
That would be slick
You can easily top load most brands of polymer AI magazines in your Ruger GSR or any other open top action running poly AI’s.
Try it…you’d be surprised at how easy it is to snap those rounds down using just your thumb.
I prefer an optic like this over a "scout" scope. 1-6x, red dot center. On 1x it's the same as using a standard red dot for quick target acquisition. 6x get's you out as far as you need to go with a rifle like this. Detach mags so no need to make a stripper clip provision.
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Ruger GS with a scout scope is my current go to carry anywhere general purpose. Good out to 300 and if the scope craps out the irons are one of the best I've used.
