new HOWA scout rifle ?
- Thread starter madashell
- Start date
Point of the Scout was to be a short, light, fast handling, quick to get on target rifle in a calibre that was capable for 90% of creatures with legs. A Swiss army knife of rifles. Optics technology of the time is what dictated the forward mounted scope. We can do better with conventionally mounted scopes now.
The M1A scout for instance. Forward mounted optic? Yes. Still not a scout. Way too god damn heavy.
Cooper also said that most lever actions in .30-30 would fit the bill.
It's a concept, not a hard and fast set of rules.
The M1A scout for instance. Forward mounted optic? Yes. Still not a scout. Way too god damn heavy.
Cooper also said that most lever actions in .30-30 would fit the bill.
It's a concept, not a hard and fast set of rules.
Agreed. I see guys on the net who must be Cooper worshipers who get their panties in a bunch over the scout definition. It's such a waste of time. Things progress. Somethings are better, some things are better left as it. The scout concept is nothing more than what you've detailed ... "a short, light, fast handling, quick to get on target rifle in a calibre that was capable for 90% of creatures with legs.".
As far as I'm concerned we can do it BETTER today than Cooper could with what he had.
It's a dead topic at this point in history imo. The Tikka Battue that Kurgan has in .308 with the low power variable scope in standard location is a dead on scout rifle to me ..... Cooper be damned.
I've never been one to get too excited if my scout rifle was half an inch too long, or 2 ounces too heavy, to conform strictly to Cooper's specifications. I tend to snicker when I read some of the guys on the scout rifle forum; "...of course, using this sling puts me over weight, so I'll have to hollow out my recoil pad and put a titanium bolt knob on before I can sleep soundly...". 
I also detest an extended 10-round magazine sticking out of my gun, screwing up the carry, interfering with many shooting positions, adding weight and just generally pissing me off.
But I must say that, having become accustomed to the forward-mounted scope, I like it well enough that I have a half-dozen or so guns set up that way; not just bolt action scouts (I have a Steyr, and just picked up my second Savage), but also a Norc305, a couple of Marlin levers (.44mag and my favourite, an SBL .45-70), and a couple of .22's cobbled together to act as cheapo scout trainers. I've also had "scoutified" BLR's and 7600's, a 10-gauge short-barrel H&R single that was the ultimate turkey gun, and a few other bolt guns and others I've probably forgotten. And no, I don't use stripper clips (obviously), I just like the vast unobstructed binocular field of view the forward scope affords. I can also carry my guns around the balance point in a firm grip...so, for me, the Howa Scout...isn't.
The Steyr, in particular, is a gun I'll keep till the end. I've only recently started to hunt it much, but I've shot it a lot and it just makes me smile. It's very capable when used with a conventional scope, but it shines with a scout scope; wonderful rifle.
I also detest an extended 10-round magazine sticking out of my gun, screwing up the carry, interfering with many shooting positions, adding weight and just generally pissing me off.But I must say that, having become accustomed to the forward-mounted scope, I like it well enough that I have a half-dozen or so guns set up that way; not just bolt action scouts (I have a Steyr, and just picked up my second Savage), but also a Norc305, a couple of Marlin levers (.44mag and my favourite, an SBL .45-70), and a couple of .22's cobbled together to act as cheapo scout trainers. I've also had "scoutified" BLR's and 7600's, a 10-gauge short-barrel H&R single that was the ultimate turkey gun, and a few other bolt guns and others I've probably forgotten. And no, I don't use stripper clips (obviously), I just like the vast unobstructed binocular field of view the forward scope affords. I can also carry my guns around the balance point in a firm grip...so, for me, the Howa Scout...isn't.
The Steyr, in particular, is a gun I'll keep till the end. I've only recently started to hunt it much, but I've shot it a lot and it just makes me smile. It's very capable when used with a conventional scope, but it shines with a scout scope; wonderful rifle.
My 7mm-08 Frontier has likely the same scope, it was the only one at the time.
I like the setup and shoot both eyes open, but there are times my much younger eyes and brain start having a weirdness over the 4x overlayed on reality. Yes, it works, no, it's isn't always good to stare through.
But on snap to shoulder and fire, the setup rocks.
The stubby little Frontier is just a darn handy rifle, behind the seat in the truck, on the quad, tucked behind the cabin door.
I would go wood cutting chainsaw in one hand, Frontier in the other.
Just a nice little keeper..
I would go wood cutting chainsaw in one hand, Frontier in the other.
Just a nice little keeper..
TacticalTeacher
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Georgian Bay, ON
Compact rifles are a joy to carry in the woods!
Loving my Ruger GSR in .308 16.5" barrel synthetic stock. Iron sights by day when we will be pushing bush, and forward mounted Vortex for evening low light conditions!
Loving my Ruger GSR in .308 16.5" barrel synthetic stock. Iron sights by day when we will be pushing bush, and forward mounted Vortex for evening low light conditions!
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I've never been one to get too excited if my scout rifle was half an inch too long, or 2 ounces too heavy, to conform strictly to Cooper's specifications. I tend to snicker when I read some of the guys on the scout rifle forum; "...of course, using this sling puts me over weight, so I'll have to hollow out my recoil pad and put a titanium bolt knob on before I can sleep soundly...".
But I must say that, having become accustomed to the forward-mounted scope, I like it well enough that I have a half-dozen or so guns set up that way; not just bolt action scouts (I have a Steyr, and just picked up my second Savage), but also a Norc305, a couple of Marlin levers (.44mag and my favourite, an SBL .45-70), and a couple of .22's cobbled together to act as cheapo scout trainers. I've also had "scoutified" BLR's and 7600's, a 10-gauge short-barrel H&R single that was the ultimate turkey gun, and a few other bolt guns and others I've probably forgotten. And no, I don't use stripper clips (obviously), I just like the vast unobstructed binocular field of view the forward scope affords. I can also carry my guns around the balance point in a firm grip...so, for me, the Howa Scout...isn't.
The Steyr, in particular, is a gun I'll keep till the end. I've only recently started to hunt it much, but I've shot it a lot and it just makes me smile. It's very capable when used with a conventional scope, but it shines with a scout scope; wonderful rifle.
Rather than wringing one's hands over an ounce or two, simply calling one's obese rifle a quasi-scout, keeps it Copperesque. Many of his rifles, like the 1903 Springfield based scout, didn't quite make the 3 kilo limit, and he simply referred to those, and the Lion-Scout as quasi-scouts. I might have purchased a Styer, but I couldn't get past it's unorthodox appearance, and the built in bi-pod doesn't appeal to me since it appears to have no allowance to correct rifle cant if set up on uneven ground. If I was to have a scout rifle custom built, I'd base it on the Brno 601 prominently displayed in Art of the Rifle, but in this day and age of modern ultralight mountain rifles, I wonder if the concept hasn't been eclipsed. Advancements in manufacturing and materials influence possibilities, and our rifles today are a big step ahead of what was available in the '80s and '90s. Cooper's legacy should be that of a teacher, and with respect to rifle craft, his ideas on practical field marksmanship are timeless.
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Great minds think alike (or was it slow minds that do).
It is joy to carry 6.5pounds rifle while hunting!
Cheers,
It is joy to carry 6.5pounds rifle while hunting!
Cheers,
Compact rifles are a joy to carry in the woods!
Loving my Ruger GSR in .308 16.5" barrel synthetic stock. Iron sights by day when we will be pushing bush, and forward mounted Vortex for evening low light conditions!
Compact rifles are a joy to carry in the woods!
Loving my Ruger GSR in .308 16.5" barrel synthetic stock. Iron sights by day when we will be pushing bush, and forward mounted Vortex for evening low light conditions!
Couldn't agree more TT. My go to carry .308 is a light & compact modified Remington 600 Mohawk. Love it. I'd love to get the scratch together for a Kimber Adirondack but that might be cheating !!
