So um, would swapping the factory barrel with custom match barrel be considered cheating? After all if there is no restriction ammo, or on sights or presumably sloped scope rails, why restrict barrels? The thing is that the scout rifle concept was never intended to produce a benchrest type rifle. Where it shines is in the field when used in practical shooting scenarios. Does anyone care if an off the rack factory carbine shoots minute and a half groups at 500 or 700 yards? Further the competition brings unfair advantage to the shooter who puts a big magnification target scope on a rifle that was never designed to use one, in the role for which it was conceived. A Kenyathelon type competition, as was held for a few years at the NRA's Raton NM facility, would be far more interesting, but few people, other than Dogleg and perhaps those of us who live in the arctic and sub-arctic, have access to the type of room that such a course of fire requires. As I recall it was a circular 2 mile course, with various stages of fire along the way.
Still, there are some interesting things that can be tried. Targets could be put out at various unknown ranges, and the shooter is asked to engage the farthest one he thinks he can hit, cold bore. There would be one target allowed for each stage, and one stage for each shooting position, with no artificial rest allowed. Scoring could be a single point allotted for each hit, minus 2 points for each miss, and a penalty could be applied for going over time, or perhaps a blind is dropped in front of the shooter after a specified time, ending that stage.
You could see how many hits out of 10 could be made on a straight away clay bird, although some folks might have an issue finding enough room for elevated rifle fire.
A plastic pail, towed by a vehicle, could be pulled towards the shooter who attempts to make as many hits as possible in the 25 yard run.
The shooter could stand with his back to the berm, with his rifle is on the ground muzzle towards the target. On signal, he turns, picks up his rifle, inserts a loaded magazine, and fires 3 rounds at the 10 yard target, or perhaps there are 3 similar targets with one being a "no shoot" and before he turns around he doesn't know how they'll be configured.
There's lots of fun stuff that is pertinent to the strengths of the scout rifle that can be tried, but I don't think that a long range benchrest competition is particularly interesting with that particular rifle, and I'm a scout rifle enthusiast, although I don't own the Ruger version.
Don't take the criticism to heart, I do appreciate your effort.