Scout rifle; what and why?

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Northman999

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Okay, I've seen some articles and such about this or that "scout rifle" over the years, and I was looking at one for sale last week (I think made by Steyr Mannlicher and Jeff Cooper), but I've got a few basic questions I hope you can help with. I'm not sure what the difference is between the scout rifles I've seen and any short, handy rifle, so I have a few questions. What the heck IS a scout rifle, exactly? Why would one need a scout rifle? Why is my Remington model 600 in .308 not a scout rifle? What's with the scopes being mounted so far up the rifle? Why no semi-auto scout rifles? Why couldn't a Garand Tanker be a scout rifle? Etc. Thanks in advance for replies.
 
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"Scout Rifle" is a concept with suggested guidelines and parameters that are variable.
As far as I know, there can be no 100% definitive Scout Rifle.

Clear as mud ain't it ;)
 
Light weight, handy(short), forward mounted long eye relief scope with minimal magnification for fast, both eyes open shooting.

If your rifle has these characteristics then it's scouty....

I don't think it matters what the action is.....
 
put a forward mounted scout scope on a beater jungle carbine (#5 Lee Enfield) and you have the perfect scout rifle in my opinion. I built one about 18 years ago, everyone who has shot it raves about it.

Mine is a pakastani rebuild with the pin in the forend.
 
I was thinking of going this way with my Ruger .44 carbine, does anyone have suggestions on how to mount an ler scope up front?
 
diamondcutter13 said:
I would like to do this with my Spanish FR-8 as well. I love this gun.
Click to expand...

Here are some pics of mine:

DSC01333.jpg


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Very accurate ...
 
Both very nice but I think I'd like to figure a way to leave the iron sights as is. Not sure what would work with that.

The FR-8 is my truck gun for the woods so I should probably keep it lo-tech.
 
Peep rear sight, leave the front sight, and use a Pilkington lever on the scope mount, for quick R&R. The scout rifle concept is defined by length and weight, mostly. Most semi autos won't make either, so there aren't too many semi scouts. I believe Springfield Armoury fielded an M1A1 version some years back, but it was way over the weight limits. The forward mounted low power scope allows you to see what is going on in your field of fire rather then just what you are aiming at, and most people can hit man sized targets out to 300 meters with this style and power of scope with little difficulty. I've had scouts built on Mausers (hard to make the weight limit, but a more interesting choice of calibers) and still have a couple built on Rem 600/660s. They do make a very, very handy field gun. - dan
 
I made one out of a 91/30 Mosin barreled action, an M44 stock, B-Square mount, and a cheap pistol scope.

I killed a few bears with it and sold it last year. I can't post pics for some reason but if anyone wants to have a look, send me an email address and I'll send you a pic if you'll post it here for me.
 
Northman999-

Your Remington 600 in .308 was the basis for the prototype Scout, back when Col. Cooper conveened the first Scout Rifle Convention. With a Leupold intermediate eye rlief scope, mounted well forward, it set the stage for all later models. Col. Cooper stated in his book "to Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth." that the only drawback to this system that it was out of production! He kept that 600 for the rest of his days.

Cheers,

Ben
 
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