I went through this a few years ago and decided to go with the Ruger Scout. I looked at the Mossberg and Savage. Mossberg had some accuracy concerns and the Savage had some design choices and wasn't fond of. I would have accepted the Savage but couldn't find one.

I really just wanted a bolt action rifle that took box magazines, a threaded muzzle and had iron sights. I thought about putting a scout scope on my rifle for a short while. Ultimately I took the rail off and intend to only use it with the ghost ring sights. Of all the scout rifles the Ruger seem to have the best by having a ghost ring with winged protection on either side of the front and rear site.

The reason for the iron sights is I went hunting on a humid day here in Florida and when I went to use my scope, condensation had built up on the glass and I couldn't see through it. Iron sights don't have that problem.

The action does stick if you press up on the bolt while cycling the action. It has loosened up over time and I have purposely trained myself to not press up on the bolt. Raf has mentioned in the scout rifle thread that there's an area that can be chamferred to smooth the action. Without a picture I don't want to start filing away and hope I get the right area.

I put a Rhodesian sling from Andy's leather as I plan to use this for a stalking style hunting rather than in a tree stand. I haven't been able to get out in the field yet but playing commando in my living room it does have a nice feel to it and I can still get quickly on target.

I just picked a model 11 scout off the EE. It needs a little prep to do what I want to with it so I haven’t shot it yet but it’s a well build rifle
Quick edit, what are y’all using for rings on forward mounts?

The Ruger can be configured with a conventional scope using factory rings or with an IER scope on the forward rail. The rear sight can be removed easily and retains zero when replaced. I've got a spare rear sight zeroed for hunting handloads and a larger aperture zeroed for M80. Factory threaded muzzle and the synthetic stock has an aluminum bedding block and pillar. I simply liked the options.





eta: image linked from gunblast.com


eta: Steyr readily accepts a conventional or IER scope. Integral bipod, flip-up BUIS, and storage for a second magazine in the buttstock. Factory threaded muzzle too.

Closest I can come to a scout rifle is my FR8

I love mine. I bought a used one from an old man at the gun club. Hardly ever shot. Synthetic stock. Id love a nice walnut stock for it or even one of the birch stocks from a Talo exclusive.  I have an MRDS on mine with the irons. Really fun to shoot.

The cock-on-open is really stiff though. Its difficult to run hard and fast.

I had a M1A Scout with an Aimpoint on it 15+ years back.

Sold it off but wish I hadn’t.

Attached File

That front heavy rifle gets worse when you add the scope.

I never suggested taking an AR to Africa…i mentioned the AR for the young shooter. What I did mention, however, was a lightweight chassis that uses AR style stocks with their inherent adjustability. There are countless other stocks out there with stock adjustability. Adjustability, however, adds weight.

In reality, LOP just isn’t that important.  There are precision rifle matches shot all over the country with every shooting position fathomable…and you don’t see folks changing LOP from stage to stage, let alone shot to shot.

Folks like different things…that’s what makes the world go round.

2X magnification. Compact with stock folded.

Jungle Carbine.

Lightweight. Short. Powerful. 10 rounds in a compact double stack magazine. Ghost ring sight. Absurdly fast cycling action.

Ill second the hilux scout scope as a cheap but effective option on my smith enterprise “socom” length scout.

I would recommend checking out the Steyr in person if you can.

I think it's a really neat, well thought out rifle.  Some people hate it though.

Asking about scout rifle...#stillaboomer

I'm 41 and recently started carrying my 1911 exclusively.  

I have a Steyr Scout in 308.  I went with a 1-4 traditionally mounted, scout scopes would never have caught on at all if there had been today's lpvos when Cooper was designing this thing.

The Steyr is damn nice btw.

I think scout rifles are objectively dumb, but I’ve wanted a Steyr Scout since I was a kid and still do.

Ruger makes a nice bolt gun. If that one came without the ugly LOP adjustment system I'd be sold.

One of my genuinely deepest regrets is not getting an FR8 when they were dirt cheap.

Same with a Bulgarian Makarov.

Which rings are they?

Burris and Leupold make nice scout scopes.

Burris makes a scout and a pistol scope with enough eye relief to use as a scout. I like the features and durability.

correct

that someone isn't making a them in 300blk and/or 7.62x39 is a travesty

450 bushmaster would also be awesome

I realize I'm describing a Ruger American Ranch, but with an Enfield action and the ability to take stripper clips or mags, that would be rad

You can get a sub 6 pound AR based semi auto .308 rifle for about the same price as the Ruger and probably cheaper than the Steyr.

The main thing that a .308 bolt offered in times prior is that you could build one under 6 pounds.

Now that ARs exist in that weight range, there is no reason for a bolt, other than you just like a bolt.

It would take a special rifle to attract me, not a production gun, but something I'd have made for me.

Yo misspelled Winchester Model 70.

The stock on the Steyr is injection molded.  Like the stock on a $300 Savage.  It is very underwhelming for the money in 2022.

Everyone.
Hard to find because they're called pistol scopes.