Scout rifle

[Johnny C]

I am digging the new Ruger scout rifle, but I think I can do better for the price.

What do you all have in the scout rifle category?

By scout rifle I mean: bolt gun, 16" bbl range, removable magazine. at least .30 cal.

I am thinking about one of the stubby .308 enfields, or a .303 jungle carbine if I can find a nice one. I passed on a .308 one at the Bloomfield gun store a few months ago and could just shoot myself now.( I was looking for a .303 jungle carbine at the time)

Johnny C

 

[strahd71]

it does look cool!

jake

 

[abnk]

Prepare for blasphemous content: a Scout Rifle as defined above is an outdated concept; unless you want one for the historical aspect.

 

[1546]

If I could afford one and the ammo to shoot, I would definitely be buying one.

 

[sloughfoot]

Stripper clip fed and in 308......

 

[sloughfoot]

Prepare for blasphemous content: a Scout Rifle as defined above is an outdated concept; unless you want one for the historical aspect.

I don't agree. It is a tool in my toolbox for sure. I actually have built two. One in 30.06 and the one that I posted earlier in 308. They both are stripper clip fed and are powerful, accurate, and reliable.

I think of them as riiflemans rifles.

 

[abnk]

I don't agree. It is a tool in my toolbox for sure. I actually have built two. One in 30.06 and the one that I posted earlier in 308. They both are stripper clip fed and are powerful, accurate, and reliable.

I think of them as riiflemans rifles.

I don't question their usefulness, just their definition as a Scout Rifle.

 

[Yeah]

I don't question their usefulness

I do.

Cooper was on to something, pushing the light weight handy pointy concept. Eschewing moon scopes and yard barrels. The scope makers let him down though, and pushing them toward the muzzle didn't pan out.

 

[neraph]

Prepare for blasphemous content: a Scout Rifle as defined above is an outdated concept; unless you want one for the historical aspect.

Well, let's generalise it to what Col. Cooper was on about, since I don't think the essence of the thing is outdated at all:

A handy, reliable, quick handling rifle capable of taking any game that might be encountered out to a distance of 400 yards.

308 Winchester is usually the cartridge choice simply because it is the lowest cost and most readily available cartridge that suits this purpose. Col. Cooper explicitly mentions the 7mm-08 as appropriate and 243 Winchester as the likely minimum. 376 Steyr is usually considered the maximum because of recoil.

A bolt action rifle is generally selected because it is relatively easy to make lightweight and they are very reliable simply because there is very little that can go wrong. Thin 16-20" barrels are used to help with weight and balance as well while retaining good ballistics. Col. Cooper explicitly admitted that a semi-auto rifle would be fine supposing it could be made reliable and light enough.

An OPTIONAL fixed-power low-magnification (<3x) scope is used because it provides enough magnification to help up to 400 yards while not being overly cumbersome at closer ranges. This usefulness of such a design is well recognised in the fact that an ACOG fits this criteria as well. Fixed power means there are fewer things to break.

Col. Cooper preferred a long-eye relief scope, which is often the bit that people focus on when talking about scout rifles. First off, it was optional, while good irons were not. Second, some people love it, some people hate it. I have a theory that it is generally well-liked by people who are used to irons because your eyes focus in a similar fashion while using irons or a long-eye relief scope, which is not true with traditional scopes. This is only my theory though and I have no particular evidence for it.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I don't question their usefulness, just their definition as a Scout Rifle.

Well, considering Cooper came up with the name and definition of Scout Rifle, how has its definition changed?

Scout rifle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most of the "Scout Rifles" that Jasper and Cledus (and Kirk) build are quasi-Scouts, not Scouts. In fact when I was at Galyan's, many moons, ago I had a co-worker who considered a chunky .270 a "Scout Rifle" because that is what he wanted to use to scout for elk in Colorado and a Remington .22 was a "Scout Rifle" as that is what he used in Boy Scouts.

Scout Rifle is an empty glass. It is one of those phrases that people hear, have no idea what it means, and thus call all kinds of guns "Scout Rifles".

That's O.K., it's the gun culture, there's plenty to be wrong about.

 

[Slow Hand]

Thank God you're here to keep us straight, Kirk
Anyhways, the Scout rifle was considered a do-all survival/hunting/light military rifle. The .308 cal was promoted becasue of it's wide availability and ability to kill many of the critters that walk around on dry land.

It's not a perfect rifle for any use, but will fit the needs of many real users out there.

This was one of my little projects fro a couple years back.

Ishapore Enfield .308 cut to 16" and bored out M-16 flash hider installed. XS Sight systems Scout rail installed (Never had a decent scope intalled on it) with a fold down rear sight, relocated original front sight, cut down military wood with a cheekpiece made from the fore-end, refinished with a textured paint. It had a 12 round mag and could be fed by stripper clips for quick reloads. It was fast and easy to shoot and could hit man sized targets out to 300 yards with ease. It was probably too heavy for the true scout definition but that could have been fixed with a synthetic stock. Also needed a better sling on it, but it was sold before it was really ever finished. It was a fun project and I'd like to build another one to keep someday soon.

Doug K

 

[Sailor]

AK with a 2x or 3x pistol scope?

 

[Titanium_Frost]

Would there be anyway to easily make a Savage 110 into a scout rifle? Where would I get parts, or would I have to make them myself? The thing isn't accurate enough as it is and I was getting ready to get rid of it but I do want a longer range rifle than my AK.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Thank God you're here to keep us straight, Kirk

It's the least I can do.

 

[snapping turtle]

I have a scout rifle, more or less as they seem to call them a brookland scout.

It is just a 44 mag so 400 yard shots are mostly out of the question. 200 is possible with drop holdover. No stripper clips but i can top off the tube fast one at a time. The weight is right and I have skinner ghost rings. It should be faster to second shots than the bolt rifle.

The Cling sling part is not installed nor is the optional bi-pod. Ruger has done a little to bring them out cheap and I believe Savage does also.

For house to house close quaters combat I would prefer it to my AK. I would still want someone backing me up with the AK in case i needed to move and flank. For deer still hunting it is near perfect. It is not a 1 inch 100 yard accuracy rifle but it does do 1 1/2 groups at 100. If I was to put on a very large scope say 10 power I bet I could get it to go into an inch.

 

[Slow Hand]

Would there be anyway to easily make a Savage 110 into a scout rifle? Where would I get parts, or would I have to make them myself? The thing isn't accurate enough as it is and I was getting ready to get rid of it but I do want a longer range rifle than my AK.

Any decent smith or machinist should be able to shorten the barrel for you. Find a scope mount to fit the contour of the barrel and and a Williams reciever sight and a front ramp sight and you are most of the way there!

Doug K

 

[sloughfoot]

Well, considering Cooper came up with the name and definition of Scout Rifle, how has its definition changed?


Scout rifle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most of the "Scout Rifles" that Jasper and Cledus (and Kirk) build are quasi-Scouts, not Scouts. In fact when I was at Galyan's, many moons, ago I had a co-worker who considered a chunky .270 a "Scout Rifle" because that is what he wanted to use to scout for elk in Colorado and a Remington .22 was a "Scout Rifle" as that is what he used in Boy Scouts.

Scout Rifle is an empty glass. It is one of those phrases that people hear, have no idea what it means, and thus call all kinds of guns "Scout Rifles".

That's O.K., it's the gun culture, there's plenty to be wrong about.

The "Cooper" Scout rifle is clearly defined. Its description is not ambiguous in any way.

My Scout rifles, the Savage and Ruger renditions are all our versions of Scout rifles. None of them are "Cooper" scout rifles.

I like mine, I cannot afford his vision of the ideal scout rifle.

 

[sloughfoot]

Would there be anyway to easily make a Savage 110 into a scout rifle? Where would I get parts, or would I have to make them myself? The thing isn't accurate enough as it is and I was getting ready to get rid of it but I do want a longer range rifle than my AK.

The 1999 book by Patrick Sweeney, "Gunsmithing:Rifles" has an entire chapter devoted to building scout rifles.

 

[techres]

Slow Hand, there is not a month that does not go by where I don't kick myself for not buying up that rifle when you did your big sell off.

Still kicking myself now...

 

[Kirk Freeman]

I like mine, I cannot afford his vision of the ideal scout rifle.

Yes, some day a Brockman or Clifton Scout will be mine, all mine.