The Cooper Scout concept is a development of the Remington 660 concept of the 1960s, which in turn was an adaptation of Wehrmacht Kar98Ks being fitted with QD LER scopes in larger scale mainly on the Eastern Front, used as makeshift DMRs. The .308 Win. with less than 20" barrel is handicapped, and, yes, there are LER scopes which can take advantage of the full powder burn ballistics. But I feel that return to that original makeshift DMR concept with a Kar98K charged with strippers in 8mm Mauser is as effective and useful. It may be heavier, but if you're carrying the 5 - 10 magazine bulk that people carry with their scout rifles, it's a wash for a more effective platform.
My Ruger Gunsite Scout is in 5.56, Ruger made a few of these awhile back, to compliment my AR also in 5.56. I have a forward mounted Vortex Scout Scope on mine. Great rifle even though it not in .308.
I had a No 5 Mk1 jungle carbine for many years but sold it and got a Ruger Scout in 308. It's such a better rifle but with the feel and practicality of what the jungle carbine was supposed to be for.
@@aaronwilkinson8963 And accurate and stronger than a Jungle Carbine. I loved my Jungle Carbine but the Scout is so much better. It's the closest thing to a jungle carbine.
I have a Ruger compact laminate in .308. It’s light and very handy although it has a hinged floor plate and not a box mag but it’s still a great little rifle.
Unless I'm missing something, Cooper wanted to use a stripper clip, which the ones I've used, cannot be loaded with a scope. Limited firepower, but a Browning BLR would fill some peoples needs.
One of the main points of the long eye relief scope was that you could put the ocular lens out past the action and therefore use the rifle with stripper clips. This is something just about every company designing and marketing scout rifles ignores. Even if you do put your scope out where Cooper wanted it, none of these modern "scout rifles" have a stripper clip bridge on their action to make it work. Additionally, this was also accomplished with many marksmen's rifles during both world wars by using a scope mount offset to one side of the action, so that stripper clips could still be inserted into the top of the action.
I found a laminate stock one on Gunbrokers for a reasonable price in .308. No it's not a Barrett .50 cal or any other long barrel 1,000 meter rifle but it works for me. I have a forward mounted optic and bipod added and it's at home next to my other weapons. Great video btw.
I bought a similar Mossberg Tactical Patrol rifle in 5.56 a few years ago and it’s a grea5 little rifle. It was easy to find a bolt rifle chambered in 5.56 and took standard AR type magazines but the Mossberg did both. I would have preferred a wood stock to give it a old school military look but maybe I’ll change out one day
If you partner it with a magazine fed pistol a rifle such as that becomes a practical choice for an individual in most locals in the USA. The pistol allows for the carry of more ammunition and will handle most situations but there are some circumstances where a long gun is needed.
I reached the same conclusion - that someone at Ruger had seen a Lee-Enfield No. V Mk. I 303 Enfield rifle - a.k.a. a "Jungle Carbine" - and updated and adapted it for the commercial market. Whether they are actually related design-wise or not they are remarkably similar in concept, especially for rifles designed/built almost eighty years apart from one another. France's old 1950s era MAS-49 shares some of those "scout" features, too, but of course it is a military arm and not a general-purpose rifle, and it is self-loading instead of bolt-action.
I've read Coopers Chronicles and do appreciate the concept, but I thought building something off a Remington 700 platform would be nice, but figured I'd just go with a Bergara.
First gen. Ruger Gunsight in .308. Handles fast, hits hard, ammo is available pretty much everywhere….and, it’s more accurate than I am. I like mine just fine thank you. 🫡
Honestly I think if the guy who developed the scout rifle were still alive today and saw the evolution of the AR platform. That be the way he’d go. Even in states like California where you can only have so many rounds it’s still viable.
Maybe, maybe, but it’s not like Jeff cooper died back in the 80s he died in 2006. AR were a common and easy to obtain platform then. In 1997 he worked with steyr to develop the steyr scout which was still bolt action. ARs were common then, not as common as now, but for context this was 3 years into the assault weapons ban; so they were common enough that democrats knew about them and wrote and passed a law to get rid of them. And before you say “see they weren’t available so he had to do a bolt action”, I bought my first AR when I was a senior in high school in 2001…..7 years into the ban. The only difference between that one and one that I would buy today is that it couldn’t have a threaded barrel on it. Except for some additional caliber options the ar platform has not changed dramatically. So I am not sure if Jeff cooper would change platforms or not. But I more than happy to have a Jeff cooper inspired scout rifle AND a straycat1674 inspired scout rifle😃
Cooper was a useless chode who did a shootout simulation between himself and a bunch of guys with AR15s and said ha ha I had a higher hit percentage than they did so therefore I win. Most overrated firearms guru of all time.
I don't think Jeff Cooper would have liked the .556 round. He might have for combat but not for hunting. The rifle was made for the .308 Winchester round. Thats my humble opinion. If I remember correctly Jeff Cooper was more like a 338 Weatherby Magnum caliber man.
I can understand where you guys are coming from. But 2006 was almost 20 years ago. The AR 15 Has become the most popular platform out there. It’s also one of the most adaptable. I think that this would have affected his views and opinions. Obviously I can only assume because I never knew the guy and he died long before I ever even heard of a scout rifle.
I own this rifle. I have (with success) used this rifle . I understand the concept for it's creation. But in this society - Most hunters are either using the land that they own or they are being led by the nose by some paid guiding service. And most men are not Hunters. There is no problem with the machinery . But there is not enough operators for it.
What I am not exactly crazy about in the combo is #1 the barrel is pretty short = more muzzle blast and less velocity. #2 the stock looks pretty short and I like a comb that puts my eye smack in the middle of the scope when I throw it up. #3 It’s still not all that light , despite it’s smaller size. Without wanting to be too critical, (Icould possibly find a use for it as a knock-around rifle in my utility) the rifle reminds me a bit of one of those multi-tools that claims to do everything but then doesn’t do any of the tasks all that well.
A rifle that does everything, although nothing perfectly was the point. Most people aren't moving around with their whole gun collection on their back. Survival is pass/fail, either it gets all the jobs done, or it doesn't.
Well, I used to be a long barrel fan, too. But you have to remember, Cooper wasn't building a bench rest rifle or one to hunt from a stand with. He envisioned a rifle that would be carried a lot, in all kinds of terrain, under varying conditions. The short barrel makes a world of difference carrying in the woods or brush, and a bit more muzzle blast is going to be the least of your worries if the chips are down.
@@davidmartin1015 the muzzle blast is a bit loud at the range but not excessively so. The stock has spacers so length of pull is adjustable. The comb puts my eye in alignment with the Burris Scout scope on my rifle and the vortex 3x-9x on my son-in-laws rifle. Both have low rings. 308 ammo seems to not mind shorter barrels and if I remember correctly 150gr- 168 gr ammo only loses about 100fps over my 20” bbl Bergara. For shooting within say 400 yds that is of little concern. Remember the rifle wasn’t intended to be a long range/sniper rifle. AST to weight, mine with a laminated stock, 10 rd mag, padded nylon sling and mounted scout scope weighs 8 pounds 2 ounces. The polymer stock version will be about 18oz less. So not awful but beefy.
My kids explained to me that the Steyr Scout was an option in one of the big first person shooter video games and was presented as a "Sniper" rifle. The physics engines in those games are very good and the Scout was not as good as the other sniper rifles in the game. That hurt the popularity of Scout rifles in that generation. Believe or not video games have influence.
Very nice rifle's. I would still rather have a Mini-14 in .223 just for compatibility for other guns. .308 is a whole lot of round but it will easily handle anything and everything in the U.S. except maybe moose and I haven't ever seen one. I know I'm preaching to the choir but that's just my opinion. If I could carry five rifles, I would have them all.
@@ArmoredXJ 7-08, 6.5 creedmoor, 260 rem, 7.62x54r, 303 British, 3030 win maybe. I think Col. Coopers criteria was deer sized game out to 300yds. I think he preferred 308 because it was a military rd and there’s a lot of choices in ammo worldwide.
@@ArmoredXJ personally I would prefer a semi auto scout but it’s tough to get one that is light enough and still durable. The M1A versions are heavy especially with a sling and scope. Ar -10 style rifles are bulky more than heavy but still too heavy once you add optics and sling. I personally find the slimmer profile bolt gun carries better. I’m probably showing my age but I prefer the ergonomics of the bolt action rifle to most semi’s. I own and have owned and used a variety of AR platform rifles and I like them very much but I still prefer a bolt rifle for hunting and woods walking/ scouting.
Imo the 308 is the most versatile caliber for a scout type rifle, but the.243 Winchester would work pretty well. Fairly light recoil, and the ammo is usually easy to find. I have a Savage 110 that I've been using for twenty or more years in that caliber and it's my favorite rifle. It's extremely accurate and fairly inexpensive, which I like because I don't worry so much about scuffing it up like I do my other more expensive rifles. I just about always take it with me on my tractors when I'm working on the farm. Of course it doesn't have a removable clip or carry ten rounds like the Ruger, so I guess it's not technically a true scout rifle. The 6.5 Grendel which has similar ballistics and light recoil, would be another great caliber and may even be available in a scout rifle configuration of some type. The ammo isn't that common though, at least not in my area. A lot of the local small country stores around me have always carried small selections of ammo, so I've always stuck with the older more common calibers that they carry, whenever I've purchased a firearm.
Cooper wanted a Mauser action based rifle. No detachable magazine, to be loaded with 5 round stripper clips. So the natural balance point would be gripped to carry it. With the scopes ocular bell forward of the action to reload easily. The idea was not a "fighting rifle", but rather a "retreating rifle". To keep the enemy at bay as he Scout retreated to return to base and report. Survival of the Scout was the important idea, not fighting.
@walksfletcher I believe you are correct, but the ruger is just based on his ideas. Stripper clips ain't as common as they used to be, and a box magazine negates the need for a forward mounted optic. So, I knew when I went with a 2x7 conventional optic, I was getting outside of the concept, but most of the scout scopes didn't do as well for me deer hunting. But, I went with a full length xs rail, and quick detach scope mounts so I can swap my optics depending on what I'm doing, or shoot with the irons. I guess what I'm trying to say is even though I ended up deviating from the concept, I came up with an awesome rifle suited for my needs. The little ruger is an impressive rifle, for sure.
I like just about everything about that rifle. I couldn't live with a 16" barrel. To me even an 18" barrel is way too loud. When hunting or even in combat ear plugs/ear muffs are not feasible to me. Maybe I could live with Walker Razor game ear muffs. A silencer, maybe but I wouldn't want to end up with an illegal rifle in the future. But no they're in the way also in my estimation. A 22 inch barrel would be much more preferrable to me. I almost bought one of these rifles back when they came out but didn't because the barrel was too short.
Yeeeeah, "affordable", maybe ten years ago before the world (and gun prices) blew up. Where I live (Norway) the Ruger GSR is now pushing $2000 retail and the Tikkas and Marlins are just shy of $3000. Even the Ruger American line is $1000-1500 bare bones up here.
Ruger makes a great rifle, but it is far short from being a true scout. it's too heavy, the barrel is too short, there are other criteria that one requires that the Ruger misses on. I highly recommend Richard Mann's book on the scout rifle if anyone want's more information.
I owned a Ruger Gunsite Scout several years ago. It is one of the few rifles I have ever sold. It was a great performer and fun to shoot, but I just never could figure out where it fit for me. It wasn't my choice for hunting, it wasn't particularly tactical, and it wasn't really that light. I get that it filled a need at one time, but as one of the other commenters said, the evolution of the AR platform has left rifles like the Gunsite Scout miles behind.
The scout rifle was a pretty goofy concept even in its day and if anyone of lesser stature had been promoting it they would have been regarded as just an eccentric nut. He envisioned it as some sort of a combination military/big game rifle and a number of its requirements were based on the hunting laws of Africa and I don't think I ever heard of any military or governmental agency of any kind ever taking it seriously.
@@alanrawson-wg8io the concept is bad. The criteria are not worth it. There is no reason to go with a concept that doesnt have any advantages but gets you many downsides and limitation.
@@Rambocop9 I guess I depends on your individual circumstances and requirements. For me it’s good general purpose rifle concept. It’s, to me, just about perfect whitetail deer and black bear rifle for woodland hunting and it’s accurate enough for shots to 300yds or so. The gun is light enough to not be burdensome and quick on target with the scout scope. It’s only real drawbacks are that it,being bolt action is slower for repeat shots and slightly lesser ballistics and accuracy for extreme long range , neither of which is a problem for me.
@@alanrawson-wg8io then you simply need a regular bolt action rifle with a regular scope. Scout scopes are not very good quality compared to a regular scope of the same price. Your answer litteraly proves how useless is the scout rifle concept. Its just a regular bolt action with a bad scope concept. The weight is litteraly the difference between the hunting and long range shooting version of a rifle. If you take a look at what is a scout rifle, a short frame AR10 checks all the boxes other than manually operated but you already know in 2024, semi auto are just as reliable. The reason people still use bolt actions is because they are cheaper to buy.
I myself would love to have a lever gun. But on average a bolt action rifle is usually cheaper to purchase. Plus bolt actions are easier to use if you find yourself in a prone position while hunting.
@@alanrawson-wg8io Check out the Henry Long Ranger Express. I want one. But I just can't find it anywhere. Winchester SXR2 Pump is one gun I've bought recently. Not a lever, but fast af and accurate enough for "normal" hunting distances -if it is a thing.
2 points. Somebody thought that music would be a good idea for this video, . Its not. 2nd. If I'm forced to defend myself, I want an autoloader, not a bolt gun. Jeff Cooper knew that every army in the world abandoned bolt guns for good reasons. I don't need a .308. a .243 will suffice.
@@richardbriscoe8563 Ruger does use ar mags in several versions of the American rifles. Can’t use them in Gunsite scout or Mini14s because of mag release issues. Also for 308 it is Aics mags which I think are Ar 10 mags nothing proprietary.
BTW, the more modern accessories(read:crap) you hang on a scout rifle, the more worthless it becomes. And get a .308, or even better, a 7MM-08!(My choice)
Bro... what do you mean by achievable by anyone? 😂 that ruger 16.10" in .308 is $1500+ the average joe would have to save money for MONTHS on end to get it without a scope or ammo. 😂
@@ninjasquirrels no I don't even give it that. A bolt not really a fighting rifle anymore . It sure would be my last choice for room clearing. Hunting it has some wonderful features. But nothing ground braking. The box mag might be the only Inprovment over a 94 big bore 307 0r 356 or the 336 vs. But if you had to have the dm the blr was there. And any kind of running fight I would rather the leaver over the bolt. Long range would be different story but I wouldn't want low power long eye relief for that.
@@tbjtbj4786 Personally I have been running a little bullet hose for 0-100 and a stumpy thumper in .308 for 100-600 just because I can…we recently got unbridled access to a huge patch of private property so fk it right? Is it the best or even the most decent setup; not even close BUT it’s a ton of fun and screams Murika 😂
@@ninjasquirrels if you like it fine. There nothing wrong with having something just because you like it and just want it. I am just basicing my take on it. From col. Cooper weighting in the 80's. He really didn't consider it a hunting rifle. He was trying to use the concept for a scout as saying a bolt 308 or 708 in place that would not let you have nato calibers. For a possible fight rifle saying it was better than the full or simautos in the poodle shooter in 5.56
@@tbjtbj4786 there’s no question, a semiautomatic weapon platform in comparable caliber(s) is better…I can’t think of a situation where it wouldn’t. I just think it’s cool. 😂
Is the idea behind the bolt action to alleviate the eventual problems with gas operated semi autos? When I hear “stripper clips” “fixed box mag” and “bolt action” (for SHTF) it kinda reminds me of when I used to buy guns because they were cool in old movies and I love history. What I wound up with were extremely heavy, unwieldy, high cost per squeeze, safe queens while my buddies built great quality AR’s with redundancy and are able to arm themselves and several others with 100% interchangeable everything and the least painful ammo, cost-wise. Meanwhile I get the occasional conversation starter at the range but can only afford to shoot one box of .25-06 Or crack off one box of .44 magnum🫤
It has more to do with being able to hunt in areas and countries that ban semi autos than anything else. And hey if your guns are all that and send them to me. I’ll even pay for shipping to take them off your hands.
I have one of these. Arguable one of the best hunting rifles out there. They are light, accurate, easy to use. Wonderful rifle.
The old scout rifle debate. He we go. This should be good
The Cooper Scout concept is a development of the Remington 660 concept of the 1960s, which in turn was an adaptation of Wehrmacht Kar98Ks being fitted with QD LER scopes in larger scale mainly on the Eastern Front, used as makeshift DMRs. The .308 Win. with less than 20" barrel is handicapped, and, yes, there are LER scopes which can take advantage of the full powder burn ballistics. But I feel that return to that original makeshift DMR concept with a Kar98K charged with strippers in 8mm Mauser is as effective and useful. It may be heavier, but if you're carrying the 5 - 10 magazine bulk that people carry with their scout rifles, it's a wash for a more effective platform.
Really starting to lean towards picking one of these. Great all round gun.
Yes it is. You need one.
My Ruger Gunsite Scout is in 5.56, Ruger made a few of these awhile back, to compliment my AR also in 5.56. I have a forward mounted Vortex Scout Scope on mine. Great rifle even though it not in .308.
Love mine. Never rid of that one.
That Vortex Scout Scope is trash, tho...
@@TheCrusher72cope
@@tubeguy4066 I did - I replaced it with a Burris scout scope. Just like your mom.
Its a similar idea to the Lee Enfield Jungle carbine
I had a No 5 Mk1 jungle carbine for many years but sold it and got a Ruger Scout in 308. It's such a better rifle but with the feel and practicality of what the jungle carbine was supposed to be for.
@@adelarsen9776 It's just a more modern rifle. The Ruger.
@@aaronwilkinson8963 And accurate and stronger than a Jungle Carbine. I loved my Jungle Carbine but the Scout is so much better. It's the closest thing to a jungle carbine.
Mikey, love the 44 shirt there, in purple no less. I've been rewatching some of the old super cuts with Thick the last few days.
Thanks man! We did a some guns in game videos also on this channel and I had to wear it! Long live the wyvern king!!!!
My Browning BLR in .308 '71 reminds me of Jeff Cooper's Scout rifle .
as a shooter and a hunter with lot's of furnature My 18" 308 is my go to for years now. A great all use rifle. I only use iron sights also.
I have one in stainless chambered for the 450 BushMaster. It is very accurate, well built, and a very attractive rifle.
Superb video,regards from England.
I have a Rugar American in 450 Bushmaster, with a Vortex 2 scope. Great set up.
I have a Ruger compact laminate in .308. It’s light and very handy although it has a hinged floor plate and not a box mag but it’s still a great little rifle.
Unless I'm missing something, Cooper wanted to use a stripper clip, which the ones I've used, cannot be loaded with a scope. Limited firepower, but a Browning BLR would fill some peoples needs.
One of the main points of the long eye relief scope was that you could put the ocular lens out past the action and therefore use the rifle with stripper clips. This is something just about every company designing and marketing scout rifles ignores. Even if you do put your scope out where Cooper wanted it, none of these modern "scout rifles" have a stripper clip bridge on their action to make it work.
Additionally, this was also accomplished with many marksmen's rifles during both world wars by using a scope mount offset to one side of the action, so that stripper clips could still be inserted into the top of the action.
I found a laminate stock one on Gunbrokers for a reasonable price in .308. No it's not a Barrett .50 cal or any other long barrel 1,000 meter rifle but it works for me. I have a forward mounted optic and bipod added and it's at home next to my other weapons. Great video btw.
That was a nice setup. Would love to get one. =)
I like Rugers, but I’d still rather have my Tikka arctic thank you…..😍😍😍😍😍💪🏻💪🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇨🇦🇨🇦
I bought a similar Mossberg Tactical Patrol rifle in 5.56 a few years ago and it’s a grea5 little rifle. It was easy to find a bolt rifle chambered in 5.56 and took standard AR type magazines but the Mossberg did both. I would have preferred a wood stock to give it a old school military look but maybe I’ll change out one day
Don't forget the Burris Scopes!
Scout Riflescope 2-7x32mm
Love my Ruger Scout!✌️
Super awesome intro.
If you partner it with a magazine fed pistol a rifle such as that becomes a practical choice for an individual in most locals in the USA. The pistol allows for the carry of more ammunition and will handle most situations but there are some circumstances where a long gun is needed.
I have sat in Col Coopers chair and held his Steyr Scout Rifle. Along with his Bren Ten
Had dreams of owning a Bren ten in my head 35+ years ago… never happened.
@@lylecrome1265 The hidden firing pin lock was kind of novel
Excellent
A great hunting rifle
this ruger look like a lee enfield jungle carabine i thinks, really beautifull hello from France
I reached the same conclusion - that someone at Ruger had seen a Lee-Enfield No. V Mk. I 303 Enfield rifle - a.k.a. a "Jungle Carbine" - and updated and adapted it for the commercial market. Whether they are actually related design-wise or not they are remarkably similar in concept, especially for rifles designed/built almost eighty years apart from one another. France's old 1950s era MAS-49 shares some of those "scout" features, too, but of course it is a military arm and not a general-purpose rifle, and it is self-loading instead of bolt-action.
Thanks for a great video!
I've read Coopers Chronicles and do appreciate the concept, but I thought building something off a Remington 700 platform would be nice, but figured I'd just go with a Bergara.
First gen. Ruger Gunsight in .308. Handles fast, hits hard, ammo is available pretty much everywhere….and, it’s more accurate than I am. I like mine just fine thank you. 🫡
Wow send one of those stainless Marlin lever actions to me, would ya?!
Honestly I think if the guy who developed the scout rifle were still alive today and saw the evolution of the AR platform. That be the way he’d go. Even in states like California where you can only have so many rounds it’s still viable.
Maybe, maybe, but it’s not like Jeff cooper died back in the 80s he died in 2006. AR were a common and easy to obtain platform then. In 1997 he worked with steyr to develop the steyr scout which was still bolt action. ARs were common then, not as common as now, but for context this was 3 years into the assault weapons ban; so they were common enough that democrats knew about them and wrote and passed a law to get rid of them. And before you say “see they weren’t available so he had to do a bolt action”, I bought my first AR when I was a senior in high school in 2001…..7 years into the ban. The only difference between that one and one that I would buy today is that it couldn’t have a threaded barrel on it. Except for some additional caliber options the ar platform has not changed dramatically. So I am not sure if Jeff cooper would change platforms or not. But I more than happy to have a Jeff cooper inspired scout rifle AND a straycat1674 inspired scout rifle😃
Cooper was a useless chode who did a shootout simulation between himself and a bunch of guys with AR15s and said ha ha I had a higher hit percentage than they did so therefore I win. Most overrated firearms guru of all time.
He preferred bolt action
I don't think Jeff Cooper would have liked the .556 round. He might have for combat but not for hunting. The rifle was made for the .308 Winchester round. Thats my humble opinion.
If I remember correctly Jeff Cooper was more like a 338 Weatherby Magnum caliber man.
I can understand where you guys are coming from. But 2006 was almost 20 years ago. The AR 15 Has become the most popular platform out there. It’s also one of the most adaptable. I think that this would have affected his views and opinions. Obviously I can only assume because I never knew the guy and he died long before I ever even heard of a scout rifle.
SHTF gun for sure
The real question is how the hell do you have Marlin levers in stock?
They have been good sellers!
I own this rifle.
I have (with success) used this rifle .
I understand the concept for it's creation.
But in this society - Most hunters are either using the land that they own or they are being led by the nose by some paid guiding service.
And most men are not Hunters.
There is no problem with the machinery . But there is not enough operators for it.
That was also true when Cooper was alive.
What I am not exactly crazy about in the combo is #1 the barrel is pretty short = more muzzle blast and less velocity. #2 the stock looks pretty short and I like a comb that puts my eye smack in the middle of the scope when I throw it up. #3 It’s still not all that light , despite it’s smaller size. Without wanting to be too critical, (Icould possibly find a use for it as a knock-around rifle in my utility) the rifle reminds me a bit of one of those multi-tools that claims to do everything but then doesn’t do any of the tasks all that well.
A rifle that does everything, although nothing perfectly was the point. Most people aren't moving around with their whole gun collection on their back. Survival is pass/fail, either it gets all the jobs done, or it doesn't.
Yep. The barrel is too short.
Well, I used to be a long barrel fan, too. But you have to remember, Cooper wasn't building a bench rest rifle or one to hunt from a stand with. He envisioned a rifle that would be carried a lot, in all kinds of terrain, under varying conditions. The short barrel makes a world of difference carrying in the woods or brush, and a bit more muzzle blast is going to be the least of your worries if the chips are down.
Except it is a knock around utility rifle. This design was never for bench rest long range rifle.
@@davidmartin1015 the muzzle blast is a bit loud at the range but not excessively so. The stock has spacers so length of pull is adjustable. The comb puts my eye in alignment with the Burris Scout scope on my rifle and the vortex 3x-9x on my son-in-laws rifle. Both have low rings. 308 ammo seems to not mind shorter barrels and if I remember correctly 150gr- 168 gr ammo only loses about 100fps over my 20” bbl Bergara. For shooting within say 400 yds that is of little concern. Remember the rifle wasn’t intended to be a long range/sniper rifle. AST to weight, mine with a laminated stock, 10 rd mag, padded nylon sling and mounted scout scope weighs 8 pounds 2 ounces. The polymer stock version will be about 18oz less. So not awful but beefy.
My kids explained to me that the Steyr Scout was an option in one of the big first person shooter video games and was presented as a "Sniper" rifle. The physics engines in those games are very good and the Scout was not as good as the other sniper rifles in the game. That hurt the popularity of Scout rifles in that generation. Believe or not video games have influence.
Very nice rifle's. I would still rather have a Mini-14 in .223 just for compatibility for other guns. .308 is a whole lot of round but it will easily handle anything and everything in the U.S. except maybe moose and I haven't ever seen one. I know I'm preaching to the choir but that's just my opinion. If I could carry five rifles, I would have them all.
What other calibers do you think fit the scout rifle concept? I have heard 450 bushmaster is a great option but I have never fired it.a
They kick like a mule,know of a few cheap in shops.People test fire them and return them.
@@ArmoredXJ 7-08, 6.5 creedmoor, 260 rem, 7.62x54r, 303 British, 3030 win maybe. I think Col. Coopers criteria was deer sized game out to 300yds. I think he preferred 308 because it was a military rd and there’s a lot of choices in ammo worldwide.
@@alanrawson-wg8io All makes sense. Thanks for the solid answer and input.
How heavily do you weigh the bolt action against semi-auto?
@@ArmoredXJ personally I would prefer a semi auto scout but it’s tough to get one that is light enough and still durable. The M1A versions are heavy especially with a sling and scope. Ar -10 style rifles are bulky more than heavy but still too heavy once you add optics and sling. I personally find the slimmer profile bolt gun carries better. I’m probably showing my age but I prefer the ergonomics of the bolt action rifle to most semi’s. I own and have owned and used a variety of AR platform rifles and I like them very much but I still prefer a bolt rifle for hunting and woods walking/ scouting.
Imo the 308 is the most versatile caliber for a scout type rifle, but the.243 Winchester would work pretty well. Fairly light recoil, and the ammo is usually easy to find. I have a Savage 110 that I've been using for twenty or more years in that caliber and it's my favorite rifle. It's extremely accurate and fairly inexpensive, which I like because I don't worry so much about scuffing it up like I do my other more expensive rifles. I just about always take it with me on my tractors when I'm working on the farm. Of course it doesn't have a removable clip or carry ten rounds like the Ruger, so I guess it's not technically a true scout rifle. The 6.5 Grendel which has similar ballistics and light recoil, would be another great caliber and may even be available in a scout rifle configuration of some type. The ammo isn't that common though, at least not in my area. A lot of the local small country stores around me have always carried small selections of ammo, so I've always stuck with the older more common calibers that they carry, whenever I've purchased a firearm.
Initially I thought I was watching Vice Grip Garage.
Made one with a left-handed action and stock and I'll buy it
@@dallasmore6703 I believe Ruger does or at least did make left handed versions
Mines mat black , walnut , and in 450 Bushy !
Ruger needs to let you mix and match material to caliber. For instance you can only get 350 legend in plastic but not wood furniture
The choice to go with AICS rather than AIAW is completely incomprehensible to me.
Put the long eye relief scout scope on one to demonstrate it in the proper configuration.
Tikka Arctic ........
Where are you guys located?
THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cooper's idea was radically different that what is shown here.
Do you mind explaining
Cooper wanted a Mauser action based rifle. No detachable magazine, to be loaded with 5 round stripper clips. So the natural balance point would be gripped to carry it. With the scopes ocular bell forward of the action to reload easily.
The idea was not a "fighting rifle", but rather a "retreating rifle". To keep the enemy at bay as he Scout retreated to return to base and report.
Survival of the Scout was the important idea, not fighting.
@walksfletcher I believe you are correct, but the ruger is just based on his ideas. Stripper clips ain't as common as they used to be, and a box magazine negates the need for a forward mounted optic. So, I knew when I went with a 2x7 conventional optic, I was getting outside of the concept, but most of the scout scopes didn't do as well for me deer hunting. But, I went with a full length xs rail, and quick detach scope mounts so I can swap my optics depending on what I'm doing, or shoot with the irons. I guess what I'm trying to say is even though I ended up deviating from the concept, I came up with an awesome rifle suited for my needs. The little ruger is an impressive rifle, for sure.
Would of been nice if they added a bayo lug and stripper clip feeding ramps
Elle est super sexy cette carabine 😍🥰.....! Je ne l'a connaissais pas...! Eric From France !
Scout rifle. Primary purpose for scouting. Ten round magazine plenty
needs a 19" barrel at16" that's not Jeff Cooper's scout concept.
I like just about everything about that rifle. I couldn't live with a 16" barrel. To me even an 18" barrel is way too loud. When hunting or even in combat ear plugs/ear muffs are not feasible to me. Maybe I could live with Walker Razor game ear muffs. A silencer, maybe but I wouldn't want to end up with an illegal rifle in the future. But no they're in the way also in my estimation.
A 22 inch barrel would be much more preferrable to me.
I almost bought one of these rifles back when they came out but didn't because the barrel was too short.
a 22 inch barrel is still going to give you hearing damage.
@@baneofbanes Yeah just put a can on it.
Yeeeeah, "affordable", maybe ten years ago before the world (and gun prices) blew up. Where I live (Norway) the Ruger GSR is now pushing $2000 retail and the Tikkas and Marlins are just shy of $3000. Even the Ruger American line is $1000-1500 bare bones up here.
That is unfortunate, here in the states we have one avaliable for 699
Ruger makes a great rifle, but it is far short from being a true scout. it's too heavy, the barrel is too short, there are other criteria that one requires that the Ruger misses on. I highly recommend Richard Mann's book on the scout rifle if anyone want's more information.
Those three guys look like they'd be equally at home staffing a gun store, a game store, or a smoke shop.
Well put
Model name?
They are called the Ruger Gunsite Scout
Holosun 509T
Ruger american predator in 308 and 18 inch barrel - magpul stock
بندقيه جميله شكرا لعرضها اتمنى لكم الخير
I owned a Ruger Gunsite Scout several years ago. It is one of the few rifles I have ever sold. It was a great performer and fun to shoot, but I just never could figure out where it fit for me. It wasn't my choice for hunting, it wasn't particularly tactical, and it wasn't really that light. I get that it filled a need at one time, but as one of the other commenters said, the evolution of the AR platform has left rifles like the Gunsite Scout miles behind.
I prefer my Ruger over my AR, 99% of the time. And the bolt action is more reliable, and can handle higher pressure ammo
@@rediron44 I absolutely respect individual preference.
I forgot to mention I replaced it with an M1a Scout Squad. I can’t think of any scenario where I would wish I had the Ruger instead. Matter of choice.
@@woodystube1000 ar mags require a different mag release. This is also why they were never used in Mini 14s
@@alanrawson-wg8io Different mag release than what? I'm not sure what your point is. I don't think anyone commented on mags or mag releases.
The scout rifle was a pretty goofy concept even in its day and if anyone of lesser stature had been promoting it they would have been regarded as just an eccentric nut. He envisioned it as some sort of a combination military/big game rifle and a number of its requirements were based on the hunting laws of Africa and I don't think I ever heard of any military or governmental agency of any kind ever taking it seriously.
That's pretty much what I thought of it at the time.
The bolt is so sloppy on these it is rediculus
There is a reason why the scout rifle concept never took off
@@Rambocop9 and what would that be?
@@alanrawson-wg8io the concept is bad. The criteria are not worth it. There is no reason to go with a concept that doesnt have any advantages but gets you many downsides and limitation.
@@Rambocop9 I guess I depends on your individual circumstances and requirements. For me it’s good general purpose rifle concept. It’s, to me, just about perfect whitetail deer and black bear rifle for woodland hunting and it’s accurate enough for shots to 300yds or so. The gun is light enough to not be burdensome and quick on target with the scout scope. It’s only real drawbacks are that it,being bolt action is slower for repeat shots and slightly lesser ballistics and accuracy for extreme long range , neither of which is a problem for me.
@@alanrawson-wg8io then you simply need a regular bolt action rifle with a regular scope. Scout scopes are not very good quality compared to a regular scope of the same price. Your answer litteraly proves how useless is the scout rifle concept. Its just a regular bolt action with a bad scope concept. The weight is litteraly the difference between the hunting and long range shooting version of a rifle. If you take a look at what is a scout rifle, a short frame AR10 checks all the boxes other than manually operated but you already know in 2024, semi auto are just as reliable. The reason people still use bolt actions is because they are cheaper to buy.
@@Rambocop9except that isn’t the only difference between a hunting rifle and a bench rest rifle.
Why scout when you can lever?
I myself would love to have a lever gun. But on average a bolt action rifle is usually cheaper to purchase. Plus bolt actions are easier to use if you find yourself in a prone position while hunting.
The problem being ammunition selection is limited too round/flat nose or poly tip because of tube magazines. Except for the Browning bar.
@@alanrawson-wg8io
Check out the Henry Long Ranger Express.
I want one. But I just can't find it anywhere.
Winchester SXR2 Pump is one gun I've bought recently. Not a lever, but fast af and accurate enough for "normal" hunting distances -if it is a thing.
2 points. Somebody thought that music would be a good idea for this video, . Its not. 2nd. If I'm forced to defend myself, I want an autoloader, not a bolt gun. Jeff Cooper knew that every army in the world abandoned bolt guns for good reasons. I don't need a .308. a .243 will suffice.
Jeff Cooper and Bruce Lee would definitely approve of the direction that both of their arts have taken into the modern era.
Bruce Lee? Thats comical.
Sadly, Ruger refuses to use AR magazines. I’d rather convert a R700 to take AR mags than deal with proprietary mags.
The Ruger GSR does not use proprietary mags. It uses AICS style magazines.
@@richardbriscoe8563 Ruger does use ar mags in several versions of the American rifles. Can’t use them in Gunsite scout or Mini14s because of mag release issues. Also for 308 it is Aics mags which I think are Ar 10 mags nothing proprietary.
BTW, the more modern accessories(read:crap) you hang on a scout rifle, the more worthless it becomes. And get a .308, or even better, a 7MM-08!(My choice)
Depends on the accessories. Knock off Chinese shit sure. Actual practical accessories from reputable manufacturers, no.
Bro... what do you mean by achievable by anyone? 😂 that ruger 16.10" in .308 is $1500+ the average joe would have to save money for MONTHS on end to get it without a scope or ammo. 😂
I will give you 550.00 for it
"anyone can afford" 1200$ used price
This guy knows nothing about this. He's a pawn shop dude
To be completely honest and not even trying to just disagree, "this guy" knows more then 99% of the population when it comes to firearms.
@@joshhawkins1981 That's not hard.
@matthewdeepblue honestly, very true
For anything but hunting. It was obsolete at its conseption
Jack of all trades, master of none. 🤷♂️
@@ninjasquirrels no I don't even give it that. A bolt not really a fighting rifle anymore .
It sure would be my last choice for room clearing.
Hunting it has some wonderful features. But nothing ground braking. The box mag might be the only Inprovment over a 94 big bore 307 0r 356 or the 336 vs. But if you had to have the dm the blr was there.
And any kind of running fight I would rather the leaver over the bolt.
Long range would be different story but I wouldn't want low power long eye relief for that.
@@tbjtbj4786 Personally I have been running a little bullet hose for 0-100 and a stumpy thumper in .308 for 100-600 just because I can…we recently got unbridled access to a huge patch of private property so fk it right?
Is it the best or even the most decent setup; not even close BUT it’s a ton of fun and screams Murika 😂
@@ninjasquirrels if you like it fine. There nothing wrong with having something just because you like it and just want it.
I am just basicing my take on it. From col. Cooper weighting in the 80's.
He really didn't consider it a hunting rifle.
He was trying to use the concept for a scout as saying a bolt 308 or 708 in place that would not let you have nato calibers. For a possible fight rifle saying it was better than the full or simautos in the poodle shooter in 5.56
@@tbjtbj4786 there’s no question, a semiautomatic weapon platform in comparable caliber(s) is better…I can’t think of a situation where it wouldn’t.
I just think it’s cool. 😂
I have one 308 it is the most accurate rifle I have!
God what happened to these rugers, I remember when they came out there everywhere, they must have discontinued?
price?
Is the idea behind the bolt action to alleviate the eventual problems with gas operated semi autos? When I hear “stripper clips” “fixed box mag” and “bolt action” (for SHTF) it kinda reminds me of when I used to buy guns because they were cool in old movies and I love history. What I wound up with were extremely heavy, unwieldy, high cost per squeeze, safe queens while my buddies built great quality AR’s with redundancy and are able to arm themselves and several others with 100% interchangeable everything and the least painful ammo, cost-wise. Meanwhile I get the occasional conversation starter at the range but can only afford to shoot one box of .25-06 Or crack off one box of .44 magnum🫤
It has more to do with being able to hunt in areas and countries that ban semi autos than anything else.
And hey if your guns are all that and send them to me. I’ll even pay for shipping to take them off your hands.
I wouldn't call $1500 affordable
It is in the gun world.
You could buy two Ruger American rifles. I'd rather buy a Tikka T3 and have enough leftover for a decent scope.
@@shawnstine3244 that doesn’t change my point moron.
Ruger junk