Has the Scout Rifle Outlived it's Hey Day?

Too heavy & long to be a Scout Rifle, But the scope is a long relief Pistol scope, solidly mounted to the original rear sight pad. (I have a scoped folding AK that would-be a practical Scout)
THIS IS the Range Toy I built with an orphaned 1943 Mosin Nagant barrel & receiver + used parts from Ebay.
I enjoyed the project, & enjoy shooting IT. It is accurate, & the recoil is milder in the archangel stock with cushy butt pad., IT shares 7.62X54R ammo with my Pomanian PSL rifle. Both big fun.
 

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In the lobby of the main office building at Ft.Bliss back 50-60yrs ago was display of proto type rifles of the M14 era as well as display of historical progression of US Army rifles. There was also a pre WW1 Calvary trooper (dummy) mounted on his horse ( real ) with all his field gear. I don’t remember if he had a sidearm. In his scabbard was a 1903? Carbine. It wasn’t a Krag. It kept me up at night trying to figure a way to liberate it.
 
Tabby Lynn said:
A short, lightweight rifle has a lot of uses out in the woods or a survival situation. It doesn't necessarily need to have a military background, However the M1 Carbine would probably qualify as a scout rifle if your definition means that it has to have a military origin.
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It can't really fit a long eye relief scope, and it's not bolt action, but thanks for trying . . .
 
Muss Muggins said:
It can't really fit a long eye relief scope, and it's not bolt action, but thanks for trying . . .
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I've had a LER scope on one of my M1 Carbines - Ultimak rail. It has a Trijicon MMR on it now. Sorry for the lousy pic!

m1 carbine circa 1943 ultimak rail trijicon rmr comp.jpg



That said, one of the things on the list is "Capable of taking 400 lb animals out to 400 yards" - I doubt a .30 Carbine would fit that definiton but I sure does work as a PDW.

The Scout rifle does not have to be a bolt action but most of them are.

For the record Col. Cooper fought in two major wars (WW-II and Korean), and had at least 3 Boone and Crocket records by the time he was 18. Not to mention all the "dust ups" he trained people for In Africa and Central America. Then again, if all he had done was found Gunsite and train close to 100,000 people that would be enough ;)

His Bio is available as well as most of his published work.

Jeff Cooper book.jpg



Riposte
 
I have done a lot of hunting and for me a forward mounted scope is a solution to a non existent problem.
The only rifle I ever had with a barrel mounted scope was a 500 A Square Art Alphin insisted I would like it, the logic of mounting it forward was the heavy recoil. After one hunt the scope was removed as I preferred open sites on such a close range gun.
 
Leonard said:
I have done a lot of hunting and for me a forward mounted scope is a solution to a non existent problem.
The only rifle I ever had with a barrel mounted scope was a 500 A Square Art Alphin insisted I would like it, the logic of mounting it forward was the heavy recoil. After one hunt the scope was removed as I preferred open sites on such a close range gun.
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I like iron sights on a "heavy" meant for short range stopping. I once had a .510 Wells Express on a 1917 Enfield (I think Art liked to build on those as well) but the gun was too big and heavy and had such a beautiful stock I didn't want to cut on it so I traded it off.

My "heavy" now is a .458 Lott, though I am right fond of my M-70 in .416 Taylor.

I do have a few rifles with forward mounted scopes the one thing I note about that is often not claimed as an advantage is that every one of them shoots twice as accurate as with a reciver mounted scope - might have something to do with vibration dampening. Of course some of them are still plenty accurate in the first place and making it twice as accurate doesn't really gain much in practical use.

Riposte
 
In around 2004, I bought a new Ruger Compact 77 Mark II stainless with black laminate stock for like $260. It was in .308 and the first bolt gun I’d ever owned. I intended to build a scout rifle on it. After discovering it was difficult to find anyone who would install iron sights or a forward scope mount on a light weight barrel, I sort of sidelined the project. It did shoot it and discovered .308 out of an approximately six pound rifle wasn’t enjoyable. I finally let the unmolested Compact go on GB two or three years ago. It went for $1100. I was already much more into ARs by then anyway. I think the Tikka T3 CTR is the best iteration of a modern scout anyway and sort of on my list.
 
Riposte1 said:
The Col. meantioned this version as a Scout sometimes

View attachment 775153

I made the sliing out of a Vickers MG belt.

Riposte
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I've owned a few Mk 5 jungle carbines over the years and still have one. They are light and handy and check all the scout rifle boxes, except for accuracy. They don't hold a zero well and are not nearly in the same ball park as the Mk 4 accuracy wise.
 
walkin' trails said:
In around 2004, I bought a new Ruger Compact 77 Mark II stainless with black laminate stock for like $260. It was in .308 and the first bolt gun I’d ever owned. I intended to build a scout rifle on it. After discovering it was difficult to find anyone who would install iron sights or a forward scope mount on a light weight barrel, I sort of sidelined the project. It did shoot it and discovered .308 out of an approximately six pound rifle wasn’t enjoyable. I finally let the unmolested Compact go on GB two or three years ago. It went for $1100. I was already much more into ARs by then anyway. I think the Tikka T3 CTR is the best iteration of a modern scout anyway and sort of on my list.
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I have a stainless Fronteir compact in .358 Win. - it is right handy, and I have a Hawkeye compact in .308 but it has a conventonal 2-7 Leupold scope on it.

ruger frontier 358 win - compressed.jpg

Riposte
 
AJ said:
Did the Scout Rifle really have a day? Never remember the military using one.
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The scout rifle in the Jeff Cooper context was never intended as a military rifle. Do a little basic research.
 
crasig said:
Too heavy & long to be a Scout Rifle, But the scope is a long relief Pistol scope, solidly mounted to the original rear sight pad. (I have a scoped folding AK that would-be a practical Scout)
THIS IS the Range Toy I built with an orphaned 1943 Mosin Nagant barrel & receiver + used parts from Ebay.
I enjoyed the project, & enjoy shooting IT. It is accurate, & the recoil is milder in the archangel stock with cushy butt pad., IT shares 7.62X54R ammo with my Pomanian PSL rifle. Both big fun.
Click to expand...
If I had to name one rifle in my gun safe that would be considered a scout rifle it would be my Ruger mini .223 with wood stock and iron sites. I have 10, 20 and 30 round magazines for it if need be. It's light, carries easily on a sling and is a damn tack nailer even after thousands of rounds have already been fired through it. Picked up at a gun show over 25 years ago already used and well broken in and would never get rid of it.
 
I will be 73 in a few months, and I lover to shoot my Smith's and S&W rifles. I just got two scout rifles in the Ruger American in 223 and 350 Legend, plus I'm going to get a 450 Bushmaster (have heard they kick like a mule) if it does it will go to one of my sons. Instead of a scope a nice Red-dot would be better for the tired eyes and light. All of the reading that I have done the 350 Legend will do what I want. I like to go deer hunting with my son's one more time. Since passing out from my heart problems and breaking my shoulder, recoil isn't a very good friend anymore. A scout rifle will always be built until there isn't any rifles except the ones that shoot a light beam......
 
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