Fellows I'm interested in getting a Savage scout in .308. What would be a good scope to put on it? And also if any of you have one, how are they? Pretty good shooters? Thanks.
Hooker I have the scout and unfortunately haven't been abel to shoot it much as I assm to be out of town a lot lately. I have the burris 2.75x Scout scope on mine and like it. Imight recommend the Leupold 2.5x instead as it may be a better(readtruer)scout scope. Another option and one I am thinking of as well is the Burris compact 2-7x scope. I think this would make a great combo and i almost did that except that I really wanted the "scout" package. I love how this rifle handles, and though not a really beauty of a rifle I find it pleasing enough and bought it with the idea in mind of this being a general purpose gun and it fill that role nicely. From what I understand these can be real tack drivers if a few things are done. Reduce the trigger pull to 3lbs and consider reloading if you don't aready.
Anybody else out there a Scout rifle owner? Would love to hear about your experiences, pet loads, accuracy, problems, complaints, sights,use, modifications etc. Anything helpful. As for me I am planning on working up some loads with Hodgdon's Varget and Barnes XLC's 180grain. I also have some 150grain Hornadys that i am going to use to finish sighting in scope and ghost rings. I have a Burris 2.75X Scout scope Like it well enough, but may get a Burris Compact 2-7x in the future. haven't had much time to shoot or reload lately, but things seem to be coming around in that direction finally.
I know this is an old thread but since I have one... My Scout needed some attention to bring it up to speed. The foreend of the stock was relieved to float the barrel, and while it was off the rifle I added a couple more sling swivels. There is a spot molded into the stock for a second one, and the third was set right in front of the recoil lug. The frontmost one is used for the Harris bipod, the rest for the sling. The trigger needed considerable adjusting to suit me, but the design is easy to manipulate and there are Web resources that tell you how, snipercountry.com has a writeup on this. The scope mount itself was loose and had some debris preventing a good seat. This was quickly cleaned up and the screws set with locktight. I spent some time polishing the bolt and receiver areas, following instructions provided by Clinton Coates on his Savage Scout page. This went a long way toward smoothing the action. The three point sling is homemade from nylon web straps and bridal gear from the local leather shop. It is definately worth the effort to buy or make one of these for your rifle. The Burris scoutscope sits on top in a set of Leopold QRW rings, allowing for quick removal when desired. So far I've noticed no appreciable shift in point of aim with this setup. The front sight still needs to be replaced with a proper blade, probably from Express Sights (Ashley Outdoors). Magazine capacity is my only real complaint now... I've an M-1A mag that will be modded to fit... will let the group know if it works.
Great info Ayteeone. I did work up the 180gr XLC Barnes loads at a max powder charge of 44.5 gr. Varget in my rifle. They put out quite a wallop and are pretty acurate. I would like to know more about the Scout Page where you learned about polishing the bolt and action. i had a trigger job done omy scout and it pulls at about 3.5# which is perfect. Nice and crisp too. My barrel was freee floated at the factory and never needed relieving. I too have the Burris in QRW rings and it works great. I just came back from and unsuccessful hunting trip and found the magazine capacity plenty, but I carried 2 mags. anyway. I would encourage every Scout owner before they mount a scope to remove the scope base and blue Loc-tite it. I was just about sighted in and ended up shooting the base loose and had to start all over. Very frustrating as i had run low on ammo and had already shot about 60 rounds for sighting and practice.
Thanks bunches for the follow up. I will likely do the smoothing tips to mine although it seems quite capable as is. I wish i had known about the custom shop option. I paid $90 to have the trigger lightened and smoothed a bit(mine actually came smooth from the factory) and have a spare magazine hand fitted. oh well. I may look into the front sight issue too, but that hasn't been an issue since mine wears a scope.
Well designed and well built, this general purpose rifle has everything you need and nothing you don't! Talk to 10 riflemen and you'll get 10 opinions on what constitutes a scout rifle. Jeff Cooper, who popularized the concept some 20 years ago, established approximate parameters for length (1 meter) and weight (3 kilos), long before Steyr-Mannlicher produced its version, which appeared with Cooper's stamp of approval in 1998. Essentially, a scout rifle is a general-purpose, bolt-action carbine in approximately .30 caliber, equipped with a forward-eye-relief scope of 2 or 2 1/2 power. It may feed from a detachable box magazine, as is the Steyr, but early examples loaded from internal magazines of three- or four-round capacity. In any case, a scout rifle is optimized for field use, which generally means hunting. Typically, it has a light- or medium-weight barrel and is fitted with a bipod and/or quick-acquisition sling such as the CW or Ching designs. A variety of rifles have been adapted as "pseudo scouts." As the concept gained momentum, manufacturers slowly responded with built-for-the-purpose designs, including Savage's entry. Deciding I wanted, as opposed to needed, a "millennium gun," I bought a Savage Scout on the strength of satisfied-customer reports. I've never owned a Savage, but a planned African hunt for plains game clinched the deal. A .308 bolt action with an option for a detachable optic and backup iron sights sounded like the right tool for the job. I was not disappointed. Out Of The Box Based on the Series 10 action that appeared in 1958, the 10FCM Scout features a simple bolt with a 20" 1:12 twist barrel in a dark-gray synthetic stock that's dual-pillar bedded. The package includes soft earplugs, a trigger lock and a big yellow target to send back with your favorite "screamer" group, in case you want to claim bragging rights. As things turned out, it's not a bad idea. Out of the box, the Scout measures 40" overall, weighs less than 7 lbs. empty. The trigger, which is adjustable, was poor as issued. However, tweaking the set screws in the trigger group soon yielded a crisp 3.5 lb. release. That was the good news. The bad news: at 3.5 lbs., the rifle could and did fire upon closing the bolt -- a real attention-getter. After market drop-in triggers are impractical since they're intended for benchrest competition and max out at 2.5 lbs., which is unsatisfactory for a hunting rifle. Eventually, I settled on a 4 lb. let-off that remained crisp with just a trace of creep. The rifle proved 100 percent reliable, even after several hundred rounds of vigorous bolt cycling. The only other trouble encountered was with the four-round magazines. Of the four I ordered (two issue, two spares), three failed to remain seated, ejecting themselves after the first round was fired. Close examination revealed that the horizontal detent on the right side of each magazine was insufficient for a firm seating during recoil. Careful prying with a narrow-bladed screwdriver extended the upper surface of each slot so that the magazine latch remained engaged. Problem solved. As a side note, some hunters and outdoorsmen argue against box magazines, insisting that "firepower" should not be part of hunting. The advantage of box magazines goes beyond maintaining a sustained rate of fire. More importantly, they provide the ability to easily switch to different types of ammunition. In a typical example, a hunter may wish to switch from 165 gr. Trophy Bonded to 180 gr. solids for more penetration. With box magazines, this can be done quickly. After dealing with correcting the trigger and magazine problems, the Savage settled into an impressively pleasant rifle. Its inherent accuracy is amazing from a $450 firearm. With 168 gr. Federal Match, three of the first four rounds fired off the bench went into one ragged hole at 100 yards. A called flier opened the group to exactly 1" extreme spread (i.e., less than 0.7 MOA). More importantly, even with a variety of ammo, there was no significant difference between the first-round, cold-bore shot and those of following groups. The Scout consistently performed well using a Harris bipod. A typical 200-yard group from a field rest measured 3" extreme spread for five rounds. The best three measured 1 1/2". User Friendly Features Savage gave considerable thought to the ergonomics of the Scout. Experienced and novice riflemen comment favorably about the large bolt-handle knob. It affords easy acquisition, fast manipulation and positive closure. Similarly, placement of the magazine release on the right side of the stock permits the shooter to retain a firing grip while reloading. Information on the rifle's condition is relayed via the cocking indicator on the right side of the receiver, just in front of the bolt handle. When the bolt is cocked (and presumably a round is chambered), the flanged indicator rises to a position easily felt by the right index finger or thumb. When decocked, the indicator partly retracts into the receiver. The safety is exactly where it should be on a sensible rifle -- a fore-and-aft tang sits immediately behind the closed bolt. Since the safety will not engage unless the striker is cocked, the safety provides a means of cross-checking the position of the cocking indicator. Removal of the bolt is accomplished by simultaneously depressing the cocking indicator and the trigger, then withdrawing the bolt to the rear. To replace the bolt, simply reverse the process. Mounting a scope on the Savage is easy, thanks to the B-Square sight base that comes as standard equipment. I selected a Leupold 2.5x Scout Scope with quick-detach rings for my rifle. However, it's possible to install a conventional scope if an owner prefers more magnification rather than ease of single-loading rounds. It's a nice option, depending upon one's goal and preference. The Williams aperture rear sight and bead front sight are useful either as primary or backup sights. Personal Touches As issued, the Savage Scout is a well conceived bit of equipment: It comes with everything you need and nothing you don't. Personal preference led to a few other options for my Scout. I had Medesha Arms in Arizona install an accessory rail in the stock to accommodate a light mount and vertical foregrip. Also added were a butt pack with zippered tool compartment and loops for five rounds. In the field, I use the "shoot one, load one" technique to keep the rifle topped off and the extra rounds are easily accessed from the pack. With the extra options added, the "all-up" weight of the rifle pushes 10 lbs., which, admittedly, is more than some people want to tote. But rifles are like cars, they're subject to individual taste. With an optimum range of 300 yards and a working range of at least 400, the Savage Scout Rifle is a remarkable bargain. It's affordable, accurate and adaptable to a wide variety of purposes and options. It's also available in 7mm-08 for those countries whose governments are nervous about civilians with military ammunition. In the 22 years I've been writing about firearms, I've been offered a few "deals," but I've never accepted one. So, if you want to know what works, ask gun writers which firearms they buy on their own --- and which ones they keep. I bought my Savage Scout and I may buy another, because this little rifle is a keeper. COPYRIGHT 2001 Publishers' Development Corporation COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group from http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_2001_Annual/ai_63922918#continue
