Conventional scope on Ruger Scout ?

Not on the Ruger, but I used to have a Savage scout rifle. I found a 1-4X scope mounted conventionally to work far better. It was faster for close shots and offered more accuracy on 4X than possible with a forward mounted scope.

I've thought about trying the Ruger. If I buy one I'd zero the irons, put the QD peep sight in my daypack as a backup and mount a low powered scope conventionally in QD rings. I could quickly change from irons or optics and have a better setup.

Personally I wouldn't go larger than a 2-7X, but the bigger scopes would certainly work slightly better at long range. They wouldn't be as good up close. A 1-4X would give you deer hunting accuracy out beyond 300 yards on 4X and be amazingly fast on 1X up close.

pull the rear sight and the gun is just a stubby barrel m77 and should scope just fine. About 1/3 of the guys I see at the range with one have a conventional scope on it, and that is what I would mount if I ever get one. Personal preference, but I wish ruger would strip off the the box mag, iron sights spacer system, and forward rail and sell me a left handed 16" threaded barrel m77 with a nice gray laminate stock for $600.

I too am a fan of the 2-7 scopes. especially on smaller guns.

I have a 2.5 - 10 on my new Stainless GSR and love it.
Only problem is I lost the rail in the process.
I plan on getting an XS full length rail in the near future.

Nikon Pro Hunter with BDC

if it was me I would not buy the ruger scout rifle to mount a scope the conventional way. a big scope that goes to 10x seems to defeat the purpose of the rifle. any regular carbine rifle would be better . but guys can do what ever they want

Like jmr40, I traded my extended eye relief set up on my Savage Scout for conventional variable. In my case a Leupold 2x for a Vortex 2-7x 35. Worked much better for me, both from ability to "find" the target in the scope as well as better look at targets farther down range. Paid off well on my next hunt after the switch. The EER just does not work well for me.

I am not really sure what you gain from a scout scope but I do know what you give up. If you want a serious north american hunting gun go with a conventional scope.

I put a Leupold VX-R 1.25-4x on my Ruger GSR and couldn't be happier.

The opinions seem pretty unanimous, so far.

I was given my left-handed Gunsite Scout for Christmas 2011. Within about ONE minute, I had that rail detached, and within a day or two had installed a new Redfield 3-9X scope on the receiver. The magnification range was chosen because age is diminishing my visual abilities, and at 3X the outfit is still lightning-quick even at close range. Like other posters, I CANNOT abide a "scout-mounted" scope....it makes the rifle ill-balanced, and a low-powered scope on the receiver is faster to use,IF the shooter knows what he's doing. (And, it's UGLY... life is too short to shoot ugly guns!)

I like the rifle a great deal, but not with a forward-mounted scope.

The main purpose of the forward mounted scopes on Coopers concept was to leave the top of the action open for faster reloading via stripper clips. Even Cooper knew he was choosing a poor scope mounting system, but felt it was worth the trade off for faster reloads.

In fact if you read Coopers writings he did not feel a scope was a necessity, just an option on his scout rifle. With todays rifles with detachable magazines there is no need for forward mounts. Most "scout" rifles come with them because most people don't fully understand the scout rifle concept and think it is not a scout rifle unless the scope is mounted forward.

When the military went to optics mounted on their rifles they could have just as easily chosen a forward mounted optic. If it had been better they would have. Their testing, and mine, has shown a low powered optic mounted conventionally works better for fast up close shooting as well as longer range shooting.

Find a Long Eye Relief multi, or 3, power scope and keep it "Scout." You've got a special gun there.

As for the muzzle, find a .308 Micor if you can, preferably in titanium, for accurracy and muzzle lift both.

On a hunting rifle the scout mount is certainly not for me, however, My eyesight is fading some, and I just love love love a 2x scope on some of my carbines. M1 carbine and marlin 1894 work great with one, and if I could figure out a good way to put one on a 10/22 I would. I think it's a function of the large eye box a scout scope offers that makes fast target acquisition possible for me.

I like Greyling's take on the low-power scope.

For hunting Wood Bison in the Northwest Territories in heavy bush, I mounted a Weaver K1.5 on my Cogswell & Harrison .404. With that scope, EVERYTHING FROM THE REAR SIGHT FORWARD was in focus! This meant that I could easily shoot accurately from ZERO distance to ....as far as I wanted ('specially when the target weighed a ton or more).

It was like looking out a picture window...

jmr40 said:

The main purpose of the forward mounted scopes on Coopers concept was to leave the top of the action open for faster reloading via stripper clips. Even Cooper knew he was choosing a poor scope mounting system, but felt it was worth the trade off for faster reloads.

In fact if you read Coopers writings he did not feel a scope was a necessity, just an option on his scout rifle. With todays rifles with detachable magazines there is no need for forward mounts. Most "scout" rifles come with them because most people don't fully understand the scout rifle concept and think it is not a scout rifle unless the scope is mounted forward.

When the military went to optics mounted on their rifles they could have just as easily chosen a forward mounted optic. If it had been better they would have. Their testing, and mine, has shown a low powered optic mounted conventionally works better for fast up close shooting as well as longer range shooting.

Click to expand...

Do you have the documentation for that? I've read a lot of Cooper's writings and don't remember seeing it. Only thing I can find right now attributed to Cooper about the forward mounted scope is “the fastest ever to appear at Gunsite, and it loses nothing in precision when used for careful shots at long range.”

I have a Leupold Vari-X II

4x12 mounted on mine. I hate the little peep sight that came with the gun. I would really like something far more adjustable. Also I do not have the rail for mine as I bought it used without the rail. I am not sure that I would like the forward mounted scope anyway.

You are going to loose twenty prime hunting minutes with a scout scope, 10 at first and 10 at last light.

Do you have the documentation for that? I've read a lot of Cooper's writings and don't remember seeing it. Only thing I can find right now attributed to Cooper about the forward mounted scope is “the fastest ever to appear at Gunsite, and it loses nothing in precision when used for careful shots at long range.”


Precisely. From someone who was part of the early Scout Rifle study group.


As to the OP's question, insofar as the Ruger "Scout" isn't, it makes no difference what scope you put on it. It's so far from a true Scout that the change is irrelevent. Take off the sights and Scope away.


Willie

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I note casually in passing that I had no trouble at the benchrest with a friend's Ruger Scout and the forward mount 1.5x5 scope in holding inside of two MOA at 100 yards. The second time ever to shoot with the forward mount and first time with the RS.

I've read (in support of Willie Sutton) that all the shoot'n'scoot competitions at Gunsite were won with Steyr Scouts. Quicker target acquisition.

But it takes getting used to. Practice. Me, I have too many decades of conventional mounting to be good at the forward mount system. And, now, no real need.