Ruger/Gunsite Scout Rifle - gunwriters' review

I'd prefer it to accept M1A or FAL mags, and have a polymer stock(for weight). Since stocks can be changed though, my only beef is the mags. I already have a picky M-14
 
Ruger

I noticed on Ruger's description of said Scout rifle that the scope can be moved rearward and mounted on Rugers proprietary scope mounts.

Hmmm.... and you can't buy a stainless .375 H&H from Ruger, you have to buy their proprietary .375 Ruger round...

I'm noticing a trend here - a trend that is awfully un-American - a trend that limits my freedom of choice.

Thank you no, I'll say no to Ruger and their proprietary products... just like I won't buy an Ipod because I won't be "locked" into iTunes or any other proprietary Apple product.

They only market this stuff because someone buys it... :barf:
 
I noticed on Ruger's description of said Scout rifle that the scope can be moved rearward and mounted on Rugers proprietary scope mounts.
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If you read the review on gunblast.com, there is already a rail being made by a third company that lets you use standard bases.

Gregg
 
just like I won't buy an Ipod because I won't be "locked" into iTunes or any other proprietary Apple product.
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Oh my, now you really stepped in it. You don't think Microsoft Windows is "proprietary?" Or MS Office? Or MS Internet Explorer?!!

Years ago, Apple got annoyed that MS kept introducing the "new" Internet Explorer for the Mac long after the same features had been in use on the Windows version. So Apple introduced their own browser, Safari. Bill Gates was so angry about it that he totally cancelled any further development of Internet Explorer for the Mac. Hasn't been around in a long, long time.

MS is constantly "introducing" new HTML coding for IE. Only problem is they use coding that hasn't been accepting as "standard" at that point in time. So that means that all the fancy new "features" that MS touts for that version of IE can only be used by IE. A developer has a web site that is totally standard but it looks weird in IE. So he develops just for IE but then it looks REALLY weird in Safari or Firefox. Because IE is proprietary as hell!

Say a company is out there right now running Windows boxes and Office. They decide they are tired of all the viruses so they look into switching to Macs. MS makes a version of Office for the Mac and they actually keep it up to date. But then the company discovers that MS purposefully never put the Access database program into the Mac version of Office. Since the company has a whole bunch of Access database files, they can't switch. Why.... because MS has made damn sure that Access stays.... say it with me.... proprietary as hell!

Even the iPod is a crappy example because MS has created Windows only music file formats and encouraged other developers and companies to use them. You can't use them at all on a Mac since they don't release the software for them. With an iPod you can use iTunes on a Mac or on a Windows box. But not with closed MS crap-ola! And maybe you don't understand how an iPod works. I could use my iPods all day long and never touch iTunes or the Apple store if I don't want to do so. They mount as a hard drive on the desktop, you can copy MP3's to them anytime. So rip all of your old CD's to MP3 and move them to your iPod. Nothing "proprietary" about that!

Yeah, you guessed it, I'm typing this on a Mac. A G5. An eight year old computer with two internal hard drives, six external hard drives, two USB hubs, multiple Firewire devices, two Samsung flat panel monitors being driven off one ATI video card. Eight individual RAM sticks totaling 3.5 gig. In eight years, it's never had a virus even though I don't have any anti-virus software loaded. I would like to have a new Mac but the old one just keeps on going and going and going!

Gregg
 
They should have used commonly available double stack mags. I'd like to see other calibers available along with a short action too, like .223 and 6.8.
 
Everyone gets excited about a new release from any of the major manufacturers. I have a few questions about this one. What role does this rifle fill in the general firearms world?
I can see that it is short and probably quick handling. Is it for hunting in close quarters? Is it for taking quick shots at close range? Then why is it a bolt action? Bolt action rifles aren't particularly quick on follow up shots and that defeats the purpose of the short quick rifle. Why the ten round magazine in a bolt action rifle? What is the flash supressor for? Are you afraid that the deer will see your position and return fire? I like the rail. Red dot sights are great for bringing your gun to bear quickly. If it were an autoloader it would be really great.
What is this gun really? It is a platform that every wannabe soldier can carry around and sneak through the bushes and pretend that he is some kind of scout/sniper/comando camoflaged, super stealth, combat soldier. Other than that this is a perfect solution to a non existant need.
 
Im with u JT.... to use a Nutnfancy term ..... whats the POU (philosiphy of use) for this rifle?? the only thing i can imagine is scout roll, maybe safari (but the calibur choice is too small for safari).

i supose it could be SHTF or wildrness emergency (plane crash, river boat, off roading in the boonies) something u might need to hike ur way back to civilization
 
Ruger's New Rifle

I am Glad They Made a New Bolt Action Rifle. But Also That it is feed By a Clip. What is also A great Idea of Ruger is Bringing Back The .308, In my Opinion one of the greatest Sniping Rounds. And i love the shortned Stock so it is Acceptable to all shooters. And it has a great Colonial/Modern Design. Thank You Ruger
 
JiminTX, try doing some searching on the scout rifle concept. It is not so much the attempt of a manufacturer to fulfill a need, but rather their attempt to meet the requirements of an ideal rifle platform as set forth by a well respected shooter and gun writer. I firmly believe if we attempted to actually figure what the point of every firearms design is, the civillian firearms industry would have ended years ago. To be perfectly honest, most people will never need a gun. It is just way to hard to tell if your one of those guys.
 
nice to know

Gregg, thanks for the education, a bit more than I knew about MS & Apple. I have a few colleagues at work who won't touch anything IBM and swear by their apples. But, when we go to exchange songs, only the MS folks can, those with iTunes are locked out. I suppose the .375 Ruger is much of the same, "You sell .375 Ruger here?" says a hunter in Zimbabwe to the responding chuckle of everyone in the lodge...

I can buy an Acer for $300 and it does everything my buddie's $3k mac can do. I can't even get ammo for a .375 Ruger - what's the point?

So they make "aftermarket" scope bases for the Ruger... Jim in Texas summed it up best, its a gun that fits a niche that doesn't exist...

Bottom rung, you bring up a good point; most will never fire their gun(s) in anger.

As I leaf through all of the gun magazines that my hunting buddy from Missouri has mailed out to central Asia, I get a chuckle as I see all of these Kimber and Ed Brown "special forces" 1911's and concealed carry laser guns. You're right, most will never fire a gun in anger. Most guns are used for plinking and hunting.

But, for a rifle, aside from hunting and plinking, you are most likely to use your rifle for home defense or in case of civil disorder (hurricaine, earthquake, etc). For either situation, the "scout" rifle is useless. You gonna stop an angry gang of 12 looters? Better have a semi-auto. An AR, FN/FAL, HK or M1 will do the trick. Scout rifle? Yeah right. And as for home defense, that "forward" mounted scope - how will that help you looking down a hallway at 3am in pitch black conditions?

This scout rifle reminds me of the electrically fired muzzle-loader that some idiot company recently marketed. I read a review and at the end, the author asked the president of the company of this monstrosity, "why should anyone buy it?" to which he responded, "1. No one else on the block has one, and 2., you'll be the only one at the range with one." What logic. Sign me up!
 
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I applaud Ruger for building something a bit outside the norm. I like vanilla, but I'm sure glad its not the ONLY flavor available.
 
whats the POU (philosiphy of use)?
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Do a bit of reading on the Scout Rifle concept....... I am sure nutnfancy is aware of the Scout concept ........ but mehbee he's in the business of getting hits on the internet, and therefore is going to stir up controversy.....

google "Scout Rifle" ...... or better yet, read the chapter dealing with the idea in Cooper's book "To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth". Won't hurt you a bit. I promise.
 
Jimntx,
Try to look at it like a general purpose rifle, may not be the best at anything BUT it can do everything.

The flash suppressor is removable so you can add a sound suppressor. So that deer cannot hear you either to return fire.

All firearms need maintenance, but gas operated need more maintenance are more complicated(internally), bolts are simple and just need less.

If you could only grab one, this one is it.
 
The flash suppressor is removable so you can add a sound suppressor. So that deer cannot hear you either to return fire.
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Ha! The bullet is supersonic, so it will hit the deer befor he hears the gun! It's a .308, too, so he won't be doing much of enything except dropping dead. :D
 
Does anyone know if the rifle can be loaded with the magazine in place?

I'm dissapointed that the rifle uses a single stack magazine. Yeah I'm sure it works knowing Ruger but the 10 rd mag looks to hang out a long ways making it less handy. I wish Ruger would have made it with a double stack magazine so a 10 rounder wouldn't hang so low and would still offer decent firepower. Ideally it would be a M1A 10 rd mag.

Other things I would like to see: stripper clip guide, placing rear sight behind scope mount so a receiver mounted scope can be mounted w/o taking off rear sight, and offer if in a few different calibers e.g. .243 Win.

It's a good concept and I'm glad to see Ruger offering a variety of products.
 
Part of the irony here, as I see it, is that while it is supposed to be a general purpose rifle, in order for it to be that, it is a compromise. But then what isn't. Frankly, it seems a lot more practical from a cost standpoint than the Steyr Scout rifle/carbine. Cost is important to some people.

Now about those magazines. In theory, the rifle can be a little thinner through the action than one with a double column magazine, either with or without a detachable magazine. But not having examined one, I don't know if it made a difference in this case and I don't remember how the Steyr worked out in that respect. None are likely to be as thin as a lever action, however.

Another point I'd like to bring up is how the rifle is supposed to be suitable for both combat and for hunting, although the expression "combat" is probably not used anywhere in the literature, even by Cooper. Why does every rifle and cartridge (even handgun cartridge) get judged on its worthiness as a hunting cartridge? I think that the standard work about cartridges makes a comment about most cartridges about its value for hunting. For some purposes, it misses the point entirely. But this isn't to say the .308 is not a good combat cartridge; that's how it started, along with every other cartridge the US government ever used. In any case, if you're going to have a bolt action, I suppose a .308 is just as good as anything else, though not necessarily better, if you are out scouting.

In my mind, I keep comparing this new rifle on the block to a No 5 Jungle Carbine. While it compares favorably, I'd still take the No 5 in spite of its shortcomings. It'd be nice to have a Jungle Carbine with an up to date buttpad and....well, that's about it. Everything else is perfect. Nothing wrong with the cartridge either. For a setup like that, if you'd rather have a low powered alternative cartridge, then just get American made hunting ammunition.

Even so, other rifles might be a tad better and after all, Jungle Carbines in decent shape are scarce but probably less expensive than a Steyr, which may remain the benchmark.

I think I'd just as soon have a plain black stock, too. Whoever wants one that can afford one will buy one until they stop selling, just like most of their firearms. Then they'll introduce something else. That's one of the good things about Ruger compared with other companies. They try not to get stuck in a rut.
 
More thoughts on the subject

You know the Steyr Scout is still available, by the way. And ten round magazines are also available, though I've never seen a photo of one in place (haven't searched, either). And they come in a few other calibers, including a proprietary cartridge. They use Jeff Cooper's name liberally, so I suppose it remains the scout rifle against which others will be compared.

I keep mentioning the old Jungle Carbine. I discovered that it actually weighs less than the Steyr Scout, but only a little. A funny thing here is that all of these new all purpose or general purpose (but not universal--that's a different rifle) rifles are essentially carbines. At one time the infantry used rifles, cavalry used carbines. Mounted infantry still used rifles but that only confuses the issue. Then someone decided to make a short rifle and to make it the all purpose rifle, a concept which hasn't changed in a hundred years or at least as long as soldiers went into battle with bolt action rifles. The Soviets even got around to the idea, though later than most others. Over the years most of the differences between all those rifles have been in the details. Yet the Lee-Enfield remains the easiest to manipulate in a hurry. I know that some will say they can work the bolt on their Yugo Mauser just as fast but I've had people say they can get off second shots with their Ruger No. 1 just as fast, too. Either way, I don't buy into the "magazine as an emergency reserve" idea. I'm not so sure about bipods, either. I think clip loading is good, which was another concept that eventually everyone decided was a Good Thing over a hundred years ago, but I doubt it will appear on any new bolt actions. Anyway, some didn't work so good. They did show up on Remington autoloaders, which by the way had a single column magazine, but they didn't work well either. The one I had in .35 Remington was hard enough to load with individual cartridges, which I might also say about the 1895 Winchester in .30-06, which also had a single column magazine.

But we cope.
 
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