Some rifles weren't stocked as well for scopes as the maker was expecting the shooter to use the sights that came with the rifle. This is mostly a thing of the past as now most bolt-action rifles come without sights, scopes are expected, and the rifle is stocked accordingly.
This is an annoying problem these days, for those of us anyway, who prefer a "working" type/stocked rifle, more so than a static type hunting rifle, as many, if not most seem to be today. The majority of the rifle stocks these days, have a LOP that is to long, a comb that is to high,and a silly recoil pad, that adds to LOP and is usually sticky to boot, causing it to interfere with "'natural" shouldering of the rifle.
There are some things I like about the scout rifle concept. The forward mounted scope is not one of those things. Better not to have a scope at all. I'm fairly impressed with how well a good aperture sight performs. I'm using reading glasses right now and will be 60 next month. The open rear sight on my 94 is a little tricky now, but throw on a peep sight and everything becomes much better in a hurry.
The only real issues Ive had with forward mounted scopes have been, light coming in low over your shoulder, and hitting the glass (which is also a problem for many, if not most peep type sights as well), and not having the light gathering properties of the more traditionally mounted scopes. The second issue, really isnt as much of a big deal as the first.
Open sights usually fall into two groups, peep and the leaf type. The peeps generally make for a better "target" type sight, where the leaf are a better reactive type sight, and especially at closer ranges. A large ghost ring helps with the peeps, but I still find the leaf type to be more effective for everything but target shooting. My favorite all around "combat" irons are those made by HK, and used on their G3/90 series rifles (as well as the Spanish FR-8's). They are basically the best of both worlds, having both type sights (a big notch setting for close range, and peeps to realistic distances) in the same sight.
Ive had a couple of rifles set up a scouts. Personally, I prefer the military rifles with a stripper guide, and thats for all my bolt guns, not just the scouts.
Ive always found it interesting how many people these days, have no idea what the stripper is for, or how it works. Differences in eras I suppose. Learning how to properly work the bolt (another wonderment it seems for many these days), and how to load the rifle, was the first thing were were taught.
I find the low and forward mounted scout type scopes work better with stocks made for irons sights. Rifles set up like this, shoulder and shoot more naturally, as if the scope wasnt there at all. The forward mounted scope makes reactive shooting much easier, and like a red dot, puts the focus on the target, not the sight. You look at the target, shoulder the rifle, and the cross hairs appear where youre looking on the target. With the scope mounted more forward, you have much better peripheral vision, and you dont tend to get "lost in the scope", which tends to happen more so in a traditionally mounted scope. "Snap" or reactive type shooting is very fast and natural with this set up, or at least for me it is. Snap shots at 100 yards and beyond are amazingly easy.
I also prefer my red dots mounted forward too, and for most of the reasons above.
As I said above though, the scout scpes are not perfect, and some lighting conditions can cause you grief.
I have yet to find the balance on any of my rifles with forward mounted sights to be affected, and if anything, there is less handling/manipulation interference with them up front.
I know they dont seem to be for everyone, but I think that those who have spent some time with one, and learned to shoot them in a manner they were meant to be shot, understand them and appreciate them for what they are.
Considering how long the concept has been around, from the comments Ive had from people at some of the ranges I was shooting mine, I think that many dont have a clue as to what the concept is, and have never seen, let alone shot one. Most gave them a skeptical look, and didnt seem to impressed.
But the lever gun is a neat, slick little rifle.
