On Scout Rifles and Scout Scopes

A recent GunsAmerica review of the new version of the Ruger Scout Rifle http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/brand-new-rifle-ruger/ got me fired up about this type of rifle again and I think there is an issue that should be brought to the attention of those looking as a general purpose rifle.

I have been a fan and adherent of Jeff Cooper for more than two decades.  This nation lost a treasure when he passed.  It is not an exaggeration to say that his tome, “To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth” is a life changing book.  If you have not done so, get a copy and as you read the first chapter, imagine what would have happened on 9/11/2001 if only a handful of passengers had read this book. 

There are very few things about which Col. Cooper wrote with which I disagree.  When I first read his description of the concept of a GP rifle, it made complete sense.  His solutions in terms of weight, length, sighting system, ammunition and sling seemed undisputable.  It was so convincing, that when I had the means, I built my first GP rifle using a Remington Model 7 as the chassis.  It wasn’t a true Scout because it lacked a few refinements but it did carry a forward mounted 2.5X Leupold Scout Scope and a 3 point Ching Sling. 

That first foray into the world of the GP rifle got me hooked.  When Steyr came along with a full blown Scout Rifle, I bought one.  Then, I bought another (got to have a back-up, right?) and then a third in .376 Steyr caliber just in case zombie lions ever began roaming the wastelands of Central Virginia. 

At the time, I was able to do a considerable amount of hunting and this is when I discovered the Achilles Heel of the Scout Rifle concept which I will get to in a moment.  First though, let’s review what was right with this gun.  For those unfamiliar with the Steyr Scout, it includes everything the beloved Colonel wanted in a GP rifle.  It was light and short.  It had a built-in rail upon which optics could be mounted forward of the ejection port.  It had a cleverly hidden bipod.  It had a detachable magazine with a double detent allowing for single feeding plus room in the stock to carry a spare magazine.  It had flush mounted sockets for a 3 point Ching Sling.  It had flip-up iron sights in case your scope ever failed.  It had a trigger designed by people who understood what a two stage trigger could be.  It was and is the ultimate GP rifle as defined by Jeff Cooper.

Over the course of several years in the field, I really learned the beauty of this rifle.  It is fast and accurate.  I’m talking lightning fast.  That is a combination of the sling, the size of the rifle but most of all, the forward mounted scope.  Until a person plays with this, it is impossible to understand just how amazing this feature really is. 

A 2.5X scope mounted forward of the ejection port allows the shooter to keep both eyes open while sighting and shooting.  That means the field of view is unlimited by the scope.  The shooter sees everything in front of him and only sees the crosshairs magnified on the target in the middle of that field of vision.  Because the magnification is only 2.5X, the human brain seems capable to accepting this. 

It really does work too.  On two different occasions, I encountered deer that were running and I chose to take a shot.  I swung the rifle like a shotgun, focusing on the deer until the instant before pressing the trigger.  My eye just saw the crosshairs in the middle of my vision and both times, the deer crumpled to the ground (one at nearly 100 years and the other at 75).  Pretty impressive stuff.

I also was happy with longer range and more traditional shots.  I shot one at 240 yards in a field.  Several more were taken at various ranges around the pastures where I hunt.

 

All of this was great until one day, I came over a rise and looked into a wooded valley.  I didn’t see anything at first but glassed ahead with my 8X binoculars.  I could see 5 deer gently feeding through the woods.  It was not a particularly thick section of woods and I had no problem seeing the deer in the binos but not with the naked eye.  Range was in the area of 150 yards.  I laid down and deployed the bipod legs of the Scout Rifle. 

For the life of me, I could not see those deer with the 2.5X scope.  I would pick up my binos and could see them perfectly but not with the naked eye nor with the Scout Scope.  The color of the fallen leaves given the deer just enough camouflage so it was impossible to get a shot. 

This is a problem.  A real problem.  A GP rifle needs to be usable in a wide variety of situations, not just when the target is standing in a field or at the end of a 300 yard range.  A GP rifle must allow the shooter to see the target when the target may be partially obscured by foliage.  The shooter needs to be able to see the target when the target blends into the background.  The Scout Scope just doesn’t allow for that.

So now what?  If we give up the forward mounted, low power scope, we give up speed and introduce complexity.  How much compromise is acceptable?  I knew some compromise was required because I could not accept a sighting system that relies on targets to be in open fields or silhouetted against a blank background. 

My first thought was to get a variable power pistol scope.  Leupold makes a 2-7X pistol scope and I considered this but rejected it.  Once you go beyond 2.5X, the eye relief becomes quite unforgiving.  I was also concerned with parallax in the higher magnifications.  Others may look at this and accept it but I wasn’t happy with it.

I instead opted to place a low power variable in a conventional mounting position.  I wanted to get something very rugged and durable and something unlikely to be damaged under heavy use.   I ended up getting the Leupold Mark 4 MR/T 1.5-5X M2.  It is a tough as nails scope with a 30mm tube encasing 20mm optics.  It has low profile target turrets and an illuminated reticle. 

The beauty of this scope is that it is nearly as fast on target as a Scout Scope.  When dialed in at the lowest magnification, I can keep both eyes open.  Although it is there, the scope body is barely noticeable in my field of view .  At 1.5X, it is very similar to an Aimpoint or EOTech but with crosshairs instead of a glowing dot.  However, at longer ranges, I can dial up to 5X and even at 300 yards, I can make out details that I just couldn’t with the Scout Scope.  At all practical ranges, I can see whatever I can shoot. 

The only downside to this scope is the weight.  At 18 oz, it is almost double a conventional XV3 of the same magnification.  The illuminated reticle likely adds some of this weight and that is another feature of questionable value.  I was imagining something akin to an Aimpoint but the lighting isn’t even close to that and on a bright day, you wouldn’t know it is there.  It does help at dusk and dawn to see the reticle though and I do like it.  Just remember to turn it off at the end of the day and keep a supply of batteries on hand.

The passing of Jeff Cooper still saddens me for a host of reasons.  I would have loved to ask him his opinion on this matter.  His distrust of variable power scopes likely would have precluded his endorsement of this solution.  After using the Scout Scope for several years in the real world, I came to the conclusion that it has no place on a true General Purpose rifle.  That means a compromise is needed and I am happy with my compromise.  What I have lost in speed is negligible and the added weight and complexity is within acceptable limits.  The increase in usable range is dramatic and really completes the GP rifle concept in my opinion.