Cooper Scout Rifle Theory

Jbarila

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Read some articles by Cooper and others on scout rifles. Since our DBAG hates AR’s but has exempted Mini 14’s I picked one up at 4Seasons last week.
Put a Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x35 scout scope. 9” eye relief! It balances well and the sight picture is amazing.
Will be sighting Sunday and will report back. Looks funny but I am looking forward to shooting it. It also leaves the chamber wide open for cleaning.30721A92-BBC6-48D4-8272-E0FCCBC552CC.jpeg
 
Read some articles by Cooper and others on scout rifles. Since our DBAG hates AR’s but has exempted Mini 14’s I picked one up at 4Seasons last week.
Put a Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x35 scout scope. 9” eye relief! It balances well and the sight picture is amazing.
Will be sighting Sunday and will report back. Looks funny but I am looking forward to shooting it. It also leaves the chamber wide open for cleaning.View attachment 416241
I was at the deli counter myself last Tuesday and picked one of these up as well! Ruger did a nice job on this tactical configuration - feels solid and well made. Haven’t had the time to get to the range yet so I’ll be following this thread and look forward to reading your range report.
 
I always thought someone had done a great job with this SMLE scout conversion. As for the Steyr Scout based on Cooper's specs, it was, of course, expensive, plus the barrel was so skinny to save weight, I figured you'd only get one follow-up shot before the barrel got hot and threw off the zero.

Enfield scout.jpg
 
... As for the Steyr Scout based on Cooper's specs, it was, of course, expensive, plus the barrel was so skinny to save weight, I figured you'd only get one follow-up shot before the barrel got hot and threw off the zero.
...

The funny thing is the Steyr Scout doesn’t even fully meet his criteria. He approved of it anyway though.

Scout rifles are cool and I’ve always had a soft spot for them. But most of their utility is done better by modern, weight conscious, semi auto carbines.
 
One of these days i am going to get myself a k98 with a ZF41 scout scope rail and optic and have some fun with it.

If you want to try that with a much better optic instead of the historically accurate one, try BadAce Tactical for the mount with a Leopold 2.5x scout scope. I put one on an M24/47 a little while ago, and it is a lot of fun. Mount replaces the rear sight, so no permanent modification.

IMG_20201128_101250.jpg
 
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The funny thing is the Steyr Scout doesn’t even fully meet his criteria. He approved of it anyway though.

Cooper could not get a domestic firearms company to manufacture one.
When other companies did begin to build scout rifles, the rumor was that Cooper was contractually obligated to Steyr to not endorse any other rifles.
Of the Savage Scout rifle he simply said, "It meets the general idea."
 
2.5x scout scope.
that was his initial idea, a long eye relief, low magnification scope. i believe cooper put a 2x pistol scope on his prototypes. you were suppose to use two eyes when sighting. something i never learned to do, one eye for me, even with a shotgun.
 
Best was Cooper bloviating on Scoutens old show before his death. Talked about how HIS scout was the only right way and he could shoot fast. Target at about 25 yards. He snaps to. And misses. Lol

coopers death, not Scouten.

scout rifle is how you want it, not how Coop wanted it.
 
Would the Ruger American Ranch fit the bill? It's a short barrel, light weight, detachable box magazine, bolt action and you can pick your caliber. It has a rail for optics over the receiver, not in the forward location of most true scout designs. BUT, it is an accurate budget blaster that you can probably find in stock. Just do it!
 
Would the Ruger American Ranch fit the bill? It's a short barrel, light weight, detachable box magazine, bolt action and you can pick your caliber. It has a rail for optics over the receiver, not in the forward location of most true scout designs. BUT, it is an accurate budget blaster that you can probably find in stock. Just do it!

Id think the forward mounted scope came from the time when really good LVPOs weren't a thing yet. I kind of have a scout-like rifle set up exactly how your describing with a 1-8x scope.
 
Id think the forward mounted scope came from the time when really good LVPOs weren't a thing yet. I kind of have a scout-like rifle set up exactly how your describing with a 1-8x scope.

I'd agree. I'm not sure that a true 1x LVPO with an illuminated reticle isn't a better option than a EER scope out past the receiver. It certainly isn't technology that was available when the Scout concept was being worked out. It does give you access to run stripper clip reloads, if your donor was a .mil rifle or you're willing to add a clip guide. But again, good box mags like AICS or Magpul's and bottom metal to use them weren't available then, and strippers made more sense. Even the backup iron sights are sounding dated - optics are much less fragile than they were. What's it going to take to kill a current LVPO that wouldn't kill the rifle as well?

In spite of my misgivings, I'm still building (slowly) a Scoutish rifle on a Savage Axis. I'm currently stuck on what I want to do with irons and scope mounting. I wasn't that impressed by Savage's own attempts to address these. I wish I hadn't started this project before Ruger came out with their Scout, it really hits all the marks I was interested in. I'm consoling myself with the thought that thanks to Savage's modularity, I can repurpose everything into a different rifle if I have to.
 
It does give you access to run stripper clip reloads...
That and "handability" also played a role.
The forward mounted scope balanced the rifle better while carrying the rifle with one hand wrapped around the action.
The forward mounted scope also allowed a person to carry the rifle at its balance point with hand wrapped around the action.
Of course there is more to it and the concept, but the posts above reminded me to mention those points.
 
I'd agree. I'm not sure that a true 1x LVPO with an illuminated reticle isn't a better option than a EER scope out past the receiver. It certainly isn't technology that was available when the Scout concept was being worked out. It does give you access to run stripper clip reloads, if your donor was a .mil rifle or you're willing to add a clip guide. But again, good box mags like AICS or Magpul's and bottom metal to use them weren't available then, and strippers made more sense. Even the backup iron sights are sounding dated - optics are much less fragile than they were. What's it going to take to kill a current LVPO that wouldn't kill the rifle as well?

In spite of my misgivings, I'm still building (slowly) a Scoutish rifle on a Savage Axis. I'm currently stuck on what I want to do with irons and scope mounting. I wasn't that impressed by Savage's own attempts to address these. I wish I hadn't started this project before Ruger came out with their Scout, it really hits all the marks I was interested in. I'm consoling myself with the thought that thanks to Savage's modularity, I can repurpose everything into a different rifle if I have to.

I'm weird. I intend to convert a T53 Mosin into a scout. May go with 1-6x strike eagle though, vs a true scout scope. Weight is similar, cost is lower, flexibility higher.
 
I'm weird. I intend to convert a T53 Mosin into a scout. May go with 1-6x strike eagle though, vs a true scout scope. Weight is similar, cost is lower, flexibility higher.
do not get strike eagle, get a viper pst2. it is way, way better and not that much more $ in a SFP model.
 
Best was Cooper bloviating on Scoutens old show before his death. Talked about how HIS scout was the only right way and he could shoot fast. Target at about 25 yards. He snaps to. And misses. Lol
...

I’ve been looking for a video online, but am coming up short. Do you have a link to anything hosted online?
 
I'm now realizing my Kimber Adirondack is basically a scout rifle, I just have the wrong scope on it.
i was looking at that during summer -
but, at the 4lb13oz, how is its accuracy as barrel heats up?

still, sure, a 5lb .308 rifle - a nice thing to carry around.
 
I’ve been looking for a video online, but am coming up short. Do you have a link to anything hosted online?


I think there was some sort of legal battle with the name of teh show, which is why Scouten's current show is NOT American Shooter (I had forgotten the name). I suspect it's not out there. It has to be 2000, 2001. LOOOONG time ago. He was a smart guy. But stubborn as hell. He had too many "it's this way or you're wrong" type views.

His bedroom had this 10' hallway with a gate on the far end and the latch on the close end because he was afraid of people coming into his home in the middle of Gunsite in the middle of nowhere to do him harm. Ummmmm.
 
i was looking at that during summer -
but, at the 4lb13oz, how is its accuracy as barrel heats up?

I've never noticed a problem, but this is going to be one of the sacrifices for weight.
I wouldn't confuse the scout rifle with a battle platform though- I always felt the scout rifle was to pick off a target or two and pack up. I suppose you could find a better barrel than stock if you were really concerned.
 
Ok I love the outcome. The vortex is great, the long eye relief allows my to leave my progressives on and the accuracy is better than me. Tight groups at 50 yds, less than 1” at 100. Really fun and the gong freehand at 200 yards is easy, left shots before zero after bore sighting. Center hits after a few small clicks. Really like the575AF1B1-9221-4700-82D6-950E2C97222F.jpeg Vortex.
 
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