Ruger’s take on Col. Jeff Cooper’s scout rifle design has been extremely popular. A short, relatively light weight bolt-action Jeep of a rifle chambered in .308 that can handle an awful lot of jobs really well for a large number of gun owners. What’s not to like? Now Ruger’s announced an expansion of their Gunsite Scout Rifle chambered in lighter-shooting 5.56/.223. The new chambering is priced the same the original at an MSRP of $1039 for most models. Press release after the jump . . .
Southport, CT– Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to announce that the Ruger® Gunsite Scout Rifle is now chambered in 5.56 NATO. This newest version of the Gunsite Scout Rifle features a hybrid chamber that shoots both 5.56 NATO and .223 Rem. accurately and safely. The rifle weighs approximately 7.1 lbs., features a 16.1″, 1/2-28 threaded barrel with a 1:8 twist rate, offers controlled round feed and is shipped with a 10-round detachable box magazine.
“This is a natural extension of the Gunsite Scout Rifle line,” said Gunsite Instructor Ed Head, one of the contributors to the original Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle design. “Being chambered in a lower cost, universally available caliber, and with the Ruger reputation for reliability and accuracy, this is another serious rifle for those serious about rifles,” he added.
The cold hammer-forged, medium contour, alloy steel barrel and receiver feature a matte black oxide finish. The 1/2-28 threaded barrel comes with a Ruger flash suppressor, which can be removed in order to attach other threaded barrel accessories. The rifle’s trigger guard and magazine well are formed of glass-reinforced nylon. The magazine release is a push-forward Mini-14® paddle just ahead of the trigger guard.
A Mini-14-style protected, non-glare, post front sight and receiver-mounted, adjustable, ghost ring rear sight offer out-of-the-box usability. A forward-mounted Picatinny rail offers options in mounting an assortment of optics such as scout scopes from Burris® and Leupold® which allow “both eyes open” fast target acquisition. The rifle also features Ruger M77® integral scope mounts and comes with Ruger scope rings for conventional scope mounting.
The weather resistant black laminate stock, with “Gunsite Scout Rifle” engraved on the grip cap contains sling swivel studs and a checkered grip and forearm. A soft rubber recoil pad with three 1/2″ spacers allows the length of pull to be adjusted and properly sized for different shooters or to give the shooter the proper fit with outerwear or defensive gear of varying thickness.
For more information on the new Gunsite Scout Rifle or to learn about the extensive line of award-winning Ruger firearms, visit Ruger.com or Facebook.com/Ruger. To find accessories for the Gunsite Scout Rifle or other Ruger firearms, visit ShopRuger.com.
Yaawwwn!!! With all the build up I was hoping for a brand new firearm !
You and me both. I was expecting something a little more exciting, an all new gun, such as a Red Label semi auto shotgun. I think the .308 is great, but don’t see need or desirability of this gun in this caliber.
Prefer .308 as well.
I thought the larger caliber was part of Cooper’s vision for the platform. Wasn’t it supposed to be a compact rifle, capable of precision fire at intermediate ranges, with an optic that allows for engagement at near or long range?
Woooooooot! F*ck yeah!
Not even being sarcastic. Been wanting a 5.56 little buddy for my GS .308 for a while. Awesome. I love that rifle.
Little disapointed it won’t take NATO mags though. And please don’t push me alink to the mossberg bolt action that does. I don’t do fiber optic irons.
You can change out the sights. Get some nice aperture sights. Or put on a scope.
From who? Mossberg? When they shipped me my 500 thunder ranch, it came with the wrong front sight bead. I was on the phone for 30 min with a CS rep trying to explain the issue, and in the end they just sent me two more of the wrong beads. If someone else makes aftermarket ghost ring sights for the mossberg family of rifles that take NATO mags then I am all ears. However, the GS scout will come with mini-14 style sights which are excellent so I will compromise and add another magazine type to my stable. I’ve already done it with the original scout, what’s one more.
There are several sight combinations for the MVP that will give you good GI style aperture sights, though it would be nice to see Tech Sights come out with a product specific for it.
I also would rather have the MVP due to ability to use AR mags.
I was thinking your local gunsmith could attach whatever sights you wanted.
I’d have been happy with either STANAG or AICS mags (as I have a bunch of AICS 223 mags), but not shelling out for more proprietary mags.
I suppose you’re right, I could always have a smith whip something up.
When in doubt, gunsmiths/machinists/WD-40 or duct tape is usually the answer.
@lolinski
‘Murica!
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=190
🙂
What magazines does it take? Mini-14?
Proprietary. Be prepared to donate blood to afford the mags MUAHAHA!
No, seriously. The mags are proprietary.
Makes zero sense. The standard Mini-14 mag holds 5 rounds and fits flush.
Mine came with a twenty rounder.
Those were the early Mini’s.
They don’t make any money if it takes PMAGs. Or M14 mags. Or any other commonly available mag.
Why in the world would Ruger chamber this magazine loaded firearm as 5.56 NATO without having the gumption to make it accept standard AR mags?
Stupid as a cow in the ocean if you ask me. Major – MAJOR reason to pass this one up.
I can understand how they might no want to deal with a tall magazine well. So I would’ve settled for Mini-14 magazines. But a new kind of magazine for this rifle is a major fail, IMHO. Not seen anything this stupid since AR-18. Well, the castrated G36 “SLC” comes to mind too, but that was fail in every respect, not just magazine. Didn’t FN try that trick with FNAR just recently too? How has that worked out?
Why would Ruger STILL insist on the Mini14 using only Mini14 mags. When the rifle came out they could (I suppose) a case for not using the Colt mag. But today? No way. The marketplace has spoken and the AR mag is the answer. Love Ruger and the Mini14 mag is a nonstarter (stupid).
They want Mini to have a “classic” rifle feel. This precludes having a tall magwell, IMO.
Proprietary single stack 10 round magazines. And they’re $70 each from the manufacturer apparently.
And on a rifle that’s over 1k MSRP…
Pass!
1k MSRP? I’ve never seen the .308 retail for more than $700.
There is an asking price, and a taking price. In the real world the priceing will be proably be abit lower.
I have 15-20 magazines for my Mini-14s. They’re all Ruger mags, so they probably cost me almost as much as one of the rifles. But it’s semi-auto. Typically, I’ll fill ’em up and empty them in a range session.
But how many mags do you need (or want) for a bolt action? I just don’t think the cost of magazines is as much of an issue for a bolt gun.
Yeah, great, another 5.56 because NO ONE HAS AN AR-15. Yawn.
Hey, Ruger, you know what no one else makes? A 300 BlkOut magazine fed bolt action with a threaded barrel. I’d buy one of those.
I can’t own an AR15 in my state without significant modifications 🙁
Check out Black Rain Ordnance. Quality compliant AR15s. Not cheap, mind you but a damn sight better than a 5.56 bolt gun if I do say so my damn self. http://www.blackrainordnance.com/
I’d be slightly interested in one in a 300 BLK that takes AR mags. I have almost zero interest in this gun.
Actually, I’d love to get me one of those, just because. Wanted to find a Czech Micro-mauser in 5.56 for a while, too.
You know what else I have in 5.56? A Browning BLR! Lever action!
Yeah, this one fell under the category of “Neva been dun befo”…except it has, but better. Seriously, not taking AR mags. So we have a rifle that you can’t hunt deer with, AND it takes expensive mags that make it even less practical.
Ruger has done some great products in the past several years, many of which I now own. Had I won the contest for this I would have handed it back in trade for the 308 version. Too bad, I was excited to see what they were going to come up with.
Though I agree with your complaints overall, .223 is legal for deer in quite a few states. There are many .223 loads that will take down even most large mule deer in one shot.
The magazine capacity will kill it for hunting game animals in most states though.
They’ll probably come out with a 3 and 5 rounds mags soon enough…. They did it for the 308.
Actually, I think this is a step forward.
For one, lets remember that while weve made great strides in getting the RKBA to mean something to our various anti rights State and Federal governments, there remain areas of barbarism in America. In many states owning an AR is either a royal pain in the behind (think CA) or a legal disaster waiting to happen (New York). A manual action rifle chambered in easily available .223 or 5.56 NATO makes sense for those poor souls in Socialist America.
Two, as an apartment dweller, the prospect of using a .308 as a defensive arm is fraught with serious ethical peril.A handgun round could go through the paper thin walls of this place, and a .308 might very well go clear across the apartment block AFTER passing though the miscreant im shooting.Since I cant see through walls, thats a bad thing. A .223 offers advantages here too.
A bolt action rifle is a poor choice for HD. I would rather have even a SAFE Act approved 7 round semi-auto pistol. Even a Biden special over a bolt gun.
The Mauser 98 type action used by the Ruger M77-based bolt guns (like this one) is difficult to cycle quickly, as would be desired in a home-defense situation. The bolt is wobbly in the action when open, and tends to bind if you don’t pull it exactly straight back. When you’re moving fast, it’s tough to be super precise and pulling the bolt straight back. It could probably be mastered, but would take a lot of practice.
I’ve heard the bolt complaint before. I own the 18.5 in. Stainless 308 and have not had any problems with the bolt. Cycles rapidly and ejects with authority. Rather fun…. But expensive 😉
If HD is your concern in an anti-gun state, go with a lever action before a bolt gun. A carbine length .30-30 or .357mag (a 16in barrel without the inefficient revolver cylinder gap can push most .357 loads to just under 2k fps) lever gun will be easier to put down follow up shots and a tube fed gun is less likely to attract liberal ire than even a 10 round magazine.
It looks like a mini-14 in bolt action. What I don’t like is the price. It should be less than $500.00. Check to see who is buying up all the arms manufacturer’s. If they can’t take our guns away because of the second amendment, they are going to price the guns and ammo so high the average person will not be able to afford them. You can start at Cerberus and go from there.
As others have pointed out, assuming you live in a free state, how is this better than an AR? $1000? CDNN has Colts for $700
Way over priced. There are plenty of bolt actions chambered in .223/5.56 for a lot less.
I second the notion of how is this better than an ar? And the market is flooded with good quality ar’s right now. A peruse of Gunbroker or slickguns confirms this. And wood is not a big selling point to me.
I would have gone for the .308 except for the single stack magazine. I’d like 10 rounds but I don’t see why the magazine should stick out any more than it does on my Lee-Enfield. I can see why Ruger wouldn’t use AR magazines but I really can’t understand why they wouldn’t use Mini-14 mags. I’m assuming that the bolt would be a little more accurate than the Mini (although the Minis are better than they used to be), but I still can’t see shelling out extra money for the bolt. If they were the same price and used the same magazine they might have a winner.
What I’m looking for is new production/modern 7.62/.308 with Lee-Enfield action and Magpul magazines.
Interesting combo. The Lee-Enfield is not ideal for mounting a scope, but it’s a nice action. There’s not a big advantage in .308 over .303 other than cheap ammo, but you can get .303 from Sellier & Bellot, Privi, and Wolf for about a buck a round. I like the nice and tidy 10 round magazine, and if you can do that with the rimmed .303 I can’t see why Ruger couldn’t do it with a rimless .308. You could probably hand load .303 to .308 velocities, but you’re still stuck with .311 bullets instead of .308.
The other thing I thought about was going in the opposite direction with a Ruger No. 1. Unfortunately they’re not making any new rifles in the more common calibers. My Remington 700 is pretty slow to reload, so I think I could put a long string of shots downrange faster with a No. 1 than anything that didn’t have a detachable magazine.
I don’t see a reason to get a bolt gun in 5.56 NATO, not when you can get better bolt gun chambered in 22-250 which is a much better varmnt round than anything in 223/5.5.56. As noted above in states where getting a real AR is out the question I can see a market for this chambering but other than that why bother. And why would you want a bolt gun in 300BLK? 243 is still a much more effective and versitile round. 300BLK is popular with AR users because it allows the you to use get a little more punch for hunting.
Pretty much what I was thinking in .22 bolt guns. .22-250, or better yet, .22-250 AI, has it all over the .223.
Except in terms of price and availability. Let’s face it, the 5.56/.223 is both ubiquitous and comparatively cheap.
There are also other aspects to consider beyond availability of ammo.
1) Have a ton of 5.56 ammo? It’s a fun to shoot, natural pointing rifle. Despite cries about price, the .308 doesn’t sell for NEARLY that MSRP in the real world.
2) When is the last time you saw a bolt gun with excellent iron sights? The sights on the .308 version are superb. I never even scoped mine.
3) Sometimes a FUD looking rifle will make people shit their pants a little less. In a disaster/civil unrest environment, there are probably situations where this rifle will fit well into this role. A flat black AR sets off alarm bells more than a wooden bolt action. Could be an advantage. Then again, a scout squad M1A in walnut could probably accomplish the same thing.
4) It is likely to survive an AWB, so it’s good to have just in case
5) Fewer moving parts and generally requires less maintenance than an AR.
Just thoughts…
No level of government in the U.S. has ANY LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY to ban ANY bearable arms from possession or ownership of the people.
From the Heller v. D.C. SCOTUS ruling, June 2008, approximately 3/4 way down page 8:
“… the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to ALL INSTRUMENTS THAT CONSTITUTE BEARABLE ARMS …” (emphasis mine).
AND, the Supreme Court has YET to address the clause, “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED” in ANY of their rulings pertaining to the 2A.
Short term memory loss??? A quick search will let you know what happened in Louisiana after Katrina. And no amount of yelling about your civil rights would have stopped that from happening while in the affformentioned situation. And your gear would be rusted junk IF you get it back.
I’d like to see one in 7.62 x 54R.
You won’t, because Not Invented Here.
Ruger’s Mini-30 is in 7.62×39mm.
For that kind of money you could buy eight Mosin Nagants, sort through until you find the best, sell the others, use the proceeds to restock and sporterize it… bada bing, bada boom.
Why? What does 7.62x54R give you that a ’06 won’t? A rim. That’s it.
Price is a major factor. 54R is still relatively inexpensive. .30-06 is the king of US big game cartridges, but it’s about three times the price of 54R.
Depends on where you live. Last time I was in Loveland Dicks and Sportman’s warehouse had stacks of 22-250 because it is a very popular coyote and praire dog round out west. And in most states you can’t use 223 for anything but varmint. You have to go up to 243 to hunt medium sized game. If you already have an AR why would you get bolt gun just so shoot varmint?
And if people learned how to reload, they wouldn’t be trying to justify the purchase of a rifle that is dependent upon the largess of our erstwhile foe, the Russians, shipping “cheap” ammo to the west. I put “cheap” in quotes because IMO, any ammo that has corrosive primers is a false economy in today’s day and age – unless you have the time to clean your rifles immediately or don’t care much about them.
If things get a little more heated over Ukraine in the EU/US/Russian sphere, it will likely be the case that 7.62x54R won’t be quite so cheap any more.
.30-06 cases last a long, long time in a bolt gun unless you’re loading them overly hot. I can still find US-spec .30-06 ammo with Boxer primers for under $0.70/round if I want, either Greek or Korean production, M2 spec. If a guy reloads, 500 rounds of surplus to start gets him a pretty low cost per round going forward.
The .308’s are sweet. Beautiful little rifles, too (love that green stock).
Comes forth the 5.56. Hmmm… me likey.
Nice cohort for your AR.
There’s something nostalgic about operating that bolt, I tell ya. And is there anything more reliable than bolt action?
How about 7.62×39 bolt action? CZ makes one. Gets pretty good reviews too.
Concur. It looks like a bolt-action Mini-14, which was my first semi-automatic “patrol-type” rifle back when I didn’t know any better.
Boy, what a mistake that was. Minute of pie plate accuracy at 100 yards, malfunctions were common with the after-market mags (bought right before the 94 ban).
After $200 worth of trigger and accuracy work, it would shoot about 3-4 MOA, but by then, I could have bought an AR for the money.
Eventually sold it and will never have another Mini-14 or mini-14 like product from Ruger.
John
The Mini-14 has to be one of the biggest disappointments of the semi-auto rifle market. The parent design, the M-14/M-1A, is capable of terrific accuracy. The Mini-14… most of them I’ve observed have been about like yours.
I thought I read here in TTAG recently when Ruger re-tooled the ’14 production line, accuracy was greatly improved.
I bought my Mini-14 in 2012 and it’s as accurate as any on my AR’s.
Went shooting with a buddy with a Mini-14 that’s about 5 years old. It was all over the paper even at 25 yard. It was also chucking brass about the same distance (with similar accuracy) to the right.
Cool idea. Miserable execution.
I hear ya… But the new minis are supposed to be more accurate…. Thicker barrel .
I’d like to see a .22LR Gunsite Scout based on the 77/22 action.
The only thing this has for me is the availability of a Left handed model. I have the original Ruger Scout in left hand and love it. but with the other priorities I can’t see picking this rifle up at it’s current price point with the proprietary magazine. if they had went with either a standard AR magazine or even an Accuracy International magazines, I’d be a lot more interested.
Isn’t this sort of the same thing as a Mini-14? And is there any way they could not use the M-1 style magazine lock and release system? I strongly prefer a more AR-15 style magazine release system (i.e. not a “insert and tilt”, but more of a positive “slap in” style).
Nice, but would be more appealing if it accepted AR style magazines.
I was hoping for a Mini 308.
I think I’ll head down to Yavapai County with a shaft, a generator and some wiring to make me some money selling power back to the local utility, because I will have found a new source of cheap energy: Jeff Cooper is spinning in his grave at about 50 RPM.
Cooper was terribly explicit that the “Scout Rifle” concept was to be chambered in a “major” caliber – which, if you read or listened to Cooper for more than about five minutes, he was certain to reinforce was NOT .223/5.56. .308/7.62 was the “light” caliber, and the .376 Steyr was the medium caliber. Cooper had utterly no use for the .223/5.56 as a battle rifle round, nor the 9×19 as a defensive pistol round.
Cooper might have gone for 7×57 Mauser, or perhaps even 7mm08. But .223? Oh, he would have given Ruger an earful if he were alive to see this.
“Cooper had utterly no use for the .223/5.56 as a battle rifle round, nor the 9×19 as a defensive pistol round.”
I didn’t know of the Colonel’s disdain for 9×19. I would have thought otherwise, since he was all gung-ho about the CZ-75.
Indeed. Cooper was so highly impressed with the CZ-75 design that he (and his partners in the 10mm development) used it as the basis for what became the Bren Ten pistol in 10mm Auto.
Cooper’s assessment of the CZ-75 was that it would be the finest semi-auto pistol ever designed if it had but one design change: to be chambered in .45 ACP.
If you ever read Jeff Cooper’s “commentaries” from the 90’s to his passing, you know that he never had much use for 9mm Luger as a defensive round, and he had even less use for the .223 as a battle rifle round. What I’m saying here is not news to anyone who knew Cooper or read his commentaries.
Yep. Cooper was not particularly happy when the Steyr Scout was issued in .223. From his January 2005 Commentiaries:
“When we set up the criteria for the Scout at the factory in Austria, we agreed upon just two calibers, 308 and 7-08, the latter for use in those situations where the 308 is forbidden or restricted as a “military cartridge.” But immediately the factory people pushed through a rifle in 223, simply to take advantage of the immense stores of this ammunition available throughout the world. The fact remains, however, that no rifle in caliber 223 should be called a Scout.”
This rifle is too heavy to have been considered a “Scout Rifle” by Cooper anyway. The concept was a handy, general purpose rifle. Cooper only used a bolt gun because semi-autos in .308 are too long and heavy. This rifle weighs more than a Mini-14 and many other semi-auto .223s. I suspect if Cooper was forced to use a .223, he would take a semi or demand a much lighter bolt gun.
Yep, all true.
The idea of the Scout rifle is entirely sound. I like the idea, and eventually, when I build my variant of a Scout, it will probably be in 7mm-08, with perhaps a 20″ barrel. I don’t know that I’d use the M77 action, tho. There’s a couple things about it that I don’t like – they’re good enough, but I want more recoil lug area and I’m not crazy about their trigger or safety.
The FN variant of a M70 action would be my choice. Box fed, short action, M70-style safety and claw extractor.
I’m wondering if Ruger saw this as a compliment to the 308. Meaning that’s its cheaper to plink/ train with this caliber.
Finally…
I looked into getting the original GSR in .308 or the .223 MVP in early 2013 before it became clear that a federal AWB was not going to happen. I’m glad that I didn’t have to give either more serious consideration. If I had to get a bolt action in either of those calibers right now, I would go with Mossberg due to the magazine compatibility (LR308/SR25 pattern on the .308 and standard AR pattern on the .223/5.56).
If you’re worried about an AWB, the first thing that you should look into is SKS (and you can easily get one without bayonet lug). Thank god for this piece of Soviet conservatism… in the end we have a rifle that is as close to an efficient combat weapon as it gets, while still dodging every single rule they have devised to identify “assault weapons”.
i regret not having cash at the last gun show. they had a crate of dirty SKS.
Last SKS I saw was at a third rate LGS outside St. Louis.
Had a very well worn SKS with a very poor fitting composite tactical stock. Likely pulled out of an evidence locker somewhere and put on the shelf for a quick buck.
Blech! For shame.
But gimme a dirty Mosin Nagant. Hell yes. Gimme a dirty Mosin…
these were dripping in cosmoline. $250.
Dripping in cosmoline is not a bad thing. It sometimes means factory new.
Wow the first 1/8 twist production rifle in 556 and its a Ruger. I will have to have one.
Why is Remington asleep?
Yup, After all the comments they got from the 7.62 version, they failed again and not making zero adjustments in the mag dept. no mini-14/m-16 mag compatibility. pfft, lame. Even so what bout any polymer mags for it? Nope wait a year and see. Who the hell spends $70 for mag? at least they came out with a stainless one too.
a nice compliment for anyone already chambered for .223. cheap and available. shame our nato round is so lame. the original chambering in .308 is much more appealing to me.
but i went with the savage. it will be my only synthetic stock ever. the barrel is slightly longer than the ruger. and i had to source ten round mags. it came with nice aperture sights. quick release scope mounts put the sights back in play should the optics take a whack.
the ruger’s threaded barrel is nice, but the domestic barrel length is shorter than the export version.
Ruger offers the 18.5 inches barrel domestically.
NIice rifle would make a good match for my BSA Monarch (remember those?) in .308 not quite a “scout rifle” but I already owned it before all the hype. I’d like a new bolt gun in .223 but I already have a large investment in AR and mini 14 mags would have been nice if the rifle took the damn mini 14 mags I Have already spent enough with Ruger on the factory mags for the mini. My Garand “tanker” would almost qualify as a “scout” if I could figure out how to mount a scope for easy access and it needs a diet.
As for HD I would re-think my use of a rifle either bolt action or semi as if you live in a town both are far too powerful for HD; back to the shotgun or at least a 9mm handgun.
I used to live in Phx years ago and met Cooper at the only time I visited gunsite, his attitude and narrow minded viewpoint have done much for the shooting community but I suspect he turned off many folks by his close minded attitude and contempt for anything but .45acp. I love my .308 rifle but from a pratical standpoint the 5.56 if far easier to shoot and obtain ammo for and if you are training someone a .308 bolt will kick… If the SHTF I want a common caliber not something I need to reload or hoard. I love my .243 (Ruger Varmentier possibly better than my .308) and my 22-250 also my .17 remington but if I want w/o reloading I’m going for the most common caliber .308, 5.56, 7.62×39, 30-06 etc. all are easy to load and easier to get ammo for so think about the situation. I reload for over 50 calibers but if I want something now I tend to reach for the most common calibers not the exoctic hard to obtain stuff (which seems to be harder to get right now).
I don’t understand all the “nice compliment” posts. If you want a nice bolt-action compliment for your AR, there are plenty of bolt rifles chambered in .223 and/or 5.56 already, usually cheaper, and often offering more. MVP with its AR mag compatibility is an obvious thing. On the other hand, if you really just want a traditional bolt action, then CZ 527 Carbine in .223 is lighter (at 5.8 lbs – more than a pound!), almost certainly has a better trigger, and just looks beautiful.
Lemme put it this way: I own an AR-15 thats most likely more accurate with dirt cheap mags that I built myself for the same money over time. Replacement parts are easier to find and I got the satisfaction of building it myself. So Im gonna pass.
Good for you guys ( and I mean this sincerely). AR are restricted where I am. If it’s light and nimble enough…. There’s fun to be had here….
While I think they are cool, I don’t understand the GSR Scout rifle in today’s world. I really don’t understand it in 556 for $1k. I have shot a friend of mine extensively in 308. It is heavy, not even close to being MOA with good ammo, the mags are worth their weight in gold and weigh almost as much. The scope options/combination are very limited. Its cool but the idea that is a purposeful rifle doesn’t float with me with all of the options we have today.
everything that this rifle is suppose to be or do, i can do with a stock SKS. for $250. i can take game and probably not have to chase it down. plus it has a built in bayonet and cleaning kit. also if inclined, i can get super duper high capacity assault clips
” I have shot a friend of mine extensively in 308″
Not much of a friend, I guess.
The .308 scout was a cool idea. 556 not so much, and, as usual, Ruger pulls their BS of non-interchangeable, available-only-from us crap. I love my Mini-14 that I bought in 1994, but I wouldn’t spend the coin these days based on all of the other options around.
After waiting 20 years for Ruger to get off their PC tukis and market normal capacity Mini-30 mags I am loath to endorse thier products. If this new offering can out-perform the $500 MVP I will give a grudging acknowledgement but I doubt that is possible:
I like my brother’s .308 GSR quite a bit and almost ended up with one. The allure of .30-06 won out though, so I ended up with a Ruger Guide Gun–same action, similar laminate stock but no detachable mag and different iron sights.
This rifle though? I don’t see the point. It doesn’t undercut an MVP Patrol .223 pricewise (which I’ve seen for less than $600 in shop IF you can find one, don’t get me started on how rare the .308s are), doesn’t take AR or even Mini-14 mags, still has that ridiculously oversized box mag as standard and the only thing going for it is that it’s a controlled feed design which is not worth nearly a grand considering everything else. Even in NY the SKS and Mini-14/30 (the latter in slightly neutered form) are available for similar or less money. I’m a huge fan of scout rifles but I don’t see this one taking off.
Give me one of these in 7.62×39 that takes mini 30 mags and we’ll talk.
Why is it that manufacturers can’t get that nobody wants 600 different kinds of magazine types?
Hell, I’m thinking of getting an ar10 and an mvp for compatible mags in .308 at this rate.
NIB Ruger American sell for less than $400 each for that price I can buy two of them and still have money for a few rounds of ammo… or maybe a scope. Why so much for the gunsite special. I’m still liking my BSA Monarch in .308 it only holds five rounds but never had a reason to complain?
I have an AR-10 with the 20 round magazine and a very nice scope it woirks everytime and draws lots of attention. The match grade M1A I have was built in Tucson after 20 years and a few thousand rounds of ammo it still will group 1.5 INCHES or less from the bench with the factory sights so I won’t be complaining anytime soon. I’d really like a Ruger in .223 but figure I’ll be going with the American and just stock up on ammo.
I think it is a great idea, 7lb, 16″ 1/8″ twist in stainless, what’s not to like?
Have to stock up on Hornady 75gr, A-Max, and get a Aimpoint 9000.
Just need to find someone selling reasonably.
Seriously I think it is a great idea,think out of box, the coyote population
here will cringe.
I already have two .223 bolt actions, but both are converted No4 Lee-Enfields with heavy 24″ target barrels under full-wood stocks. They are accurate and cycle easily but they are heavy. Fine for me but my son is a but smaller and needs something more his size.
I want something lighter and handier for my son when he is old enough to start competitive shooting. The scout fits the bill to introduce my son to service rifle shooting. It has a 10 round magazine, iron sights, can take a scope so it can double role for scoped rifle matches, is in a calibre I’m reloading for already, and the stock can be lengthened as he gets older.
Even though he has 4 years to go because of local laws, he has decided he wants the “blued” version instead of the stainless version and also wants a m1907 Springfield sling attached.
Some people may say “Why?”. I’m saying “Why Not?” as it ticks many boxes in usage for me.