Am I mad, or is there a logic at play?

Pond, James Pond · January 24, 2020, 04:00 PM

I have a CZ550 Varmint in .308. I have a Burris XTR312 on it and a Ase Utra suppressor. I also have a Harris bipod. I like this rifle. With a combination of luck and perseverance, I put this set up together for way less than I should have.

I only ever use it for range trips. If I get my licence, I might well use it for hunting. I tailored some loads to it to get about 0.7MOA at 100m. 1.5 MOA today with surplus.

I shoot it at 100 and 300m and very occasionally at 600m. That is as far civilians get to shoot in Estonia.

At a metric ton, it is heavy and only holds 4 -shots. Admittedly, I don't need more for hunting or targets. I just like 10 round mags....

In other words, it's a pretty great rifle and gives me an almost convincing sense of security, given our eastern neighbour is The Bear.

So am I mad to be even considering selling it to buy the Savage Scout .308 that I saw in the shop the other day?

I'd need a new scope, potentially a suppressor adaptor and 600m might be harder with the shorter barrel and lost velocity, yet it calls me.

Viable option, or just new-gun-itis screwing with my common sense?

std7mag · January 24, 2020, 04:13 PM

"Oooohhhhhh, look at the shiny new gun" gets us from time to time.

Myself, i''d keep what you got.
Velocity loss for 308 seems to be a non issue.
Most scout rifles seem to average 1.5-2 MOA.

jdc1244 · January 24, 2020, 04:22 PM

Quote:

So am I mad to be even considering selling it ...

Yes.

HiBC · January 25, 2020, 12:34 AM

The right smile,some bright eyes and a little conversation might take my imagination to wonderful places.

I think it might lead to a downfall if I tried to rearrange my life every time I became "inspired".

If I read you correctly,the key difference between the two rifles is weight.

Funny what a difference carrying a few extra pounds can make!

Apparently that might make a significant difference if you get a license.

I don't know what you hunt or how you hunt it.Perhaps watching over farm fields your CZ would be best.

You can sort these decisions out yourself.

Savage rifles function and shoot.They have a good reputation for accuracy.

A significant part of their engineering is around ease and cost of manufacturing. That can translate into getting your needs met for a lower price.

No disrespect to Savage owners, but IMO,going from a CZ to a Savage might be difficult for subjective and emotional reasons. I prefer the CZ rifles. YMMV.

Pond, James Pond · January 25, 2020, 01:12 AM

Quote:

If I read you correctly, the key difference between the two rifles is weight.

Well, the weight, the bigger capacity of the Savage and I do like its look.

T. O'Heir · January 25, 2020, 02:46 PM

The 'Scout Rifle" concept was one of Jeff Cooper's more stupid ideas.
Kind of surprised suppressors are legal anywhere in the EU. However, for one of 'em to work properly, and that is not silently, the ammo needs to be subsonic.
The CZ550 Varmint is a target/pretend sniper rifle in .308. A Savage Scout in .308 is a big kid's toy.

Pond, James Pond · January 25, 2020, 02:57 PM

That’s lucky for I am both a pretend sniper and a big kid!

Of course that just makes it all the harder to decide...

Suppressors are legal in Europe for sports shooters and we’re recently made legal for hunters in Estonia and can be bought over the counter with either licence type... some common sense, right there.

Not silent with regular ammo but far less tiring and it takes the recoil down an extra notch.

Scorch · January 25, 2020, 06:44 PM

Quote:

The 'Scout Rifle" concept was one of Jeff Cooper's more stupid ideas.

Agreed. How to improve your shooting: narrow your field of view, and put a lower power scope on your rifle! The idea didn't work well for the Germans in WW2, and it doesn't work well now.

Quote:

Kind of surprised suppressors are legal anywhere in the EU.

They do it for hearing safety.

Quote:

"Oooohhhhhh, look at the shiny new gun" gets us from time to time.

More like ALL the time, for me at least.

January 24, 2020, 04:00 PM	#1
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	Am I mad, or is there a logic at play? I have a CZ550 Varmint in .308. I have a Burris XTR312 on it and a Ase Utra suppressor. I also have a Harris bipod. I like this rifle. With a combination of luck and perseverance, I put this set up together for way less than I should have. I only ever use it for range trips. If I get my licence, I might well use it for hunting. I tailored some loads to it to get about 0.7MOA at 100m. 1.5 MOA today with surplus. I shoot it at 100 and 300m and very occasionally at 600m. That is as far civilians get to shoot in Estonia. At a metric ton, it is heavy and only holds 4 -shots. Admittedly, I don't need more for hunting or targets. I just like 10 round mags.... In other words, it's a pretty great rifle and gives me an almost convincing sense of security, given our eastern neighbour is The Bear. So am I mad to be even considering selling it to buy the Savage Scout .308 that I saw in the shop the other day? I'd need a new scope, potentially a suppressor adaptor and 600m might be harder with the shorter barrel and lost velocity, yet it calls me. Viable option, or just new-gun-itis screwing with my common sense? __________________ When the right to effective self-defence is denied, that right to self-defence which remains is essentially symbolic. Freedom: Please enjoy responsibly.

January 24, 2020, 04:13 PM	#2
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	"Oooohhhhhh, look at the shiny new gun" gets us from time to time. Myself, i''d keep what you got. Velocity loss for 308 seems to be a non issue. Most scout rifles seem to average 1.5-2 MOA. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

January 25, 2020, 12:34 AM	#4
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,288	The right smile,some bright eyes and a little conversation might take my imagination to wonderful places. I think it might lead to a downfall if I tried to rearrange my life every time I became "inspired". If I read you correctly,the key difference between the two rifles is weight. Funny what a difference carrying a few extra pounds can make! Apparently that might make a significant difference if you get a license. I don't know what you hunt or how you hunt it.Perhaps watching over farm fields your CZ would be best. You can sort these decisions out yourself. Savage rifles function and shoot.They have a good reputation for accuracy. A significant part of their engineering is around ease and cost of manufacturing. That can translate into getting your needs met for a lower price. No disrespect to Savage owners, but IMO,going from a CZ to a Savage might be difficult for subjective and emotional reasons. I prefer the CZ rifles. YMMV. Last edited by HiBC; January 25, 2020 at 12:57 AM.

January 25, 2020, 02:46 PM	#6
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	The 'Scout Rifle" concept was one of Jeff Cooper's more stupid ideas. Kind of surprised suppressors are legal anywhere in the EU. However, for one of 'em to work properly, and that is not silently, the ammo needs to be subsonic. The CZ550 Varmint is a target/pretend sniper rifle in .308. A Savage Scout in .308 is a big kid's toy. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

January 25, 2020, 02:57 PM	#7
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	That’s lucky for I am both a pretend sniper and a big kid! Of course that just makes it all the harder to decide... Suppressors are legal in Europe for sports shooters and we’re recently made legal for hunters in Estonia and can be bought over the counter with either licence type... some common sense, right there. Not silent with regular ammo but far less tiring and it takes the recoil down an extra notch. __________________ When the right to effective self-defence is denied, that right to self-defence which remains is essentially symbolic. Freedom: Please enjoy responsibly.