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Old June 30, 2018, 01:40 AM   #1
Model12Win
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Ruger Scout?

Anyone have experience on the Ruger Scout Rifle? Particularly the new ones with lightweight polymer stocks.

I've heard the bolt is rough and binds a lot but smooths out. I'm thinking of picking one up but only if they're reliable and tough.

Thoughts?
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Old June 30, 2018, 03:27 AM   #2
Old Stony
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I have one with the wood stock and it's a great rifle. I mounted my scope in the traditional manner instead of forward, and it works great, shoots very nice groups and is a pleasant rifle to handle at that size. Haven't had one thing to gripe about with mine.
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Old June 30, 2018, 06:38 AM   #3
agtman
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Looked at and handled several of the Ruger Scouts extensively before buying Mossberg's entry. (Also handled the one Savage scout model I could find, but wasn't that impressed with it or the proprietary mags).

Yes, if you're seriously considering a Ruger Scout, the two synthetic-stocked models (blue steel & stainless) are significantly lighter than their wood counterparts.
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Old June 30, 2018, 06:40 AM   #4
jmr40
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I've owned several of the Ruger 77 series bolt rifles, but never the Scout. The action is the same. The Scout just uses a different barrel and stock along with detachable magazines.

They are one of the most rugged, dependable rifles ever made. I've never experienced, or even heard of a bolt binding on one. Some of them can be a little rough, but it isn't a real issue.

Early Rugers could be spotty as to accuracy and the triggers were heavy. But the accuracy issue was solved in the early 1990's and Ruger has done a better job on the triggers for the last 15 years or so. Ruger's trigger is a copy of the old Winchester style. It is designed for rugged dependability, not match grade accuracy. Personally I prefer it to all other designs.

If I were putting together a rifle meant for precision shooting I'd choose something other than a Ruger. But they still out shoot most trigger pullers and would be near the top of my list if I needed a rugged dependable rifle that I needed to use in harsh conditions.
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Old June 30, 2018, 08:13 AM   #5
Art Eatman
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Early on I shot a couple of mag's worth through a friend's Scout, with a forward-mount scope. Good rifle, seemed like. My only gripe is that as a hunter, I like to be able to carry a rifle one-handed at the balance point. A four- or five-round mag solves that problem.
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Old June 30, 2018, 03:40 PM   #6
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I bought a Rem VTR in SS and modified it with Magpul stock and trigger/mag for 10 rounds. Shoots 1/2" and action is buttah.
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Old June 30, 2018, 06:14 PM   #7
DPris
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That's the thing that kills the Ruger & Savage Scouts for me- I can't tolerate those detachable mags.

I like to carry at the balance point, and you can't do it.
I don't need or want an in-the-way 10-round detachable.
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Old June 30, 2018, 07:55 PM   #8
Model12Win
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DPris View Post
That's the thing that kills the Ruger & Savage Scouts for me- I can't tolerate those detachable mags.

I like to carry at the balance point, and you can't do it.
I don't need or want an in-the-way 10-round detachable.
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You know Denis I agree.

Jeff Cooper really like the idea of a fixed magazine fed by stripper clips or single cartridges. It just makes so, so much sense to me. The Mauser stripper clip system is an incredible gem. That's one reason the forward eye relief scopes were specified by Cooper too.

I don't understand why 0, and I mean ZERO modern bolt-action rifle makers won't include a clip guide especially on all the version of the scouts out there.

But, for now, the 5-round polymer Ruger mags look to be handy and can be top loaded (unlike the metal ones) so that's a plus, and what I'd be going with if I do nab the rifle.
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Old June 30, 2018, 09:23 PM   #9
DPris
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I was seriously considering the Ruger a month or two ago.
With non-plastic bottom metal & a flush mag, it was looking a lot more do-able.


Stripper clip slots would be extremely handy in a fixed-mag Scout, but the problem there is that with no commercial makers doing them, you'd have to go with a custom-Mauser-based build, and that can run into money.

I've not worked with the Ruger Scout, but I did see a Fancy-Nut You-Tube video where he was having problems with bolt-binding.

On my Rugers, I don't run into it.
Have their Guide in .30-06 & a Compact Magnum in .308.
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Old July 1, 2018, 12:29 PM   #10
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Early Ruger GSRs had magazine issues (feeding), extraction, and ejection issues. The mags for GSRs back then were Ruger's proprietary metal mags.

Here's a 2014 review - ironically - of Gunsite's signature Scout Rifle course in which the reviewer notes the performance problems of the GSRs he saw there:

https://www.ar15.com/forums/training...ass/19-233966/

Ruger currently ships the GSRs with some sort of Magpul AI single-stack polymer mag. The few reports I've seen were positive.

Regardless, one of the several reasons I chose to go with the Mossy Scout over either of the synthetic stocked GSRs was the fact that the Mossy can run on either MagPul's polymer 7.62/SR-25 mags (10-rds, 20-rds, etc., your choice) or metal M1A mags. My old S.A. and newer Checkmate mags work great.

In fact, although the Magpul 10- and 20-rd polymer mags are very light, I've been mostly running the flush-fitting 5-rd M1A mags and the only-slight-below-the-stock 10-rounders. Nether ones are so large as to inhibit one-handed carry or sling-shooting from improvised field positions.
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Old July 11, 2018, 01:40 AM   #11
Scribe
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Stripper Clips.

MODEL12Winchester and Dpris


I built a Scout Rifle on a K.98 action with a 7.62 NATO barrel 18 years ago and haven’t regretted it. I picked up a thousand brass stripper clips from Henry Kranks in Yorkshire for £10. In my club completions we regularly shoot 10 shot strings and they work beautifully, if I do my part. Also, the open Mauser action is easy to single load.
The rifle is in fact, quite close to the Ruger Scout in appearance. I prefer the the fixed magazine and originally fitted a Burris 2.75 Scout Scope and the balance was perfect for carry as has already been discussed in this thread. Three years ago I changed this for a Vortex 2-7 variable and it is now slightly nose heavy, but the Vortex is great and well worth the change.
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Old July 11, 2018, 05:26 AM   #12
Dozermonkey
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I really and I mean REALLY like my RUGER AMERICAN Ranch in 450 Bushmaster. Probably the lightest and most hard hitting rifle I’ve ever handled. Now , I know , its not the rugged 77 action but its very smooth and short. It just needs an AR mag and it would be perfect , in my opinion.
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Old July 11, 2018, 08:47 PM   #13
DPris
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I'm not willing to spend the money for a Mauser-based custom build, to get stripper clip capability.
Otherwise, a custom build IS the only way to get a true Scout.
Denis
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Old July 11, 2018, 09:24 PM   #14
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The 24/47 Serbian Mauser makes the perfect conversion. The 8X57 round is very potent.
The conversion is easy. Unsolder the front sight band. Shorten the barrel an inch from the first step. Resolder the front sight. Drill and tap the receiver for some sort of adjustable peep sight. The Williams and the NECG sights are great. Redo the bolt handle (optional). Polish trigger assembly for a smooth 5 lb pull. Get a scope base for the barrel (several possibilities). Keep the "intermediate" eye relief scope as low as is possible.

If you really want to step it up, rebarrel with a 308. The 24/47 is a intermediate length mauser and makes a perfect 308 conversion.



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Old July 11, 2018, 10:18 PM   #15
DPris
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That's a genuinely interesting idea, but it'd still run into money.
I can't bring myself to chop mine up.
It's the only example of a classic military Mauser I have.
Denis
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Old July 11, 2018, 11:18 PM   #16
AL45
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I've had one for a few years now and have had no problems with the bolt or anything else. I did buy a 5 round magazine for it. I shoot it with iron sights but may eventually put a scope or red dot on it. I like the balance and length of it and especially like the fact that it was free.......sort of. I was admiring it in a gunshop one day and my Wife said she would buy it for me. Of course, she bought her a gun also.
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Old July 21, 2018, 12:54 AM   #17
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Stony (see #2 above) has a Scout in .308, he then presented me with one in .223 with a laminated stock. I too mounted the scope in a traditional fashion negating the idea of a Scout rifle, however it better fits my needs. The .223 is a heavy rifle by comparison but an easy shooter and very accurate. The action on my rifle was slick when I received it and some numbers of rounds later it may be a bit smoother but not enough to notice without concentration.
One of my favorite Rugers is a Ranch American in 300 Blackout, new models take an AR mag, the way it should have been designed originally instead of having a trouble prone and fragile junker magazine in mine. The rifle has good balance and accuracy.
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Old July 21, 2018, 06:42 PM   #18
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Friend of mine is a manager of a pretty big gun store--he has his pick of the litter so to speak--the 450 bushmaster scout became one of his favored woods gun when it came out about 2 years ago or so. If that means anything.
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Old July 29, 2018, 09:07 PM   #19
WhitSpurzon
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I bought the first one I saw. Its run great from day one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqsyFxm-3ms

Running a Mauser action like NUTnYoutube it will bind. Run it like it was designed to. Back and forward, bolt knob in your palm, pressure inward and upward, "smartly."

Contrary to what was mentioned earlier the first iterations were NOT shipped with Ruger proprietary magazines. They are marked Ruger but will fit in my other AI magazine fed rifles and other AI mags work in the GSR.

I do prefer the poly mags to the metal varieties.

An stripper clip fed internal magazine would make it perfect.
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Old July 30, 2018, 10:43 AM   #20
DPris
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If they built a Ruger Scout with a stripper-fed internal mag & steel bottom metal, I'd be all over it.
THAT could be a SCOUT rifle!
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