Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles The Steyr Scout rifle....why?

As in why does it have to be so darn expensive that I just can't justify spending so much on such a rifle but I really like it!!!

I handled a green one and a tan one today and I really really like them. Light weight, smooth bolt, best safety I ever pushed and those clever fold away back up sights...they engineered everything I want into one gun!

I guess I better start saving. Feel free to torture me by posting pictures of yours!

ringworm will be along shortly to do just that.

I just cant get used to the forward mounted scope.

What is the benefit of the forward mounted scope anyway???

You can see it from a ways off, giving you the chance to avoid conversation with the owner.

They are by all accounts, wonderfully accurate and reliable rifles, but they clash with my Filson coat, Bean boots, and Stormy Kromer.

And pretty much everything else...

Have you actually attempted to use the back up sights on one of these rifles?

The concept is attractive. Execution by Steyr is less so.

There are a fair number of riflemen who could, and do benefit from a well executed scout rifle.
The Steyr version, as embraced by Cooper was an aberration abortion in my view.

I'd guess that most riflemen who could benefit from the use of a scout rifle would gain about as much with a peep sighted carbine chambered for any of the mild and flat shooting cartridges.

They really missed the boat by not chambering it in 9X74r.

^^^^^^^^^^^Correct.

They'd actually benefit more with the omission of the weight of the not so very useful forward scope.

Cooper had a lot of wild ideas.

To survive as a gun writer you need to come up with populist ideas to stimulate thinking and controversy among the gun nuts.....even profoundly wild ideas. Otherwise people quit reading you and you fade away and end up working at a convenience store and writing bad poetry on the side.

That's funny right there

If I recall it was to enable fast reloads from the top via clipped ammo, like the SKS.

With all the DBM options today, top-loading seems overcome by technology.....and common sense.

Chris is actually wrong...
I don't care for the scout...much.
The problem is that when you say "hunt" in NA, your primarily talking about ungulates that are crepuscular. Seeing best and therefore moving most often at dusk and dawn.
We humans do not see well during that time and in turn most often use scopes with objectives that help gather light.
The forward mounted low power scope does not do that as well as the smallest objective. Conventional mounted scope.
Cooper lived in Prescott, AZ and hunted much in Africa.
Two places that when the suns up, its UP!
I tried the scout, but its not a deer rifle for most of us.
I recommend a Steyr mountain, a good 3-9x40 and a bunch of ammo and range time vs $1400 for bare scout.

The 9.3 load...
270 gr 68.0g IMR4350 = 2553 MV (max compressed, 105%)
The 376 62.0g IMR4895 = 2510 MV (not compressed ACTUAL from my 376)

I'm sorry, but if you continue to use words like crepuscular and ungulates, we're going to call the bouncer.

Never saw a well executed scout rifle. Jeff Cooper was a great salesman that buffaloed many. Don't believe it? Check his military record.. One would have thought the good Colonel to be a decorated hero, heh!

Steyr Scout $2099



223 Rem.
.243 Rem.
7 mm-08 Rem.
.308 Win.
Barrel Length 485 mm (19'')

Aha, we have found the small boy who declared that the Emperor was devoid of attire.

Lt Col

Just sayin'

Birmingham pistol has scouts, bare rifles, for $1399.