I know Jeff Cooper as well, and I have some history and experience with his Scout Rifle concept -- and with the Steyr Scout plus the .376 Steyr.
I took the Gunsite basic rifle course under Jeff Cooper in the early 90s before he sold the school. I used a rifle of general configuration for the course, and then I came back with a scout configured rifle I built for the advanced rifle course. I won the shoot off at the end of that week shooting the scout.
When the Steyr Scout emerged in '98, I acquired one. Since then I have hunted with it in Africa and North America. I have taken somewhere past 50 game animals with it. I also got a .376 Steyr in the ProHunter version, because I didn't think the cartridge and the Steyr Scout made sense together: a general-purpose rifle and a special-purpose cartridge mated as it were.
I did a review of the Steyr Scout for Sniper Country, and an article for African Hunter. I did a second article for AH on the .376 on an eland hunt in Zimbabwe. My friend Eric Ching uses a Scout in .376 Steyr too, and he has authored a couple of articles on the cartridge for AH. The .376 Steyr is based on the European 9.3X64 case, which has never been a hot number over here. The Hornady factory loads are not up to the task for heavy game. I would suggest reloads if you want to shoot a Cape buffalo with it for example.
The Steyr Scout is light and handy, but I removed the forward-mount scope and replaced it with a low-power variable mounted over the action. I find this a more general configuration for hunting. Lately I am trying some of the super-duper 1.5-6X42 scopes for reduced light shooting. The Steyr Scout is great in the woods, or from a tree stand.
In my opinion the scout concept is flawed in the scope out there on the end is subject to problems with light, and doesn't work as well early and late in the day.
Steyr-Mannlicher has not done well with the marketing of the rifles. They have changed US distributors, and not for the better it seems. The marketing of the .376 Steyr cartridge has been even poorer. Shooting one is a bit like having a wildcat -- you must ensure your own ammo supply. I find the .376 Steyr in the ProHunter to recoil much less than my .375 H&H rifles. It is powerful and handy. It is not, though, a thing of beauty.
Glyn Bindon of Trijicon (RIP) pioneered the two-eyes open shooting concept, and he at least called it Bindon Aiming Concept (BAC) for his lines of sights. Many people don't understand why Jeff pushes this idea, and dismiss it out of hand.
You need to actually try the rifle before you write it off. It will grow on you.
jim dodd
