Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Any love for the Steyr Scout?

OP here. I appreciate all the thoughts on the Scout. It is a polarizing rifle, definitely a “love it” or “hate it” kind of thing. My interest in it is to not actually use it in it’s true Scout mode. I would mount a compact 2.5-10x traditional scope on it in the rail slots over the chamber and stick with flush mounted 5 round magazines. I like the idea of the spare mag in the buttstock. I also want to do something blasphemous and run a short muzzle brake on it which will allow me to connect a suppressor easily. It’s the darn 1/2x20 threads Steyr is cutting on them which is causing me fits as no one in the US threads a brake for (at least not one that will allow a Silencerco Omega) to QD onto). I saw a 1/2x20 to 5/8x24 adapter last year but they have seemed to dry up and disappear. I keep hoping “next year” Steyr will come to their senses and thread it 5/8x24 in the same manner Barrett did some of their Fieldcraft models by leaving some “meat” at the end to allow for a proper shoulder to attach to. Maybe in 2022, I can wait another year!

If I were right handed I'd have one. Instead I have a left handed Ruger scout and I love it. Killed a lot of big and little stuff with it. Sure you can use today's improved LPVO in lieu of a forward mounted scout scope and either way that's fine, have it your way. I run mine with an backup red dot and optic. I'm also a fan of the iron sights.

Some hate the concept but it's not a replacement for the AR or hunting rifle. Rather its a close to moderate range rifle that is rugged and reliable with enough power to tackle game or hard targets. It excells at this. I can assure you that if I were at the N. Hollywood bank shootout I could have stood back at a distance and ended the maylay in 2-3 shots with my compact scout and have plenty of ammo in reserve in the magazine to do some hunting. There's better rifles and tools for specific tasks but the compact scout rifles work well and handle most all that needs done. It's just a tool

I have a Steyr Scout chambered in .308. It is like the other Steyr rifles that I own. It is a tack driver. Loves production ammo, will do even better with hand loads.

Just a few thoughts...
Many don't consider the times that the scout rifle was proposed. The 1994 AWB was in effect. The Garand and M1A were probably as popular as the AR15 at that time. The only AR makers were Colt, Bushmaster, Olympic and Armalite of any size. Magpul wasn't even a dream at that time. I remember rummaging through army crates at gun shows trying to find surplus AR 20rd mags that weren't beat to hell. It didn't look like the AWB would be allowed to expire. In that context, a 10rd bolt gun looked like a good option. Like others have said, the optics back then were also very limited compared to today.

My issue with the Scout scope setup was that if the sun was behind you, the glare off the ocular lens completely eliminated being able to sight through it. A honeycomb glare filter would be absolutely necessary for me to even consider another Scout.

After years of wanting a scout and knowing that it would never work for me being RH/cross dominant, I think I'll just put together a "walking varminter". Tikka Compact 20" .223 in a B&C stock and a new Leupold Mk3HD. With a 6rd mag, it's all I need.

Right on, our family splits our rifles between Steyr Scouts and Tikkas. Much about a Tikka that is better, but like both.

The Ruger fit Jeff Cooper’s original criteria for the scout concept , except the weight .

I like how the Steyr’s forearm converted to a bipod .

I like how Ruger gave us the option to mount glass in the usual spot over the ejection port .

And to be able to have a wider field of view ( not just the image in the scope ) .

That would be the advantage of a stripper clip guide like on a Mauser action and a forward mounted scope.

kwg

I’ve owned both. I like my Ruger Scout better. And I have my scope mounted in the “conventional” spot. Over the ejection port.

I did have the privilege of selling Col. Jeff Cooper a Steyr Scout in .376 Steyr back when I worked in the Wholesale Firearms Industry.
I was shocked find out that Steyr didn’t gift him one.

Wouldn't mind getting a Steyr Scout in the Dragoon version. But I already own a 376 Steyr in the current version. Maybe one day I will line up with one and sell several of my other guns. Come to think of it, a 223, 308, and 376 would allow me to sell most of my rifles. Be Well, RZ.

Anyone know of where I could find a Steyr Scout in .376? I have the Pro Hunter in .376 and really like it

I used to own a 376 Steyr Scout with the camo stock. I mounted the scope on the receiver, as I've never been a fan of scout-mounted scopes. I took several Whitetails with that rig. Use enough gun :-)

Biebs you are not right but that's all right. They all know you in your little world.;) Be Well, RZ.

I've bought a new Steyr Professional in .270 over 30 years ago and still have it. It's an excellent rifle except for the plastic magazine well/trigger guard and magazine. I cracked the plastic magazine well/trigger guard by having too much torgue on the action screws after pillar bedding it. I spent a lot of money getting a steel magazine well/trigger guard custom built and that is vastly superior...except it weighs 6.2 oz more. I had to replace one plastic magazine as some barrel solvent reacted with the plastic magazine after I loaned it to a mate and he "cleaned it" after using it. All these things could have been avoided by being careful. The reason I don't get a steel rotary magazine fabricated to replace the plastic one is it will increase the weight by another 4-6 oz.

To get the length down to what J.C. recommended for his .308 scout rifles in a short action you need to have a barrel no more than about 19". With a .308 for hunting, I much prefer a 22" barrel as being optimal to get a reasonable velocity and not as bad on the ears.