[Mumbles_45]

How well does a pistol scope work on a scout rifle? Is it better to get a scope designed from the start as a scout scope or does a pistol scope work well enough? If the pistol scope is not ideal, what are the drawbacks?

[rcmodel]

A pistol scope works just fine.

I have a Leupold M8 2x on my Marlin carbine and couldn't be happier.

Just don't overdo it on magnification and it will work great.

rcmodel

[bond007]

Thousands of rounds of 308 through my M1A Scout with a Leupold fixed 4x handgun scope sitting on top without a problem.

[Mumbles_45]

So there are no issues with eye relief? Most of the pistol scopes I have looked at list eye relief at around 18", while the scout scopes seem to be around 9". Is the eye relief just very forgiving on the handgun scopes?

[rbernie]

How well does a pistol scope work on a scout rifle?It may or may not work fine, based upon the platform, the mount used, and the scope used.

Search this forum - we've tried in the past to identify the combinations that work well. In short, the AO/XS scout mounts tend to be too close to the receiver ring to use pistol scopes, the Ruger Frontiers and many milsurp mounts can use some pistol scopes, and EBRs with railed forearms tend to be able to use most anything due to the ability to move the scope around a lot. (Of course, balance of the rifle is also an issue, so be careful not to push the scope too far out...)

I have found low-power fixed magnification pistol scopes to be more useful in scout-style mounting than higher-power or variable magnification scopes. My favorite low-power pistol scope for general scout use is the Weaver 2x; it works well, has decent optics, is pretty rugged, and has forgiving eye relief suitable even for the AO/XS scout mounts.

So there are no issues with eye relief? Most of the pistol scopes I have looked at list eye relief at around 18", while the scout scopes seem to be around 9". Is the eye relief just very forgiving on the handgun scopes?There are HUGE issues with eye relief. Be especially careful with variable-magnification pistol scopes, as their eye relief changes dramatically throughout the zoom range.

For example, I have a Ruger Frontier. I have a Nikon Monarch 2.5x-8x pistol scope, with variable eye relief of 12-30 inches at 2.5x and 9-13 inches at 8x. I can put the Nikon pistol scope on the Frontier and use the rifle from about 3.5x and up. Anything less, and the eye relief is too short - I get a little magnified image inside of a big black donut.

[rcmodel]

+1

That's why I said in post #2
Just don't overdo it on magnification and it will work great.

Marlin 1894C, XS mount, Leupold M8 - 2x scope
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/KTOG/ScoutScope.jpg

If you use a high magnification variable pistol scope, your mileage will vary, and you won't be happy.

Real Leupold "Scout" rifle scopes are 2.5x.
Burris "Scout" rifle scopes are either 1x, or 2.75.
There is a reason for that!

rcmodel

[rbernie]

Real Leupold "Scout" rifle scopes are 2.5x.
Burris "Scout" rifle scopes are either 1x, or 2.75.
There is a reason for that!
I have two Ruger Frontiers (308 and 7mm08), two Marlins with AO mounts (30/30 and 35 Remmie), and a bunch of AKs and ARs with railed forearms. For most of them, the 2x to 3x magnification range is best. I have a mix of Leupold 2.5x and Burris 2.75x, along with a bunch of 1x and 2x Aimpoints.

But every now and again, specifically with the 7mm08 Frontier, I want to be able to go prone and take a shot at a relatively-stationary distant target. For that, a variable-power scope like the Nikon pistol scope mentioned above, is very useful.

If you use a high magnification variable pistol scope, your mileage will vary, and you won't be happy.YMMV, but it can work successfully if you think it through. Certainly, it's a lot harder to match up a variable pistol scope with a scout-style mount than it is a fixed-magnification unit, and the rationale for wanting one is fairly limited.

[bond007]

I'll try to get more pictures later if it helps, but here's a shot of my mount.

Again, it's a fixed 4 power handgun scope on an M1A scout. I've never had any trouble with the eye relief and always found the reticle very easy to acquire when shouldered.

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/5005/ringsxf7.jpg

[GunTech]

Just make sure the eye relief is right and will work for you mount. I just finished building up a lever action 'scout' rifle for my son based on a Marlin 336 with a pistol scope. The scope had to be mounted fairly far forward due to the short LOP.

http://guntech.com/lever/336.jpg

My wife has a similar setup with here 1885 GG in 45-70.

http://guntech.com/lever/1885Marlin.jpg

[Grayrock]

I am contemplating putting a scout scope setup on my Rem 700 .243. I have it stocked with a youth stock for my daughter to use in a few years. I thought by using a scout configuration that I could use it also by putting on a slip-on recoil pad. You think that is do-able? What mounts are out there for a scout set-up for a Rem 700?