I think part of the scout rifle concept is it's size and weight limits. Lots of people like to go ubertactical, and with the scout rifle, you have got to make tough decisions about how much crap you can stick on it. Lots of small additions, including a few extra inches on teh barrel, don't seem like much for weight or avoiding snags, but carry a gun in the field 16 hours a day, those extra inches and ounces really add up.
Part of the scout rifle concept is to be good, if not great, in a lot of important catagories.
Iron sights are fast, as in a marlin guid gun. The long eye relief scope system is also fast. The idea is you keep both eyes open, look straight at your target, and lift the gun, and the crosshairs move onto the target, no need to stop, look at the scope, and reaquire the target. At 1X it is a lot like aimpoint reddot type sites. Probably not QUITE as fast as either iron or red dot, but nearly so, and much faster than a traditionally mounted scope, plus with both eyes open you are much more perepherally aware.
Now, you need to make a long distance shot. You kick out the bipod and crank that little scope as high as it will go, which may be only 4X or 6X. Sure a standard deer rifle in 30-06, with a bipod and 3-9x will probably be more accurate, and a tweaked out 24 inch heavy barrel 300 win mag with a uberscope on it is even moreso, but both of these guns give up a lot of the fast handling that the scout rifle maintains.
On a scale of 1-10
Scout Rifle
Light for easy carry.................................7
Compact for easy carry............................8
Quick followup shots................................8
Simple and reliable...................................9
Allows perephery awareness......................8
Powerful ammunition................................8
Readily available ammunition.....................10
Long range capable.................................7
Fast close target aquasition......................8
Marlin Guide Gun
Light for easy carry.................................8
Compact for easy carry............................8
Quick followup shots................................8
Simple and reliable...................................7
Allows perephery awareness......................8
Powerful ammunition................................10
Readily available ammunition.......................3
Long range capable.................................2
Fast close target aquasition......................9
You have almost no true long range accuracy, and there sure is a lot less 444, 45-70, or 450 floating around than 308, hence it is not a scout rifle
CZ 527 in 7.62x39 with irons
Light for easy carry.................................9
Compact for easy carry............................9
Quick followup shots................................8
Simple and reliable...................................8
Allows perephery awareness......................8
Powerful ammunition................................2
Readily available ammunition.....................4-8
Long range capable.................................3
Fast close target aquasition......................8
Ammo*
You are giving up powerful rounds and long range capablity and really focusing on a light and handy rifle, hence not a scout rifle
Model 70 winchester variable scope backup sites in 30-06
Light for easy carry.................................5
Compact for easy carry............................5
Quick followup shots................................8
Simple and reliable...................................9
Allows perephery awareness......................5
Powerful ammunition................................8
Readily available ammunition.....................10
Long range capable.................................9
Fast close target aquasition......................5
Here to increase the long range capability a bit, you go from good to exellent in ease of carry, perephery awarness, and fast close targets to just average. All this to make long range shots a little better. Hence, it is no longer a scout rifle.
Ammo*
Ammo is cheap and plentiful on the internet, but not stocked in all mom and pop shops, or if they do just a few boxes. Take a SHTF scenario, with you having an 8 hour head start. You go to the closest gunstore and buy all the X ammo they have. You'd walk out with a lot more boxes if X is 308, 30-06, 270 than if X was 7.62x39, 8mm mauser, 7.62x54R, 303, 25-06, 284, 7mm weatherby