Opinions, sell or keep?

[shadow9]

I picked up a gorgeous Steyr Scout (Jeff Cooper clone) recently (sling/10rnd+adapter/2x 5rnd mags, steyr scout scope), in 7mm-08. Was in love, love the feel/ergos, the features (sooo many!) and since I was looking at spending alot on a do-it-all setup, it fits well. However, after doing 1 box of 7mm-08, I realized it kicks more than my swede M96 (thus I'm less accurate, 7MOA @ 50yds vs 0.8 - 1.4MOA@50), has a stiffer (but smooth) bolt action, and WOW, 7mm-08 is overpriced.

At $28-30 a box for 7mm-08, vs $16 for 6.5 (plinking), I can't justify the costs. Not when a 7mm-08 has the same perks as a 6.5 for 20% more recoil, and more $$.
Reloading is the same cost, yes, but when I dropped ALL of my $$ on one gun, I don't have enough for reload stuff.

Also, trying to clean that closed-top, 4-lug, deep buried breech is a royal pain. I love my mauser's "finger-dip" and "one swipe with a Qtip" to get the corners. I'm still figuring out how to clean out the lug-wells in the receiver...

Thus, I'm thinking of selling the Scout and getting a CZ550 FS in 6.5x55. Would I be making a mistake? Downgrading myself?
I should also note, despite it being made as a field gun, I'm petrified to take the Scout outside into the thick, as any scratch on its stock would horrify me

Could a CZ last a long time if taken care of? (like a Sako or a Steyr)?

 

[Pistol Ranch]

Sell it quick:banghead:

P.R.

 

[shadow9]

pistol - for the sake of the rifle or for me? Honestly...

 

[DBryant]

According to Wikipedia, this rifle is also available in .308, .243. and .223. All three are more common and therefore should be cheaper. I don't know how the recoil of the 7mm-08 compares to the .308, but the other two should be lighter.

Of course, you'll take a hit to the wallet by selling this one and buying a new one. You could minimize this by selling privately instead of to a gun shop but you would be darn lucky to get the price of a new one. Also, you could look at the used market, both locally and online, and see if there is a used Steyr Scout in one of those calibers that you could pick up. If you plan to go that way, you might want to keep the sling and scope if you like them.

One advantage of buying used is that you can get one pre-dinged. This not only knocks some of the price down but you don't feel as bad about the dings that you put on it.

Of course, you could also get the CZ you mentioned. I would at least try to handle one first and see if you like it. You could try to modify it to have some of the things that you liked about the Steyr rifle.

A third option you might consider is getting a mauser action and having it barreled into the 6.5 that you love so well. Get a good quality stock and outfit it with the options you want. It would be more expensive than getting an off the shelf bolt action, but possibly less than the Steyr Scout.

As far as "downgrading" goes, if the rifle works better for you and your needs, then it's never a downgrade, I don't care how much or little you paid for it.

 

[redneck2]

Let's see.. it's too expensive to shoot and you can't hit anything with it anyway......you answered your own question

Here's a better idea. Sell it, buy a milsurp that's 1/2 the price, and use the difference to buy a loader.

 

[Art Eatman]

I figure the 7mm08 is a .308 with ten grains less bullet, as far as any difference.

My 700Ti in 7mm08 is 6.5 pounds, and I haven't found the benchrest recoil to be a problem.

Shadow9, is the recoil bothersome when shooting offhand? If not, merely add a small sandbag behind the buttpad when shooting from the bench. Not only a bit of extra weight against recoil, but it spreads out the impact over a larger area.

 

[Pistol Ranch]

Shadow:
You answered your own question..get the CZ in 6.5X55. Way more inheretly accurate, and IMO, considerably better looking than a Scout..

P.R.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

^ More "inherently" accurate than a round developed for silhouette shooting and based off of the .308 win? The 6.5x55 is a fantastic round no doubt, but head and shoulders above the 7mm-08 it is not.
As far as ammo price goes, it is not overpriced its just made in less quantity. Do some reloading, that should help. You have a great set-up, but if you don't like it you might as well dump it--just give it another chance so you don't regret the decision you make.
There are some great suggestions for mitigating recoil from the bench, give them a try.

 

[jmr40]

7MOA at 50 yards = 14" groups at 50 yards. I don't think it is possible for any rifle to shoot that bad. Never shot one of the scouts, but I had one of the Pro Hunters in 308 for a while and it was probably the most accurte rifle I've owned.

If you don't like the rifle sell it and move on. While the Styer I had was extremely accurate there were other factors I didn't care for so I sold mine and have no regrets.

Regarding the cost of ammo, $28-$30/box is pretty much the norm for decent ammo in any caliber. I can buy bulk 308 cheaper, but reloading is really your only option if you want to shoot much and not break the bank.

 

[A_Matthew]

7MOA at 50 yards = 14" groups at 50 yards.

At 50yds, 1MOA=1/2". Therefor, shooting a 7MOA group at 50yds is actually a 3.5" group.

Shadow9,
If it was me, I would sell the rifle and buy the CZ. Or at least buy something that is a little cheaper to shoot. I pay $20 for my 30-06 hunting ammo. So paying $28-30 for your ammo seems kind of expensive to me.

 

[FLNT4EVR]

Buy the cz as fast as you can. All this time is going by that you could be using for shooting. The FS models are among the most accurate that CZ makes. The prvi partizan ammo that sells for $17 a box ,shoots great ,and is very accurate in the FS.

 

[hardluk1]

Have a friend shoot your scout and see how they do. I have shot a scout 12 or 13 years ago in 308. Shot really well and I thought the recoil was very light concedering the wieght of the scout. Your just use to shooting caliber that in a heavy old mil rifle makes it feell like a pop gun. man up the scout is a great rifle and unless it's and old used up barrel it should shot well. Let another shooter try it first. Maybe it is not a good play gun but should make a great hunting rifle. Get a single stag press and roll your own. If you buy quality ammo it will cost the same as the 7-08 not surplus stuff. You can buy ammo from Privi Partizan for the same price as the 6.5.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Seems to me the recoil might be to much for you and you don't like it don't shoot it well...So do you sell it or trade it...The idea of others feeling is moot imho...It is all about yours

Good luck

 

[jmr40]

Sorry, I goofed. Shouldn't post before breakfast when I'm not fully awake.

 

[shadow9]

re: Recoil - It's not the energy of the recoil, its the velocity in combo with the front-weight of the gun. I'm particular about personality/handling of the shooting...I'm fine with the 7.62x54R's energy, but don't like the "snap" of the 7mm-08. Same reason I prefer a Ruger 4" .357 Magnum to a lightweight 9mm (hi-power/beretta). I judge shooting by offhand, as bench shooting (no offense) relies more on the weapon itself, since the weight and balance are relieved.

I found .30-06 ok to work with, but close to the same behavior as this little thing in 7mm-08. Once I put it on the bipod, my groups closed, but it still moved ALOT on the bipod (factor of being light), and it still couldn't keep up with my accuracy and groups of the swede, even offhand.

Taking some other advice, I'm selling it off. Going with the CZ. I have tax return for this, but it was aiming more to drop ALL my $$ on one gun, and going another $400 for a good reloading kit, just to feed this thing, is more than I want to be spending for some weekend fun. Plus, in thought today, the $1,800 is fulfilling a VERY expensive tacticool gunshop-commando fantasy of mine...much the same as a 25 year old kid getting a BMW M3 so they feel like a DTM-racer.
Lastly, half the features it has are moot with a bit of ingenuity, and I really, REALLY like CRF.


*Ingenuity -example, in lieu of the ching sling, when I worked with the M39 mosin, I learned the arm-wrap technique. Bipod? put your backpack on the ground. You can alter the elevation of your support, something the Steyr's bipod doesn't allow. Clips? Well, sure it's cool to hot-swap for another 10 rounds, but then you need to be not-shooting the next 20 while you load your clips, or keep one in the gun out of the way of the bolt to prevent your single-feeds from falling out. A good top-feed CRF is like loading an old lever-action, one-in-one-out. Or, one-out, 3-in, one more out, 2 more in, etc.
Plus, I looked at a 6.5 round, and a 7mm-08, and smiled fondly thinking of that little 2,500FPS mini-crossbow-bolt going downrange. I'm hooked on 6.5, altogether.

Thank you all for the advice, wisdom, and suggestions. I'll probably re-invest in a Scout later in life, when I actually have the money to spend on it.