Premium Scout Rifles

[Eustachius234]

The Steyr Mannlicher Scout Package ($2,700-) is the quintessential over-the-counter Scout Rifle. It fits Col. Jeff Cooper's Scout Rifle requirements admirably, and supposedly is very ergonomic, hence improving performance. However, IMO, it isn't very aesthetically appealing.

Question: Do the more expensive Custom Scout Rifles by Brockman's ($4,000-), or Grizzly ($4,750-), have qualitative improvements that justify the prices charged over the Steyr?

Note: Let's not get into a debate on the pros & cons of Scout Rifle design characteristics.

 

[Molasses]

Where I hunt it's steep, brush covered country with fields up on the ridgelines. You can basically set up with something like a beanfield rifle on a ridgeline and possibly get shots as far as you think ethical, or you can go down on the hillsides after them. Or try and mix it up, which is what I prefer. Carrying some heavy, ungainly thing that takes half a day to unlimber and deploy and is constantly hung up on stuff in the brush is a prescription for frustration and exhaustion. However, when one comes up from the hillsides to the fields and can get longer shots, then pure brush guns start showing their limitations. So I'll take a light, compact rifle with good handling and field shooting-friendly characteristics any day. That's a situation that doesn't only call for a scout rifle as an answer, but they're not a bad fit. In fact, anytime one were going to be carrying a lot and shooting little...


To get back to the OP's question, try snooping/asking over at: http://www.scoutrifle.org/index.php

 

[rodregier]

I think I would almost go the other way, get the Savage Scout implementation and tweak the parts that you found annoying. The Steyr is way-overpriced for what you get.

Not to debate the concept in depth, but I have found 20" is a handy barrel length in general, and is less rude than (say) 18" in .308 Win.

n.b. the Savage is 20.5" in .308 Win, and comes with BUIS.

http://www.savagearms.com/10fcmscout.htm

 

[Wes Janson]

The nice thing about the Steyr is that it balances and feels far better than almost any other bolt gun I've handled. Add to that the detachable mags, with the option for higher mag capacity, and the built-in bipod and BUIS. Savage makes a good rifle, but they've never been the most ergonomic, IMO.

 

[10pacesmike]

Astounding may be a bit strong. Yea, 308 barks out of short rifles, but I find it far less offensive than firing my snubby 357s. Hell, I have a Ruger Hawkeye Compact, 16.5" barrel in 260 REM and I don't find it all that disagreeable.

 

[Legionnaire]

Saw first hand a guy with a Steyr Scout hitting steel targets out to 800 yards and beyond at Storm Mountain in WV. He was using a standard scope in a different set of rings, but demonstated that the little Scout could go "way out there." He was shooting 175 grain Federal GMM ammo. I was impressed. All that said, I preferred my 700 VSSF at that range. But the Scout is sure handy out to 350 or so.

 

[rbernie]

I have deleted the least useful posts in this thread. 'Useful' is, of course, defined as actually answering the question(s) in the OP with personal first-hand experience or direct observation. 'Not useful' is defined, as always, as anything else.

You wanna gripe about scout rifles or the cost of these rifles (or anything else)? Start a new thread. Don't crap on somebody else's.

It's just RUDE.


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To the OP: The Grizzly and Brockman are customs, and as such will never compete price-wise with the Steyr. You're paying for the hand-built nature of the beast.

The Grizzly certainly has an interesting and useful rear sight setup, and note that the front sight is a silver-soldered band and not just a screw-on. On the other hand, I find it interesting that the Grizzly can be made on a Rem700 action, which (by definition) is push feed and may not be considered appropriate for a scout rifle... The Brockman is made on a CRF action, but the front sight looks like it's just screwed onto the barrel. Neither have the integral bipod and detachable magazine that the Steyr has. The Steyr lacks the quality BUIS that the others feature.

Having glanced at the spec sheets for these rifles - I'd still favor the Steyr.

 

[waterhouse]

I've shot the Steyr a good deal, no experience with the others. As rbernie mentioned, the BUIS on the Steyr aren't great . . . it almost seems they threw the rear one on as an afterthought to meet Cooper's specs.

I know there are diminishing returns and all, but having shot the Steyr I find it hard to believe that there is any scout design that would be worth costing twice as much.

BTW, my brother's Steyr package came in under $2,000, I believe closer to $1800. Still a chunk of change for sure, but you may be able to find one for well less than $2700.

 

[pigmode]

One thing I would add about the back up sights on the Steyr Scout--they are sights that have utility mainly in an emergency back up function. The sightline is so low as to preclude any semblance of a normal cheekweld. It basically requires an awkward high cheekbone weld.