Ruger Scout rifle problem

[JohnDa79]

Got a gunsite scout in 308 killed one Buck this year with it. While hunting the other day a nice buck walked out and the glare in the scope was so bad I could not see though it. I've read this is an issue with a Scout forward mount scope it currently has a Bushnell Trophy Scout scope. I guess my question is would a better scope fix my issue or should I ditch the forward mount and mount a scope on the reciever ?

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

I would put a scope on the receiver. I see no advantage of a forward mount scope over a traditional arrangement for deer hunting. Fighting rifle? Sure, whatever floats your boat.

 

[chicharrones]

I've read this is an issue with a Scout forward mount scope it currently has a Bushnell Trophy Scout scope. I guess my question is would a better scope fix my issue or should I ditch the forward mount and mount a scope on the reciever ?

A well known problem with forward mounted scopes or even red dots. Especially with the sun behind you as in the morning or evening. A higher grade scope with better coatings can reduce the glare, but it won't be totally gone. My Burris with purplish coatings has much reduced glare compare to the next price level down, but the glare is not eliminated either.

EDIT to add: Sometimes I can even get eye piece glare with the sun in front of me. If I'm not wearing a hat, the sun can reflect off of my face onto the scope lens.

 

[H&Hhunter]

A well known problem with forward mounted scopes or even red dots. Especially with the sun behind you as in the morning or evening. A higher grade scope with better coatings can reduce the glare, but it won't be totally gone. My Burris with purplish coatings has much reduced glare compare to the next price level down, but the glare is not eliminated either.

EDIT to add: Sometimes I can even get eye piece glare with the sun in front of me. If I'm not wearing a hat, the sun can reflect off of my face onto the scope lens.

My number one issue with a forward mounted scout scope!

 

[jmr40]

Mount a conventional scope over the receiver and call it good. The scout rifle concept is a good one. But Cooper was flat out WRONG advising a forward mounted scope, most of the rest of the concept is sound. A low powered scope mounted conventionally does everything better. As long as you keep the low end of magnification at 3X or less, preferably less, you can shoot with both eyes open and pick up targets just as fast.

 

[dh1633pm]

Sometimes when shooting at my dad's the sun is behind pretty bad. It reflex's off about any scope that I have. Goes with the territory. I put an XS rail on my GSR and use a traditional scope. Advantages and disadvantages to both. I prefer traditional. But even then at times, the sun can cause problems for any type of scope.

 

[Dr T]

My Ruger Frontier (predecessor of the Scout rifle) is on its third scope. I hunted with a forward mounted scope the first year (the Burris Intermediate Eye Relief scope). While I did not experience the glare, I found that it provided little advantage for target acquisition for deer hunting, and I perceived a much narrower field of view with the scout scope than I expected from a low power scope.

As an aside, the glare could be due to the cheap glass in the Bushnell Trophy. I have found that you tend to get what you pay for in optics.

It currently wears a conventional Leopold Var X III 2.5-8 that works very well. I would advise you to get Ruger factory rings if you go with a conventionally mounted scope. They tend to be more expensive, but work much better than the others that I have tried.

 

[Newtosavage]

A well known problem with forward mounted scopes or even red dots. Especially with the sun behind you as in the morning or evening. A higher grade scope with better coatings can reduce the glare, but it won't be totally gone. My Burris with purplish coatings has much reduced glare compare to the next price level down, but the glare is not eliminated either.

EDIT to add: Sometimes I can even get eye piece glare with the sun in front of me. If I'm not wearing a hat, the sun can reflect off of my face onto the scope lens.

I had a Weaver fixed 4x on my Savage model 10 scout for a while. It's now on my brother's Savage .308. IMO, it's the best scout scope available for a .308 application. I hunted extensively with it and never noticed any glare at all. The view through that weaver 4x is on par with any scope I've ever used, including my Leups.

Bushnells are solid scopes, but I've had glare issues with them as well. I think what you have is a scope issue, not a location issue, but I could be wrong.

For my Savage scout (7.62x39) I eventually went to a conventional location for the scope with a 2-7x33 Leupold, for the extra field of view while hunting. I'm glad I did. I lost a few critters in the scout scope, or couldn't pick them up as fast as I would have liked. Not ideal for hunting really, but a real joy on the range.

 

[Hastings]

Tried a forward-mounted scope on my Ruger Gunsite Scout. Awkward to use, in my opinion, and I saw no advantage over either a receiver-mounted scope or the original iron sights for any type of hunting. I guess I just don't get the scout scope thing. I'm not a fan of scopes on handguns either.

I took off the rail and mounted a 3-9 wide-view scope using the supplied rings. Probably just habit or familiarity with this layout. No reason to train myself to use the scout arrangement. The rail was not a key feature for me. I bought the rifle because of the barrel length and thickness, magazine options, and the front/rear sight format. The rail was a detraction in my opinion.

I'm planning to simply take the scope off and use the iron sights now. If I were going to keep a scope on it for brush/woods hunting I'd probably go with a fixed 4-power Leupold. Guess it depends on how you shoot and what you prefer, but my GSS isn't intended to be a long-range sniper rifle. For me it's an all-around woods/truck/field rifle that gets banged around a lot and the scope just complicates things. Most shots are under 100 yards and taking deer, woodchucks and coyote at that distance with the open sights is fast and easy.

 

[Legionnaire]

I had a scout scope on a Marlin 336 for a while, and have shot a couple other rifles in "scout" configuration. Eventually I went back to open sights on the 336 (before selling the gun altogether). My go-to hunting rifle has been a Remington Model 7 with a Leupold 2-7x33 mounted in the conventional location on the receiver. At 2X it is fast on target, and it can be cranked up to 7 when needed. The scout scope is an interesting idea, but I never found its supposed advantages compelling.

 

[murf]

i used to tape a cardboard tube to the front of the scope to cut down on glare (some screw on a sun shade if the scope allows). maybe you can tape a tube on the front of the scope to fix your problem.

murf

 

[WVRJ]

I think the forward mounted scope is a step in the wrong direction.The disadvantages outweigh any possible advantages.The scope's field of view is reduced.Glare is a huge problem.It's out farther,therefore when carrying the rifle in rough conditions it's more vulnerable to getting banged around than a conventional mount that has the scope close to the body.Most scout rifles have a detachable mag,so there's no need to have to work around the scope to load the rifle.The mounts for the mid mounted scopes aren't as strong.The choices for optics are greatly reduced.I'll take a regular mounted variable in a good mount any time,thank you.Col. Cooper had the concept right-a solid multi-purpose rifle built to work is great,but I can't agree with him on locating the scope "out there".

 

[chicharrones]

For the record, while I dislike the inherent glare problem, I do like using a low power scout scope. A well made scout scope puts the reticle in a little disc of light on top of the barrel, which is much like iron sights for people with old eyes. All the while keeping a field of view like a gun with open sights.

A red dot could be used the same way, but you can't focus the dot on a red dot that would fit on the Ruger GSR. However, a shooter can focus the reticle on most scout scopes out there. What a great option a scout scope is to iron sights in regards to my middle aged eyes.

 

[Gordon]

Got a gunsite scout in 308 killed one Buck this year with it. While hunting the other day a nice buck walked out and the glare in the scope was so bad I could not see though it. I've read this is an issue with a Scout forward mount scope it currently has a Bushnell Trophy Scout scope. I guess my question is would a better scope fix my issue or should I ditch the forward mount and mount a scope on the reciever ?

This happened to me first in 1982 and again a year or so later. That pretty much ended my fascination with the forward mounted scopes on game hunting rifles. Not talking RDS now which don't do this, talking 2x Leupolds (or equivalent) mounted with enough eye relief that ay light behind you reflects off eyepiece and you might as well hold the gun at your waist

 

[CraigC]

IMHO, the only advantage to the scout scope is being able to keep a receiver mounted peep sight.

 

[<*(((><]

IMHO, the only advantage to the scout scope is being able to keep a receiver mounted peep sight.

You can take care of that like I did and buy a XS Full Length rail to maintain the rear peep site and mount a scope either above the receiver or in the scout configuration. Best of both worlds. The scout concept was lost on me as well, but I enjoy my 18" Stainless Ruger GSR.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/4...ount-rail-ruger-gunsight-scout-aluminum-matte

 

[CraigC]

Nice! I had seen those for the leverguns but didn't know they made one for the GSR. I'd love to have one of the stainless/walnut models with a Leupold 1-4x or 1.5-5x but I'd want the longer barrel.

 

[H&Hhunter]

You can take care of that like I did and buy a XS Full Length rail to maintain the rear peep site and mount a scope either above the receiver or in the scout configuration. Best of both worlds. The scout concept was lost on me as well, but I enjoy my 18" Stainless Ruger GSR.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/4...ount-rail-ruger-gunsight-scout-aluminum-matte

And it makes the rifle much handier to carry in the field. Besides those I find a conventionally mounted low power variable to be a better option overall.

 

[CraigC]

I wonder if it would work on other short action Rugers, like my .338RCM.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I wonder if it would work on other short action Rugers, like my .338RCM.

Forward mounted scopes or ease if carry?

 

[CraigC]

Forward mounted scopes or ease if carry?

The XS rail. I reckon it could be mounted to the factory ring cuts and if it wouldn't work with the barrel contour, it could be chopped off just forward of the receiver.

 

[Newtosavage]

The forward mounted scope, despite all the disadvantages in a fast moving hunting situation, is a joy to use at the range IMO. If I were JUST shooting, I would always prefer the forward mounted scope to the conventional scope location. Everyone I've ever had shoot my Savage Scout rifle with the Weaver 4x scout scope - at the range - fell in love with the view, the ease of access to the breech/bolt area, carrying ease and complete lack of concern about the scope coming back to hit them.

If it were not for restricted FOV that limits you in hunting situations, I would have never moved it.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

IMHO, the only advantage to the scout scope is being able to keep a receiver mounted peep sight.

The idea, I think was to enable clip loading -- which is silly, since switching large-capacity magazines is faster in combat.

As for receiver-mounted peep sights, I have a Model 70 Winchester made in 1939 that has a peep mounted on the receiver snuggled under the scope -- with a bigger ocular bell, that wouldn't work, but with any reasonable "woods' scope, like a 4X, it works fine.

 

[chicharrones]

. . .the ease of access to the breech/bolt area . . .

On that point, I also like all the room for my hand to swiftly move the bolt on a scout scoped rifle. With a low mounted scope over the receiver, a standard bolt handle is pretty dang close to the scope when trying to hustle that bolt to and fro. I guess that's why some shooters opt for oversize bolt handles?

 

[chicharrones]

The idea, I think was to enable clip loading -- which is silly, since switching large-capacity magazines is faster in combat.

I'm thinking CraigC is thinking like I'm thinking, in a modern scout rifle not built from a mil-surp, it would seem one major reason to have a scout scope is to not lose the location of a receiver mounted sight. The optics are plopped down between the sights, much like an AR with a red dot using BUIS. Of course, with the XS rail for the Ruger, that's not an issue for those that choose that.

I've seen some rifles out of my price range with fold down receiver sights, not counting ARs or the Steyr Scout. I wish I could remember exactly. One was a custom build and another was a dangerous game rifle, if I remember correctly. That would be pretty nifty to have on a traditional bolt action rifle.