Steyr Scout

[ArmedBear]

Got to check one out last night with the 3-point sling and a nice scope. What a great package! Ergonomics are excellent, it's light and compact, and it's loaded with practical features like an extra magazine holder and other storage space in the stock.

I still don't buy the assertion that it is an all-around military tool, or that I'd want to face a number of the enemy alone with one and take any offensive action, or that it is a useful sniping tool, but man what a hunting rifle!

Not pretty, just really functional. ...as a rifle for hunting on foot.

Flame on.

 

[BigG]

I don't think anybody ever said it was an all around military tool. I think it is an all around rifle, very different than a military rifle.

 

[ArmedBear]

I don't think anybody ever said it was an all around military tool.

Its inventor did. He envisioned someone using it to make individual strikes against an enemy.

My opinion is that such a strike would be a suicide mission if the enemy consisted of multiple people, since it's not a really long-range gun.

I think it is an all around rifle, very different than a military rifle.

That's what I think, too.

 

[MacPelto]

Its inventor did. He envisioned someone using it to make individual strikes against an enemy.

Among many other things that he envisioned it being able to do...

Mac

 

[SpookyPistolero]

It's not meant to be an all-inclusive military rifle, as stated, but rather a general purpose rifle. The Scout rifle was designed to be a " ......general purpose rifle that would meet the needs of an individual on his own rather than a member of a fire team." It's not meant to fill a niche the way a SAW does, it's a 'jack of all trades' piece. There are some points in combat in which it could do a decent job if pressed into service, like a scout (not a sniper) who is not meant to engage the enemy.

One can't say it has a primary role because, again, it's a general purpose rifle, so combat is amongst other things for which it wasn't specifically made.

I can't say Cooper never said in his writings that the Scout was meant to be an all-around military tool, since it implies I have studied deeply and know by heart all of his work, and I don't. I can only say in all I have read, I don't recall reading anything like that. So if you could post a link to where he specifically calls the scout an 'all-around military tool', I'd appreciate it.

 

[Infidel]

It just desperately needs 3 more inches of barrel.

 

[Kodiaz]

Cmon guys where is the link to a pic

 

[ArmedBear]

This is the one I saw. The foreend folds out to make a bipod, sort of like an SU-16. And it had the 3-point sling per Cooper's spec, and a 10-round magazine option. The picture has 5-rounders. Not pretty, but feels right.

 

[CodeSlinger]

The Scout Rifle concept, as designed by Col Cooper, is really fascinating to me. There's a lot of Cooper's writings available where he describes his intent and the reasoning for his specifications.

It should be noted that the Steyr Scout doesn't meet all those specs, but was intended to come very close, and I believe is the closest you can buy off the shelf.

The grossest simplification I'm willing to make is "a general purpose rifle capable of taking down targets in the 900lb range at a distance of 300m". Now a lot of rifles can do that, but he has a long list of refinements he deems necessary to best achieve that goal.

It just desperately needs 3 more inches of barrel.

The general idea is that the short, light profile barrel is accurate enough to hit a 4" heart at 300m (a little over 1MOA if my math is right), so those extra 3 inches would just be excessive weight.

As to whether Cooper intended it as an all-around military weapon, Cooper himself has said -- in an article specifically about the Scout concept, no less -- that if he were to equip his own personal army, he'd issue G3's, and not scout rifles.

I'll see if I can find some on-line references.

This one gives a history of the development of the Steyr to meet Cooper's specs:
http://www.steyrscout.org/scouthis.htm


ETA: I just double-checked the source, and in the name of accuracy, let me correct myself. Cooper's comments about arming his personal army referenced "the H&K line", and not the G3 by name. And it wasn't in the scout rifle article, but in the very next article in his book, To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth. fwiw.

 

[ArmedBear]

The general idea is that the short, light profile barrel is accurate enough to hit a 4" heart at 300m (a little over 1MOA if my math is right), so those extra 3 inches would just be excessive weight.

The low power scope would make that a difficult task, anyway. No need for MORE accuracy.

As to whether Cooper intended it as an all-around military weapon, Cooper himself has said -- in an article specifically about the Scout concept, no less -- that if he were to equip his own personal army, he'd issue G3's, and not scout rifles.

THAT makes sense.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I've owned a Scout for the past three years, and it is my favorite rifle. Great trigger, excellent ergonomics, stunning accuracy, truly a terrific all-round shooting tool. They are expensive new, but turn up used occasionally at very good prices. If you have the opportunity to pick one up, I highly recommend it.

 

[Art Eatman]

A military scout, or one who is scouting after some sort of SHTF, is not interested in a firefight. The idea is to not be seen while travelling across country, scouting. Learning the lay of the land, and looking for other people without their being aware of your presence.

Two miles an hour across country for eight or ten hours isn't difficult. I have done three mph, but I was a lot younger--and I was a tired puppy when we got back to camp. (1973; my father was then 64. ) Light weight is a Good Thing.

A .308 is plenty good for an elk if you have to live off the land. Or anything smaller, obviously.

The forward mounted scope of low magnification makes for rapid target acquisition, If need be. If you have the time, 2X or 2.5X is plenty good for a 300-yard shot.

All that is why it's a general-purpose rifle, not a military rifle or a precision varmint or benchrest rifle or a "best of all choices" hunting rifle.

I don't particularly care for the looks of the Steyr, nor do I care to spend the money. That said, I've yet to hear or read that it won't function as intended.

, Art

 

[444]

"Scouts are lovers, not fighters".

"The low power scope would make that a difficult task, anyway"

Men hunted for 150 years with iron sights, but now killing an animal with a scope is difficult.

 

[COMSG]

I've had a Scout (the Tactical, just as in the picture above) for several years now. IMHO, there just isn't enough scope on it, for eyes which are not youthful any more. Beyond that, which is an easy fix with a different scope and another set of rings, I think it's the best general-purpose sporting rifle made. And it is that, general purpose. The Steyr Scout is the jack-of-all-trades rifle.