Interpretations of Scouts from Ruger, Savage, Mossberg

In past issues, we have reviewed numerous Scout Rifle contenders — Ruger Gunsite Scout, Savage Model 10 Scout, to name two — as well as tested the benchmark in Scout Rifles, the Steyr Scout. In our experience, most Scout contenders do not stack up to the Steyr. So what was the late Jeff Cooper’s definition of a Scout Rifle? Cooper, a well-known and highly regarded handgun and rifle trainer, defined a general-purpose rifle or Scout Rifle as “a conveniently portable, individually operated firearm, capable of striking a single decisive blow on a live target of up to about 200 kilos in weight, at any distance at which the operator can shoot with the precision necessary to place a shot in a vital area of the target.” Cooper provided more detail by stating a maximum weight for the rifle to be 6.6 pounds including sling and optic, and an overall length of 39 inches. Other criteria included a scope of 1x to 3x magnification mounted forward of the magazine, a synthetic stock, a two-lug 90-degree controlled-feed bolt, a smooth and round bolt knob, a barrel of about 19 inches in length, detachable magazine, aperture sights, a magazine cutoff to permit shoot-one, load-one operation, a three-pound trigger, flush sling sockets, rounded buttpad to ease mounting, a second magazine located on the rifle, and a built-in bipod. Finally, the caliber was to be easily attainable, and for most of us that means 308 Winchester, but the Scout wasn’t limited to just that round. (The colonel wasn’t a fan of the 5.56 NATO, however.) The Ching sling was also the carry-strap preferred by Cooper.

Truth be told, the Steyr Scout is not an exact fit for Cooper’s specifications, but as far as Cooper was concerned, it filled his requirements well enough. Over the years, a number of long-gun manufacturers have produced their interpretations of the Scout Rifle. Using Cooper’s definition as a base, we procured three rifles that purport to fill the bill: a Ruger Scout Rifle, Mossberg’s MVP Scout Rifle, and a Savage 110 Scout. The Ruger and Savage come close to the definition — more so than the Mossberg — and we will get into those details. More important, even if these three rifles are not true “Scout Rifles” by definition, are they good rifles nonetheless?

All proved to be accurate shooters, short in length, fairly lightweight, with detachable magazines, peep sights, and chambered in potent calibers. The Ruger and Mossberg are chambered in 308 Win. and the Savage was chambered in 450 Bushmaster, the last a thumper of a round that Cooper liked.

While these three rifles did check off some of the boxes for the Scout specs, they all fell short of being a true Scout Rifle, at least going by Cooper’s definition. But would we want to carry these rifles for long periods of time, and could we easily hit a target out to 100 yards? Yes, most definitely.

How We Tested

The most unusual feature of the Scout Rifle is a forward-mounted low-power scope. The German Army experimented with this concept during WWII, fitting Mauser 98 rifles with low-power scopes. The Mossberg came with a factory-mounted Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32mm extended-eye-relief scope. It weighs 12 ounces and has a 1-inch tube, 9.45-inch eye relief, capped turrets, and a thin, plain crosshair reticle.

For the Ruger we mounted a Hi-Lux LER (Long Eye Relief) 2-7x32mm ($160; Brownells.com) with Weaver See-Thru scope mounts ($23; Brownells.com). The LER weighs 10 ounces and has 1-inch tube, 8 to 14 inches of eye relief, capped turrets, an extended magnification lever for easy and fast magnification adjustments, flip-up lens covers, and a Three Post BDC reticle. This reticle is similar to a German-style military design but includes extra aiming points on the vertical crosshair calibrated to the ballistics of a 168-grain 308 Win. With a 200-yard zero, there would be aiming points for 300, 400, 500, and 600 yards.

On the Savage we mounted a UTG Accushot 1-4x28mm long eye relief unit ($142) that comes with quick-release rings. The UTG weighs 19.8 ounces and offers 8 to 14 inches of eye relief, a 30mm tube, exposed turrets, flip-up lens covers, and an illuminated Mil-dot reticle. Two buttons on the top of the eyepiece illuminate the reticle in either red or green, plus you can adjust the color to 36 different choices. Brightness can also be adjusted. UTG packs a small card that provides Mil-dot range estimating. We liked this small cheat sheet. All the scopes have the parallax set at 100 yards, which we felt was fine for a Scout Rifle scope, and turrets adjust 1⁄4 minute-of-angle per click for the Hi-Lux and Vortex and 1⁄2 MOA per click for the UTG. Extended-eye-relief scopes allow the shooter to keep both eyes open to aim while maintaining awareness of targets. With a traditional scope mounted closer to the shooter’s eye, the awareness of targets in front of the shooter can be limited to the scope’s field of view. The Leupold FX-II Scout IER 2.5x28mm is the benchmark scope for a Scout Rifle, mostly because this scope is simple and lightweight. It weighs about 7.5 ounces.

The forward-mounted scope is the most noticeable feature of a Scout Rifle. Most modern interpretations of a Scout Rifle have this feature, but they also are typically heavier than what Cooper wanted, and there are usually add-ons, such as muzzle devices and Picatinny rails. Otherwise, we looked at how well the rifles performed, regardless of the definition.

For 450 Bushmaster ammo, we used Winchester Deer Season XP 250-grain polymer tips, Federal PowerShok 300-grain jacketed soft points, and Hornady’s Black 250-grain FTX. The 450 Bushmaster round is becoming more popular partly due to the fact it is a straight-wall cartridge and is legal in some states for deer hunting as a result. It was originally designed for the AR-15 platform, and Cooper approved the round when it was first introduced as the .45 Professional. Bushmaster licensed the cartridge and renamed it the 450 Bushmaster. Currently, many gun manufacturers are chambering bolt-action rifles in this cartridge. This is a hunting round that is quite capable out to 200 yards for even big-bodied game, though its sweet spot is up to 150 yards of range.

For 308 Winchester ammo, we used NormaUSA TAC-308 150-grain full metal jackets, Federal Fusion 165-grain soft points, and Black Hills Match 168-grain boat-tail hollow points. This assortment of 308 ammo offered a broad spectrum from hunting and precision shooting and training. The 450 Bushmaster does not have the range or accuracy of the 308 Win., but in rifles designed for general-purpose hunting and defense out to 100-150 yards, they are well matched.

We used Bright Lightning targets from Thompson Targets, which feature 4-inch red bull’s-eyes on a white background. These targets make it easy to see a black reticle. We also used Storm Sight all-weather 100 yard sight-in targets to zero the Ruger and Savage rifles. The Mossberg, we found, was perfectly zeroed at the factory. We tested for accuracy at 100 yards, resting the rifles on our range bag and using our homemade toe bag: an old gym sock filled with sand. We could have just as easily taken the bench rig into the field to work on live targets. We checked our work with a Styrka S7 15-45x65mm spotting scope. Then, at 50 yards we tested for speed by cycling the bolt as fast as we could while maintaining our accuracy. Which one of these rifles deserves to be called a Scout Rifle? Which ones are good, handy rifles? Read on to find out.

Mossberg MVP Scout Rifle Combo 27793 7.62mm NATO (308 Win.), $780

Gun Tests grade: B

The MVP Scout doesn’t hold to the true interpretation of the Scout Rifle concept, but we don’t fault it for that since it proved to be an accurate, well-handling short rifle at a competitive price.

The MVP Scout Rifle is the “Scout” variant from Mossberg’s MVP line of bolt-action rifles. The Scout is similar to the Patrol model except for a few key Scout Rifle features like the extended Picatinny rail, mounted so a scope can be placed in either the traditional location over the action or forward of the action. It also has a front fiber-optic sight paired with a rail-mounted ghost-ring rear sight.

Out of the box, the MVP Scout looked nice but felt a bit chunky compared to the other rifles. Heavy for a scout rifle. The black polymer stock is flat on the bottom so it is steadier when shooting from a rest. The rubber recoil pad is beefy and helps absorb recoil. It is not rounded on the edges. The gripping areas are textured, and two short lengths of Picatinny rail are placed at 9 and 3 o’clock positions at the end of the forend to attach a light or laser pointer. We would have preferred one short rail at the bottom so we could have attached a bipod. There are sling swivel studs, so we could have attached a bipod via the stud.

It uses standard AR-10-style and M1A/M14-style magazines and comes with one Magpul Mag 10 LR/SR Gen M3 polymer mag that holds 10 rounds. These magazines are easy to load and inexpensive ($19; Magpul.com). The MVP Scout uses Mossberg’s patented 7.62 Dual Push bolt that is designed to feed cartridges from a double stack magazine. The magazine latch is located in front and to the side of the magazine well in hole in the stock. No accidentally dumping the magazine from this rifle. Reloading the Mossberg was slower than the Savage and Ruger. We found the easiest and smoothest way to extract the magazine was to use our support hand to grasp the magazine and use our first finger to press the magazine latch and pull the magazine free.

The metal wore a well-executed matte black finish. The barrel has a medium bull profile, which added weight to the Mossberg. The muzzle device is an A2-style flash suppressor. The bolt knob was round and textured along the circumference. A long Picatinny rail extends from the rear of the action to where the rear sight is located on the Patrol model. The rail allows the user to mount a scope in the traditional location or forward of the action. Mossberg decided to mount the Vortex scope partially forward. We would prefer quick-release mounts rather than the mounts Mossberg provided. In the field, if the scope failed, we could more easily remove the scope with quick-release lever-style mounts and use the iron sights. In the field, we might not have tools to remove the mounts otherwise. At the very rear of the rail is a ghost ring rear sight. The front post is red fiber optic and is unprotected. While we appreciate the option of mounting the scope in a variety of locations, the extended rail makes access to the action more difficult. Part of the reason the scope is mounted forward is to give the user more access to the action to clear a jam or load a single round.

The two-position safety is located at the right rear of the action just behind the bolt handle. A red dot shows when the rifle is ready to fire. The bolt release is on the left side, rear of the action. The bolt operated smoothly with a bit of wiggle, which was okay with us since this isn’t a precision rifle.

The trigger is Mossberg’s LBA trigger, which can be adjusted. From the factory the trigger measured 3.0 pounds. It was crisp with no take up and broke cleanly and consistently. The trigger guard and magazine well are polymer.

Running the MVP Scout, we found if we babied the bolt, feeding and ejection were a bit rough. As we cycled through a few magazines and manipulated the bolt with purpose, cycling became smoother. We found the magazine extremely easy to load. Inserting the magazine in the magazine well was smooth. Since a Scout Rifle is designed for hunting and defense situations, we would have liked a magazine release that was easier to manipulate and allowed the magazine to drop free.

Accuracy testing proved the Mossberg had game with the Federal Fusion hunting ammo. The smallest three-shot group measured 0.95 inches. With the NormaUSA training ammo, we shot a smallest group that measured 0.81 inches. For our speed-shooting test, we were able to shoot fast follow-up shots. With the scope well forward of the bolt handle, manipulating the bolt was easy. The added weight helped absorb recoil. Loading a single round was easy, though there wasn’t a lot of room due to the Picatinny rail. The Vortex scope is a good mate for the Mossberg. It was clear and the crosshair thick so it was easy to pick up on the target.

Our Team Said: Yes, the Mossberg is not a true Scout Rifle, but it is a handy, short rifle capable of some nice accuracy for not a whole lot of currency. In our opinion, the MVP Scout is a fast-handling, easy-to-shoot rifle with moderate recoil. If you don’t like the forward-mount scope, you can always change it to the traditional mounting location.

Ruger Scout Rifle 6830 7.62mm NATO (308 Win.), $1139

Gun Tests grade: B+

The Ruger Scout comes closest to the original Scout rifle concept, but it falls short due to weight. We still feel this a great rifle, and it offered excellent accuracy.

We reviewed the Ruger Gunsite Scout back in 2011 and found it heavy, rough feeding, and the magazine tough to load. We gave it a B- rating. This new Scout Rifle tested shed a pound due to the polymer stock, making it 6.2 pounds sans scope and ammo, which is still heavy by Cooper’s standards. It was the lightest of all rifles tested, and it felt thin.

The black polymer stock has an adjustable length of pull with three half-inch spacers. We liked this set up. It also has an aluminum bed, so it is very stiff, which is important for accuracy. It is textured in gripping areas, and we found this helpful because we tested these rifles on a humid day in North Carolina. The recoil pad is soft rubber with ridges for texture and rounded edges. Cooper would have approved this recoil pad. There are two sling swivel studs. The trigger guard and magazine well is molded into the stock, which helps with weight.

The bottom metal uses a paddle-style magazine release, which we liked. We felt it was the right size and would be less likely to accidentally dump a magazine when pushing through thick brush. The 10-round single stack magazine is made of steel and requires some finesse to load. To load the magazine, you need to depress the magazine follower or the last cartridge loaded as you insert a cartridge from the front and slide it back to the rear of the magazine. It was time consuming compared to loading the Mossberg’s Magpul magazine. The magazine is manufactured by AM Products. The design feeds rounds from the center for more reliable operation.

Cooper would have approved the control feed and ejection of the Ruger, even if the benchmark Steyr is a push feed. Cooper preferred a control-feed bolt action. The bolt knob is smooth and round and easy to palm for fast follow-up shots. Initially, we found feeding from the magazine to be rough, but it soon smoothed up after a few magazines.

The barrel has a stepped profile and is thinner than the Mossberg barrel. A multi-port muzzle device helps hide muzzle flash. A length of Picatinny rail forward of the action allows the user to mount a scope. Iron sights feature an adjustable ghost ring rear aperture sight and a non-glare, protected blade front sight. We liked these sights, even though the black blade could get lost on a dark-colored target. We felt they were rugged and well regulated. Great backup sights.

Going hot with the Ruger, we soon forgot it was a Scout Rifle wannabe since our groups were constantly sub MOA. We were impressed. With the Black Hills Match 168-grain ammo, our best three-shot group measured 0.5 inches. With the Fusion 165-grain SP hunting ammo, our best measured 0.8 inches. With the NormaUSA’s 150-grain FMJs, its best measured 0.81 inches. On average with all ammo used, the Ruger was a sub-MOA shooter. With this kind of performance, who cares if it is a strict example of a Scout Rifle?

Elsewhere, the trigger is smooth and crisp and helped contribute to our accuracy. In fast shooting, we found the smooth bolt knob was fast to manipulate. When we babied the bolt, it was a bit rough, so we treated it roughly, manipulating it fast and furious. Magazine reloads were fast and smooth.

We liked the Hi-Lux LER scope and the reticle. The 3 Post BDC reticle has thick strata that transitions to a thin crosshair at the 9, 6, and 3 o’clock positions. Target acquisition was fast. The calibrated reticle worked for the most part. We fired using them at 100 yards and measured the groups and compared that to factory trajectory data. We didn’t have a 600-yard range available. The magnification lever made adjusting the magnification fast and easy. The see-through scope mount, while not true to Scout Rifle definition, allowed testers to use the iron sights without removing the scope.

Our Team Said: Though the Ruger checks off a lot of boxes in the Scout Rifle specs, it is not a true Scout Rifle. However, we feel it is a rugged, accurate rifle in the spirit of a Scout Rifle. Downside: The price is a lot more than the Mossberg, plus you need to equip it with a scope. If you prefer a control-feed bolt action, then this is your choice.

Savage Arms 110 Scout 57139 450 Bushmaster, $829

Gun Tests grade: B+

The 110 Scout is good interpretation of the Scout rifle concept and would make a great

deer-hunting rifle, especially in states with straight-wall cartridge restrictions.

We realize this match-up is not a head-to-head fit with the two 308s, but Cooper’s fondness for the big-bore Bushmaster in a short-action rifle combines neatly with this Scout concept. Also, we haven’t tested firearms chambered in this cartridge in the past, so when we got a chance to shoot it in a Scout configuration, we decided not to pass it up.

In the January 2002 issue, we recommended buying an earlier model of the Savage Scout, a Model 10 in 308 Winchester. In the September 2011 issue, we gave a Savage 308 Model 10 FCM Scout 18138 in 308 Winchester a B grade because “We think Savage needs to offer 10-round magazines, and then we’d say this rifle is a good deal better than the Ruger. As it is, if you can live with a four-round magazine, the Savage costs less than the Ruger, has way better accuracy, and has that wonderful trigger. No, its stock length is not readily adjustable, but in truth, you generally do that only once, and then let it alone. We gave the Savage a B grade, but with a 10-round magazine it would be an A.” If you want this Savage 110 in a 308 Win. chambering, the model number is 57026, and the magazine capacity is 10, which solves our major complaint about the previous Scout design. Other chamberings include the 223 Remington and 338 Federal, the latter a blown-out 308 Win. case with a mild shoulder.

The 110 Scout tested here is another example of a rifle checking off a lot of the Scout Rifle requirements, but it, too, falls short of being a true Scout Rifle. As we started shooting it, however, we found it is quite capable.

The 110 Scout features Savage’s modern-looking AccuStock, which allows the user to customize the LOP and comb riser to suit his stature and the clothes he is wearing — heavy coat in winter, T-shirt in summer. Like the Ruger, the Savage uses two screws in the soft rubbery recoil pad, and you can choose between four spacers to change the LOP from 12.75 to 13.75 inches and change the comb with five different risers. The polymer stock has a permanently embedded aluminum chassis. This is a stiff setup. At the gripping areas, there is rubbery checkering that makes gripping the rifle sure. The stock is tan with gray grip areas and black AccuStock inserts. We really like the ergonomics of these stocks. It was not as chunky as the Mossberg nor as thin as the Ruger’s.

The trigger guard is a bit over sized and compatible with gloved hands. The magazine paddle release is rather long and that is partly due to the oversized trigger guard. In our estimation, pulling the 110 Scout through thick brush should not pose an accidental magazine dump danger.

The Savage feeds from a 10-round Magpul AICS-style detachable box magazine, but only five rounds of the thick 450 Bushmaster can be loaded. The magazine was easy to load and inserted in the magazine well. We found loading rounds singly was easy since there was more access to the ejection port.

The heart of the Savage Scout is the 110 action mated to a medium-taper barrel. The Savage is not in the Scout Rifle’s weight range. At the muzzle is a ginormous muzzle brake with four large ports. We found this muzzle device helped during fast shooting exercises. The iron sights consist of a Williams rear peep sight, which we liked, and a protected blade front. The front blade was black, so it could get lost on a dark target. A length of Picatinny rail is mounted forward of the action.

We mounted a UTG Accushot scope, which added nearly 2 pounds to the rifle with rings and optic. We liked the fine Mil-dot reticle and the ability to change the reticle colors to make the reticle stand out on any color target.

The three-position safety falls under the thumb of a right- or left-handed shooter and slides forward and rearward. We liked the simplicity of this safety. Fully forward, and the rifle is ready to fire. Fully rear, the trigger is blocked and the bolt cannot be opened. In the middle position, the trigger is blocked but the bolt can be manipulated. This Scout also used Savage’s excellent user-adjustable AccuTrigger.

Going hot with the hefty 450 Bushmaster cartridges, we found the Savage produced some recoil, though the AccuStock greatly helped manage the recoil. It was very tolerable and in fact enjoyable. Not MOA accuracy, more like MOD (minute of deer). We shot a best three-shot group with Hornady’s Black round with a 250-grain FTX bullet, 1.28 inches, and the Winchester Deer Season XP was close behind with a group that measured 1.30 inches. The smallest for the Federal PowerShok measured 1.75 inches. All accuracy was very acceptable for hunting. Moving to the fast stage of live-fire testing, we found the weight of the Savage helped mitigate recoil and keep us on target. The bolt work was smoother than the Mossberg, even though they used similar magazines. This we attribute to the 450 Bushmaster loading single stack due to the cartridge’s diameter. We liked the ease of loading a round one at a time by dropping the round on top of the magazine and chambering it with the bolt. The trigger was excellent and contributed to our shooting good groups.

Our Team Said: The Savage is an overweight Scout Rifle and not an exact interpretation of Cooper’s ideal rifle. Still, that’s okay with us. In our opinion, the Savage could be well utilized as a deer rifle in places were shots are taken out to 150 yards. The 450 Bushmaster offers a lot of thump, and we like this short, handy bolt-action rifle.

Special thanks to Eastern Outfitters (EasternOutfitter.com) of Hampstead,North Carolina, for their assistance.

Written and photographed by Robert Sadowski, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.