{"id":13741,"date":"2016-08-05T21:38:16","date_gmt":"2016-08-05T21:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=13741"},"modified":"2016-08-05T21:38:16","modified_gmt":"2016-08-05T21:38:16","slug":"this-thing-called-a-scout-rifle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/this-thing-called-a-scout-rifle\/","title":{"rendered":"This Thing Called a Scout Rifle"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SSS2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The conventional definition of the term \u201cscout rifle\u201d is any rifle with a forward mounted optical sight. Gunsite Academy<\/a> founder Jeff Cooper coined the term and on multiple occasions defined it. However, his efforts to perpetuate a certain type of firearm are largely lost on the modern shooter. The result is a bastardization of a concept that had a lot to do with a rifle and maybe even more to do with its application.<\/p>\n

Humans, being the visual creatures we are, are slaved to\u00a0the visual reference. A perfect example of this is the Corvette. This car, regardless of the year it was made, is easily recognized. But imagine if you will that you had never seen or heard of a Corvette, and that your only exposure to the vehicle was a 100-word definition. Your vision of a Corvette might then greatly differ from its actual appearance. Might it look like a Mustang or a Camaro?<\/p>\n

\"ss1\"<\/a>
Scout II or Sweetheart was one of\u00a0Cooper’s favorite rifles. And while it is without question a Scout Rifle, it meets the application definition but not the elemental one.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The same thing is what has happened to the Scout Rifle. This visual notion that a forward mounted scope is the defining element of a Scout Rifle has convoluted the principle that Cooper was preaching. If you were given a 100 word definition of a Scout Rifle, but had never seen or heard of one, would your impression be the same as it is today? Probably not. And, more importantly, each element of that definition would carry the same weight. In other words, the forward mounted optical sight would not be the single defining characteristic.<\/p>\n

To many, all of this talk about Scout Rifles seems outdated and it\u2019s not uncommon for some self-proclaimed expert to say as much. They\u2019ll offer the argument that with the modern semi-automatic firearm, its reliability, accuracy, modularity, and prevalence have pushed a general-purpose concept of the last century into obsolescence. The truth is that what has passed into obsolescence is the realized importance of the rifleman who can get\u00a0a single decisive and lethal hit, in the field from any position, out to about 300 yards with speed.<\/p>\n

\"06830_GunsiteScout_Std_Rt\"<\/a>
Ruger’s Gunsite Scout Rifle, comes closer to meeting Cooper’s application requirements for a Scout Rifle than it does the elemental ones.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As true as this may be, in the era of high capacity \u2013 high volume blasting, Ruger has proven conclusively that the consumer has a deep desire for a general-purpose rifle, that is at least somewhat<\/em> like Cooper envisioned. The Gunsite Scout Rifle<\/a> is one of Ruger’s best-selling rifles. The next question that then begs to be answered is whether in fact the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle is indeed a real<\/em> Scout Rifle. To answer this, using Cooper\u2019s words from circa 1989, lets look at two variations of the referenced 100-word definition.<\/p>\n

The Scout Rifle by Element<\/span><\/h4>\n