I recall hefting one of these years ago and thought it was a sweet handling little rifle, but didn't get one. Since then, of course, they have been discontinued.

Saw one in 7-08 yesterday on clearance and now I'm thinking about picking it up. To "feel and fit great" isn't always the same as shooting great. What's the skinny on these? Are they shooters like most Savages or was there a problem that led to their being discontinued?

Don't need it but haven't treated myself to a new piece for a while....familiar?

Hey Bob, I bet the only reason it was discontinued is slow sales. Around here I've never heard anyone talk about or use a scout rifle. I don't think the "scout rifle" concept ever really cought on. How much is a Savage on clearence anyway .

Hard to see how you could get hurt.



Terry

One of my hobby type things is sporterizing military rifles with the scopes mounted on the barrels (scout?). Personally of course i enjoy these rifles. In this forum ,however, the concept has spawned a lot of negativity.A lot of guys seem to want to pick it apart but never once has anyone said that it actually cost them hitting their game.One complaint was that when the sun was at the right angle the light was reflected into your eye. There was some grumbling like that.I think the truth lays in the fact that not many riflemen have given the scout a desent try and want to justify the reason why not.I am almost done with my fourth one and I do enjoy them for what they are, a light,fast handeling, get on your target QUICK High Power rifle. If the price is right your kids or grand kids somewhere down the road will have a somewhat rare firearm to show and tell. Who knows they may even harvest a deer or two. roger

TC1...Tagged at $399 with another $50 off for clearance. Not a screaming deal, but enough to move me to purchase it.

Roger...Yes, a lot of folks don't have much use for the scout concept. Can't say that I am particularly enamored with the forward-scope idea either, but will put the rifle under a Leupie handgun scope and try. The attraction of this rifle to me really is that it is lightweight and handy. I do like the ghost ring on it but might look for another aperature if possible.

I never paid more than $260 for a Savage

Hey Roger, After the last discussion I gave them a bit more thought and can see where they would be fine for some folks hunting situations. And you had mentioned the "eye" thing in that thread which says there is a good positive use for the design in your situation.

It would prompt a whole lot of discussion in my group of Hunting Buddies if one of them showed up carrying one. And it might surprise you that quite a few of them would want to take it afield for a Hunt or two. Good bunch of guys who are always ready to try something new.

Best of luck to you guys that have them.

Brought it home last night and messed around with mounting the Leupold pistol scope as well as an old Aimpoint. It balances quite well with either, yet I'm more inclined to use it "as is" with the ghost ring, as I am primarily interested in a short,lightweight rifle.

Major Caliber...I regret I didn't consult with you first. Go piss on someone else's campfire.

To begin...I like Scout Rifles.... Have a Remington 700 Classic in .350 Remington Magnum with a B-Square Scout mount and Leupold IER scope. Also have a 600 Carbine that I would like to find one of the original Redfield Scout Mounts for. Then there is the Marlin 1894 .41 magnum with an AO Scout Mount and finally a MechTech 1911 Carbine Conversion in .38 Super that has a 2-6 Power pistol scope on it Scout style.

That being said...I ended up returning the Savage Scout Rifle I bought... My friend has one in .308 that I just loved the feel and balance of. It has not been without it's problems however. Feeding problems from the magazine and has blown the extracor off now for a second time. Seems that it had a very undesized chamber. I found one LNIB for $300.00 a few months ago and bought it. Would not reliably feed from the magazine unless the magazine was supported from the bottom. In taking the gun apart the magazine release and supporting hardware is very thin stampings that just will not hold up. The stocks forend, while freefloated, will bend enough to contact the barrel if you use a tight sling. It was also not properly bedded in that if you tighted the rear guard screw first the whole action would tilt out of the stock.

I still plan on having a .308 Scout one day but it will be a Remington 700....

Just my experience with two of these rifles....YMMV

Bob

RJM...I've read of the ocassional mag problem since my first post and spoke with the shop's gunsmith. He will attend to it n/c or send it to Savage if necessary. I've read elsewhere that the "fix" is usually accomplished by a quick prying of the side lip with a flat-blade screwdriver to increase tension just a tad.



And yes, it isn't the most rigid stock I've seen and I considered that, but don't often use a sling. Hope I have better luck, though, than you had. Thanks for the heads-up.

The Leupold scout scope is 2.5x.
I picked up a Steyr on closeout at CDNN a few years back. It has been fun, fun, fun! I mainly use it with 150 grain Ballistic Tips on Jackrabbits. ker-SPLAT!
A military Mauser with the thumb cut-out in 6.5x55 SE would work great also. You can get cheap ammo pre-loaded in stripper clips.
JCN

"Hey Roger, Do your rifles have the Ghost Ring sights too? Maybe you told me and my Short Term Memory has erased it!"

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Nope! roger

Hot Core...
Barrel length is 19". I have an older Leupold pistol scope ( not specifically a "scout" scope ) which is 2X.

The Aimpoint is also something that was sitting around collecting dust. What is nice about this vs. other red dot sights, is that it has a low center of gravity.It really snuggles down on the barrel and doesn't effect the balance of the rifle.

And, yes, it comes with the ghost ring peep, which was a big point for me as I like aperature sights also. A ghost ring, in case you aren't that familiar with them, is not as pronounced an image as,say, and .095 peep. So its effectiveness is really going to vary by one's eyesight. Not sure if I'm going to use optics on it or not.

Gonna start feeding the 7-08 with Hornady 139 spire points.

Hey Roger, Thanks. I just don't trust my memory on details as much as I used to. Do you shoot yours with both eyes open?

Hey BB, Either the Aimpoint or the Ghost Ring sounds interesting to me. I can see where they could be useful on some of the Still Hunts, Man Drives and Dog Hunts I've been on. What kind of Hunting do you have planned for it?

Do you anticipate that the 2x Leupold would allow you to shoot with both eyes open? I'm not sure I could do that(no slam on anyone that can) because of all the years of doing it with one eye. I think I even shoot a shotgun that way.

That 139gr Hornady is one fine Bullet in a 7mm-08. In fact there are a whole lot of excellent 7mm Hunting Bullets available.

My 7mm-08 has a 20" barrel and is a real pleasure to carry and Hunt with.

I've got a 444Mar that I've not decided what I'm going to use on it (scope or irons) yet. I did use a Weaver base and when the 3x K3-C3 Weaver Scope is off the rifle, you can still use the Iron Sights with the Scope Base in place. I had the scope in some other rings and went back and remounted it in Weaver Rings so I can easily remove and replace it. No farther than I intend to shoot it, this doesn't seem to effect the Point of Impact enough to matter, right at 1/2" at 100yds.

So, I'll probably use the scope during the low light conditions on each end of the day and then use the irons when there is enough light to make them useable. It has been a good while since I've used irons and look forward to it. Have been looking at the Williams Firesights and may end up panicking into a set of them.

bob,
by the time i made up my mind savage had discomtinued their "scout" rifle. i wanted one because i didn't have one. i was intrigued by the concept. i didn't have a 308 so i bought a savage "sierra" in that caliber. i put a leo 2.5 eer scope on it(had to make forward mount),put a muzzle brake on it,and loaded several 125 nosler bal.tips. after adjustment this rifle shoots just as well as my other savages.the only reason to own any rifle is "because i want it".it really doesn't matter whether or not anyone else likes my concepts. my rifles,pistols, and attitudes are mine. i love to shoot and love to share experiences.
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!!!!!

"

Quote:

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Hey Roger, Thanks. I just don't trust my memory on details as much as I used to. Do you shoot yours with both eyes open?"

Yes, yes I do.roger

Hot Core... I think I will do OK with both eyes open in true "scout fashion." However, I am most interested in using the ghost ring.

AS to what game it will take, well...er.

My buddy ( who likes to rib me about my impetuousness with firearms purchases ) asked me the same question. I reminded him of that friend-of-a-friend who has a honey spot for whitetail in Wisconsin that I might, perhaps, get invited to hunt if I don't offend anyone and the stars are in the right alignment, etc.

Hell, I just wanted a new rifle and recall how great these felt. Might just take it boar hunting, in all truth, as it should be just the berries for tromping through thick hardwood areas in search of good eating-size hogs. Light enough to carry comfortably for a day climbing over fallen trees, etc.

wm. f. .... yeah, I plan to have fun with it "just because."
I've read that the Savage custom shop will make one up for an individual, so you aren't out of luck if you want to spend a little more.