Compact and Lightweight, Scout-like, .308 Bolt Gun

[Rex G]

Any idea why Styer discontinued the standard capacity .308 mags ?

I did not find any discontinuation announcement. I found out-of-stock and back-order indications at multiple on-line sellers. I found old forums posts indicating that .308 Scout 5-round mag demand has exceeded supply for a number of years.

I found mags available for 7mm-08, and wondered whether they are actually the same as the .308 mags. An Australian site hinted as much, not offering a Drop-down menu choice between 7mm-08 and .308 Winchester. (It is possible that clicking on the order tab would have loaded a new page, with a menu.)

Notably, the 4-round mags made for the Steyr SBS, will lock into a Scout, but do not extend far enough to feed. And, for anyone who has not already looked into the matter, the ten-round Scout mags require the ten-round adapter to be installed, and the adapter prevents 5-round mags from working.

I realize that having a bandolier or chest rig, festooned with 5-round Scout mags, would probably be a bit out-of-character for the targeted market of the Steyr Scout, which is in Steyr’s “Hunting” line, but I am not too much of a Scout-rifle-purist to desire at least one or two spares, other than the pair supplied with the rifle.

Notably, new Steyr Scouts are still being shown as being delivered, with two 5-round mags, so it is not that the mags are not being made.

E.T.A.: I just ordered some more .308 BLR mags.

[Lost River]

This rifle continues to make me happy. Made these groups yesterday with a 4x Leupold shooting off of bags.



I notice that I frequently get two shots touching (or almost touching) plus a flyer that opens the group, perhaps because I haven't adjusted the trigger since I bought this rifle and it still has a fair amount of creep. It's also a little heavier than I'd like, probably about four pounds. I’ve been talking with Brett about this; I may have him reduce the creep and get it down to about 2.5 pounds.

Scenar loads are from Creedmoor Sports

155-grain: https://www.creedmoorsports.com/product/2483/Ammunition

167-grain: https://www.creedmoorsports.com/prod...750/Ammunition

All the others are 150-grain factory loads that you can get at any big-box store.

Per my notes, the round count is 552 since I bought this rifle. I cleaned it today, 156 rounds after the last cleaning, and it only took three patches with Sweets to get it clean.


Okie John

It is interesting to note about triggers and personal preferences.

I also prefer 2.5 pound, crisp triggers. I tend to do my best work in that range . However I have found that on my big game hunting rifles, I have had to adjust them closer to the 4 pound range. This is due to hunting in colder temps. Often I don't have much feeling in my fingers. One time years back I made a snap shot on one of the very few elk I have shot at close range in a long time. It was an extremely cold year (radio station out of Idaho Falls reported wind chill in the -40s and we were in a higher elevation, windier area)and my dad and I had been hiking up some steep country in very windy conditions. We were stopped, looking at a pair of bulls we had jumped (we had cow tags) when he shouted "there" and pointed to a cow looking at us with just her shoulders and head visible from around a ridge line.

I made a snap shot, to which my dad replied something to the effect of "damn that was fast". I told him that my fingers were numb and I was just getting onto her when the shot broke. Fortunately she dropped and it was a done deal, but I was quite uncomfortable with the situation and made a mental note to adjust the trigger.

As things would have it, I put the gun in the safe and did not adjust it. The next season rolled around, and I line up on another elk, and and taking up slack and boom. Again, I was right where I needed to be on target, but that was enough of that. I came home and pulled the barreled action out of the stock. That stock Tikka trigger was amazing, but too light, at around 2.5#s. So I adjusted it to 4#s and it has stayed there. Much more cold weather friendly.

As a practical matter, in sub zero hunts since most are in wide open terrain, I don't even chamber a round until we are into animals. I have taught my oldest daughter the same. Better to blow a shot opportunity, or meat in the freezer, than have an unintended discharge. Then again once we see animals, we have quick, pre stalk ritual of things that must be done, scope caps ready, jackets unzipped and wool watch caps off so you don't fog up scopes with sweat from your head, day packs adjusted, so you can simply plop down, range target and fire. Nothing else.

* I should not that most of the time on that hunt it is 15 above to 15 below, and the hunt with the combo of wind and very cold temps was just a cold year. There seems to be a pretty big difference to personal performance when it gets into the negative numbers. Everything takes longer and you have to be very deliberate, including pulling the trigger with numb fingers.




BTW, that 155 Scenar load is actually a good price when you think about what you get. That is a buck fifty a pop for Lapua bullets and brass. Lapua anything is not cheap and for loaded ammo, that is quite reasonable, plus then you have once fired Lapua brass for your rifle.

[Lost River]

Here’s my latest attempt at this concept.






• With bases but without optics, it weighs 6.92 pounds as opposed to 6.51 before (and the 6.3 of a Tikka) and the balance is a bit farther aft.
• Weight with a 4x Leupold (shown) is 7 pounds, 11 ounces—heavier than a lot of options but it balances well. It's also easier to shoot well than a flyweight.


It shoots better in initial load testing but I’m not the guy to get the most out of it from the bench. It doesn't shoot the 150-grain PowerPoint load as well now, but it does still shoot fairly well with 150-grain CoreLokts.



Okie John

OJ,

You are spot on (as usual)

The one thing about my little 20" lightweight T3 is that it is a real bear to shoot well, especially in the field. It is amazingly accurate, but being so light you have to be tuned up with a lot of practice and have perfect form to take advantage of its mechanical accuracy.

There is a major difference between 7 pound 11 ounce rifle with a 22" barrel and a 20" flyweight when it comes to ease of use in the field.

I love mine when I am packing it up a mountainside, but I am very selective when it comes to range/shots I will take due to knowing my own limitations of ability with such equipment.

Your rifle looks like a great all around practical .308.

[Lex Luthier]

Those carbines are sweet. One of the best handling rifles I’ve ever owned is a 1943 Mauser Oberndorf Sporting Rifle. A buddy found 3 old rifles rusting away in a closet in a property he bought (including a Garand) and gave me the Mauser. Chambered in 7X57, the barrel was rusted out and areas of the stock were suffering from dry rot. But the action was solid, the double set trigger was incredible and the rifle mounted and pointed like magic. I had it restored, re-barreled in 6.5X55 and everyone who handles it is blown away by the feel, the balance of it; a great example of mid-century German engineering and manufacturing. Before & after:

Attachment 56537

Attachment 56538

I admire that rifle greatly, and think rebarreling to 6.5 x 55 was a stroke of genius.

[Lost River]

If I bought that, I would have to dress better when I was out hunting. Tweed and shit.

Nah,

Just get a Filson red or green plaid hunting jacket and a pipe.

Old School Cool for men is never out of style.

[Lost River]

I moved to Texas at 17 and ended up working on a fairly big ranch where we shot everyday. I had a Winchester M70 in 30/06 which was great for hunting, but not so much fun to shoot 15 or 20 times a day on the ranch. I ended up finding a nice Remington 700 BLD in 6mm Remington and it became my lightweight, do all rifle. It has a 2x7 Leupold in Talley mounts. I have taken lots of deer and piles of pigs with the rifle. It needs a new barrel now, but is otherwise still in great shape.

I really like the concept of a general purpose bolt action and put it to use for many years in Texas. I understand why the .308 is an appealing caliber, but feel it is more important to be accurate. If another caliber lends itself to that function, then that is what the user should choose.

Having said that, one of my favorite exploring rifles is one of the first "Black Raven" Ruger Gunsite rifles in .308. That rifle is a soft shooter for me, go figure.

I had a Rem 788 6mm Rem for quite a while until someone wanted it more than I did.

The 6mm is a very underrated cartridge in my experience. It will flatten animals with authority.

In fact I took a Tikka (I know you guys are shocked) and had my smith rebarrel it with a lilja 6 rem tube. It spits 85 grain Sierra hollow point game kings at 3430. The HPGK is one of those that has a very thick jacket and is known among hunters to hold together very well on larger animals.

I have used it on various things from rabbits, coyotes to deer, and it is a smasher. My kid took her first deer with it at 198 yards and it was literally a bang-flop. That doe looked like her lights were turned off. She just flopped and the legs came up.

You can see in the pic where she hit it. Right behind the shoulder, as instructed.



I really need to shoot that rifle more as it rarely sees the light of day. Honestly it is such an easy gun to shoot well that it would be the perfect "old man gun" the future. I would not hesitate to punch elk tags with it under many circumstances.

[okie john]

It is interesting to note about triggers and personal preferences.

I also prefer 2.5 pound, crisp triggers. I tend to do my best work in that range . However I have found that on my big game hunting rifles, I have had to adjust them closer to the 4 pound range. This is due to hunting in colder temps. Often I don't have much feeling in my fingers. One time years back I made a snap shot on one of the very few elk I have shot at close range in a long time. It was an extremely cold year (radio station out of Idaho Falls reported wind chill in the -40s and we were in a higher elevation, windier area)and my dad and I had been hiking up some steep country in very windy conditions. We were stopped, looking at a pair of bulls we had jumped (we had cow tags) when he shouted "there" and pointed to a cow looking at us with just her shoulders and head visible from around a ridge line.

I made a snap shot, to which my dad replied something to the effect of "damn that was fast". I told him that my fingers were numb and I was just getting onto her when the shot broke. Fortunately she dropped and it was a done deal, but I was quite uncomfortable with the situation and made a mental note to adjust the trigger.

As things would have it, I put the gun in the safe and did not adjust it. The next season rolled around, and I line up on another elk, and and taking up slack and boom. Again, I was right where I needed to be on target, but that was enough of that. I came home and pulled the barreled action out of the stock. That stock Tikka trigger was amazing, but too light, at around 2.5#s. So I adjusted it to 4#s and it has stayed there. Much more cold weather friendly.

As a practical matter, in sub zero hunts since most are in wide open terrain, I don't even chamber a round until we are into animals. I have taught my oldest daughter the same. Better to blow a shot opportunity, or meat in the freezer, than have an unintended discharge. Then again once we see animals, we have quick, pre stalk ritual of things that must be done, scope caps ready, jackets unzipped and wool watch caps off so you don't fog up scopes with sweat from your head, day packs adjusted, so you can simply plop down, range target and fire. Nothing else.

* I should not that most of the time on that hunt it is 15 above to 15 below, and the hunt with the combo of wind and very cold temps was just a cold year. There seems to be a pretty big difference to personal performance when it gets into the negative numbers. Everything takes longer and you have to be very deliberate, including pulling the trigger with numb fingers.




BTW, that 155 Scenar load is actually a good price when you think about what you get. That is a buck fifty a pop for Lapua bullets and brass. Lapua anything is not cheap and for loaded ammo, that is quite reasonable, plus then you have once fired Lapua brass for your rifle.

Definitely agree on the Creedmoor Lapua 308 loads. My father is a PALMA shooter and he knows the guy who owns Creedmoor. Apparently a lot of PALMA teams shoot his ammo in matches so they don’t have to load their own. A quick price check shows $1.24 for just the Scenar bullet and the Lapua brass. That deal is pretty much impossible to beat.

I’ve got ~200 rounds through this rifle since I identified the trigger as a potential cause of flyers. I’ve started to run the trigger with a rolling break like a Glock. Now the flyers are going away and groups under .75 MOA are getting more common.

I made these in the last few days.



Just caught an error: that charge weight should be 45.8 grains.





I like this rifle so much that I don’t want to let go of it long enough to have any work done to it.


Okie John

[Lost River]

That is some great shooting John.

It is also another reason why I often recommend the .308. It is the easiest cartridge I have ever worked with when it comes to finding an accurate load. Still though, you have to have a good shooter to make it all work.

[Malamute]

...The 6mm is a very underrated cartridge in my experience. It will flatten animals with authority.

... Honestly it is such an easy gun to shoot well that it would be the perfect "old man gun" the future. I would not hesitate to punch elk tags with it under many circumstances.

Interesting to see you write that. Im at the old man gun phase due to physical difficulties. I checked zero on a 30-30 last winter, 2 shots hurt. Its in the "Im not going to shoot it unless I need to" category. I have a Ruger 77 project gun. It was rebarreled with a really poor quality 260 barrel and isnt worth further attempts to correct it. I came into some factory 77 6mm takeoff barrels, one of which I intend to install on the gun. Had them bore scoped, one looks really good, the others, OK, just not as nice.

A friend has a 243 for his wife to elk hunt with. He loads Nosler Partitions for it, and said its been reliable for them when used well.

[okie john]

That is some great shooting John.

It is also another reason why I often recommend the .308. It is the easiest cartridge I have ever worked with when it comes to finding an accurate load. Still though, you have to have a good shooter to make it all work.

Thanks for the kind words.

Load development has been easier than anything else I've ever tried. I'm now at the point where I need to work on something that's actually hard, like shooting offhand.


Okie John