In late December, 2010, Ruger released a new, compact .308-Winchester bolt-action rifle with iron sights and a front-mounted scope rail: the Ruger Gunsite Scout is the ideal “fighting carbine” in .308 caliber, a credible rendition of Col. Jeff Cooperʼs “Scout Rifle” concept. Cooper called for a relatively lightweight, hard hitting, do-all rifle that in the hands of an accomplished shooter was able to place accurate, sustained fire out to long ranges, yet was quick-handling and light enough for all-day carry.
Developed in conjunction with Gunsite instructor Ed Head, the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle is a new platform in the Ruger M77 family. While the Scout Rifle has M77 features such as controlled round feed and integral scope mounts (scope rings included), the 10-round detachable box magazine is the first clue this isn't your grandfatherʼs Ruger rifle.
Ruger has taken an in depth look at the intended purpose of a Scout Rifle and developed a full-featured rifle designed to meet the Scout Rifle criteria of hunt, fight, and defend. This firearm offers outstanding features in an affordable, versatile and reliable rifle designed to deliver .308-Winchester performance in a variety of situations. It is compact, lightweight, offers 10-round metal or polymer box magazines, can be fit to the individual shooter, and accommodates a host of optics. It is a serious rifle for those serious about rifles.
The Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle has a 16.5” medium contour, cold hammer-forged, alloy steel barrel with a Mini-14® protected non-glare post front sight and receiver mounted, adjustable ghost ring rear sight for out-of-the-box usability. A forward mounted Picatinny rail offers options in mounting an assortment of optics ‒ including Scout Scopes available from Burris® and Leupold®, for “both eyes open” sighting and super-fast target acquisition.
A Mini-14/SR-556® flash suppressor is effective on reducing the muzzle flash that may be present on some .308 Winchester loads when fired out of the short (16.5") barrel. The 5/8-24 muzzle threads allow most standard .30 caliber muzzle accessories ‒ flash suppressors, muzzle brakes, and sound suppressors ‒ to be installed.
The Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle features a matte black oxide alloy steel barrel and receiver on a black laminate stock with sling swivel studs and checkered grip and forearm. A soft rubber recoil pad, with three 1/2” spacers allows the length of pull to be adjusted and allow the rifle to be properly sized for different shooters, or to give the shooter the proper fit with outerwear or defensive gear of varying thickness. With its compact size and weighing in at just under seven pounds, the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle combines ease of carry and shooting for the serious Scout Rifle enthusiast.
The rifleʼs trigger guard and magazine well are formed with glass-reinforced nylon. The magazine release is a push-forward Mini-14 paddle just ahead of the trigger guard. Rugerʼs Gunsite Scout rifle is engraved on the grip cap of the laminated, weather resistant stock, and the receiver is roll-marked “Ruger Gunsite Scout”, commemorating the collaboration of Ruger with Gunsite Academy, Americaʼs oldest private firearms training facility.
As they say, beware the man with one gun, for he probably knows how to use it. Never has this been more true than with the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle, the one rifle to have if you could only have one. It is the perfect lightweight, hard-hitting, do-it-all bolt-action rifle - where rugged, reliable Ruger meets the practical, tactical.
