Ruger Frontier?

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I have seen pictures of these but never handled one. Seems like a great idea, with the scout scope short barrel and all. Was a little disappointed to learn that these have been discontinued, why? Was it simply because the idea failed to catch on, or are there serious design flaws? Would like to try and find a used one in 308, (maybe 358) any opinions?

[longhorn]

I think perhaps that Col. Cooper just never managed to convince enough people of the usefulness of the scout rifle. I've owned 3, and liked them, but they're nontraditional, and too many people seem to think they need a 12x scope and a 900 yard rifle. Scouts are for killing game at usual ranges, not benchresting. I'd like to own a Steyr Scout. Can't imagine there's any problem with Ruger's version.

[chickenstripe]

I originally bought one for my wife in 7mm-08. Loaded up some rounds, and that rifle would put any bullet weight/powder combination into about an inch at 100yds. Loaded with a reciever mounted 2-7X scope it weighs around 7.5lbs, an absolute joy to carry in the woods. My wife is a great shot with this rifle, 200yd steel plate, 10" diameter is a 8 out of 10 certainty, off-hand (she scares it really well with the other 2).

I like it so much that I bought one for myself in 308 and mounted a leupold scout scope on it (it has the same boring accuracy problem), and then I saw another that I couldn't pass up, a stainless model in 358Win, which I have yet to shoot.

You can't get barn burning velocities out of them due to the 16.5" barrel, I load the 308 to equivalent 30-30 ballistics, and use 30-30 roundnose bullets. I loaded some 31141's, on a whim just to "use them up", that were undersized for my 30-30, and it put them into 2" at 100yds using H4895. Typical max velocities for the 308 with 180gr is under 2000fps, I settled on a 170gr 30-30 bullet @ 2200fps.

I can smack a 500yd plate of 20" in diameter 99% of the time off of a bench with the 308 and 2.5X scope. I'm on the fence regarding the scout scope, it really reduces your field of view through the scope...... takes some getting used to, and requires a correct stock fit. If your cheek weld is too low it takes considerable more time to find the sight picture YMMV.

They're boring rifles but I absolutely love them. If I were going to do it again, I'd probably buy a few more of them. They were on clearance a year or so ago, you could get one in stainless for under $500 online.

I bought two of them from Mitch's Gun Shop out of Missouri.

For more info http://www.scoutrifle.org/

[376Steyr]

Keep an eye on cdnninvestments.com as they are a major distributor of discontinued firearms at close-out prices. I got my Steyr Scouts from them at fire sale prices when Steyr changed US importers several years ago.

I can't recall ever seeing a Ruger Frontier in the rack at my local gunstores. When Ruger chambered the Frontier in 300 WSM, I knew they were in "throw it against the wall and see what sticks" mode. I'm glad they at least made the attempt to make a US Scout rifle, even if they weren't sure of what they were doing.