{"id":18787,"date":"2019-07-28T14:16:01","date_gmt":"2019-07-28T19:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportsfirings.com\/?p=18787"},"modified":"2019-07-29T08:38:40","modified_gmt":"2019-07-29T13:38:40","slug":"gratuitous-gun-porn-5-in-a-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sportsfirings.com\/?p=18787","title":{"rendered":"Gratuitous gun porn (#5 in a series)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I finally have my Scout rifle set up almost the way I want it.<\/p>\n

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Savage Model 11 Scout, Burris 2-7×32 Scout Scope. Ching Sling from Andy’s Leather<\/a>. Scout Rifle Study<\/a><\/strong> by Richard Mann.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Now I just need to get out to the range and zero the scope. I have three different weights of .308 to try in the Scout so I can see what groups best (within my own limits as a marksman). I’d also like to get some accurate velocity figures from the 18″ muzzle, but I need a ballistic chronograph for that. (A most generous friend, who shall remain nameless because I don’t want everyone and his brother hitting him up for favors, has offered to loan me one.)<\/p>\n

If I can get the rifle sighted in where I’d like it, and get accurate muzzle velocity figures, I can start putting together a dope card<\/a> for the combination of rifle, scope and ammo. That’s pretty much the only piece of the puzzle I’m missing. <\/p>\n

One other problem, though, is that Texas summer heat is just sucking the motivation out of me to spend a lot of time at the range (or do much of anything beyond curl up with a good book and a tall cold glass of something with lots of ice in an air-conditioned room).<\/p>\n

I say “almost the way I want it” because there’s two things I’m missing, but that don’t really affect my ability to shoot the Scout.<\/p>\n

Thing #1: I’d like to get some more magazines beyond the single five rounder that came with it. I’ve been looking around and have emailed Savage, but the magazines for the Model 11, and Savage magazines in general, seem kind of expensive.<\/p>\n

Thing #2: I’m been thinking about a bipod. The Steyr Scout<\/a> comes with an integrated one that looks nice and adds minimal weight, but I’ve heard that it is fragile. I know I can get bipods that attach to the front sling swivel, but I kind of want to keep the swivel free for carry purposes. And I’m not sure how much I’d really use a bipod, to be honest: it feels like something that’s nice to have, and might be useful if I was set up in a blind waiting for feral hogs, but would get in the way (and ugly and heavy up the gun) for other types of hunting.<\/p>\n

I was pretty much going to blow off the bipod until I saw these<\/a> in a Brownells email. This looks like a good compromise: get a gunsmith to put a short Picatinny rail on the underside of the fore-end, and I can take the bipod off and throw it in a backpack with spare mags, ammo, and other crap when I don’t need it. If I do need it, it snaps right back on.<\/p>\n

(If I did this, I’d probably also ask the smith to glass bed the stock. I’ve noticed the fore-end flexibility problem that AR<\/strong> points out in their review<\/a>, and I don’t think glass bedding is that expensive or will add that much weight.)<\/p>\n

The really funny thing, now that I have it mostly set up (well, funny to me, anyway) is that Savage no longer makes the Model 11 Scout. It’s been replaced in their lineup by the Model 110 Scout<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Am I thinking about upgrading? Not really. If you look at the Model 11, Model 110, and the Steyr Scout side by side by side, and compare them against Cooper’s definition<\/a> of the Scout (which changed often, but this one seems to be most consistent):<\/p>\n