Scout rifle

Scout rifles are typically bolt-action carbines chambered for .308 Winchester/7.62×51mm, with an overall length of no more than 39 inches (991 millimetres), with a barrel of 19 inches (483 millimetres) or shorter, and less than 7 pounds (3 kilograms) in weight, with both iron and optical sights and fitted with practical slings (such as Ching slings) for shooting and carrying, and capable of reliably hitting man-sized targets out to 500 yards (457 metres) without telescopic sights.

Typically they employ forward-mounted, low-power long-eye relief (LER) scopes or iron sights to afford easy access to the top of the rifle action for rapid manual reloading.

"[5] In 1983 a conference was convened at the Cooper's Gunsite Training Center in Arizona to examine the subject of the modernization of rifle design.

[6] Drawing inspiration from several sources, specifically the 1903 Mannlicher–Schönauer and the Winchester Model 1894 carbines, Cooper defined several distinguishing characteristics of a scout rifle: These features dictated short, thin barrels, synthetic stocks, and bolt actions.

The addition of some of these features often renders the rifle technically not a scout as originally defined, but this has come to be accepted by many as still conforming to the spirit if not to the letter of the concept.

Jeff Cooper spent many years of reflection and working with Steyr before they began production built to the specifications developed.

A heavy-caliber version is chambered for the proprietary .376 Steyr cartridge, but exceeds (by approximately one inch) the overall length limit of the scout rifle specification.

[12] Savage Arms offered the Model 10FCM Scout with their adjustable AccuTrigger (allowing the owner to safely adjust trigger pull weight to anywhere between 2.5 and 6.0 lb (1,100 and 2,700 g) without the need of a gunsmith), black synthetic AccuStock with aluminum spine and three-dimensional bedding cradle, a 20.5 in (520 mm) free-floating button-rifled barrel, oversized bolt knob for rapid manipulation of the bolt, ghost ring rear sight, forward scope mount, and detachable 4-round box magazine in either .308 Winchester or 7.62×39mm with a total weight of 6.75 lb (3.06 kg) and an overall length of 39.75 in (1,010 mm).

Sturm, Ruger & Co. offered several M77 Mark II Frontier rifles in stainless steel in various chamberings from varmint to heavy game all featuring a non-rotating, Mauser-type controlled-feed extractor and a fixed blade-type ejector.

[10] The rifle features a matte black receiver, a 16.5 in (420 mm) cold-hammer forged alloy steel barrel, a forward mounted picatinny rail, a 3, 5 or 10-round detachable box magazine, a flash suppressor, an adjustable ghost-ring rear iron sight, a polymer trigger guard, and a black laminate wood stock with length-of-pull spacers.