Help me decide: Ruger Gunsite Scout or Mini 30 or...?

[Nick5811]

Hey all;

I'm looking for some thoughts regarding these firearms. I know they are different and I should get ______ gun instead. First, here is some background:

I have an AR in 5.56 which I am in process of building featurelessly. I have a .270 bolt action hunting rifle, and a .22lr GSG.

I want something in a larger yet common caliber that I can potentially hunt with. I really like the concept behind the scout rifle, though I think semi-auto would be preferred. I considered an M1A scout squad, but it is out of my price range. I was not impressed with what I learned about the M1 Carbine.

Of course I'm concerned about future gun control legislation/registration/confiscation since it is apparently in the works and underway. Finally, I think that a bolt action rifle is going to be perceived as 'less dangerous' and less likely to be ruled illegal and taken from me.

I was considering an AK-style rifle, but I'm not sure if I want to deal with the headache or potential for confiscation/buybacks/arrest-till-proven-innocent. I think the mini 30 is a fair compromise, but I don't know that the effective range is going to be where I want it to be. I'm also concerned about the lack of availability of parts (magazines, extractors, etc). On the other hand, a gun that will shoot cheap, readily available 7.62x39 would be preferable to the more expensive .308 round.

I'm currently leaning toward the bolt gun, and I definitely don't have the money for both.

Suggestions?

[robcoe]

A couple options,

Just between the 2, I would take the scout rifle.

If you want a common caliber semi-auto to hunt with that won't run into any likely AW rules and doesn't cost as much as a new M1A, maybe look at an M1 Garand(much different than the carbine, and a blast on their own, and you can get .30-06 ammo for around $140-$170 per 270 round can)

another option you might want to consider is a new upper for your AR. A .300 blk(not as common a round, but it's parent case is the .223/5.56 so it uses all the same parts as your current 5.56 setup, just with a new barrel) round comes close to the performance of a .30-30, and there are also 7.62x39 uppers available.

[castgold]

I almost got the Gunsight Scout after I decided against the Steyr Scout. The bolt in the Ruger I handled at a local gun range was a little sticky, and it was a rental. I've decided to go with a longer barreled bolt gun for now, but may reconsider the Gunsight Scout at a later time if I need a ranch gun.

[CessnaDriver]

The bolts on Scouts are sometimes known to need a break in period, just work the action frequently. That was the case with mine. Some may complain that other rifles do not need this, but given the price point of other scout rifles, it's nothing to complain about.
I love mine and I think you will find that a common sentiment.

[ScottsBad]

If you want to hunt with it the 7.62x39 and the 300 Blk would NOT be my choice. The ballistics of these rounds are not optimum for hunting. You already have a .270, this is a fine round for most hunting.

The Ruger Scout is a nice rifle especially for the money. The .308 round is fairly effective for hunting and is readily available in many ballistic configurations. The real advantages of the Scout are the 10 round magazines, the short overall length, and the forward rail. This makes the Scout a great survival and defensive rifle as well as a decent hunting rifle IMHO.

So, if you are looking for an all around rifle the Scout may be for you.

[Nick5811]

I went to Big 5 the other day and checked out these guns. The Mini30 was $899 for the synthetic/stainless version, though I would prefer the wood/blued version. They also had a GSR for $889 regular price ($100 less than a local gunshop I was going to buy it from).

They had steel cased ammo at $8/box of 20 in 7.62x39 (and NO .22 bricks, nor .223 boxes). .308 ammo was like $18/box for the cheaper stuff.

Gunbroker had a killer deal on a mini 30 with like 10 20-round magazines, a hogue stock, the original stock, and aftermarket ghost rings for like $1000. It had a 2004-era serial number on it though, and would require dealing with an FFL/shipping/being used/etc.

I think I still want the GSR more than the mini 30, the big problem is the potential of losing out on the opportunity to buy one (like I did with the original AR ban). I think I'll have to wait until after Christmas and see what I get

[Gem1950]

GSR

[Gavelek]

just got the Ruger Scout and I love it, I am kind of short so it perfectly fits me, put a good scope on it and enjoy shooting 100 and 200 getting good grouping, not that I am so good but the gun is so easy to handle, no problem with the bolt, found it smooth, can shoot standing and move fast without taking gun off my arm. Magazine is kind of tough to load at first, but I got used to it, got a great deal at Big Five, I have friendly managers there, and they always give me a price break. Good luck and have a great holiday shooting.