Range Trip - 5/26/2022

A busy range trip today.  I ran through my 4 major platforms today:  22LR Ruger Precision, .223 Ruger American Rifle Predator, Savage 110 Tactical in .308 and my carry Glock 17.  180 rounds total, I was down a total of 9 rounds across all the platforms for a 171/180 or a total of 95%.  I’ll take it!

Let talk about the rifles first.  My intention with the 3 different calibers is to build a viable Designated Marksman program for small police departments.  The majority of the range work is completed with the 22LR Ruger Precision and is used to develop and maintain the basics of marksman ship at a considerably lower cost that say doing all the work with a .308.  The cost difference is $.11 for 22LR vs $2.15 for a Hornady 168 Grain ELD Match cartridge.  The DM can send 19 rounds downrange for every 1 Match cartridge.  Quite a difference. 

 That said, the DM must work through the larger caliber round and the recoil mitigation as well.  To do that, I encourage a substantial amount of work in a .223 Cartridge.  I have chosen the Ruger American Rifle – Predator.  This offers more recoil, offers an “easier reach” out to 100 yards and still costs substantially less that a .308 Match Cartridge.

 Still, the DM must end up at the actual rifle use for the DM function and I’ve chosen the Savage 110 Tactical with a Vortex 7x Scout Scope.  Data shows that the average distance for such an engagement is 51 yards.  This rifle/scope combination is more than up for the task.

 As an aside, for this trip I used either a bipod or a bag for the front rest and a simple palm hold for the rear – no rear bag on this trip.  Honestly, I saw little change in performance for the trip.

 Still, you have to periodically test yourself on the range with these platforms and that’s what I did today.  I began with the 50 Yard, 12-Target, target and a 5-round engagement with the 22LR Ruger Precision on the first 10 targets.  A “hit” is a round within or touching the 2” circle.  Passing is a 90%, I shot a 96 – I’ll take it.  For a DM these targets should be shot weekly – 50 rounds a week.

Next was a switch to LETargets SEB target and the Ruger American Rifle – Predator in .223 with a Vortex Crosfire II scope.  A total of 40 rounds were fired.   Passing is 90%, I shot a 100%.  More than pleased.

 

The final rifle was the Savage 110 Tactical in .308.  I used a front bag here.  A total of 40 rounds were fired.  Passing is 90%, I dropped 1 round for a 97.5%.

 

The last firearm exercised was my Glock 17 defensive carry gun.  I ran a box through it.  The first 5 rounds were fired from a High Compressed Ready position – the remaining 45 rounds were with a draw from concealment.  The first 45 rounds were fired from a distance of approximately 7 yards, the last 5 were from approximately 10 yards into the pelvic girdle box.  Passing is 80%, I shot an 88%.  Again, I’ll accept that.

 

So my take aways from today.  I believe the results verified that consistent and solid work with the 22LR Ruger Precision does, indeed, help maintain a solid foundational skill set.  And, that skill set carries forward to larger caliber platforms like the .223 and the .308.  Either the Ruger American Rifle – Predator or the Savage 110 Tactical in .308 would make a viable Designated Marksman rifle with the final nod being given to the Savage because its larger caliber, the ability to “punch through” more barriers and it’s compact carbine format with a Scout Scope providing good visibility for the DM and his/her environment.

 Maintaining such a perishable skill set simply requires time and consistent effort.  For the officer who chooses this role, given the budgetary limitations many departments struggle with – I believe the use of the 22LR with intermittent confirmation with their actual DM rifle is a solid option.  Of course, the cost of the 22LR rifle and ammunition will typically be on the officer’s shoulders.  That said, at a on going cost of about $11 per box - $44 per month – I believe this falls within the realm of possibility for a DM to fund his/her own training costs. 

 Regardless, let me know with you all think – always looking for ideas to improve things.

Commentary - Fear – the Democrat’s tool of choice

It’s a powerful emotion that can allow a person to recall a single instant in time . . . It can turn them into a quivering mass of flesh . . . It can make them cower . . . It can “change their mind” . . . it can destroy a person.  We all have such moments in our past.  A few of mine would be . . .

 That moment when my teacher said . . . “If you don’t change your behavior, I’ll call your mother!!”

• My very first homecoming dance with Susie and my mom saying something like . .  . “Do you know what you’re doing??” 
• My first rocket attack and the real realization that I was truly “in country”.
• Hearing the doctor say . . . “She has inoperable cancer; I’ll be back in a couple hours.” . . . as I slid to the floor along the wall of the waiting room.
• Hearing yet another doctor say . . . “Bill, the answer isn’t what we wanted – you have cancer!”

 These are just a few of my moments – we all have them.  A few still make me cringe as a small part of my memory curls up into a little ball.

 The raw power of fear . . .

 We have been undergoing a long-term experiment on the part of our government and most around the world about just how long fear can control a population.  We’ve gone from “Two weeks to stop the spread!” to two years . . . and no end in sight.  Rahm Emanual – Obama’s Chief of Staff – coined a fitting phrase to our current situation . . . “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”  So, what has this crisis wrought through the actions of our government?  Here’s a few of things.

         ·       “Mandatory” vaccination with an experimental vaccine.

·       A “get the jab or loose the job” atmosphere.
·       Lockdowns that have destroyed whole segments of the economy.
·       The idea of “vaccine passports”.  Yellow stars anyone?
·       A separation of our population in “vaxers” and “antivaxers”.
·       Mandatory mask mandates with masks that make virtually no difference in our ability       to inhale or pass on the virus.
·       Losses of doctors, nurses, police officers, fire fighters, military members simply                 because they refuse to take the vaccine or because they will prescribe certain               medicines.   Numbers are running as high as 25%.
·       The replacing of science with superstition.  Viable medical mitigation is replaced by a        single, solitary phrase . . . “Get the shot!”
·       In some countries – Australia comes to mind – a true, fascist system of governance       has emerged based solely around trying to “manage” covid that goes so far as to           authorize police to shoot their citizens with rubber bullets should they be found outside their homes and mask-less.

 

What began as a “fear the virus” approach to controlling the populace has evolved into a “fear your government” movement.  If you disobey your government will take away your job, confine you to your home and condemn you to a life of poverty. As Joe said . . . “We’ve been patient, now get the shot!”  The “fear” that we responded to initially has been successfully transferred to our government bodies.  And sadly, our society has been going along with this “we are the mighty and powerful OZ” routine of folks like Biden, DeBlasio, Cuomo, Witmer, Newsome, Inslee, Murphy, Pritzker . . . to name just a few, for nearly two years.  These folks now decide if you work, when you work, where you work, where you eat . . . by simple fiat.

 Large gatherings are carefully monitored as well and “winners” and “losers” are chosen.  In the leadup to the 2020 elections cities burned – Chicago, New York, Portland, Seattle, Atlanta and more.  Billions in damage.  We were told . . . “tut tut, it’s understandable with all the racism”.  Millions in damages to DC were simply justified as being “understandable” and were written off – no arrests.  Then, “magically”, with Trump’s declared loss . . . all the concerns went away and the majority of the “troubles” simply disappeared. Until the infamous January 6^th “insurrection”.  You know the one, where those evil Trump supporters stormed the capital – through barricades removed by the capital police, through the doors opened by the capital police and through windows broken by government operatives.  Amazingly, except for these few broken windows, no damage was done to the capital . . . none, zero, zip . . . yet this has been declared an event greater than 9/11.   Only a single life was lost – an unarmed veteran was murdered by a Capital Policeman.  And yet, the administration has used this event mercilessly to show that if you stand against them, the FBI, the DOJ and every other governmental agency will hunt you, jail you and forget about you.  Have any come to trial?  No.  Have any trial dates been set? NO.  Have they been beaten and abused in prison? Yes.  Just one more lesson of this whole saga . . . OBEY!!!

 So, what does this all mean to us as a nation?  Nothing good.  It means those in power have little to no respect for you.  It means that the words you say, the positions you take, the policies you expect, the Constitution you revere mean nothing to them.  You might gain some traction if you go “all in” with the new regime but only so long as you are “all in”, so long as you are in agreement with their path, so long as you are obedient – otherwise you are just one of the unwashed.

 It means that this administration and its minions across the country simply DO NOT FEAR YOU!  Period.  You are chaff in the wind, a speck of dust to be brushed aside.  All that stuff about a Representative Government guided by the Constitution is a thing of the past.  Our future lies with the rule of an all-knowing and all-powerful central government.  Our future lies in Marxism.

 This path, this direction, this fondness for ultimate and complete power must end!  They must be taught to fear you.  They must be reminded that THEY are in service to YOU, and not the other way around.  They must be confronted, resisted, challenged, questioned and removed and replaced.   As the phrase goes – “We can do this the easy way . . . or the hard way!”

I’m hoping for the best.

Review - Savage 110 Scout Rifle - Evaluation Review

 

I picked up my 110 Scout in March of this year.  I then chose and mounted the “furniture” and did a preliminary range trip to zero it.  That, and the purpose of choosing this particular rifle and it’s “job” were covered in my post -  ” Review – The Savage 110 Scout Rifle in 308”.    Since that time I’ve spent time becoming comfortable with it and coming up with a course of fire to fully evaluate the 110 Scout for its real job – that of a Designated Marksman.

Let’s work through my overall impressions first.  This is probably the “lightest” shooting .308 I’ve ever handled.  Much of that is due to its weight – 9.72 pounds.  That’s well over LtCol Cooper’s desired weight of 6.6 to 7.7 pounds for a Scout Rifle.  And to Savage’s “AccuStock” with an adjustable comb and a “plush” butt plate adds to its ability to reduce the recoil of the 110.  The trigger breaks consistently and cleanly at 3.5 pounds.  While it’s adjustable, I’ve left it at its factory setting.

I installed the Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32 Scout scope, a forward mounted, low power variable optic.  While I did notice the oft complained about blurring on full power along the outer edges of the image, it did not affect the effectiveness of the optic at all.  The longer eye relief enhances the ability of the shooter to keep both eyes open to evaluate their immediate surrounds while still being able to quickly and accurately engage a threat.

The bolt was smooth and easy to run and the top mounted safety immediately below the rear of the bolt was simple to operate and allows quick confirmation of the condition of the rifle.

I’ve employed VTAC slings for a number of years and it felt “at home” to me on this rifle.  While most Scout rifles seem to be carried either American or African carry, I carry it slung over my head and with my support side arm through the sling.  My reasoning is that should you need to transition to a sidearm you can simply “drop” the Scout and get on with business.  If a person would choose American or African carry you would either have to engage a threat dominant side only or you would literally have to drop the rifle.  Neither represent a good choice in my opinion.

Next has been simply sending “rounds down range” and getting familiar with “running the gun”.  It has operated flawlessly though admittedly I am just nudging 500 rounds.  Not too high a volume but enough for me to begin to get a feel for the 110 overall.  Frankly, I like it!  It just feels nice in my hand, on my shoulder and it’s just satisfying to experience its accuracy and how it runs.

 

I’m not much for putting holes in paper.  My only exception is my 50 yard “working” target to work on my fundamental shooting skills with my .22 trainer, a Ruger Precision in .22 long rifle.  A box of quality .22 ammunition is always part of a range trip with a goal of around 150 rounds per month.  My main argument for this is that if a shooter can’t shoot a ½ inch-ish group consistently (5 rounds on each 2 inch target) then why waste a $1.50 round for your .308?  Master and maintain the fundamentals and then send a couple 20 rounds boxes of quality .308 downrange per month to maintain the skillset with your .308 – be it a scout rifle or a precision rifle.  Obviously that dynamic can change by going all in on reloading . . . but you can get a tremendous amount of good work done with a good .22 long rifle.  For range work I shoot either Eley Club or Winchester T22 with good results.

 

The use of a .22 trainer is, in my opinion, a great use of time while you continue to refine your position, your use of bags, your use of various support, your standard positions, how you grip your rifle, where you position your trigger finger, your trigger press and follow through.  All the little things that go into making an accurate shot.

 

But, but . . . does all that work transition to a larger caliber rifle?

 

The only way to resolve that is to, again, do the work on the range. 

 

I put together a 40-round course of fire to evaluate just where I am shooting wise with my rifles.  I do this against a LETarget’s SEB target and my primary distance is 50 yards.  Why?? Because a study of police involved engagements by LEO Snipers found that the average distance of their shots was 51 yards.  I did push this COF out to 100 yards as well, I’ll discuss that separately in a bit.  So the following is my recommended COF.

Evaluation Course of Fire

1:  5 Rounds - #1

2:  5 Rounds - #2

3:  6 Rounds - #3 Accelerated Pairs

4:  5 Rounds – Head

5:  15 Rounds – Failure Drill x5

6:  4 Rounds - #4

Total Rounds = 40

 

The limited round count is simply because of expense.  Obviously reloading can greatly reduce these costs yet to simply work on raw mechanics it’s very hard to beat $11 for a 50-round box of Eley Club ammunition.  That allows me to get considerably more range time while keeping my costs down – provided that the skills transfer from the .22 Trainer to the 110 Scout.  Do they?

 

 

While I varied the mix just a tad you can see that for 40 rounds, I was down zero.  In my scoring approach you need to be within a defined target element or touching the element’s outline.  This specific target was my very first “formal” range trip with the Scout 110.  Honestly, I was quite pleased.

 

Again, due to simply the cost of ammunition, I have also integrated a .223 “trainer” into my rotation in the form of a Ruger American Rifle – Predator in .223.  For both the Savage and the Ruger I am fond of PMCs X-TAC round in .308, 147GR and .223 62gr.  I push that rifle out of 100 yards regularly and the following target with the above COF yielded a range trip score of 90%.  I find it’s a nice intermediate step up between the .22 and the .308.  I use the same SEB target for the .223 that I do for the .308.

 

So . . . how did it go with the Ruger Predator in .223?

All of the rounds went to their desired location with the exception of 4 rounds of the head shots.  So, dropping 4 rounds yields a 90% - right at where I want to be.

So how does this 50 yard work with the .22 trainer, the 50 yard work with the Savage Scout 110 and the 100 yard work with the Ruger Predator in .223 translate to 100 yard work with the Savage 110 Scout Rifle?  Let's take a look.

The first 5 rounds went into #1.  The Cold Bore shot and its follow-up are labeled.  I do this on each and every trip.  All 5 rounds fell within a 3 ½ “ circle at 100 yards.  After that, the misses are strictly on me.  I threw two on #2, two on the Accelerated Pairs box - #3 and then five on the head box.  The most difficult rounds on the head were five from the Failure Drill (two rounds high center mass, one head shot) though a photo taken between the original five to the head and the Failure Drill show that I missed three of the first five and two from the Failure Drill.  Total misses – 10 for a score of 75%.  80% is passing from my POV so not real good for my first 100 yard range trip.  Heavy sigh.

 

However, as an evaluation of the rifle, I am afraid I need to split the “fault” at about 1% rifle and 99% shooter which I find is typically the case.  The accelerated pairs and the Failure Drill took their toll which comes down to continued work on my gun handling skills regarding the Savage 110 Scout Rifle.

 

That said, since the data would indicate that the majority of the work that would be done by a Designated Marksman happens at around 50 yards, the first 50 yard target would indicate that the Savage 110 Scout is more than capable of getting the job done should the need arise if it’s in the hands of a trained officer.

 

Am I satisfied with this rifle?  Absolutely.  As I said earlier it’s the “lightest” shooting .308 I’ve encountered.  Its trigger is VERY nice and when combined with the Vortex Cross Fire II LPVO it makes a potent package.  Does it fit my parameters as a rifle for a Designated Marksman for Law Enforcement – again, I find that a firm “Yes!”.  A post from that particular POV is upcoming.

 

Final lesson – there is simply no substitute for range work – realistic, consistent and rigorous range work.  I’ll roll my methods into my DM post that I am slogging through right now.  But, it doesn’t do any good to take coursework, learn a skill and then simply assume that since you “did it” once, you can do it on demand when the need is great.  Do the work.  Every month.  And, score yourself against a consistent Course of Fire so you can pick up any deficiencies that may arise and get them corrected.

 

Simply put . . . Do The Work.

 

Review - Ruger Wrangler .22LR

 

There are many things that, in my mind, I NEED . . . another gun really isn’t on the list.  Yet, there it was, in the case sitting atop its box.  A brand-new Ruger Wrangler .22LR pistol. 

 “WALK AWAY!!!  WALK AWAY!!!”  My mind yelled . . . as I filled out the paperwork and passed across my legal tender . . . going out the door the proud owner of what has quickly become one of Ruger’s most popular firearms, the Wrangler.

 

Its specs are solid and listed below.  It’s fit in my hand was very comfortable and satisfying.  And it’s suggested  MSRP of $249 puts it within the range of virtually anyone.  The pricing I am seeing in stores in my area is right at $200. 

 Grips - Checkered Synthetic

Capacity - 6

Front Sight - Blade

Barrel Length - 4.62"

Cylinder Frame Finish - Plum Brown Cerakote®

Cylinder Frame Material - Aluminum Alloy

Rear Sight - Integral

Overall Length - 10.25"

Weight - 30 oz.

Twist - 1:14" RH

Grooves - 6

 If you compare the finish of the Wrangler to Ruger’s Single Six you’ll notice that rather than a polished and blued frame the frame of the Wrangler - as well as the barrel -  has a Cerakote finish and is made of and aluminum alloy.  This reduces weight as well as cost.  That said, the cylinder and the cold-hammer forged barrel are still made from a carbon steel alloy ensuring the Wrangler’s accuracy and durability. 

 A transfer bar safety and a loading gate interlock ensures a high degree of safety if the Wrangler is dropped and does not allow the hammer to be cocked if the loading gate is open.

 The Checkered grips provides a great surface that provides a solid surface for a reliable grip on the Wrangler.

 There are no adjustable sights.  The rear sight is a groove milled down the top of the frame and the front sight is a simple blade.  The surface of the milled groove and the front sight are the same color and that made picking up a solid “sight alignment” and “sight picture” difficult for me.  It became easier as I worked through my range session simply because I became used to the firearm – but it took real focus to pick them both up.  I’ll see how that goes as time goes on.

 Loading was simple and easy though the fit of the cartridge was snug.  When ejecting spent casings, the ejector rod was necessary for each chamber.  In one chamber for one round, I had to tap on the rod a bit with my Leatherman Juicer to dislodge the casing.  In looking at the casing it was a bit deformed along a part of the rim.  No idea why and it was not repeated during this session.

 The size of the Wrangler is the same as the Single Six so the same holsters can be used.  For me I purchased a DeSantis “Wild Hog” holster and am very happy with the fit.

 So how does this little fella do on accuracy??? 

 I posted one of my custom targets.  It has three 4” targets with a 1” center dot on each.  I shot a total of 24 rounds on each target.  One set of 24 was from 3 yards, one for 7 yards and the final set was at 10 yards.  A “hit” was within or touching the target’s edge.  A total of 72 rounds.  I dropped 2 rounds for a score of 97% . . . I’ll take it.

  

So where does this SA pistol fit in the scheme of things??  I would put it solidly in the “plinker” category.  I don’t believe there would be real value in it for hunting small game – say squirrels or rabbits.  I do not see it as a defensive firearm either though as the saying goes . . . “Any gun is better than no gun!”.  But, if you just want something to plink with – steel, cans, different target shapes, spinners, blocks across the ground – I think the Wrangler fills that square just fine.  In fact, I had originally though I’d just run one cylinder on each target.  But the darn thing was just so much fun to shoot I ended up running 4 on each target.

 It’s a fun and satisfying pistol to shoot.  If you’re looking for just such a handgun, I will gladly point you towards the Ruger Wrangler .22LR

Review – The Savage 110 Scout Rifle in 308

 So just what is a “Scout Rifle”?? 

 

Well the short answer is something like . . . “If you could pick up just one firearm as you were going out the door – a firearm that can do everything from defending your family to putting food on the table – what would it look like?

 Past that . . . just what is a “Scout”?

 Over history these were the trail blazers, the person that went first, evaluated what was coming and informed those that were following him just what to expect.  What kind of firearm would a scout use? 

 And in military organizations these were people who spent most of their time in the field, evaluating the enemy, evaluating the route that was being taken.  They could be operating in virtually any type of terrain, for long periods of time and may well need to act decisively to defend themselves should the need arise.  What kind of firearm would a military scout use?

 In the early 1990 Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper took up the task of bringing such a firearm to life.  It was one of his passions for the remainder of his life.  In general, it had several characteristics:

·        Overall length of 39 inches or less

·        Unloaded weight – including optic and sling – 6.6 to 7.7 pounds

·        Magazine fed

·        Bolt action

·        Forward mounted low power scope

·        Ghost ring auxiliary iron sights

·        A “Ching” Sling

·        Chambered in .308 Winchester or 7mm-08 Remington

·        Accuracy of 2MOA at 200 Yards for a 3-round group (4 inches)

So why did I go in search of one??  Honestly, I’m not a “gun guy” in that I purchase a firearm for a purpose and not because of the “coolness factor” or as an item for a collection.  I had a specific purpose to look for a Scout rifle.  During a conversation with a fellow trainer I was asked if I thought I could put together a “Designated Marksman” set of coursework.  My response was . . . sure, depending on what you mean by the words “Designated Marksman”.  In this particular case it meant coursework for a small core of officers that would be able to respond quickly with a firearm that was a larger caliber than a handgun or the typical 5.56 patrol rifle that had more stopping power. 

 The Designated Marksman fits – at least in law enforcement IMHO – between the patrol officer that is trained on a patrol carbine and a SWAT Sniper.  The job was recently demonstrated to me by a video of an officer intervening in the taking of a child from a car.  The officer  exited his vehicle, took a supported position behind the squad’s door with the window down and quickly and accurately engaged the threat, ran to and rescued the child and took them to safety.  Quick, smooth and decisive.  It implied much about the training of the officer and his ability to respond with his patrol rifle.

The SWAT sniper is typically trained for a much broader range of tasks and at greater distances.  The reality though is that per a 2005 study of 897 law enforcement SWAT sniper engagements over a 20-year period the average range of engagement was 51 yards.  The typical round used was a .308 with a 168-grain Match King bullet.  The longest engagement that was documented was 187 yards.

 Given this data, could a Scout Rifle with Cooper’s designated specifications provide a viable option for officers tasked with the assignment of Designated Marksman?  Answering that question became my reasoning for the purchase of a “Scout Rifle” that closely matched Lt. Col. Cooper’s specifications. 

 During my research I narrowed my search to two versions – the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle and the Savage 110 Scout Rifle.  Availability made my decision for me.  After months of finding empty shelves across the country a friend of mine who owns a gun store in Texas found a fellow dealer who has a single solitary Savage 110 Scout Rifle in .308 in stock . . . SOLD!!!

Of course there is always “furniture” that goes with this kind of purchase regardless of which rifle I purchased.

My scope of choice was the Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32 Scout scope.  What sets it apart from traditional scopes is its long eye relief – nearly 10 inches.  Contrary to Cooper’s standard it is not fixed but provides a smooth transition from 2 to 7 power.  It has a simple V-Plex reticle.

 

To mount the scope, I used Vortex’s Pro Series Rings in MEDIUM height . . . and that’s important . . . medium height.  To tighten the rings to the scope and the picatinny rail I used a Wheeler Firearms Accurizing Torque Wrench.  16 inch/pounds on the scope mount side and 30 inch/pounds on the rail side.  It’s worth it to purchase this type of wrench to ensure that you scope is securely mounted.  I’ve just seen a bunch of folks that zero their gun only to discover that their mount is loose at some point.  Spend the money, do it right.

For a sling I am very fond of Larry Vickers slings.  His quick adjust slings just can not be beat.  He has a couple different configurations but for this rifle I chose the Viking Tactics VATC 2 point sling.  This allows for a quick adjustment to tighten it to your body should you need to transition to your sidearm.

The swivels I used to attach the sling to the sling points were a pair of Braudel 1.25 Tri-Lock Sling Swivels.  On an important note, make sure you use some BLUE LocTite on the threads.  If you don’t, I absolutely promise they will come loose, and you will find yourself with one end of the sling swinging in the air.

Let’s see how the Savage 110 Scout Rifle matches up with Cooper’s desires.

·        Overall length of 38.5 inches

·        Unloaded weight – including optic and sling – 9.72 pounds

·        Magazine fed

·        Bolt action

·        Forward mounted low power scope

·        Ghost ring auxiliary iron sights

·        Viking Tactics VTAC Original 2 Point Sling

·        Chambered in .308 Winchester or 7mm-08 Remington

·        Accuracy of 2MOA at 200 Yards for a 3-round group (4 inches)

We’ll chat about the accuracy in a bit.  We meet the specifications with the exception of weight – we blew that by nearly 2 pounds on the high side.  And, what I found was that none . . . absolutely none of the “Scout Rifles” met them all.  Lt. Col. Cooper never found one that fully met all his expectations – even the one developed for him, with him by Steyer.  Such is life, compromise is all things.

 The Savage 110 Scout has a couple of very nice features – an adjustable Comb on the stock and an adjustable length of pull via butt plate inserts.  Both are easily installed.  For me I left it as is out of the box.  These are known as their AccuFit and AccuStock feature.

It also comes with a 10 round AICS-style detachable box magazine.

 It comes with the Savage AccuTrigger that is adjustable from 2.5# to 6#.  The pull weight measured 3.5# out of the box and I have left it there.

 A Williams rear sight is provided giving the shooter either a small diameter hole as a peep site or a larger diameter opening providing a rear ghost ring.  The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation.  The front site is a crisp center post with protective wings on either side.

 

A large and effective flash hider is mounted via 5/8x24# threaded muzzle making it suppressor ready.  The design also offered a fair amount of recoil relief as well.

Zeroing the Savage 110 Scout proved fairly simple.  I am fond of an initial 10y zero.  I bagged the Scout with Armageddon Gear’s “Game Changer” in the front and a small bag in the back.  The round I was shooting was a PMC 147gr X-TAC .  BC 0.402  2800 fps.  Running it through the JBM ballistics calculator the drop at 10 yards for a 200 yard zero is right at 1 inch.  When doing a 200 yard zero on a 100 yard range with this specific cartridge, the scope needs to be adjusted to impact 1.9 inches high on the target. 

 I placed the target, removed the bolt, bagged the rifle and sighted down the barrel.  I positioned the center of the target in the barrel and then adjusted the windage and elevation to put the crosshairs in the center of the target.  I reinstalled the bolt and sent the first round down range.  As you can see by the target, by the 4^th round I was 1 inch “low”.

 

Pushing out to 100 yards I polished the zero and then shot two more rounds of 5 each to confirm.  At this point I called the Scout 110 “zeroed”.

I shot a final box of 20 rounds on 5 targets, each 3” in diameter, 4 rounds per target.  These were my “official” evaluation rounds to see how well the Scout 110 was shooting.  The average group size was right at 2.5” – which I’ll lay in my lap.  I expect that once I am more comfortable with the gun and the scope, these groups will tighten up.  That said, the gun is rated as a 2MOA firearm.  Other evaluations I read, depending on the ammunition they were using, ran around 1.5”.  So I’ll take what I got and then work on my mechanics as well as finding a load that will shoot better.

 

Just a quick though on accuracy and precision.  Precision revolves around small, consistent sized groups.  Accuracy revolves around putting those groups where you want them.  Being able to be precise and accurate is dependent on the gun, the shooter and a very consistent round.  The most commonly used sniper cartridge is the 168 grain match grade round.  Regardless of the round, it is incumbent on a Designated Marksman to fully understand how his/her weapon responds to the specific cartridge and bullet weight.  That chosen round, and that chosen round alone is what the shooter should practice with.  I’ll do another post addressing the mechanics of actually shooting which I consider to be essentially the same regardless the rifle or round.

 So, to sum things up, I’m pleased with the performance the Scout 110 so far.  I’ve not sent near enough rounds down range yet, but first blush it’s very promising as a solid choice for a DM role in the law enforcement community.  I’ll have more thoughts by the end of the summer.

 Comments and questions are always welcome, just leave them below.

Links that may be of interest to you . . . 

A Brief History Of The Scout Rifle - AmmoMan School of Guns Blog

Cooper's Scout Rifle - A (Literally) Fantastic Gun -The Firearm Blog

A History Of The Steyr Scout

110 Scout | Hunting and Target Rifle | Savage Arms

History of Lt Col Jeff Cooper - Gunsite Academy

The Scout Rifle ⋆ Home Defense Gun

SWAT Snipers - Special Units - POLICE Magazine

Shooting Illustrated | Review: Savage Arms 110 Scout Rifle

GUNS Magazine Savage Arms 110 Scout - GUNS Magazine

JBM Ballistics Calculator