Scout Rifle Contest

[Wade Burns]

All I know is none of you mofo’s will be using the platform I’m building off of! Trigger is on its way and stock is ordered!

 

[Jason Vincent]

traditional bolt action only - or any action?

Any

 

[Jason Vincent]

So a red dot in a forward position will be an eliminating factor?

Makes me wonder what the eye relief would be when engaging the magnification on an Elcan.

 

[Bill Mazelin]

Makes me wonder what the eye relief would be when engaging the magnification on an Elcan.

I think the eye relief would be terrible. Probably as bad as if you tried to forward mount a Trijicon ACOG.

 

[First_Focal_Plane]

Hmm - interesting thought exercise. I’m going to do some research, but will probably throw my hat in the ring.

 

[Bill Mazelin]

You have 6 months to build your version of the ultimate scout rifle. Any style, any chambering. Prove why you think yours is the best and we’ll all vote on a winner.

Post build photos in this thread if you’d like to show off your progress or keep it top secret.

You CAN have a gunsmith work on your rifle. We’ll need an accuracy report and final weight.

First prize is a free cull hunt with the FE squad and a $500 gift card to the FE store.

Second and third place don’t get shit. This is America.

Contest ends on August 28, 2026 at midnight. No late submissions. All society members will get a week to vote after the contest ends.

I’m definitely going to build something I may never financially recover from.



-JV

Question: I already acquired (by good fortune) one of the few perfect Scout Rifles, you've seen the photos. There should be a buy component to this as well.

 

[les]

Two photos of my Ruger GSR prior to mounting the current Leupold optic. This is an old Aimpoint SC-9000, 4-MOA dot. This optic now lives on a Rifle Dynamics AK-47. I don’t think Cooper was much of a red dot fan, not surprising as they were not very reliable then compared to now.

Cooper was actually complimentary about RDS and their capacity to decrease target acquisition times. With the caveat that he'd wait to see how they performed over time.

The man was a pragmatist, and was willing to change his mind and become smarter with the introduction of new and better information.

 

[jkrispies]

THIS is a great thread. I'm not going to repost my article(s), but just to say that a Zermatt Action and a Criterion Barrel make an amazing shouldered pre-fit combo. If I were doing this contest, that would be my starting point, no question.

 

[les]

Boomstick-base for my build arrived this morning... Game on....

 

[Wade Burns]

Boomstick-base for my build arrived this morning... Game on....

This is fun but will get expensive lol! I went from using my current barrel to ordering a new one lol.

 

[les]

This is fun but will get expensive lol! I went from using my current barrel to ordering a new one lol.

Yeah... It's always a hit to the wallet. So be it. I'm committed now.

 

[les]

If it's gonna hurt, may as well do it fast.

Yeah... It's always a hit to the wallet. So be it. I'm committed now.

 

[Ron Dan]

If it's gonna hurt, may as well do it fast.

Just dive in. Kill shit with it.

 

[les]

Just dive in. Kill shit with it.

Brother... I've been breaking other people's shit for a long time. Don't tease me...

 

[Matt Johnston]

I’m in with no expectation of winning. LOL

You have 6 months to build your version of the ultimate scout rifle. Any style, any chambering. Prove why you think yours is the best and we’ll all vote on a winner.....I’m definitely going to build something I may never financially recover from

-JV

This society is getting costly in both time and money! When I get hooked by an idea, it's like I'm on the hunt. I'm completely focused on the goal; time and money become fluid and abstract.
First JV got me to check the forums every hour or so for much of January with the goal of getting an FE Sangin watch. That hunt paid off to the tune of a little over $600 and I bagged what is becoming one of my favorite watches!
Now I just pretty much F'd this weekend looking at existing rifles, researching mods, and deciding which would make the best scout rifle. I rinally realized I'd be better off starting from scratch. I saved two possible donor candidates from mods that might have compromised them.
Then I convinced myself that this was a great excuse to buy a rifle I really didn't need, and set it up to my ideal scout rifle. I searched and found a good deal on a starting point gun. This is going to cost me more than the watch....2x..3x?
Does anyone else feel like JV's puppet!?

 

[les]

This society is getting costly in both time and money! When I get hooked by an idea, it's like I'm on the hunt. I'm completely focused on the goal; time and money become fluid and abstract.
First JV got me to check the forums every hour or so for much of January with the goal of getting an FE Sangin watch. That hunt paid off to the tune of a little over $600 and I bagged what is becoming one of my favorite watches!
Now I just pretty much F'd this weekend looking at existing rifles, researching mods, and deciding which would make the best scout rifle. I rinally realized I'd be better off starting from scratch. I saved two possible donor candidates from mods that might have compromised them.
Then I convinced myself that this was a great excuse to buy a rifle I really didn't need, and set it up to my ideal scout rifle. I searched and found a good deal on a starting point gun. This is going to cost me more than the watch....2x..3x?
Does anyone else feel like JV's puppet!?

It's going to cost more than the watch. Bet money.

But... You get to prorate it over 6 months. So...

 

[Milo'sSyndicate]

This society is getting costly in both time and money! When I get hooked by an idea, it's like I'm on the hunt. I'm completely focused on the goal; time and money become fluid and abstract.
First JV got me to check the forums every hour or so for much of January with the goal of getting an FE Sangin watch. That hunt paid off to the tune of a little over $600 and I bagged what is becoming one of my favorite watches!

Does anyone else feel like JV's puppet!?

Embrace the great Spirit of Papa, shop for a rifle bigger (375 Ruger?) than you have, and talk to your inner...." ! Dave told him about a dream he had the night before of a black mamba with kudu horns. They thought it might be an omen. Later that day, they finally found their old bull and sent him to the salt. America’s got Bigfoot, Mexico has Chupacabra, Ireland touts the Loch Ness Monster, and now South Africa can claim the Mambadu—all you have to do is Believe.

 

[Matt Johnston]

It's going to cost more than the watch. Bet money.

But... You get to prorate it over 6 months. So...

Les, The whole prorating over 6 months thing is dangerous too. It had me looking at rifles I shouldn't afford. I think the coolest builds here will be those that show resourcefulness, and imagination, rather than who has the deepest pockets.

 

[Milo'sSyndicate]

Les, The whole prorating over 6 months thing is dangerous too. It had me looking at rifles I shouldn't afford. I think the coolest builds here will be those that show resourcefulness, and imagination, rather than who has the deepest pockets.

Wait'll you see the forward mount I figured for this 1987 wrist rocket optic!?

 

[les]

Wait'll you see the forward mount I figured for this 1987 wrist rocket optic!?

Go with God.