So every good American should already own at least one AR15, also known as the Modern Sporting Rifle, or MSR. But did you know there’s another rifle you should own?
Retired Marine Colonel Jeff Cooper, arguably the Father of the Modern Technique of the Pistol, who passed away several years ago, not only wrote and taught extensively about handguns, but he also spent a significant amount of time studying what would make a good all-around rifle for a lone rifleman, or as he termed, “The Scout”. That rifle, in his mind, was best personified by what Col. Cooper called: The Scout Rifle. One of my favorite quotes of Col. Cooper was:
“Pick up a rifle and you change instantly from a subject to a citizen.”
Very few people could explain the true historical significance of the rifle, or how to employ it, as well as Col. Cooper did. Recently, another well-known gun writer by the name of Richard Mann wrote an excellent book about Col. Cooper’s Scout Rifle concept. I highly suggest you buy a copy of Mr. Mann’s book THE SCOUT RIFLE STUDY.
To best sum up Mr. Mann’s book and why the Scout Rifle is such a great tool, I’ll quote him here:
So, I’ll leave the discussion with this. Imagine that tomorrow you must go on a very long walk, to an unknown destination, and you can take one rifle with you. Sometime before that walk is over – possibly more than once – it’s a guarantee you’ll very much need to shoot something with that rifle. You’ll not know when, you’ll not know what you’ll have to shoot. You’ll not know the distance or conditions of the shot. But you will know anything less than a kill zone hit with substantial power, will not be good for you…
From 41,000 feet in the air, I have my rifle picked out and already in my gun safe; it will be my Blaser R93 Tracker in 308 Winchester. Read Richard Mann’s book and decide what rifle you need. My guess is that you will find his and Col. Cooper’s advice very informative, and you may very well buy yourself a Scout Rifle.
Image: Firing Line Public Forum, http://m14forum.com/bolt-action/76102-jeff-cooper-steyr-scout.html
