If the original long-eye relief 2.75x20mm Burris Scout scopes were serialized, mine’s would probably read like “0000003” or somethin’. I was standing in line for one when the industry’s first Scout scope debuted in 1988. The child of collaboration between Burris engineers and Col. Jeff Cooper, it would ideally have eventually sat upon a Steyr Mannlicher Scout Rifle, but when that came out, my budget just laughed, rolled over and went back to sleep.
Designed to sit forward of the receiver opening and provide both-eyes-open unobstructed target acquisition as well as squinty-eyed precision at practical ranges, it features a simple, sharp crosshairs reticle, 1/2-MOA elevation and windage adjustments, and consummate survivability. It first went on a cut-down streamlined 6.5x55mm Model 96 Swedish Mauser, then a full-stocked ’96, a 1916 Cavalry carbine, a 1938 Swede, a Ruger bolt critter-gitter, then a Savage light .308, and then things get blurry. At one time, loaned out, it served on a custom-built long-barreled revolver firing a wildcat rifle cartridge. Oh, it has seen stunts, hunts, drops-to-the-rocks, use and abuse—and always, always performed.
I have acquired, sold or traded perhaps 40 other scopes since buying the Burris Scout, but it has earned its permanent place. In 2014 I had my gunsmith mount the Scout on my VZ24 Czech Mauser, which had long ago been rechambered in .308 Win. The combination is a natural winner. The VZ24 needed a little work. The Burris Scout needed new flip-up lens caps, period.
Here’s a test of quality and consistency for the old 1/2-MOA scope, securely rested and controlled: Fire a shot on a graphed target at 50 yards. Dial in 24 clicks right, and shoot again. Crank 24 down, repeat. Go 24 left and fire. Finally, give it 24 up and shoot. If you don’t have a perfect square, well, bad juju lurks in your optic. The Burris Scout’s squares still look like they’re drawn with a carpenter’s square and a ruler.
My 2002-vintage Aimpoint CompM2 red dot reflex (military AKA, the M68 CCO, Close Combat Optic) has been superseded, and some say rendered obsolete, by several following generations of updates and new models. They’re good, I’ll give ’em that, but my CompM2 has seen violent action and cruel abuse on a dazzling array of carbines and she’s still bright, watertight and ready for action. It has also been an intro-to-CQB-optics training aid, a student loaner, et al. I advise you watch for deals when the gearheads go for new models and dump their old, but battle-proven and extremely capable M2’s, cheap.
Ah, there’s more, but I’m outta word-space—and outta here. Connor OUT
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