I am a lefty and I have this rifle. I like it a lot. It is not my
favorite rifle, but it is a very good rifle and I like it. The only reason it isn't my favorite bolt rifle is that I have a very nice, very accurate Remington 700 that I like better.
negatives..... It took some break-in strokes of the bolt to get it to close smoothly. You can't recharge the OEM steel magazine through the ejection port (one of the original criteria from Cooper's scout rifle concept). Average trigger. REALLY loud for the people in the lanes on either side of you at the range. The OEM steel mags are made by AI, but they are hard to load even out of the gun.
positives..... It weighs 7 lb. It has an adjustable length of pull. Average trigger. Recoil is a little bit sharp, being a light gun, but not at all unmanageable. The recoil pad is very effective, so it's not uncomfortable to shoot. Pretty decent accuracy...... I've shot groups around .75" with mine at 100 yes, but most groups are in the 1" to 1.5" size, with match ammo. The iron sights with rear ghost-ring are actually pretty decent. It is a VERY handy rifle. It's a Ruger.....dynamite couldn't hurt it. The optional Ruger-manufactured polymer mags are pretty good, and can be top loaded just like a PMAG, and I am pretty sure they can be top-loaded while in the gun.
I like mine enough to keep it, and have no intention of ever selling it. When I get around to buying some property, it will likely be my truck gun.....the way people used to carry a .30-30 in their trucks.
You may not have this experience, but in the end, I don't like the scout scope that much. I have a good one (I'll sell it to you if you buy this rifle), a Leopold 1.5-5x32mm Firedot with a duplex reticle. The glass is good and clear, and it works as advertised.....I just would rather have a scope mounted in the more traditional position, and I have a scope for that purpose, ready to go.
Other change..... I am ditching the OEM flash hider, and installing an AAC Blackout 51T flash hider/suppressor mount so that I can use my .30 cal can when I'm shooting this rifle.
Otherwise, no regrets. Scout rifles aren't for everybody, but I really like mine. Is the concept valid? Well, yes.... it is. Some would say that they are rendered irrelevant by AR15s/AR10s, but I have two AR15s of my own, and the newest one is a real stripped down lightweight one, and it weighs about the same as the RGS, while my other one weighs about 2 lb more. So no, they aren't necessarily rendered irrelevant by the AR platform. Semi autos can break or malfunction. A bolt rifle is like a revolver....it will go bang every time, in every kind of weather, and it will generally be more accurate than a semi auto. Rate of fire is slower, but unless you're in a major firefight, that doesn't matter. I would say that a RGS is a perfect gun for hunting hogs in heavy brush. You can shoot heavy 175 to 180 grain bullets that will buck the brush, and it does't weigh a ton to carry around. Furthermore, give the right optic and the right shooter, it will be effective to fairly long ranges.
The Canadian Rangers have recently adopted a new bolt rifle which is in many respects just like the RGS, with the exception of the scope mounting point:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canad ... mperatures
http://www.scout.com/outdoors/hunting/s ... he-rangers
Specifications include: .308 Win., 10-round detachable magazine, 20-inch barrel, iron sights calibrated from 100-600 meters, laminate stock, oversized trigger guard for gloved use, stainless construction with special coatings to combat corrosion and the Ranger logo etched into the stock. It will be issued with accessories such as extra magazines, a Pelican gun case and a trigger lock.
The Ruger, for comparison:
I hope all that helps.
