Jeff coopers vision of the generalpurpose scout rifle has inspired manufacturers other than steyr as well as a host of custom makers to develop rifles which partake to greater or lesser degrees of the scout concept and which may or may not meet coopers uncompromising definition of. Jeff cooper built the facility which was known then as the american pistol institute api, just west of paulden, arizona. Jeff cooper founded gunsite academy, one of the top firearms training centers in the world. It also exposes every rifle covered in the book to a stringent and general. This package is in the scout originally designed configuration as specified by legendary smallarms expert, author and founder of what would later become the gunsite training center, united states marine corps lt. Few noticed this sight, but about 20 years later, jeff cooper mounted a leupold m8 2x pistol scope to the ventilated rib of a remington model 600 carbine. At that time, the father of the modern technique of the pistol and gunsite academy originally the american pistol institute founder jeff cooper was working with various carbines, including the winchester model 1894, mannlicherschoenauer and remington model 600. Jeff cooper during the 1980s and refined until his death in 2006. And in todays world of firearms training, all roads eventually lead back to colonel jeff cooper. The rifle needed to be accurate with iron sights to 500 yards and powerful enough to take down large game animals for hunting or selfdefense. Colonel jeff cooper is indeed a rifle that is suitable for everything from personal defense to big game hunting. Jeff cooper was an innovator with many great ideas.
The scout rifle study, the history of the scout rifle and its place in the 21st century, is a book that delves into the history of the scout rifle, the definition of the scout rifle, col jeff coopers intent of the scout rifle, and how it relates to and can serve as a general purpose rifle in the 21st century. White was an early 1900s american novelist and adventurer. When we take the photographs out of the mix in the chapter titled the scout concept in the book art of the rifle. Shooting illustrated testing your rifleshooting skills. He was a prolific writer, leaving behind several books and he was also a hard core big game hunter with world wide experience. Cooper discusses the vital elements of defensive mental conditioning, including alertness, decisiveness, aggressiveness, speed, coolness, ruthlessness and surprise. The scout rifle study, the history of the scout rifle and its place in the 21st. Jeff cooper, author, columnist, professor, ww ii and korean war combat veteran col. Every thursday well share an article from the american rifleman archives. Cooper felt a scout rifle should be chambered for a cartridge available en masse, worldwide, and capable of launching a 150grain bullet at 2,700 fps. The art of the rifle is an outstanding collection of the various facets of riflery, presented by one of the most accomplished and articulate authors in the shooting business. This book is the definitive study of the enigma known as the scout rifle. His emphasis on training, mindset, largebore handguns, and the scout rifle system are legendary.
In this weeks article taken from september 1985, we revisit jeff coopers original vision for this doitall utility gun. Jeff cooper was an icon of the american firearms community, best known for his work with the southwest pistol league and father of modern practical handgun competition. Former marine lieutenant colonel and firearms instructor jeff cooper, the founder of the legendary gunsite academy in paulden, arizona, is the. He also felt that a scout rifle should ideally weigh about 6. This dvd offers a glimpse of the content of the book the scout rifle study. One lasting legacy to the gun world is the continuing popularity of the scout rifle, which he first began to develop in 1968.
It is the tool of the military man who is skilled in land navigation, observation, stealth, headlong flight, marksmanship, and picking the. Cooper envisioned a lightweight, handy rifle that would be suitable for hunting and combat roles. He was attracted to these rifles because of their handiness and. The ruger gunsite scout rifle gsr named in honor of lt. Special color edition by jeff cooper published in 2002 this chapter is not in the original edition, and put things into one continuous picturefree stream, something interesting is more easily seen and that is jeff cooper. Rifle, the definition of the scout rifle, col jeff coopers intent of the scout rifle.
The dvd will be available for purchase in july from emptycases. Envisioned as the ultimate doanything rifle, the scout rifle has a small, but extremely loyal following most of whom i annoyed when i wrote, the scout rifle. The scout rifle is a class of generalpurpose rifles defined and promoted by jeff cooper in the early 1980s that bears similarities in design and function to guide. However, i am convinced by now that the scout concept has jeff coopers commentaries volume five vol. The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. The book is an excellent source of relevant information pertaining to jeff coopers scout rifle concept and shows the consistencies and inconsistencies of his. Lieutenant colonel jeff cooper, the founder of gunsite, originally conceived the idea for. It is to the benefit of his many readers that he developed the passion at an early age to write it all down. Jeff cooper spent a long and active life reading, shooting, hunting, fighting and teaching.
The scout rifle, as conceived by jeff cooper, is one of the most misunderstood firearms of all time. Jeff cooper himself was at the 1998 rollout for the steyrmade scout. I clearly have no on the term scout rifle, and a great many people have seized upon the term and put it to what i consider to be erroneous use. However i will make copies available to somone who can. Coopers scout rifle well be discussing as i show you an easy, costeffective way of building your own. This became the foundation for coopers scout rifle concept and as they say, the rest is history. Essentially, he wanted a light, powerful rifle that would be equally qualified to handle most hunting chores and also serve as a personal defense weapon. Jeff coopers scout rifle concept is more popular now than its ever been. Frog 2the scout rifle, jeff cooper, american rifleman, sept. If you want to learn to play the blues, you start with robert johnson. Jeff cooper would definitely approve of the ruger scout rifle.
Internationally respected as the gunners guru, jeff cooper is a philosopher, moralist, and political commentator a true modern renaissance man. Ive been obsessed with the scout rifle and have studied every aspect of the platform. The book is an excellent source of relevant information pertaining to jeff coopers scout rifle concept and shows the consistencies and inconsistencies of his decision making on what it should be. W ith new offerings from mossberg, ruger, and savage, and with the steyr scout now more affordable, weve seen a resurgence of col jeff coopers scout rifle concept. Scout rifles are typically boltaction carbines, chambered in. Cooper intended gunsite to be the vehicle for spreading the modern technique of the pistol, which he created during his years in big bear lake, ca. For anyone who grew up knowing of the idea as i did, it is a good onestop source for the information. In his new book, the scout rifle study, richard mann weighs the worth of. Jeff cooper began to experiment with the concept that would come to be called the scout rifle in the 1960s. The concept of the scout rifle was developed by recognized gun expert, the late lt. The scout rifle is a concept developed by the late jeff cooper. A collection of quotes and thoughts by jeff cooper on inspiration, rules, scoutrifle, guns, rifle, colorcodes, books, principles, personal, defence etc. Jeff cooper, a riflemans rifleman if there ever was one and firearm safety rules guy, pioneered the idea of a general purpose rifle that would work in a variety of roles from hunting to defense the concept was dubbed the scout rifle, and cooper refined it over the years until his death in 2006. Cooper was also a rifleman, and there is an argument to be made that a concept he popularized, the scout rifle, is just beginning to really hit its stride a full decade, after col.
Jeff cooper, or the colonel as he was known, was a former marine corps colonel, author, and the founder of gunsite. Working with gunsite academy in paulden, arizona, a few years ago, ruger designed a modernday rendition of the scout rifle based on its model 77 boltaction rifle. However, there is one type of rifle designed with excruciating detail that fits a spectrum of uses, meant to be the one rifle you would have if you could only have just one rifle. Among the many particular features he ascribed to this concept, one was a forward mounted low power scope. Gunsite academy founder jeff cooper considered stewart edward white a certified master of the art of rifle marksmanship. The scout rifle as we know it has its origins in the 1960s. We caught up with renowned west virginiabased author richard mann. Think you know all about jeff coopers famous generalpurpose rifle concept.
Be patient, wade through the book in entity, make notes as you go and revisit regularly. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles. Great scout scope options for your rifle gun digest. Over many years, gun grandmaster guru jeff cooper researched and developed what he called the scout rifle. Rugers gunsite scout rifle a rifle for all the right.
This revised edition of jeff coopers classic on personal defense is the best study of the guiding principles of survival in the face of unprovoked violence by human assailants. Jeff cooper, gun expert extraordinaire, had the concept for the scout rifle back in the 1980s. Jeff cooper presents a number of tips and techniques, not the least of which is the proper use of. The scout rifle itself is the creation of jeff cooper. Hugh james latimer april, 2015 april, 2015 i recently finished reading jeff coopers the art of the rifle and thought it would be good to share the relevant points with the readers here. The scout rifle is the brainchild of the late jeff cooper, a firearms instructor and visionary, and is touted by its believers as the ideal allaround. Jeff cooper of gunsite fame, who suggested various design parameters throughout the decades during which he promoted the general purpose. In the last few years, there has been a lot of discussion about scout rifles, and most of that has revolved around how we define the scout and whether the scout really is the ideal general purpose rifle. Is the scout rifle concept the best personal defense gun. The scout rifle study examines the factors that influenced coopers scout rifle concept, examines the practicality of the scout rifle, looks at the various attempts to achieve scout rifle nirvana, and explores the feasibility of the scout rifle in the modern world.
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