Originally Posted by
Newtosavage
I deliberated for quite a while over whether I wanted the .300 BO or the 7.62x39. The LGS had a Ruger American Ranch in .300 BO for just $450 - a fair bit less than I paid for the Savage scout. But I am already hand loading for .308 with a Lee Loader, and would have had to buy a press and dies, etc. for the little russian round - something I really didn't want to do. I also thought I'd take advantage of the inexpensive russian-made ammo with this caliber, which I have.
The final decision was made when I considered the effective range for this caliber (or the .300 BO) on deer and hogs, and just how much accuracy and energy I needed at that range. I figure if I'm not going to shoot beyond 200 yards, then even 1.5" groups at 100 and 3" groups at 200 are perfectly acceptable. I was happy to find that basically everything I shoot out of the Savage scout is giving me that or more, so when I can buy 100 rounds of good soft point or SST-tipped hunting ammo for as little as $0.35/round, there really isn't much point in handloading for this gun. I also liked the fact that the factory loads for the 7.62 carried a little more energy at 200 yards (I consider 900 ft. lbs. to be the minimum I'll use for deer at 200) than the .300 BO.
The sub-sonic feature isn't something I really needed, otherwise that may have tipped the scales in favor of the .300 BO.
I have a buddy who has two uppers for his AR (.300 BO and .223) and enjoys that versatility. I have essentially zero reason to shoot a .223, so I didn't really care about that feature, but I can see how it would appeal to those who want to shoot .223 at times.
I still enjoy loading for my .308, and punching holes at 300 yards and I'll continue to do that. If I don't have much walking to do and the shots could be longer, I'll take that gun with me. Otherwise, this 7.62x39 scout, at just 6 3/4 lbs scoped, has become my go-to gun. A fellow develops a lot of confidence in a rifle after a series of one-shot clean kills on hogs and deer. :D