#RidgelineScoutRifle

The term “scout rifle” is one that often gets tossed around a lot in military fiction, science fiction, and other firearm-oriented material. However, the concept of the scout rifle is a real thing and one that was brought to modern popularity by retired US Marine, writer, and firearms instructor John Dean “Jeff” Cooper. To put it simply, the scout rifle concept consisted of a bolt-action carbine chambered in a full-sized rifle caliber (usually .308 Winchester) that had to be less than 40 inches in length and less than 6.6-pounds in heft. As designed, the scout rifle should have been capable of downing a man-sized target at distances of up to 450-meters. After the concept was brought to the fore, many firearms companies including Savage, Steyr, and Ruger produced rifles to match Jeff Cooper’s specifications. Now, Christensen Arms has offered their own version of the scout rifle with a few notable differences from the core concept and I was lucky enough to be able to receive a sample of the new Ridgeline Scout Rifle chambered in .308 Win for testing and evaluation purposes.

One of the most popular precision firearms manufacturers west of the Mississippi has just released their latest versatile rifle – the Christensen Arms Ridgeline Scout Rifle. Featuring a carbine length 16″ barrel, and chambered in 4 popular calibers often used for small to mid-sized game hunting, the new Ridgeline Scout is loaded with features that perfectly nestle it into the role of “scout rifle.”