I just purchased a Ruger Gunsite in 308 a few weeks ago. Already I'm interested in mounting some optics to it. The problem I'm having is deciding on what to put on.
My first thought was getting a Hi-Lux scout scope, seems to be a popular option, but I'm not sure I will like the long eye relief and there is no where local that carries any scopes like that to try out.
My next thought was, how about a simple red dot?  Makes for super fast aiming, and doesn't add a lot of weight, plus would be easy to remove if I wanted to just use iron sights.
Then of course I get to thinking about adding a regular scope to add some distance and accuracy. When looking into this I find out that I would be limited in scope choice unless I remove the front rail.

Can anyone give me some suggestions, or pics of what you have done?  I don't intend to spend $$$$$$$ on a real nice scope since I know I won't get the use out of it.  I'm limited in my distances to about 400yrds, and that's even a rare treat.
I'll be honest, this is going to be a range toy and training aid to improve my bolt gun skills. I don't hunt, zombies aren't real, and if it's TEOTWAWKI then I'm pretty sure I'm dead early on.

I want to get better with iron sights so I would like the ability to re-install the rear sight if I want, or maybe this will just be to get some ideas for the future after I work with the iron sights first.

Thanks everyone

The Burris MTAC 1.5x6 would be pretty awesome on a GSR. At $399 it's a deal.

I will check that scope out.
I was looking at maybe a Nikon Prostaff 4-12x40. My local store had them and a Ruger in stock, so they were nice enough to sort of mount it up to check fit. Seems like a real nice scope, and fit great.
I keep thinking about maybe just a red dot.

I'm so indecisive

I'd look into vortex diamondback line of scopes. Maybe the 1.75 - 5x.  Good glass at around 250.  Liftime warranty.
Had one on the mini 30 for a while.. Being a 200 yard gun, I went red dot.    

If your GSR is going to be a training aid to assist in learning bolt manipulation, a red dot sight makes more sense. For that matter, using your irons should suffice in that regard as well.

Once you've achieved smooth bolt operation and hitting consistently with your irons at practical distances, purchase the glass for the area in which you may use the gun as well as the style of shooting you want to do.

It is a scout rifle rifle in theory, so a Leupold, Hi-Lux or Burris scout scope would be the natural selection to maintain weight and speed of handling.

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Here is my recent addition to the family.  I have not decided on the final optics choice yet, it is currently wearing a cheap Simmons 3x9x40 that I had lying around. I mounted it on the forward rail "semi-scout" as it affords generous eye relief at low power and I did not have to lose the rear irons.  The scope rings are low so the scope is very close to the bore axis.  I think I like it enough to splurge on a real scout scope, I'm thinking of the Burris with low QR rings so I can go back to irons easily. I have other bolts set up with traditional scope set ups, for me it would defeat the purpose of this rifle, again for my situation. I find the forward mounted scope, with both eyes open and the ergonomics of the GSR make for a very quick on target set up.  It carries quite well in the woods as well, carried through the Adks this past weekend chasing that elusive buck. Great weekend in the mountains, but I did not get a chance to notch the first harvest yet.  It's a long season so there will be more time in the woods with the GSR.  Love this rifle so far, I think it will be one of my favorites...
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My first nine rounds getting it on paper after mounting the scope.  Was using 7.62 reloads for my M14s (168 SMKs) since I have plenty to send down range.  Kind of tame for the Ruger but I know their consistency. The trigger is pretty nice for an out of the box rifle too.  I liked the GSR from first sight but availability and price delayed my happiness.....then a friend decided to part with a lightly used one recently.....

Again, thanks for the advice so far everyone. I think for now I should resist the urge and stay with the irons until I know I'm good with them, then maybe in the spring or next summer look into mounting a scope.
I'll keep an eye out during black friday time to see if I can find a good deal.
The Vortex scopes seem to be what I'm leaning towards now. I liked the nikon prostaff mil dot, but adjustments are MOA so that's kinda pointless.

Feel free to keep the suggestions coming, plenty of time before I actually get anything.

Love this rifle btw. 10 rounds in a bolt action seems never ending and I love it!

I have the Burris Scout 2.75 X 20 and I'm pretty happy with it so far. It's mounted with LaRue rings.

ETA: I also put a FSC30 on it, and am VERY pleased with the results.

I have used both a Scout Scope(Burris 2.75) and a Red dot(TRS25).

Both are great. I really like how the gun handles un scoped and the TRS25 keeps the handling while adding and edge for shooting quickly. I found that hitting out to 200 yds with the RD was about as easy and precise as the Burris scout scope. Now I am conflicted between the two! I used the TRS25 because I had it, if I was buying a Red dot it would be one of the PA Micro dots with a 2 Minute dot.

I bought the longer rail from XS Sights.  I am getting a Leupold VXR with the FireDot Duplex Reticle and having Leupold make me a Custom Dial System for the bullet I will be using.  The dials are only $59.99

XS Sights Systems

FireDot Duplex (Illuminated) Reticle

Custom Dial System

I have the Leupold IER scout scope on mine.

If I were to do it over again, I would have opted for a traditionally positioned 1-4.

Yes it is. I have the 1-4x

A little late to the party but I'm likin' mine with an Aimpoint RDS.

I run the Leopold 2.5 IER with the Alumina lens caps and quick release rings in low.

Beautiful stock. What is it?

This.  I went with the full drop in option, custom LOP, and 3 color marble finish.

I saved about 2 ounces in weight so it really wasn't worth it from that standpoint. However, the gun handles much nicer than the laminate stock, it shoulders quickly, and tracks a little faster and smoother over the original stock. And best of all it's weather-proof.

My Scout Rifle is set up as a defensive rifle as it's primary role, and hunting/utility as a secondary role.  The components I've selected to modify the GSR to fill these roles reflect this.  Mostly it all boils down to how you see yourself employing the weapon system.  I have several rifles, and each serves a special purpose.  The GSR is intended to be a truck gun, or something that I can tote around with me when I'm out and about in the wild.  It's a weapon that I could travel with to most places across the US, and keep close at hand for any unforeseen contingency.  It would also be more effective at stopping a potential threat at distance than say a handgun or a PDW.  As a bonus, it could bring down medium to large sized game if called upon to do so.  

KAC 7.62/.308 QDC Flash Hider - As stated previously, I wanted to retain optimum flash suppression and did not care for the stock flash suppressor.  I just happened to have the KAC QDC flash hider on hand and it wasn't mounted to anything so I threw it on the GSR to gauge it's effectiveness.  I know others would prefer a brake or comp, but my reasons for wanting a flash hider is to retain a tactical advantage over any potential aggressor.  What I mean by that is leveraging the ability to reduce a visual signature since my rate of fire is not equal to that of a semi-auto.  And since a bolt action rifle forces you to take deliberate well-placed shots, I feel it's more important to reduce your visual signature as opposed to having the ability to make quick follow-up shots, which I think is more of an added benefit for semi-autos.  If you find yourself in a situation where you're facing multiple aggressors, your best bet is to find a good hide or displace anyway.  So for me a flash suppressor makes more sense.  

Harris S-BRM 6"-9" Bipod - While it does add some weight to the front end of the GSR, I've always considered a bipod to be one of those "better to have and not need, than to need and not have" components.  If forced into a survival situation and I needed to make a critical shot, I would rather have the ability to make the platform a bit more stable for a more precise shot.  Notice I didn't say "precision" as that is not the purpose of this rifle.  

XS Sight Systems GSR Rail - I knew when I purchased the GSR I was not going to forward mount a LERS on it.  The XS rail was really a no-brainer for me, allowing you to mount an optic in a more tradition fashion toward the rear and yet retain the ability to use BUIS should your optic go down.  

Steiner Military 1-4x24 Rapid Dot .308 LPVO - When it came to optics I ran through several configurations before I ultimately settled on this one, the first being the PST 2.5-10x32 FFP.  While that scope seemed to fill the role nicely at first, I realized that it's not what I really wanted for this particular rifle. It was just a bit more complex than what the rifle was intended for.  Shortly after, I switched to a PA micro RDS that was mounted mid-way on the XS rail.  What I really liked about that set-up was the reduced weight, simplicity, and the speed and efficiency of the RDS.  Combined, it really made the GSR even more handy and easy to manipulate.  However, I kept thinking to myself that there may come a time that I wish I had at least some magnification on tap, and it bugged me to the point I decided that I needed to find an alternate solution.  For a short time following I used the Ruger supplied scope rings and mounted a Redfield Revolution 3-9x40 Accu-Range.  I really liked the scope and it's very simple yet effective reticle.  I might've kept this set-up, only there was one critical thing I lost, which was the ability to use back-up iron sights should the need arise.  And when you really think about it, to me the GSR is really meant for close engagements within a hundred yards, retaining optimal effectiveness out to maybe 300 or 400 yards.  In essence, all that magnification is really not needed anyway.  So off went the Revolution, and back on came the naked XS rail.  At that point I started looking at 1-x solutions.  The problem was that it was tough finding anything that had most of the features I really wanted at a price point I was comfortable with.  I had a tried a number of 1-x LPVOs on my AR platforms, so I was familiar with their capability.  However, they were all somewhat lacking in some way or another.  Then I came across a great deal on a used Steiner 1-4x, which was too good a deal to pass up.  It had most of the features I was looking for and the price I paid was significantly below $1K.  Perfect!  The scope has exceptional optical clarity, a daylight visible illuminated dot right in the middle of a very simple BDC reticle, and it is very rugged and durable.  My biggest gripe is that the scope does not have capped turrets, which would've made it even better. Another nitpicky thing is an auto-shut off feature that completely powers down the optic when left on any of the stand-by settings for a period of time.  However, this auto shut off only applies to stand-by mode and does not affect the dot illumination when running continuously.  Since Steiner doesn't advertise the projected battery life I have no idea how long I can expect the dot to stay on continuously before the battery drains.  But the reticle is still usable without the illuminated dot, as long as you don't find yourself in a dark environment with no contrast in the background to highlight the reticle.  In short, the Steiner 1-4x is just as quick and effective as any RDS when set to 1x.  The length and weight doesn't bother me a bit, and I think it balances out the rifle nicely considering the weight of the bipod added on the front end.  All things considered, this scope seems to be the perfect solution at this point in time, especially given the fact that you can expect to pay north of $1K in most cases for a quality illuminated daylight visible red dot in an LPVO.  I know Leupold offers this feature in some of their economy scopes, so that might have been an option as well.  

Warne 30mm QD Rings - Without a doubt probably the best quality quick detach scope rings you can buy without having to sell a kidney.  

Alpha Industries 10 rnd GSR Magazines - IMO much better than the stock Accurate-Mag that comes with the rifle.  Mine failed and Ruger sent a polymer replacement, which works much better.  Nothing against polymer, but I still wanted some quality steel mags.  The AI magazines are compact, double-stacked, and are extremely well made.  The best part is the magazine will only engage or disengage when the bolt is in the open position, so you can't inadvertently bump the mag release lever and lose the magazine.  Not sure if AI intended this when they designed the magazine (I didn't see it advertised on their web site and I don't think I've seen a review that mentions this feature), but all I know is that I'm happy with the end result.  

Right now the GSR is wearing a cherry brown Bandera Military leather rifle sling.  Very nice.  I also plan to add an Eagle Industes rifle stock pack to carry small misc. items.  I've already solicited the service of enginebudy1 to perform the bolt knob conversion work.  ETA:  I plan to go hog hunting this summer with an old buddy of mine who lives down in TX.  I've considered off-set mounting an IR laser designator to the forward end of the XS rail to use in conjunction with a night vision device for this particular application, or at least have that ability on hand in the future.  Just adds more capability to an already capable system when you need it.

Left hand?

McMillan A5, I believe.

Yep.

I like the leuopold fixed 2.5. Ive harvested a hog and deer. Longest shot was the doe at 75yds . I popped the hog while it was running through the brush. She paused for 2 seconds too long.

Hog pic. I was worried about the fixed 2.5 but has done great so far.

Leupold is selling their Scout Scope on their webpage now.  I just bought one.  I am using the XS Sights rail, but I can get the scope further from my eye for faster on target time.

VX•R 1.5-5x33mm Scout FireDot