diff --git a/pyiceberg/io/pyiceberg_core.py b/pyiceberg/io/pyiceberg_core.py
index f49bfb48da..f060056196 100644
--- a/pyiceberg/io/pyiceberg_core.py
+++ b/pyiceberg/io/pyiceberg_core.py
@@ -146,6 +146,16 @@ def _read_field_ids(
     return ids
 
 
+def can_read_projected_schema_with_pyiceberg_core(
+    schema: Schema,
+    projected_schema: Schema,
+    row_filter: BooleanExpression,
+    case_sensitive: bool,
+) -> bool:
+    """Return whether pyiceberg-core can read exactly the requested projection for this filter."""
+    return _expression_field_ids(row_filter, schema, case_sensitive).issubset(projected_schema.field_ids)
+
+
 _UNARY_METHODS: dict[type[BooleanExpression], str] = {
     IsNull: "is_null",
     NotNull: "is_not_null",
@@ -291,3 +301,30 @@ def file_scan_task_to_pyiceberg_core(
         name_mapping=_model_json(name_mapping) if name_mapping is not None else None,
         case_sensitive=case_sensitive,
     )
+
+
+def arrow_batch_reader_from_pyiceberg_core(
+    file_io: FileIO,
+    tasks: Iterable[FileScanTask],
+    schema: Schema,
+    projected_schema: Schema,
+    partition_specs: dict[int, PartitionSpec],
+    name_mapping: NameMapping | None,
+    case_sensitive: bool = True,
+) -> Any:
+    """Read PyIceberg scan tasks through pyiceberg-core's ArrowReader."""
+    core_tasks = [
+        file_scan_task_to_pyiceberg_core(
+            task,
+            schema,
+            projected_schema,
+            partition_spec=partition_specs.get(task.file.spec_id),
+            name_mapping=name_mapping,
+            case_sensitive=case_sensitive,
+            project_field_ids=list(projected_schema.field_ids),
+        )
+        for task in tasks
+    ]
+
+    reader = _core_module("scan").ArrowReader(file_io_to_pyiceberg_core(file_io))
+    return reader.read(schema_to_pyiceberg_core(projected_schema), core_tasks)
diff --git a/pyiceberg/table/__init__.py b/pyiceberg/table/__init__.py
index 64ad10050d..ad45eac2c7 100644
--- a/pyiceberg/table/__init__.py
+++ b/pyiceberg/table/__init__.py
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@
 
 ALWAYS_TRUE = AlwaysTrue()
 DOWNCAST_NS_TIMESTAMP_TO_US_ON_WRITE = "downcast-ns-timestamp-to-us-on-write"
+PYICEBERG_RUST_ARROW_SCAN = "PYICEBERG_RUST_ARROW_SCAN"
 
 
 @dataclass()
@@ -2242,9 +2243,36 @@ def to_arrow_batch_reader(self) -> pa.RecordBatchReader:
 
         from pyiceberg.io.pyarrow import ArrowScan, schema_to_pyarrow
 
-        target_schema = schema_to_pyarrow(self.projection())
+        projected_schema = self.projection()
+        if self.limit is None and os.environ.get(PYICEBERG_RUST_ARROW_SCAN, "").lower() in {"1", "true", "yes"}:
+            from pyiceberg.io.pyiceberg_core import (
+                arrow_batch_reader_from_pyiceberg_core,
+                can_read_projected_schema_with_pyiceberg_core,
+            )
+
+            if can_read_projected_schema_with_pyiceberg_core(
+                self.table_metadata.schema(), projected_schema, self.row_filter, self.case_sensitive
+            ):
+                try:
+                    return arrow_batch_reader_from_pyiceberg_core(
+                        self.io,
+                        self.plan_files(),
+                        self.table_metadata.schema(),
+                        projected_schema,
+                        self.table_metadata.specs(),
+                        self.table_metadata.name_mapping(),
+                        self.case_sensitive,
+                    )
+                except (ModuleNotFoundError, NotImplementedError, ValueError) as exc:
+                    warnings.warn(
+                        f"Falling back to PyArrow scan because pyiceberg-core cannot handle this scan: {exc}",
+                        RuntimeWarning,
+                        stacklevel=2,
+                    )
+
+        target_schema = schema_to_pyarrow(projected_schema)
         batches = ArrowScan(
-            self.table_metadata, self.io, self.projection(), self.row_filter, self.case_sensitive, self.limit
+            self.table_metadata, self.io, projected_schema, self.row_filter, self.case_sensitive, self.limit
         ).to_record_batches(self.plan_files())
 
         return pa.RecordBatchReader.from_batches(
diff --git a/tests/io/test_pyiceberg_core.py b/tests/io/test_pyiceberg_core.py
index 0e1fd0f95b..8d516d96cf 100644
--- a/tests/io/test_pyiceberg_core.py
+++ b/tests/io/test_pyiceberg_core.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 from pyiceberg.expressions import And, EqualTo, IsNull, StartsWith
 from pyiceberg.io import FileIO, InputFile, OutputFile
 from pyiceberg.io.pyiceberg_core import (
+    can_read_projected_schema_with_pyiceberg_core,
     delete_file_to_pyiceberg_core,
     expression_to_pyiceberg_core,
     file_io_to_pyiceberg_core,
@@ -295,6 +296,13 @@ def test_file_scan_task_to_pyiceberg_core_adds_filter_only_field_to_read_project
     assert converted.kwargs["project_field_ids"] == [1, 2]
 
 
+def test_can_read_projected_schema_with_pyiceberg_core_requires_filter_fields(simple_schema: Schema) -> None:
+    projected_schema = Schema(NestedField(1, "id", IntegerType(), required=True), schema_id=3)
+
+    assert not can_read_projected_schema_with_pyiceberg_core(simple_schema, projected_schema, EqualTo("data", "abc"), True)
+    assert can_read_projected_schema_with_pyiceberg_core(simple_schema, projected_schema, EqualTo("id", 1), True)
+
+
 def test_file_scan_task_to_pyiceberg_core_requires_partition_spec_for_partitioned_task(simple_schema: Schema) -> None:
     data_file = DataFile.from_args(
         content=DataFileContent.DATA,