Truck Gun

[FlyingScot]

Enjoying this thread, been on a similar hunt for a beater myself. Have a TC Icon in .308 that has an absolutely gorgeous walnut stock that I can't bring myself to throw in the back of a UTV sans case, and a 6.5cm 700/XLR Element build that I'm less cosmetically attached to, but it has a truck axle of a barrel and the weight to go with it. Told myself for the longest time I probably needed a Tikka Superlite, but never got my ass off the fence before the price increase. Want whatever I get threaded for suppressor use, so the price point after the fact for one would be cruising past 'truck gun' money in a hurry.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Palmetto state stainless build.

5.56 is fine, mag full of 75gr hornady.. you’ll be fine.

30.5” collapsed. 400$..

Wouldn’t be bad to run a swfa 1-4 but iron sights wouldn’t run me off.

 

[Forest]

I believe the Predator Ruger Americans are also threaded and the regular ones aren't. Which is kinda cool as most thread jobs are $75 and a thread protector is another $10-$25 so nearly $100 value over the standard American in that alone. Let alone the ability to use AR mags in the 5.56/223 and AICS mags in the 6.5/308 class. Plus the Predator come with a rail which is another value in itself which is why I would go that route over the standard American models for not more more $$$.

My only complaint about the predator series is the 18" barrel on the 308. If it were 20/22 I would probably do it for sure. the 6.5 is a 22 but I'm just not sure I can jump on the 6.5 bandwagon just yet ha

 

[FlyingScot]

My only complaint about the predator series is the 18" barrel on the 308. If it were 20/22 I would probably do it for sure. the 6.5 is a 22 but I'm just not sure I can jump on the 6.5 bandwagon just yet ha

Have a drink of the creedmoor kool-aid, it's not bad!

 

[huntsman22]

I have the Pred as a truck/quad gun on the ranch. I too, wish it was shorter. Slapped mine into a LSS chassis with folding stock. The plastic stock and rotary mags just didn't cut it for me.....

 

[cmahoney]

Palmetto state stainless build.

5.56 is fine, mag full of 75gr hornady.. you’ll be fine.

30.5” collapsed. 400$..

Wouldn’t be bad to run a swfa 1-4 but iron sights wouldn’t run me off.

I couldn’t agree more, I had never purchased anything from Palmetto and wanted to give them a shot. I put together a super low cost carbine with and Aero lower that I already had. I put a vortex red dot on it and couldn’t be happier. The accuracy and reliability are top notch for such low cost components. I might throw a 1-4 on it since it shoots so well.


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[Forest]

That's a nice setup!!
How much does a guy really loose with say an 18" vs 22" on something like a 308??

 

[MTElkChaser]

So I must admit I am guilty of buying too many nice guns...… nice enough I don't enjoy using them as much as I would like. So I am looking at getting a gun that I don't "care" if it gets scratched, beat up a little or shot a bunch. Would be used primarily on deer & pronghorn but would also like it to be adequate for a backup elk rifle. It will likely ride around quite a bit in the pickup, atv's etc.

So what is everyone's favorite truck gun???

I'm thinking something like a Ruger American predator in 6.5 cm, TC venture in 270 win, something along those lines. Thoughts???

Part 2 is tough scopes?? Always had good luck with my leupolds, maybe a vx-r. Open to suggestions there as well!! Just so it's not vortex, cant seem to get much consistency out of them ha

Growing up in MT, I always kept a Winchester 30-30 in my truck, on a horse scabbard, or on an ATV. For a throw-down, tough as nails rifle, it’s hard to beat.

I took everything from Mule Deer to Coyotes with that rifle. My definition of a truck gun may be different, but for me, it’s something that I always have with me, doesn’t take up much room, and I’m not concerned about it banging around.

I guess today, I’d probably lean toward an accurate, lightweight AR - or even my old 30-30. Good luck!

 

[MTElkChaser]

That's a nice setup!!
How much does a guy really loose with say an 18" vs 22" on something like a 308??

It depends on the ammo, but anywhere from 20-25 fps per inch.

 

[Mike 338]

Well, some trucks bump around in open country and some bump around in hardwoods. A truck gun is a beater and the less stuff hang'in off it, the better. A lever action in 30-30 or 357 with open sights or red dot would be great. For open country, something short with a plain jane duplex scope. Howa, Ruger American, Savage... whatever. That Howa 7.62x39 mini action is nice or just a 243 in any flavor you can live with being stolen. Chances are, when you go to sell the truck you'll clean out under the seat and find a rifle you forgot about.

 

[Forest]

Chances are, when you go to sell the truck you'll clean out under the seat and find a rifle you forgot about.

Not all bad, like finding cash in a coat pocket that you never wear!! In this case it'd get used during season and that's about it. Pack a pistol for up close rodents like badgers

 

[mcseal2]

I carry a rifle in my vehicle daily on the ranch. I have several that I rotate through in the trucks and UTV depending on the time of year. I'm in fairly open country and shoot more coyotes than anything so I like a little reach. I often don't have a rangefinder handy in the truck or time to use one so a good muzzle velocity and decent BC for what the chambering is are important.

I'm a believer in a 3 position or tang safety for a truck gun. I just trust them to not get pushed off safe by accident more. Even while running an empty chamber until you see something there are times you have to re-position for a shot quickly with a loaded chamber. I just prefer these safety designs. My blue heeler can't step on a 3 position and push it forward with her foot then hitting the trigger like a Remington 700 style safety for one thing. That happened with my Sako L579 but it was on an empty chamber so it didn't hurt anything, just made me think.

A 243 is hard to beat for a truck gun in my area. It has enough thump for anything around and is pretty flat and wind resistant with the right bullet choice. It will stomp a coyote running straight away where I wouldn't trust my 223. If shots are closer and game is bigger the 308 or 6.5 Creedmoor would be high on my list. If game is bigger than 243 size but shots are long enough I want a longer point blank range than the 308 or 6.5 Creed the 270 win would be my top choice. The ones I've owned seemed to do better with a 22" or shorter barrel on speed than the 25-06 or 280. Sometimes I pack a 223, 204, or other smaller rifle. The 243 is hard on bobcats. I have a Marlin 30-30 lever action with an 18" barrel and 1-4x Leupold I carry in my Ford Diesel just because it fits between the console and drivers seat so well, it's just not in the way.

For a truck gun scope I like a decent amount of magnification. I have not had trouble finding animals in the scope with a 6x bottom end. Mostly I end up in the 4.5-14x or similar category. The older Leupold VX-III's are on most of my older rifles. The Burris Fullfield 2 is pretty hard to beat now when they can be found for around $200. The Vortex Diamondbacks have good glass for the money but didn't hold zero great for me. I don't need a lot of features for a truck gun scope, just reliability. Fixed 6x scopes would work well but most have a thicker reticle than I like and cover to much of a 200 yard coyote for my taste. I don't need turrets when I don't have time to use a rangefinder. I don't use the reticles that have extra crosshairs much either for this because I have to zero most for 100 or 200 yards. I am better off zeroing for the max distance I can with an acceptable amount of mid-range rise. For me on coyotes this is abut 2.75". Any more mid-range rise and I'll hit to high in the 150 yard range. I can often end up zeroed for 230 yards or so with this rise on a 243 or similar gun and not have to hold off hair inside 300 yards. Unless I'm sure an animal is past 250 I just hold dead on where I want to hit.

My scope choice is influenced by not having time to range often, as is my cartridge choice. The 6.5 Creedmoor for example beats the 270 at long range and wind resistance. If I don't have time to range though that long range advantage is largely wasted for my use. The 270 with it's higher muzzle velocity and shorter time of flight works better for me at unknown ranges inside 400 yards.

I really like the Big Sky overhead gun racks if your vehicle will accommodate one. I especially like the ones that screw into the roof. My 93 and 98 Chevy's both have them. It keeps the rifle up where a thief is unlikely to look for it and out of the way while still being handy. Newer vehicles with lots of curves to the roof don't work with them as well.

Cheap guns I have that work well:

Savage Hog Hunter in 223. This rifle is one of the most accurate I've owned. Right now I'm using Hornady 53gr Superformance ammo through it and it is running 3286fps from the 20" barrel. Actually I chrono graphed it through my 20" AR so that might not be exact. It shoots that 1/2" or a shade over, but will shoot a ragged hole with the 60gr Black Hills V max ammo. I'm happy with the slightly less accurate Hornady load at over 200fps faster for my use. They make it in a 20" 308 also I think. The Savage has a Burris 4.5-14x44 Fullfield 2 that so far has been a great truck gun scope. Probably a really hard one to beat for the price. I don't have much over $200 in it.

Ruger American. I don't currently have one but owned a couple. One of these is hard to beat. I'd pick the Predator version with the heavier barrel. My only complaint with the ones I had was that the point of impact moved if I put much pressure on the forend and made it contact the barrel. It's easy to do with the flimsy stocks. Magpul and others now make better stocks, but it kinda changes the "cheap truck gun" philosophy to put to much into one. The Savage's heavier barrel doesn't do this even with the flimsy stock. Maybe the predator version of the American wouldn't either.

Ruger Gunsite Scout. Kinda on the expensive side for a truck gun, it isn't cheap. It has some nice features. Mine shoots great with 165 grain Sierra Gamekings. I use it more as a brush gun than a truck gun but like the rifle. I put a TImney in mine and it has a 1-6x Leupold VX-6. It wouldn't be what I'd pick for shots over 200 yards the way I have it set up, but it's very quick, handy, and LOUD! I put a thread protector on mine to replace the brake to quiet it somewhat.

I have others that I use but they aren't cheap. I usually pack them when I think my odds of seeing something to shoot is pretty high. I don't mind getting them dirty or used, I just don't want to get one stolen.

Hope my rambling helps. I spend a lot of hours driving a truck with a rifle in it, it's something I have put some thought into.

 

[Terrapin]

I didn’t read all the posts (ADHD). My truck gun is a stainless Ruger with the old plastic boat paddle stock. Topped off with an old school 3-9 scope. Absolutely the “worst” gun in my safe. It shoots cheap Remington Core-Lokt ammo to a consistent 1 moa. I have never needed to re-sight it in. It has been in my truck for better part of ten years. I never clean it, but I replace the ammo when it turns green. It’s killed everything I’ve pointed it at, and I don’t mind if it gets dirty or wet.


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[Ndbowhunter]

I replace ammo when it turns green.

Dude that’s funny right there.

 

[tdhanses]

I’ve really been impressed with the Howa 1500’s.

 

[huntsman22]

I carry a rifle in my vehicle daily on the ranch.
I really like the Big Sky overhead gun racks if your vehicle will accommodate one.

Yup....

 

[mcseal2]

I had one just like that in my 99 F350 4 door. Mounted right there too!

 

[huntsman22]

Ha! Mine is a '99 f350 4-door.....

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Obviously boat guns are a bit different then truck guns.. more looking for giggle factor and reliability to go bang..

mosins for 50$ from a native (I forgot how to do the trigger job but stack some shines to give it upwards pressure on the barrel) and spam cans at 75$ are pretty damn fun when ur on anchor for a few days.

But a lot of guns just quit working around the salt. Or if they did work a lot of times it wasn’t how they should. I know the firing pin got so sluggish on our handi rifle you’d hold it and the buddy would hit the hammer with a hammer. Not sketchy

We had one of those crappy post 64 30-30 one season. It definitely was worse for the wear after a season but 30-30 ballistics aren’t that great, it wasn’t that accurate and there wasn’t any cheap cheap plinking ammo.

Revolver were the worst.. it’s more then A bit scary to rely on cylinder timing when the hammers falling.

Cz 550 in 308 did okay, but it was there I started to lose any respect for Mauser claw rifles. Hanging an extractor out to the elements is not good.. When a commie ww2 rifle runs more reliability that’s not good.



But then stainless ar15 showed up. that was it, the search was over. Super ez to stash under a bunk, or on top of gear bags.. 420 rounds of good ammo for 145$... and it just kept going and going and going.. and she wasn’t well loved.



For the going price of 280$ that palmetto lists their nitride build kits sans lower you can’t dream up a better beater rifle. And I still own a couple beater 700 243 and salvage 308..

 

[16Bore]

All my guns ride in the truck at some point.