truck gun

I want your ideas on the ideal truck gun. Right now I am working on buying a bunch of parts for my trunck and a 7/08. Then I want to get a truck gun to keep behind the seat in my 87 Dodge two door dakota. What I was thinking was somthing like a marlin 30/30. Or maybe the SLME enfield with a .318" bore That i am sportizing.
Whats your ideas?
BIC/Daniel/BS Jr.

Sir.

You would be betteroff with a hand gun then a rifle, by the way, A SMLE
303 rifle with a .318 bore is used up. The bore should be around .311.



Mike Circle

A cheap SKS is a great truck gun....

I think the .303 would be great. The ideal truck gun is powerful enough to handle the game in the area, beat up enough looking that no one is going to break into the truck to get it, and inexpensive enough that the world won't end if someone does. For most of the lower 48, that SKS would be just the ticket, but for Alaska I think I would want something that I'm sure would stop a big bear before it got too up close and personal.

BTW, welcome circle141.
.303 bores (and chambers) can vary widely. I have seen them run from .305 - .320". They were made all over the world over many decades and it seems like no two arsenals ever used equivalent tooling. Any caster will tell you that you will rarely see two the same size. Most will shoot .312 jacketed bullets well enough to pass the pieplate test at 100yds despite their variations, but even then you get better results by slugging them first to find out the actual size. I doubt if BSJr would have bothered with a shot-out rifle - he lives in a gun shop with one of the best custom bullet casters on the continent. ;)

My truck gun is a 7.62 NATO 1955 FR8 Spanish Mauser Shoots about 1.5 min (100 yds so far) w/ WW silver box 150's. When I get a chance I will try my M14 load of 150 FMJBT Hornady, R-P cases, WLR primers, 43 gr H4895.

Paid $200 for it a couple of months ago and am REAL happy.

Don

Like you I live in cold country Wyoming. I have tried a number of rifles over the years. I have been using a K31 Swiss 7.5X55 for some time now. These rifles shoot a .308 slug and can push a 30-06 when hand loaded.
They are set up for cold weather use as they were Swiss Ski Patrol Rifles. They are well made and shoot like target rifles. You can also get a quick release scope mount from St. Marie Graphics thru Brownells. I have the cast Alum. mount as the steel mount is very costly.:-D

Good morning
Alaska ! Something that will reliable kill the worse, ugliest , nasty bitter you will have to encounter.. A revolver that big is SOOOOO pricey... Thus the old beat up military 303 with a FAT big boolit will do the job up close (under 100) where MOST game are shot anyway. If a 303 can take out 4 ton elephants.. why even wonder. Shoot it and climb back in the warm cab. Handguns are last ditch defense compared to a reliable rifle. Best part you ALREADY own it.

After doing some research, I bought a contender. I have about 15 barrels for it ranging from 22 LR to 45/70 all 10".
It is doing the job. I bent the receiver on the old 303 by trying to put a new barrel on. the old one seemed to be welded in.

I went to my Jungle Carbine. At close range it will kill anything up here including a Grizzly. A window in my truck is worth more than the rifle is so losing it would not be the end of the world.

Take Care

Bob

Just food for thought, but location of a "truck gun" is a big factor, depending on where you are. If it is a behind the seat and takes 3-4 min to get out, it might be sufficient. If it is in a rack in front of the seats, might take a min or so to have it ready. If it is a handgun, then maybe the glove compartment or under the front seat. Then there is the factor of loaded or unloaded and the time to load if it is carried unloaded, and then there is a factor of a gun in a vehicle being loaded and the law. For me, if it were a rifle, would be a Mosin carbine. Would not be a handgun. But that is just me.
1Shirt!:coffee:

For a truck gun it would be hard to beat a 45-70 guide gun. Short great handling and awesome for power. What it lacks in range it makes up for in power.

I have always thought that some variation of the "SMLE" would be great for this but never have figured out which one.

My choice would be a 303 Jungle carbine because they are clip loaders. The down side is they are too expensive now. From$200.00 to $ 500.00 at gun shows
I remember buying one mail order from Kliens in Chicago for $17.00 , but that was a looong time ago.
My second choice would be a Rem. pump carbine in whatever caliber.

Daniel, where you are I would want something that would put down anything that I need to. I don't think I would want a single shot, either. Your 'truck gun' is, by definition, not your hunting rifle. It isn't necessry to use it for super accurate, long range shots. It is for those necessary close in situations where your need to defend yourself or clear the road.

For me, where you are, it would be a toss up between a Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70 and a Remington 870 12 guage. Both rugged, can take abuse, and more than adequate to deal with whatever appears within 50 yards.

Mosin Nagant 7.62X54. They are inexpensive, reasonable accurate, ammo is cheap and plentiful right now. I am considering this in the near future.

I carry my BFR in 45/70 in the front seat with me. I've also got an A-bolt in 25/06 in the back seat of the truck. Generally the first thing I reach for is the BFR, if it's WAYYYYYYYYYYY out there I can reach out and touch it with a 117 spire point BT. Dave

CZ-52 Pistol (TECHNICALLY VZ-52) - Potent as all hell, accurate, and the BANG that it makes will scare the feces outta most anything. And, it'll punch clean holes in Class II body armor.

Truck Gun! I don't have the cold to contend with here in California, but have found that my Big Sky overhead rack (http://www.bigskyracks.com/) works well for me. It is out of sight, but quick to get the rifle or shotgun out and into play. As for the rifle, the Contender, in 45-70, with heavy loads, should do the job. My setup with the overhead rack has let me kill several coyotes that were after our calves. These guys are real gun shy and will spook when the see a vehicle stop, so speed of deployment is utmost to get a kill.

Good luck,

I have seen those racks and similar ones in use by several hunting buddies and I like them in full-sized trucks and SUV's. With others, especially mini pickups, I am too tall to keep from bouncing my head off of the rifles every time the vehicle hits a bump, and that gets old very quickly. I am no big fan of the "steal-my-rifle" rear window racks for pickups that are so popular, much prefering the "behind the seat" style.

I have several old loaner rifles and a shotgun I don't worry about leaving in the vehicle during hunting season that would be no great loss if they grew legs. It's always better to have something handy for just in case.

I was surprised that no one mentioned a good old pump shotgun. 18" barrel
5 rounds of slugs in the gun and 5 extra's on the elastic holder on the buttstock.
3" shells in my 870 should take care of any problems from moose to mayhem.

farky