What is the ideal truck gun rifle caliber?

[bhk]

I guess it depends 'why' you want a rifle in your truck. I live in a rural area and the obvious reason is to take game/varmints when the opportunity arises and when it can be done legally (off the road, on property I have permission to hunt on, in season, etc). I usually keep a .22 in the truck and often a .223 (for coyotes) during the period of the year when the crops are out. As a matter of fact, I used the .223 yesterday on a coyote (and I missed!). The one last week wasn't so lucky.

 

[CraigC]

Hard to beat a good pistol cartridge carbine or the venerable .30-30 but typically end up using .22LR or .22Mag more often than not.

 

[Tentwing]

If you live out in the country a 30-30 Lever action should be mandatory for your truck .....If not then you aughta at last have a 12gauge pump ridin with ya........otherwise we're just gonna have to exile you back to the city..

............ good thread.......Tentwing

 

[Armored farmer]

20+ years of truck guns:

in order of my actual use.

1. unplanned, informal plinking/target shooting
2. varmit control, coyotes, snakes, skunks, etc.
3. Unplanned hunt.
4. coup de grace of a sick or wounded animal.
5. self defense (never needed).

Guns I have used:

1. SKS...ok for coyotes, too much gun for close quarters on varmits, fun plinker.
2. 12ga...ok for close work and hunting, no good for coyotes or plinking.
3. .22 rifle...great for plinking, hunting, weak on coyotes, too slow to deploy.
4. Scoped 30-06...great for coyotes/varmits...didn't like it being abused in the truck.
5. .357mag revolver...great for all!!
6. .22 auto pistol (MKII)...great for all but coyote and SD.

I alternate between MKII .22 and the .357 revolver.

of the choices listed....30-30 or 7.62x39

 

[THe Dove]

30-30 and you pick which maker! There's a big difference in a truck gun needed from state to state or region to region. Ie, a 30-30 would NOT be an ideal truck gun for someone on a ranch in west texas or Wyoming. But in the woods for us in the middle, I say a 30-30 is the best truck gun I've ever had. BTW - there's one in mine right now!!! It does me well on the ranch.

The Dove

 

[NewShooter]

The shotgun is certainly the most versital. The choice will vary from one person to another. We dont all have the same needs. I vote shotgun.

 

[ADKWOODSMAN]

I like my over and under .308/12 ga. as a truck gun. Everything is covered.

No shootouts here in the big woods.

 

[Zerodefect]

In Communist Ohio the sheeple are not allowed to have truck guns. Just going to the range with a loaded mag is jailtime.:banghead:

An AR or AK pistol might be legal, but for now I'm stuck useing my CCW only.

 

[Water-Man]

A carbine in .45 acp or .45 Colt. Powerfull enough but not to LOUD.

 

[zstephens13]

I voted .30-30.
Behind my truck seat sits a loaded Marlin 336 with one of those Uncle Mike's buttstock straps that holds all those extra rounds. Able caliber to handle just about anything I don't want to just drive away from.
Z

 

[BlayGlock]

Man that is a tough one. Im thinking of all the guys I know who carry a rifle in the truck at all times. It seems most have a .223 or a 7.62X39.

 

[Hunt480]

35 marlin for a truck rifle,its easy haulin and easy handlin and very accurate.

 

[420Stainless]

Not being a rancher or farmer, my truck gun is an in-case-of-emergency carbine in 6.8SPC. I fancy it as being ideal, but have no real world practical experience to back that up.

 

[shiftyer1]

I've kept a 12 guage but switched to a .22 lr. I really want to find a .22 mag for truck duty. If I could find an old beat to hell 30-30 cheap it's goin in the truck also.

 

[Fastcast]

.30 cal. M1 Carbine......

 

[Bushido81]

Just like gear/load out selection for any thing it depends a lot on what you needs are. What do you think you will encounter or need to be able to deal with? I suggested the 7.62x39mm based on the idea of a paratrooper/mech infantry carbine based on the AK47 such as the AMD-65 or Yugo M70. I chose this for the following reasons;
1) General durability/reliability of the AK47 platform. Stow it and forget it for weeks, months, years, and it will still work at a moments notice.
2) Proven track record of 7.62x39mm as a man/animal/”dumb **** in the parking lot when your just trying to leave” stopper
3) The premise that engagements with hostiles will occur at close to medium range, thus the loss of accuracy needed for longer ranges would be an acceptable trade off for more real or even just perceived stopping power
4) Relatively good penetration vs. commonly encountered modern materials i.e. light to medium gauge metal such as auto bodies, wood and sheet rock as in buildings/structures
5) It’s a big scary tool that even the dumbest/most ignorant/angriest/most drugged or boozed up idiot you’ll ever meet instantly recognizes as does any one else who catches sight of it. The potential and proven destructive capabilities of this weapon have “street cred” thanks to years of gang warfare on US streets. The hood rat jacker might not know what that M1 Garand does. He does however, know damned well and fears what that AK style “chopper” does.
Just my opinion

Bushido

 

[Arcticfox]

I was leaning 7.62x39, then decided the 12 gauge. That would be handy for a worst case, such as a menacing brown bear.

 

[killchain]

7.62x54R.

Because it will KILL ANYTHING, INCLUDING NAZIS.

 

[RonE]

I just voted and was amazed to see that two of the worst .30 calibers (as far as velocity/tajectory) were tied at 39 votes each. 30-30 and 7.62X39

Wow!

 

[mdauben]

I just voted and was amazed to see that two of the worst .30 calibers (as far as velocity/tajectory) were tied at 39 votes each. 30-30 and 7.62X39

I don't find that all so suprising. Most people (including me) don't see the need for a sniper weapon or long range hunting arm as a "truck gun". What we want is something short, handy, not too expensive, but with the power to deal with at least deer sized game and self-defence.

The 30-30 and 7.62X39 both meet those needs nicely.

 

[ironhead7544]

I voted 7.62x39 based on the rifle type. Can get most with a folder and storage is important. When I was in the country and had a truck I used a 12ga short barrel pump as that was all I had at the time. It rode nicely in one of those cab organizers with a built in long gun pocket. Was out of view.

 

[Lateck]

I have four of the calibers listed that I could use as a truck gun.

But I voted based on the gun.... Mini-14, great truck gun.
Takes a lick'n and keeps on tick'n (sorry Timex)

Lateck,

 

[76shuvlinoff]

I might have gone .357 lever but the only one I have is too pretty to bang around in a truck. My beat up 30-30 is a shooter but I wouldn't put a scope on it if it was going to be bouncing around loose enough for fast access.

Going strictly on caliber for this neck-o-the-woods I voted 30-30.

 

[doc2rn]

Pawn shop 30/30

 

[CraigC]

I just voted and was amazed to see that two of the worst .30 calibers (as far as velocity/tajectory) were tied at 39 votes each. 30-30 and 7.62X39

Imagine that, maybe there's actually something to it which has nothing to do with ballistics tables???