I was talking truck guns with a friend today. He keeps three in his truck;
243 - Marlin XS7 20 Gauge - Western Field M550CR (Mossberg 500 house brand 22 LR - Ruger 10/22
He farms in northeastern Nebraska and since he has a fair amount of free time, stereotypical Norwegian bachelor farmer that he is, he has lots of time to hunt.
I thought that those three firearms/cartridges provided good coverage for what the average guy in the lower 48 might need. What say you?
A truck gun battery...reminds me of my teens. His choices don't seem rednecky enough. I don't think there is any steel-cased ammo available for any of the three.
This time of year I don't even keep a gun in the pickup. Everything gets a free pass until about September when bird season opens and then I'll leave my Winchester 1300 behind the seat. Later on I'll add a 243 Montana and that will cover the rare critter that I might actually shoot.
Gophers out in a wheat field this morning and I had two rifles along but chit, they were having too much fun chasing each other around that I couldn't bring myself to shoot at 'em. Getting old and soft I guess.
My truck guns change with the seasons.. Today it was the .22 CZ, .22mag CZ, and .223 & S & W's in .357 and .44.. Shooting gophers and p. dogs.. Unless it big game season I usually have the revolvers, something like my .25-06 or .270 and a .22-250 or a Swift.. Much of the year I seldom carry a .22.. Used to have one all the time.. not so much now..
At the very least, I ALWAYS have one of my AR-15's in the truck. And my old Marlin Model 60 in 22lr. And usually a 12 ga shotgun of some sort. Lately, it's been my Class III AOW Rem. 870 with a 7" barrel. It's a great snake gun!
We have 2 different Ranches,and I spend a lot of time traveling between the two, and home and back.
I keep a DPMS Sportical and a S&W 4006 in my daily driver. A Marlin 982-S in the Jeep that I keep in Colorado and a Marlin XS7 in 243 in the Nissan pickup that I keep in northwestern Nebraska.
My main truck gun is my Socko AII .22-250.... I feel kind of bad sometimes when I look at all it's accumulated dings and dents, but I bought it to use so I get over it quick. It's really not the best truck gun though since it's got a 25.5" barrel.
Remington 600 triple deuce is pretty darn handy for a truck gun.. I also carry Dad's old BL-22 and my Remington 121 .22 a lot.
My old adl, .22-250 has ridden thousands of miles in my truck.. Bought it new in about 1978.. On its third barrel, I still often carry it a few months of the year.. That little 600 in .222 is perfect..
Today CTR .260, 10/22 w Tacsol bbl., Mossberg 500 18.5-in. I got in '78, loaded w Hornady Heavy Coyote, with many other options in door pocket. Glock 23 and Smiff 442 on me of course...
Certainly enough for anything in the Volunteer State and the rest of the East.
I don't have a specific truck gun 'battery', but I do have a XS7 in 243 with a weaver on top that I consider my centerfire truck gun. Looks like a popular choice.
I will say that a Smith and Wesson 66 357 seems to be my most popular handgun in the truck and on the tractor around the farm.
In the early 1990s, I had a Mossberg 800 in 22-250 as a truck gun, but I carried it in a rear window rack and the heat of the sun caused the plastic trigger assembly case to become soft and distorted, so much so that the trigger was unsafe. The primary reasons that I have Marlin XS7s in 243 is that they are cheap, as little as $250, and all of the Marlin X guns that I've owned or shot have been quite accurate. The 243 in the Nissan gets a steady diet of 80 grain Federal blue box factory ammo.
This time of year I don't even keep a gun in the pickup. Everything gets a free pass until about September when bird season opens and then I'll leave my Winchester 1300 behind the seat. Later on I'll add a 243 Montana and that will cover the rare critter that I might actually shoot.
Gophers out in a wheat field this morning and I had two rifles along but chit, they were having too much fun chasing each other around that I couldn't bring myself to shoot at 'em. Getting old and soft I guess.
Broseph!
Take rattler! Poor guy's out throwing sticks in a fugging lake! Help him out!
When the Big One comes and the Left Coast falls into the ocean, it needs to take the East Coast with it.
Daughter #1 just moved from MD to CO. So glad to have her away from there.
Yea, the only people who have truck guns here are the criminals (drive by's). Matter of fact, if I did have a truck gun, that would make me a criminal too.
Can't move from here. Born and raised here, own a company here, and can kill up to 34 deer every year here. Hopefully the country people will out number the city people some day. We did elect a conservative republican governor last fall. I guess all of the baltimorons stayed home on election day.
Dusting rattlesnakes is my main objective this time of year and a Remington 870 Express .410 loaded with 3 inch Win. 6's does the job. Easy gun to keep in the truck carrier.
Since I am largely an urban dweller my truck gun needs are limited to road trips. I don't leave valuables in my truck anymore so I usually have a Tikka t3 in .308 and an RAR compact in .223. I actually like both rifles but they could easily be replaced if stolen.
No truck guns for me as I don't have enough land to warrant one. If I did, my truck gun would have to be accurate but it could be a beater in terms of looks. It certainly wouldn't be anything I didn't want to lose due to someone's sticky fingers.
Last winter I bought a Ruger American Ranch in .223. For me, it is the perfect truck gun given its size and accuracy. Can't shoot deer with it in Colorado, but there are plenty of coyotes on my property. Also keep a Smith 317 with snake shot in the truck this time of year. I have found that the .22 cal work fine for rattle snakes.
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