cheap truck gun

.223
450 Bushmaster

Ruger American Compact in 308 or 7-08!

Rossi 92 357.

870

I carry a rifle in the truck everyday and have carried many calibers but I always keep coming back to the 243. I carry a Tang safety Ruger 77 with a 22 inch barrel and a Styer Pro Hunter with a 26 inch barrel. The 77 is by far the handiest but the Styer is the most accurate and really handles the fast moving lighter bullets I prefer. I'm actually thinking about picking up another rifle and it's going to be a Ruger American in 22-250 and I'll mount an older model Leopold 3x9 on it. Good price on the rifle and more than half the price of the Styer. A truck rifle for me is a coyote rifle since that's it's main purpose around here and it's going to get banged up and scratched up. If deer were on the menu I'm pretty sure the 7mm-08 would be riding beside me. Who am I fooling if deer or on the menu there will be one of my Weatherby's riding gently beside me.

It's hard to beat a lever action in the truck. A trapper M94 44 magnum will carry 10 rounds of thump.

My truck (or Mule) gun is a Mossberg MVP Patrol Rifle in 5.56/.223. It has a 16 1/4" barrel and I removed the flash hider and replaced it with a thread protector. It is short and easy to maneuver in the cab and uses any AR magazine. I currently keep it loaded with 70 grain SP bullets so I am ready for coyotes or hogs. When I finally shoot up all the 70's, I think I will switch to Sierra's 65 grain Gameking bullets.

As cheap as ARs are, one with a 1:8 or 1:7 twist seems the clear answer. With a colapsed stock, they get quite maneuverable.

Yep carry a PSA AR15 in my truck. Buzz watch their daily deals and you can buy upper and lower separately and put them together. You can get a really good deal.

I used to think AR pistols were stupid until the SB PDW brace came out and the ATF clarified the shouldering thing. I now keep a 7.5" AR pistol, talk about a small package. No way I was gonna keep my registered SBR in the vehicle to get stolen but a cheapo AR pistol works well

TC encore 20” 6.5 creedmore

I never understand the utility of an AR....until I got one. Then another. As has already been said: lightweight, compact/maneuverable, cheap and reliable. Mine carries a 20 round mag in the truck, with some 30's in the console for "just in case."

Not my favorite guns in any sense - except for meeting my personal criteria for a "truck gun."

But for 30+ years it a Marlin lever.

Marc, try a 10 round mag.
It becomes even smaller, and more maneuverable.

I've also been carrying a Rossi .357 for several years. However, I'm thinking about swapping it out for an AR15.

If it’s a cheap AR, the Rossi is probably worth more.

Watch Cabelas sales and rebates for the Savage Model 12 FV.

Back before Christmas they were on sale $319 with a $100 rebate. $219 final price for a heavy barrel bolt action in several popular calibers like .223, 6.5 CM, or .308. Right now they are $419 with the $100 rebate so $319 final price. Still pretty cheap for a truck gun.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/SAVAGE-FV-VARMINT-RIFLE/1994604.uts?slotId=0

If a 26" barrel is too long for you it is easy to have it cut down and re-crowned.

What is the basis for a "truck gun". Is it something short and handy for the confines of a cab or is it something cheap and disposable? It could be either or both. Are you driving down senderos filling feeders or in the shady side of town looking for a lost pet?

A good inexpensive truck gun would be a mosin negant.

I would start with a caliber that handles most of your needs in a stock/action that can handle the abuse of getting knocked around and scratched up. It doesn't have to be cheap but it does need to be durable, mine gets bounced around, knocked around and scratched up. I tried the AR's twice and they just seemed to cause problems even with the 10rd mags. They just don't slide out the window very well and that's 90% of my shooting, plus they seem to always manage to hang up on something. Brass flying around inside the cab creates it's own problems and always manages to get in the hardest to reach places. Were I to pick the perfect combo it would probably be a composite stock, 20 to 22 inch stainless sporter barrel and action in a 243 shooting 90 grain bullets. I like the lighter fast bullets but coyotes are my main targets, in hog country I'd definitely get the bullet weight up. Where I'm at the terrain is wide open with 200 plus yard shots being the norm for yotes, different terrain might make me rethink. I guess the main thing I want in a truck gun is simplicity, rifle, scope and rounds. One rifle I've never used and only owned a couple was the Ruger #1, If I could find one with a 22 to 24 inch sporter barrel in 22-250 or 243 I'm afraid I'd have to give it a chance. Being limited to one shot out here is not much of a handicap, hog country is a whole different story.

let me add one more thing and that keeping it clean. This is dust country out here and it gets everywhere inside the truck so I keep my rifles covered in a unzipped case so the ability to slide in and out of a case is important in keeping the scope clear. Pop up caps work fine but are just something else I have to do before shooting when time is not on my side.

A Remington 788 in .308, 7-08, or 6mm might be just the ticket.

Forgot about .243...it would work too.

I put allot miles on a 788 in 22-250. Wish I still had it!

Cva hunter in 243. Cheap, accurate enough, light and handy

leaning towards the Ranch Rifle .223, Very short, very light. I do wish it had a larger capacity.

under 6#'s, short, can get in into action (out the window) quickly.

AR's are too heavy, unless you spend allot but they have capacity.

Needs to be cheap if stolen, confiscated after a shooting.

9mm Keltec Carbine.

I carry a ranch rifle at the farm. You can get 10 or 20 rounds magazines. Quick and easy to shoot. not the most accurate but close enough for what I do.

What kind of hunting you doing Buzz where you risk confiscation? Neighborhood cats?

For a truck gun I'm assuming coyotes are likely target but hogs might be as well. Based on that I'd step up a caliber to 6mm in a cheap bolt action. You specifically said you did not want an AR but my choice is a 6.8.

its really for SHTF while driving.

SHTF = AR15

Agreed.

As long as the bolt is clean, with plenty of Mobile 1 and ATF.

If I would have answered this ten years ago, it might have been an SKS or AK. I wouldn't call either cheap today.

never seen a lightweight

inexpensive


AR

AR pistol: short, not bad in price, holds plenty of ammo, lots of calibers to choose from.

I've got one you can try out. 16" carbine, very thin barrel, collapsible stock. Take the scope off and put on a flip up rear sight with a 10 round mag is purty darn light. A 20ga pistol grip pump is another option but heavier when loaded... or just go with a pistol. Zombies only attach those driving Subarus so you are safe in your new shiny pimped out pickup.

11" 6.8 pistol with an Aimpoint T1
Have very little hard cash in it..

Has to be MOA accurate to 200 yards

You want a lightweight, inexpensive, short, easy to maneuver, high capacity rifle for when the SHTF truck gun that holds MOA accuracy to 200 yards? What have you been smoking today?

the 308, 7mm-08 and 243 were offered in 18.5" barrel. If you could find someone willing to sell it.

sounds like a Ruger Ranch rifle with 10 rnd mag to me

when a handgun wont get it done, that's what i'm looking for

If you mean a Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle the probability of MOA is diminishing.

Ar-15 with a hand load.

There was a pump action 30-30 for sale for $300 on gunbroker today, it would fit the bill. Who'd steal it?

academy had the maverick 88 for 179.00

ill check it , not familiar

Well...if no one would steal it, then who would buy it??

Vz2008 /vz58 shoots the easily attainable 7.62x39, has a folding stock, and a 16in barrel not to mention steel sites. Fits perfect under the seat along with a couple mags.
This thing won’t give up on you.

So it is my go to SHTF and truck gun- plus it looks cool

If the shtf i want my best rifle not my cheapest.

You can get a rack grade m4 for under 500 bucks right now. Hard to beat that

IMO it's hard to beat a 30-30 lever gun, for a truck gun. Nothing wrong with a Marlin, carried one in my truck and on my hunting buggy for years. Kept mine open sights, zeroed at 50 yrds felt her out at 100. Quick, handy, accurate enough, and plenty of punch to defend anything that needing defending. I have several AR's, but I like a good handy lever gun.

I use a truck gun for what most everyone uses a truck gun for - to knock off coyotes and hogs. An AR doesn’t work for me for the reasons HWY stated.
I used to carry a cheapo Savage Axis in .308 with a Leupold VX1 3x9 on it.
I switched to an open sighted Marlin 336 in .35 Rem. I just like it’s carryability/maneuverability. There’s a reason you still see a lot of lever guns in old cowboys’ and farmers’ trucks.

Ruger Ranch Rifles aren’t very cheap - certainly no cheaper than a decent AR. They are also notoriously inaccurate. If I was worried about a Walking Dead or a sudden need to engage in urban warfare scenario I would get an AR.

Get a moisen negant I bought them for $60-$150 and would they take one of them.

The problem is that this is a good looking gun.
For a truck gun you need to buy a beat up gun that shoot well and is cheap.

how about 7.62x39 in s Ranch Rifle? food factory loads available

better than .23?

Agreed 7.62x54r

I have fired mine at 500 yds.
I have bad eyes with bifocal, and
The gun uses a fine sight.
I hit the gong 3 out of 5 times.

Marlin 795 in the feed truck handles most of my needs.

Hey bubba , you pick that booger yet?