need help building a TRUCK GUN

[Chuckw]

no, not to hunt trucks with but to keep in the truck for targets of opportunity. i now use a LVSF 221 fireball. i love the gun and the caliber but find it too light for pigs and deer. i have shot both with it along with coyotes, prarie dogs, and crows. i just need a little more HORSEPOWER! i was thinking of a 6x45, 6TCU, or 6x47 remington. i have a lot of lapua 223 brass so the 6x45 or TCU seems the logical choice but i wont let the brass keep me from the 6x47 if it is truly better. i will probably have a 55gr load for small stuff and an 80gr load for the hogs and deer. i just need your help to decide which chamber. i dont have dies or a reamer for any of them so that is a wash. thanks.

chuck

 

[Klong]

You would do well with a 6 BR. Fast twist, say 1 in 8, and shoot 75 gr to 107 gr bullets of your choice. Another great choice would be the 6mmAR turbo in an AR15. Get the barrel length in 20'. You can see the information at 6mmAR.com . The only drawback is the AR slinging brass around in the truck.

 

[Chuckw]

the action is a small bolt face or it would be a BR without question. what bolt face does the 6mm AR use?

 

[jthyttin]

Maybe someone will chime in and tell if it's possible to open up boltface for BR and install Sako type extractor. Heard some problem reports with standard Rem SS extractor, but regular chrome-moly Rem extractor should solve those.

If you're not going to have any bolt work done, I'd say go for the 6x45. Great bullet selection, and water capacity goes up a lot,http://kwk.us/cases.html lists 21gr for 221 and 31gr for 223)

There's a few European cartridges with 223 boltface and more case capacity,5.6x50Mag, 6x51ATZL, as listed by CIP), but I don't think it'd be worth the trouble.

 

[Rustystud]

A 20' 1:8 twist barrel on a .243 will do everything you want and more. Plus in a pinch you can shoot factory ammo. There isn't anything much better than a Remington Model 7, Kimber 84, Winchester Featherweight, or a Ruger 77 in a short compact lightweight rifle. Make it a switch barrel gun and you can shoot it as a 22-250, .243, 260, 7mm-08, 308, 338 Federal, 358 Winchester, 375 Hornaday. Now you have a mouse to moose gun.
Rustystud

 

[btrapr]

Whats wrong with a straight 223 since you have the bolt face? The 45 grain Barnes TSX is supposed to be deadly on deer and with 45 grains you get a very flat shooting round! You could load the 40 or 50 grain V-Max for vermin! That way both trajectories should be close. I know someone who is letting his girlfriends teenage son hunt with a 204 Ruger in a Rem action...he has killed deer out to 300 yards with the 40gr V-Max...ONE shot EACH! I used to load the Hornady 60 spire hollow points for a guys NEF single 223 he absolutely loved it and killed dozens of deer with one shot. I on the other hand used to use the same bullet in a 22-250 and killed several deer out to 150 yards___head on, broadside, neck/head you name it___Never lost an animal and most of the time they fell in the scope! The 60 grain spire hollow point has a flat base so it will stabilize in a 1-12'

If 20 cal. strikes your fancy then what about a 20 Practical? simply neck sizing 223 brass down to 20 and shoot the 40 V-Max? ***This is really close to the 204 Ruger velocities and I can tell you this works on deer. Check out the 20 Practical AR15 Varmint article on 6mmbr and see what they say about the flat shooting tack driving round.

____If your skeptical on pigs then I suggest you aim for the last rib and take out their LIVER! massive blood loss and they won't go far. My uncle slayed too many Northern California hogs to count with a 22-250...last rib-liver shots or at 100+- yard head/neck shots.

 

[Chuckw]

thanks for the replys so far. i have considered re-chambering the barrel to 223ack but the 1-14 twist will limit bullets to 50 or 55 grains. both my boys started hunting with a 223 and did very well but i find pigs a different story than deer. pigs bleed VERY little through a small hole. and remember, this is a truck gun. most times shots will not be slow and easy but fast a furious! if i re-barrel, it will be to a 6mm of some sort. just feel more comfortable with a heavier bullet. i already have the action for 223 bolt face so i am stuck unless someone wants to trade this action for a standard bolt face.

chuck

 

[alf]

Just to keep it simple and relatively cheap, I'd go with the 223 necked up to 6mm, aka 6x45. Or, go with the 6mm TCU, which is the 6x45 Improved version. Dies and load data is readily available.

Al

 

[Tommie]

6x45

Total no-brainer. Easy, easy, EASY to do. Just make sure the cartridge will feed ok,assuming you want to shoot the gun as a repeater).

Tom

 

[Ackman]

I don't believe there's one best cartridge for a truck gun. Squirrels to deer is a big range. The gun does have to be easily handled and right there when needed. For gophers,groundsquirrels), there can easily be a whole bunch and the range will usually be close....I can't see using a 6mm bullet on those things. There's always a 22mag and 17AH within reach in the truck for close-in targets. These are window guns. With rockchucks or coyote distance is more a factor. When driving to and from wherever it is there's usually a 20' barrelled 223 beside the front seat. A sporter weight 17MIV, 22-250, 22-250AI, 243AI, even a 257WBY, may/may not be be sittting there instead. They all have a purpose, just depends on the destination and the mood.

 

[alf]

In the 6x45, the 55 grain Ballistic Tips will handle the varmint duties, while the 85 grain Partition ought to handle the deer.

Al

 

[Chuckw]

thanks for all the replies. ackman, the whole purpose of the proposed gun is to be adequate at everything and not necessarily the best at anything. it would be kind of awkward to have two rifles handy every time i went to the farm. it will be a 6x45 or 6TCU. i would prefer the TCU for a little more velocity but i dont know about feeding from the magazine with a 40 degree shoulder. has anyone every tried a TCU in a repeater?

chuck

 

[JerryMay]

If your looking for a rifle caliber to shoot everything from small varmints to deer size animals, have a look at the Remington 6.8 spc in either the AR15 platform or in bolt action. Low recoil but big knock down power. If possible take a look in the July-September 2008, issue#67 of the Varmint Hunter magazine, page 161... an interesting article,
Jerry.

 

[alf]

6.8 has a larger bolt face than the 223 family.

Al

 

[JerryMay]

I know the 6.8SPC has a bigger bolt face than .223 Rem. as I shoot 6mm WOA. I just thought that Chuck was asking alot from one cartridge,,p/dogs through to hogs and deer) and just maybe it might be a good idea to start with a clean sheet!
Jerry.