Bolt Action Truck Gun Idea: How short can you chop the barrel?

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frankr

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I know the legal limit is 16" without a SBR stamp.

But after seeing Trashcans shotgun I got thinking

How short can you chop a bolt action .223 with a 1:12 twist and still have it stabilize bullets well (I'm thinking around 55gr)?

I know from personal experience with an Ar15 with a 1:9, 1:8, or 1:7 twist bullets stabilize just fine at 14.5" and 16" (And other have gone as short as 7.5" just fine). But the 1:12 twist .223 I haven't seen many people go shorter than 20".

Thanks
 
Isn't that about the twist rate of a T/C Contender pistol? The super 14 barrels I've shot were pretty darn accurate. I'm thinking my T/C carbine was a 1-12. We use to run factory Remington 55 PSP's out of our 223 pistol.
 
I would think the bullet should be spinning fast enough to be pretty stable by 11", after that it's just building speed.

My AR has an 11" barrel with a 5" perm brake and unfortunately I don't know the twist but it will stabilize pretty much anything I put down the tube. Original barrel, definitely not designed for the shortness of actual rifling.

I know I hacked my sks down so far that the permanently attached brake makes it legal length, then loaded 150 instead of 123gr which is normal for the load, and it cut 4+" off the average group at 100 even with the big heavy and slow bullet.
 
I have an AR pistol with a 7.5" barrel. With factory loads and a scope it will group aound 2" at 100.

Reading off my chrony, velocities are veryy scattered from any single lot of ammo. A sure sign that there is a lot of powder going unburned. But lots of guys are using small charges of Blue Dot in 223 cases keeping the velocity up.

Edit to add: I have shot it at 200yds with a 3moa red-dot and can hit a 8x11 target 90+% of the time.
 
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Originally Posted By: ARCOREYIsn't that about the twist rate of a T/C Contender pistol? The super 14 barrels I've shot were pretty darn accurate. I'm thinking my T/C carbine was a 1-12. We use to run factory Remington 55 PSP's out of our 223 pistol.

I believe you are correct. I think the T/C 223 barrels are 1 in 12. And they are often quite accurate. My current favorite truck gun is a Tikka T3 Lite 223 1 in 8 twist with an 18" barrel. It is quite accurate with 55 grain Sierra soft points and 55 grain V-Maxs.
 
Thanks for the info. I was thinking that you could build a really cool truck gun using a Howa barreled action ~ $400.00 + chop and threading ~70.00 + good thumbhole stock (I want a Manners T5 but probably get a wood) ~160.00 + Vortex PST 1-4 ~ 400.00 = 1030.00 for a pretty handy truck gun
 
I REALLY like my wife's Ruger Compact for a Truck gun. Only problem is its a 308 . I kick myself every time I remember that I. Could have got a new SS Ruger Compact in 260 Rem. For the same price I bought a 223 Rem. M. 700 VTR.
 
Originally Posted By: frankrThanks for the info. I was thinking that you could build a really cool truck gun using a Howa barreled action ~ $400.00 + chop and threading ~70.00 + good thumbhole stock (I want a Manners T5 but probably get a wood) ~160.00 + Vortex PST 1-4 ~ 400.00 = 1030.00 for a pretty handy truck gun

I may just be cheap, but that's 3-5 times what I would spend on a 'truck gun'. My general idea of one is short and handy, inexpensive, and more or less expected to see some collateral abuse from bouncing around and living in the truck. Not so much a custom build.

The old 12ga, .30-30 etc. Mine is an sks that has been worked a bit.
 
NdIndy

For me a truck gun is one that I keep in the truck and use 99% of the time. It's my go-to rifle. I don't baby it but I will maintain it. I want the best I can afford (which isn't much usually).

Ideally I would have something like

Tikka or Howa action (trued and blueprinted)

.223, 6.8 spc, or 6.5 G

12.5" barrel with a integral suppressor with an OAL for the entire barrel and suppressor
 
What are you primarily thinking of shooting and how?

Why do you need a sling, target or thumbhole stock if you're going to be shooting from the window of your truck?

The barrel should be short if you're looking to poke it quickly out the window to control vermin.

Recently set up a Weatherby Vanguard Youth .223 for my wife's deer/varmint rig. It has a 20-in. pencil barrel, a 6x36 Leupold in Talley LWs, shoots white box 45 gr. JHP into .6 with no tweaking.

Simple and effective. With electronic earmuffs you don't need a suppressor.

It is an ideal truck gun, but we can't be shooting from a vehicle in Tennessee unless we're on our own property (off public roadways).
 
Back in the late '70s, I used to carry a little Rem 600 in .222 in my patrol car, just for those potential incidents where one of my subordinates might wind up in a serious situation and the distance was too far for a handgun or a shotgun...

I never had any problem with manipulating it inside the vehicle to get into a position for a needed shot...If I were looking for a 'long gun', other than the currently available AR platform in the M4 carbine configuration, I would be finding another of those 600s in a caliber that I wanted and call it good...

I just don't understand trying to reinvent the wheel...
 
Sparrow Hawk - Your wifes' rifle sounds really sweet especially the accuracy

The reason for the thumbhole stock is because it is what I prefer for comfort

Sling - If this is in my truck and I get a whim to go hunting while out and about then I can go make a few stands with it.

Suppressor - After having used them I just love using them and I already have one
wink.gif
(I think they make a difference while hunting and especially if you shoot from a car or near a covert)

OT and Blackhawak I will have to look at the Remington 600 (I don't know much about the action is it similar to the 700 or model 7?)

Basically this gun will not only be a truck gun but also my do it all around gun (when I don't have an AR15 (which I don't carry in the truck very often) or larger caliber bolt gun).

I think the Ruger GSR is pretty close to ideal except I don't care for 3 things

1. Rugers Action (personal preference, I know they are strong My Brother, BIL, FIL, and many other use them)

2. forward mounting scope (I know you can mount normal also but I just don't need to mount it forward if I am going to use a 1-4 or 1.5-xx)

3. Magazine fed. (personal preference - I have an AR15 if I want magazine fed, on a bolt I enjoy being able to unload the rifle and put the chambered round back in the internal box from the top instead of having to drop the magazine and reload it that way)

But other than those I think the barrel profile, threading, and even the stock aren't too bad (although a thumbhole is what I like)

Thanks for talking this out with me. I enjoy learning from you all and seeing both sides of the coin
 
Why do you think the twist rate and barrel length have anything to do with
each other? The bullet has to turn at the twist rate regardless of barrel length
within reason. IE. pistols
 
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I agree with OT, a 600 .222 would be great. I use my dad's as my main calling rifle. With a Leupold Vari-X II 2x7, aftermarket Numrich stock and Montana sling, it's a great calling/truck rifle.
 
Take a look at the Ruger web site.There is a section that shows guns Ruger has made for different dealers and such.There is one on there that is just what you describe,thumb-hole stock and all.
 
Marlin and Winchester have been making truck guns for so long they called them saddle guns to begin with. And, I do carry the old 30 - 30 a lot, in the woods down south.

Otherwise, if I want one to beat around under/on/behind the truck seat, I look for youth models. Barrel and stock are both factory shortened, saving the cost of gunsmithing and making handling in the cab easier. Shorter stock also makes it easier to shoulder in those not quite perfect, or off-hand, in cab shooting scenarios. The Ruger compact fits that description too.

Removable magazine is great in a truck gun as it allows for greater ease in loading and unloading, if you unload.

Suppressor is MAYBE legal in the state you're in, but it's iffy in many if not most states to possess one while in the field hunting. You get caught with a flashlight, and a suppressor, in the woods at night, it's going to be really tough to explain to the judge. Above all however, it's not practical, in that it adds length that you're trying to take away in the truck cab, and it's only going to cause you grief in any routine stop and search.

As for how short you can chop the barrel, and stablize the round; that is totally dependent upon how far away you want to hit chit dude. If you're looking at filling the bill in your routine ghetto drive-by, it can be plenty short. However... accurate to +/- 400 yards is on many folks list of criteria for a truck gun, which throws a 12 inch barrel with suppressor out of the picture.
 
I think the difference I'm talking is a swimsuit that I put on specifically to swim, and being around water where I might fall in and have to be able to swim in those clothes.

I have nice rifles that I take hunting 99% of the time. They ride in the truck for the trip, but they're not truck guns. I don't think I own too many that a collector would think of as high end. A couple pre-64's, several savages etc. Not great in value but great in performance for the most part.

Then I have 'truck guns' that get thrown in when I'm off roading and might come across a coyote or prairie dog, or a can that just needs some killing. If it was a pistol that lived in my truck, I'd buy a HP for the purpose of it always being there, but still carry my glock or 1911 on my hip. They aren't specifically abused, but if my sks or AR or my whatever gets banged around a bit, no worries. If my decent hunting rifle with good glass gets banged around, I'm irritated.

A custom build would fill role 1, but I wouldn't do a build for role 2.
 
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