Love this topic!
Unfortunately due to where I live, certain truck gun "options" are a no-go for me. And quite honestly I don't have to contend with much in the way of hostile critters, furry or otherwise (at least nothing that a 100lb GSD won't run off).
That said, I've considered moving out west and thought about what kind of weapon I might have in my truck for remote camping, hunting and exploration. I think that while there are many 5.56 platforms that are time-tested and proven, that caliber is mostly inadequate when it comes to taking down larger-sized mammals, especially the apex predators one might encounter out west. The way I see it, a truck gun needs to have the flexibility and utility to deal with any threat that might arise on short notice. A 5.56 semi-auto, while capable in several different roles, is certainly not known for being the most effective cartridge at quickly putting down threats, even in war-time scenarios. My humble opinion of course, but I see a .308 rifle, at a minimum, as the better semi-auto option for a truck gun. Outside of that, I see a reliable pump-action, 12 gauge (maybe something like a mossberg 590) with slugs as another good option; you're certainly giving up something in the way of range, but you get better capability at quickly putting down large-bodied threats (I hate to use the term "stopping power" but that term might have some applicability here).
All that said, 5.56 is not only very prevalent in terms of weapons and ammo availability, but also has low recoil (relative to other calibers) and allows for more ammo in the same storage space. So if nothing else, good shot placement and follow-up shots should be able to deal with most realistic situations (which has always been the main argument for going with a 5.56 over other, larger caliber systems).
Unfortunately due to where I live, certain truck gun "options" are a no-go for me. And quite honestly I don't have to contend with much in the way of hostile critters, furry or otherwise (at least nothing that a 100lb GSD won't run off).
That said, I've considered moving out west and thought about what kind of weapon I might have in my truck for remote camping, hunting and exploration. I think that while there are many 5.56 platforms that are time-tested and proven, that caliber is mostly inadequate when it comes to taking down larger-sized mammals, especially the apex predators one might encounter out west. The way I see it, a truck gun needs to have the flexibility and utility to deal with any threat that might arise on short notice. A 5.56 semi-auto, while capable in several different roles, is certainly not known for being the most effective cartridge at quickly putting down threats, even in war-time scenarios. My humble opinion of course, but I see a .308 rifle, at a minimum, as the better semi-auto option for a truck gun. Outside of that, I see a reliable pump-action, 12 gauge (maybe something like a mossberg 590) with slugs as another good option; you're certainly giving up something in the way of range, but you get better capability at quickly putting down large-bodied threats (I hate to use the term "stopping power" but that term might have some applicability here).
All that said, 5.56 is not only very prevalent in terms of weapons and ammo availability, but also has low recoil (relative to other calibers) and allows for more ammo in the same storage space. So if nothing else, good shot placement and follow-up shots should be able to deal with most realistic situations (which has always been the main argument for going with a 5.56 over other, larger caliber systems).
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