The utility rifle

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I had a Savage 24 for years, in .22 WMR over 20 gauge. It was a great woods bumming combo, but heavy. Sold it a couple of years ago with little regret (there are moments, of course).

My GP (general purpose) rifle has for a long time been a Remington Model 7 in .308. It rides in an HS Precision sporter and wears a Leupold Vari-X II 2-7X compact in the conventional position. I have hunted with it, of course, but also carried it afield just because it is compact and handy.

My newest venture, inspired by YOU, Armored Farmer, is a synthetic-stocked Handi Rifle in .357 magnum I picked up recently. I stuck an old Millett SP-1 red dot sight on it, and a butt stock ammo pack to hold ammo and a couple of spare batteries for the Millett. I'm thinking it will make a swell trunk gun paired with my GP100. I'll have to see about getting some pics up.

Here's the Savage:
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Dr.Rob said:
Sounds like the definition of truck gun, a lever action. 30-30 or .44 mag. I don't always carry a rifle around but I often have one in my jeep. A short barreled AR (light n handy, iron sights) is the logical modern version of those venerable saddle guns, same could be said of a Mini-14 or an M-1 carbine.
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Back in the last century it was a lever gun. I remember lots of Savage 99's and Winchester 94's in pickups when I was growing up. My dad carried a 94 in his pickup. So yes, it was a truck gun where I came from.

I know a farmer in eastern WA that carries an AR in his truck. He also carries it in the cab of his tractors when he's working. Probably what he cut his teeth on so it just seems to be a logical choice. Cheap to buy and operate, replaceable, durable, handy.

I'm not sure I have a utility gun. If I do it's probably my Taurus 85. I've shot rats (shot loads) and trained bird dogs (primed cases, no bullet) with that one. I even thought I had lost it a few times but it keeps being found.

As far as rifles go I don't have a utility gun. If I did it would probably be a lever 357.
 
For a long time it was an Charter Arms Explorer AR7 .22 takedown- compact, accurate enough, floats. Sufficient to take small game and dissuade predators in a stuck in the woods scenario.
But with the changing social climate human threats have replaced natural ones as my most immediate concern. I considered packing my M4 patrol rifle as a take everywhere gun, but it is too nice/expensive to risk theft at this point (if the world situation deteriorates further, it WILL go in the trunk.)
As I already pack a reliable-but-ugly 9mm pistol and extra ammo in the glove box, I went with a Taurus CT9 9mm carbine in the back. Reliable, surprisingly accurate, cheap enough that I won't go all "John Wick" if it gets ripped off. Its intimidation value is considerable as well as it looks far more powerful than it is. Between the long and short guns this gives me 90 rounds of commonly available ammo in magazines and another 150 boxed at all times.
I figure that's enough to let me fight my way back to my REAL guns anyway...lol.
 
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Legionnaire said:
My newest venture, inspired by YOU, Armored Farmer, is a synthetic-stocked Handi Rifle in .357 magnum I picked up recently. I stuck an old Simmons red dot sight on it, and a butt stock ammo pack to hold ammo and a couple of spare batteries for the Simmons. I'm thinking it will make a swell trunk gun paired with my GP100. I'll have to see about getting some pics up.
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I'm humbled......
That should make a great companion for your revolver.
I have found that some of the targets that I used to shoot with my handgun.......I am now shooting AT with a handgun. Lol . I can still shoot pretty well with a rifle, and I find myself carrying one much more often these days.
 
Lately, my "wait a minute" gun; "let's go see if the beavers are damming that creek" or "I have the perfect stand location...c'mon", has been a Yugo Mauser in 8mm. I load with cast bullets and squirrels to deer (and bears, oh my!) it works fine, and it's easy to carry, and doesn't look too military. "Wait a minute, I'll grab my rifle..."

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My new one is same as it ever was around this county - a 25-20 Remington model 25 pump. With 10 up the tube of 60 grain reloads at about 2000 fps and sighted in for 1" groups at 50 yards rested with the Lyman peep with a Mertit disc in it to adjust to light for my eye. Resonably quiet with that long barrel so a couple rounds when needed doesn't freak the neighbors who are a 1/4 mile away. I have yet to kill anything with it but much more power than a .22mag and less noise !
 
Since I was taken to task for showing a .410 mossy as my utility rifle, I'll show a rifle.
H1W0FLw.jpg
Actually this is a photo of the AR-7 the mossy replaced as my Jeep gun after an incident in which the AR-7 just seemed very small.
The AR-7 now lives in my GHB. While I always have a handgun of some sort available the ammo supply is fairly limited. I carry a brick of .22 lr in my bag. That's one heck of a lot of rounds by comparison.
 
Here's the Handi Rifle. I'll probably change the scope out at some point, but I like the short Millett, which doesn't interfere with the hammer. I replaced the original scope base with a true picatinny to enhance mounting options. What I'd really like is a 2.5X scout scope with an illuminated etched reticle--something that will work even if the battery is dead.

hr357.jpg

And just for good measure, here's the Model 7.

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Armored farmer said:
I'm talking about your walking around, woodsbumming, deer scouting, raccoon in the trashcan, skunk in the back yard, creekbank special.
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Armored farmer, I carry a large bore revolver of one sort or another for bumming around in the hills and creek fishing. But I always considered the single-shot H&R, .17HMR I keep by the back door of the house a "utility" rifle. I mean, it was relatively inexpensive, it's ugly, and I use it for almost the same things you mentioned. I use it for rabbits and rock chucks in the garden, starlings in the current bushes, and the occasional feral cat if it bothers our domestic cat. If a feral cat just hangs out on the back part of our place, I leave it alone to kill gophers and voles.
I haven't shot a coyote with my .17HMR yet, but I figure it would probably work okay. I almost shot a fox that was stripping my wife's service berry bush (Did you know foxes eat berries? I didn't.) clean one day . I didn't have the heart to pull the trigger though. So I just grabbed a camera and took pictures of it. I think my wife enjoys the pictures of the fox eating her service berries more than she enjoys eating them herself.:D
I also keep an H&R .410 beside the back door. But it doesn't get used as often as the .17HMR.
 
Whichever .22 is handy will take care of utility rifle duties around here. Or sometimes a 22 cal. Benjamin Trail air rifle. Except back in Sep. 2007 when a young black bear out looking for a new territory took up residence in the woods along side and across the road from us. Environmental Conservation guys eventually trapped him (humanely) and relocated him to a new home. During the time he was our "neighbor" there was a Marlin 30-30 doing temporary fill-in duty but other than a couple reports of the bear raiding a bird feeder there were no problems. But I was reminded of that old saying about " Use Enough Gun".
 
My go-to general purpose and woods bumming rifle is an old SKS. Has all the power I would need in my region of the country. A tad heavy for what it is, but it has a sling so I can live with it.

I would be fine with using my lever .30-30 also, but it does not have sling studs and I don't want to drill the stock. It is trim and easy to carry but I find that at the end of the day... I want a sling.



I generally prefer to have a .22 rifle in the woods over a centerfire if I'm not hunting. Much more fun to plink with. In these cases I might carry a sidearm for threats if I decide I want to.
 
I keep a Ruger 77-17 All Weather .17HMR in the corner by the door whenever I feel the need to get something as I run out the door to go after a varmint or some other kind of critter. Carries a Leupold 2.5x8 Vari-X III. Keeps 1/2" groups at 100 yards. It is not the lightest gun but I know how it shoots and it will take coyote size critters out to 250 yards. It is also my squirrel rifle in the woods.

I will have an AR15 as a truck gun usually when bouncing around out in the fields, good for groundhogs and coyotes or any other unfortunate critter that shouldn't be there.
 
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