If you spend much time bouncing around gravel roads or ranch trails, you’ve probably noticed something: not every rifle holds zero once the miles start adding up. Some rifles take the ride fine, others shift enough that you’ll swear someone twisted your scope. It’s not always the glass—it’s the way the action, bedding, and mounts handle vibration and impact. A truck gun doesn’t have to be pretty, but it does need to stay consistent when you pull it from behind the seat. And some rifles, old and new, simply can’t handle that kind of abuse for long.
Marlin 336 (older models)
If you’ve hauled an older Marlin 336 in the back of a truck, you’ve probably cursed the fore-end cap more than once. That little screw and cap keep pressure on the fore-end; when they loosen or the wood shrinks and swells, the barrel contact changes and your zero walks. These rifles can shoot fine off a rest, but toss one in a gun boot or behind the seat and vibration will find any wiggle in the stock. A properly torqued cap and a good check of action screws help, but don’t be surprised if a weekend of ranch work means a fresh zero on Monday.
Remington 700
The Remington 700 action is great when the rifle’s put together right — but factory bedding and economy bases are where problems show up. If the stock isn’t properly bedded or the bases are soft alloy, constant vibration and shock from driving rough roads will let the rings shift or the action rock in the stock. That changes headspace and point of impact. Folks who run 700s as working guns either glass-bed the action or fit a solid one-piece rail. Without that, expect to check your zero more often than you’d like after a hard ride.
Ruger Mini-14
The Mini-14 is a handy truck rifle, but older factory scope setups weren’t always ideal for long-term repeatability. The receiver heat-treated differently over the years and some early mounts used thin bases or loose rings that loosened with recoil and road vibration. If you slap on cheap rings and leave a rifle bouncing in the cab, you’ll see POI drift. A proper receiver rail and quality rings fix most of it, but out of the box and abused in a toolbox, older Mini-14s can surprise you at the range.
Winchester Model 94
Winchester 94s are workhorses, but the lever-gun layout can hide zero problems until it’s too late. The forend cap and magazine tube tension affect how the fore-end bears against the barrel and stock. When wood swells, cracks, or screws back out, the point of impact can move. You’ll pull one from behind the seat thinking it’s ready and find your groups slid off. Keep the forend tight, check the forend cap, and consider modern mounts designed for lever rifles if you expect your 94 to share truck duty regularly.
Surplus Mauser/98 variants
Old military Mausers and similar surplus rifles will teach you humility fast. They were built tough, but decades of service and aging wood mean loose bedding, stretched receiver holes, and tired hardware. Factory scope mounts or aftermarket quick-attach solutions often don’t clamp like new gear, so vibration and recoil let things walk. If you run a surplus Mauser as a field rifle, inspect every screw and slot, replace worn bases, and consider bedding the action. Otherwise that nice battle rifle will have you re-zeroing after every haul.
Ruger 10/22
A 10/22 is a go-anywhere plinker, but rimfires have a habit of being fussier about rings and mounts. Cheap one-piece bases or low-quality rings will loosen or compress over time, and the soft barrel-to-stock fit on some builds lets vibration change harmonics. Leave a scoped 10/22 bouncing around and you’ll get inconsistent groups the next trip. The fix is simple: solid rings, checked torque, and a good mount. Do that and your little truck 10/22 will behave; skip it and you’ll be chasing flyers at 25 yards.
Lee-Enfield
Lee-Enfields are delightful to shoot, but as old wooden rifles they need attention if they’re jobbed as truck guns. The wrist and fore-end geometry, plus older dovetail or scout mounts, don’t always lock down the way modern bedding does. Add a night of sweat, a few dusty miles, and those old screws will creep. You’ll open your case to find the zero shifted enough to make you adjust for elevation or wind. Treat vintage service rifles with respect — or upgrade the mounting hardware before you trust one to stay true after a rough ride.
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Here’s more from us:
Calibers That Shouldn’t Even Be On the Shelf Anymore
Rifles That Shouldn’t Be Trusted Past 100 Yards
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
