Detachable magazines in hunting rifles...why?**Poll Added**

How do you feel about detachable magazines?

  • Hate them, I won't own a gun with them (excluding the required Lee Enfield)

    Votes: 17 4.8%

  • Not a fan, but if I like the gun and it has one I will buy it

    Votes: 49 13.7%

  • Couldn't care less, as long as the rifle holds da boolits

    Votes: 143 40.1%

  • Won't own a rifle without one, the options are stupid

    Votes: 148 41.5%
  • Total voters
    357
rem338win

rem338win

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I am not a fudd by any means, but like a lively conversation. I haven't seen this in a thread, and would like to know why so many people feel like they need a detachable magazine on their hunting rifle. I personally prefer a blind magazine, or a nice floor plate at most (I have owned DM's and if I like the rifle and the DM setup it wouldn't bother me), but some seem to think that a rifle without a DM is like a hockey player without a puck.

I don't like DM's for the following reasons:
-Most are unsightly
-Most rattle or make some noise
-Many reduce the capacity
-Many (IMO) poor latching systems
-I just don't see the need for a "quick" load or reload

So why not, or why so?
 
It is not about a quick reload it terms of shooting a lot of rounds. I unload before I cross a road. I unload before I cross a fence and of course I unload before I get back in the truck to drive to another location. The detachable magazine makes all that convienent.
 
I use a Rem. 7600 as my main hunting rifle. The magazine does not rattle, and I don't find it unsightly. Perhaps a lot of bolt-action guys would, but to each his own.

I find the DM very handy. I unload when I get in a vehicle, which I do sometimes to change locations, or to eat, or to get the feeling back in my extremities.:) Makes it a very quick job, as opposed to dropping a floorplate and having shells all over, or cranking a lever with the same result.

I also carry a spare magazine. I've only ever used it once, but I was glad to have it. Normally the spare isn't a big issue, but I walk long distances, so I'm often far from the vehicle and spare ammo. The mag. takes away the need for carrying a box of ammo, or having one of those buttstock things.

Plus it makes that tacticool snap sound when you throw it in.:p:p
 
Depends on your style of hunting and your location. Where I hunt we often sit in the mornings and evenings and push out bush lots in the mid day, moving from site to site in a vehicle. When you have to load and unload many times a day it can be handy to have a DM.
 
Depends on how you hunt.
My Parker Hale 1200c converted to floor plate worked great when hunting a large area alone or stand hunting.
It was a pain in the ass when group hunting with drives.

Load and unload 8-10 times a day in crappy cold weather and you'll see the benefit of a DM
 
canucklehead said:
Best reason right there... ;)

Ease of loading/unloading is the main one. Spare mag for quick reload.

The worst of both worlds is my A-Bolt... floor plate AND mag... what a stupid system!
Click to expand...

I think it's the best of both, and I used to hunt with mine a lot.
 
rem338win said:
I am not a fudd by any means, but like a lively conversation. I haven't seen this in a thread, and would like to know why so many people feel like they need a detachable magazine on their hunting rifle. I personally prefer a blind magazine, or a nice floor plate at most (I have owned DM's and if I like the rifle and the DM setup it wouldn't bother me), but some seem to think that a rifle without a DM is like a hockey player without a puck.

I don't like DM's for the following reasons:
-Most are unsightly
-Most rattle or make some noise
-Many reduce the capacity
-Many (IMO) poor latching systems
-I just don't see the need for a "quick" load or reload

So why not, or why so?
Click to expand...

Why the preference for a blind magazine over a hinged floorplate? To my mind, a hinged floorplate is preferable for two reasons:

1. Ease of unloading
2. In the event of a feeding stoppage that ties up the rifle, you can always clear it by dropping the floorplate, whereas the same misfeed may require removing the stock of a blind magazine rifle.
 
I have a 700 with a DM, and a 70 with the blind mag. I'd much rather drop the mag out every time I get the truck than have to cycle my bolt 3 times.

Plus, if you're driving and stop suddenly because you've spotted a critter, it's way faster to insert the mag than load through the chamber.
 
Like its been said, when you push bush, its real nice to have a drop mag. No going through your pockets to find all the cartridges that you just put there five minutes ago.
 
Well, myself I find it a big nuisance when trying to find all the shells that fell onto the floor, through the seat, in my clothes when you have to unload quick when you see a vehicle coming.That is the benefit of a DM in and out quick!

Plus, when it is -100 try picking shells outa the snow when you unload!
 
For me the most important thing is I hate dealing with the loose cartridges, either you have a pocket full of loose cartridges clanging around in your pocket or you have to have some kind of a cartridge holder which again makes you deal with each and every cartridge.

I haven't had a single situation arise where I thought I would have preferred not having a DM in a hunting rifle. If it was a bench rest gun i wouldn't care less.

I've heard all kinds of negatives but never experienced any. Some that reload find it confines them on COAL, but I have not run into any situations where I couldn't find an exceptable hunting load because of it.
 
If you ever had a lever action with a tube magazine and had to frequently get in or out of a vehicle or quad, ect, then you would know why people want to unload via removable mag.

Fixed mags can make noise too, just look at SKS or Mosin.
 
Good when its nasty cold you walk into the bush with the gun unloaded, as its prior to legal hunting time. Much easier to just add the magazine. Plus I like to have a mag in the gun as I walk out to the tree stand, but its easy to unload again before I climb. If it was always warm, I wouldn't mind so much, but when its nasty cold, its not fun futzing around with ammo and bare fingers.
 
The detachable mag rifle gives you the option to have 2 (or more?) mags loaded with different ammo (e.g. varmint & big game) to be able to quickly load the proper bullets when the opportunity present itself...
 
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