Bolt action walking big game hunting rifle: Detachable magazine or Hinged Floorplate

[Nyksta]

What is your preferred style for your bolt action walking big game hunting rifle.

Im not asking for semi auto rifles, or high speed PRS competition style rifle. Just your bolt action walking big game hunting rifle preference.

[Redneck 7]

I do like the detachable magazines and own a few, but some of my favourite rifles have a hinged floor plate, less chance of something going wrong or missing.

[58thecat]

Always went with hinged floor plate....magazines tend to get lost, misplaced, fall out etc then you stuck with a single shot rifle but one shot is all you need....maybe

[Scott N]

I own both, and while both styles have their pros / cons, I voted for a floor plate. I do think a detachable magazine is a little more convenient for a lot of things, and I never used to think I would ever lose one, but truth is I did one time. I was able to find it by backtracking, but I managed to unknowingly hit the release button in a field one time and it fell out without me knowing. I also like the looks of a nice floor plate over most detachable magazine setups that I've seen.

[Big Red 250]

I voted hinged floor plate as my go to rifle is a Winchester model 70. Nothing against rifles with a detachable mag as I've owned a few and never lost a mag, I been shooting my model 70 for 30+ years and can't see any reason to change.

[catnthehat]

I never really worried about either and have owned both .
I never did take my detachable magazines out except to load them , so hinged floor plate - IF I am going to use a bolt action repeater which is not my first choice , anyway .
Cat

[graybeard]

Prefer the hinged floor plate.

Years ago I had my first removable magazine; a Parker Hale, and I lost the magazine....boy was that ever hard and expensive to replace.

I have never had a hinged floor plate ever open.

[elkhunter11]

It makes no difference to me. As to the people so worried about losing the magazine, do you have a string on your mitts, gloves, so you can't lose them?

[Pathfinder76]

I prefer a hinged floorplate first, blind magazine second, and DBM third.

[Kurt505]

I've seen too many people lose their "clip" essentially leaving them with a single shot.

[bobalong]

Definitely a detachable mag, would never own a hinged plate way to big of PIA. Been hunting for over 40 years with numerous mag rifles and have never lost a mag yet and have never heard hunting partners mention that they ever lost theirs either so for me that is not a consideration. Suppose it could happen though.

[brewster29]

Originally Posted by chuck

I prefer a hinged floorplate first, blind magazine second, and DBM third.

This. DBM's often limit bullet seating options. My two fave drop plate rifles are Rem 700 lefties in 340 Wby and 7 STW. Both need all the mag space they can get. Even my 300 WM needs more room than a kick klip allows.

My Tikka T3's in 223 and 7-08 have issues with seating depths with stock magazines. Of course I can modify the 223 mag and buy the M+.

Also lots of rifles end up with a lumpy mag right at the balance/carry point. Ever carry a 788 Remington? And rifles with detachable magazines that fit into/under a floor plate have the worst of both worlds.

[Salavee]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

It makes no difference to me. As to the people so worried about losing the magazine, do you have a string on your mitts, gloves, so you can't lose them?

I somehow had a Sako S Mag magazine fall out of a stand during a major snowfall. Never could find it then. Recovered the next spring. Not perfect ,but would like to know what type of string you recommend

[CptnBlues63]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

It makes no difference to me. As to the people so worried about losing the magazine, do you have a string on your mitts, gloves, so you can't lose them?

LOL

Personally, I dislike the trap door. A magazine is quicker and safer to load/unload. But when it comes down to it, I couldn't care less what anybody else uses. Each to their own I say and if you prefer the trapdoor.......all the power to you.

I replaced the floor plate in my Remington 700 with a Kwik Klip 4 round magazine. And, I bought a spare mag. I've had this for 6 or so years now and haven't even dropped a mag....much less lost one. But I did buy a second mag because you just never know. I can't find my favorite hunting knife right now because I put it down somewhere while talking with my brother on the phone. It's in the basement, I know it, but can't find it!

My two Savage 99 C's have a removable 4 round magazine. I have a nice double Mauser ammo pouch (circa WW II) I wear on my hunting belt at all times (I always take a 99 with me as a spare in case something happens to my remmy) and it has two 99 mags in one pouch and my spare remmy mag in the other. The mag I'm using goes in my jacket pocket when not in the rifle.

[BigJon]

I've used a little bit of everything over the last bunch of years (remington, winchester, ruger, browning, tikka, sako, commercial mausers, probably others that I am missing) with detachable mags (OEM style and aftermarket AICS style), hinged floor plates and blind mags. It doesn't really matter to me and I can get along with everything.

If forced to choose, it'd be some type of flush fitting detachable magazine.

The rifle, scope mounting system, etc. weighs in on the magazine type for me. I really don't care for top-loading (hinged floor plate, blind mag) a rifle with a one piece rail, despite having one so outfitted currently. It may get an AICS treatment one of these days now that 3 round flush(er) fit magazines are making more of an appearance.

[Outbound]

I've been using a detachable mag since 2007. Never lost it. Never lost my sunglasses, wallet, phone, keys or pocket knife either. Never lost anything now that I think of it. I don't find it hard to keep track of my sh*t.

[Dewey Cox]

How do you have time to dump your beer, and unload your gun if you’re not using detachable mags?

[James 1]

I like the hinged floorplate. When I empty the rifle, I place my bullets in a holder on the stock of the rifle.
That way nothing ever gets lost and it's a double check that the rifle is empty.

[RandyBoBandy]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

How do you have time to dump your beer, and unload your gun if you’re not using detachable mags?

^^This

[Nyksta]

Resurrecting this thread to get any new votes in from people who haven't voted yet. I used to be very anti-detachable mag, but I'm leaning to accept it more if it is a quality design.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

Resurrecting this thread to get any new votes in from people who haven't voted yet. I used to be very anti-detachable mag, but I'm leaning to accept it more if it is a quality design.

Your qualifier of "Quality Design" is the big limiting factor in my books. Some DM rifles feed flawlessly, a great many do not, along with the issue that the DM means your COAL is significantly shorter in many cases. Like most of you, I have only rarely needed more than one shot, but from training and experience I always immediately rack in a followup round as soon as I pull the trigger. I want to be absolutely certain that second round feeds perfectly. I value that far higher than the relative speed or convenience of loading and unloading, and I value being able to seat my bullets where I want them higher too.

[Smoky buck]

Not a fan of clips and outside of road hunting I don’t see any advantages. Loosing a clip or not seating it are just too common of issues for that style

[Jerry D]

I really like the browning abolt system in function, the concept some may argue is the worst of both worlds or be weak design etc. But it works very smoothly.

That being said, on my custom, I’ve ordered a m5 inlet and can have flush fit mags, extended mags, and a hinged floor plate if I swap out the bottom metal.

I’ve opted for the flush fit m5 magazine to start with a very nice triggergard and the mag release is in the trigger guard like a hinged floorplate

[colt45]

I have both kinds, a browning abolt with the mag on a hinged plate , and blr with mags.
The abolt gave me a problem one time when I was pulling it out of the gun case on the quad
Some how it caught the release button and opened as I was pulling it out of the case,
Ended up breaking off the plate, turning it into a single shot , until I could get another hinge plate put on.
Only time it happened, still use that rifle mainly

[7magtime]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

I really like the browning abolt system in function, the concept some may argue is the worst of both worlds or be weak design etc. But it works very smoothly.

That being said, on my custom, I’ve ordered a m5 inlet and can have flush fit mags, extended mags, and a hinged floor plate if I swap out the bottom metal.

I’ve opted for the flush fit m5 magazine to start with a very nice triggergard and the mag release is in the trigger guard like a hinged floorplate

X2, I’ve been using the A-bolt detach mag/hinge system for 25 years on 3 different A-bolts. Never had a feeding issue or lost a magazine....

[270person]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

Resurrecting this thread to get any new votes in from people who haven't voted yet. I used to be very anti-detachable mag, but I'm leaning to accept it more if it is a quality design.

In order of preference: detach mag, drop plate, blind mag. I have no idea why anyone's first choice would be the blind version.

Own or have owned rifles with detach and drop plates and hunted for 50 years. Never once came close to losing a mag while hunting. I have had drop plate jams with improper stacks. Not all are created equal.

[CNP]

DBM all the way. Insert rounds into the magazine. Load the mag and insert into rifle. Cycling the bolt is not spoken of. Unload by removing the magazine. Leave the rounds in the magazine and go through all the loading/unloading motions you want without ever having to cycle the bolt. Sako DBM cannot fall out by inadvertently pressing the mag release lever as the magazine must first be pushed up into the action before the mag release lever will disengage.

[oldgutpile]

I have used both and always seems to come down to the type of hunting. If its just plain bush hunting, with lots of boot leather action, any magazine type is irrelevant.
Open prairie hunting where you are jumping around from one spot to the next, and I prefer a clip.
My Blasers offer a different challenge. Easy to pull out the clip and throw it in your pocket, but your hunt is really over if you lose it cause the trigger is attached to the clip.

[calgarychef]

I have rifles with magazines or clips as I still prefer to call them.
I don’t trust them! My hinged floor plate has never let me down, never been lost.
It’s fun to watch people’s faces when I turn my old CZ upside down and toss a handful of cartridges in. It’s easy and fast.