Hinged Floorplate or Magazine

[red rick]

Do you prefer a hinged floorplate or a magazine in your hunting rifle ?

I am looking at a Winchester M70 Featherweight 30-06 with BOSS in EC for $550 . I just prefer a magazine and I am not sure about the BOSS .

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

I have both and I don't really have a preference. My rifle with a hinged floor plate holds 5+1 rounds. My rifles with a magazine hold 3+1 either work perfectly and while hunting 3-5 shots is more than enough anyways.

 

[jmr40]

My preference is for a blind magazine. Simpler, less expensive, lighter, stiffer stock with no cutout, and nothing to lose and no floorplate to open and dump ammo on the ground.

But there aren't many options for those. A hinged floorplate is a close 2nd. I've had a couple open and dump my ammo, but never at a bad time.

I have guns with detachable magazines. They generally work well, but I've had them fall out and get lost. They are one more thing to forget or lose and I wouldn't own a gun without buying at least one spare which increases the cost. Except for AR's most bolt rifle magazines are $35-$50 and at times much more.

$550 is a decent price for the Featherweight. I'd buy it in a heartbeat over many other options. Personally I can't deal with the BOSS, but at that price you can afford to pay a gunsmith to chop it off and re-crown the barrel. That will actually increase the value of the gun more than the cost of doing the work. The reason the gun is so cheap is because it has the BOSS on it.

 

[Willie Sutton]

As`was said, hinged or blind, pick one.

Magazine on a hunting rifle? No thanks. Ruins balance point carry, adds weight, and has zero benefit.


Willie

.

 

[CB900F]

Red rick;

I've got rifles both ways, no preference. The BOSS system works, but it can be a PIA. If you do the range work and dial it in, it's very good. You can literally see the groups shrink. OTOH, it can make cleaning a bit more of a chore and it's a chore I greatly dislike anyway. If you take it off, then it's best to go back to the range and reset it.

The traditional method, for the reloader of course, is to match the load to the barrel to get the accuracy you desire. Sometimes that isn't possible. The BOSS method tunes the barrel to the load. That's almost certainly less costly in both time and components for most shooters. However, if you don't reload, it can really allow you the freedom to use whatever ammunition you wish. If you can find enough of it, and afford the cost of it. Kind of a flip the nickel and take your choice situation.

900F

 

[critter]

I like the hinged floorplate IF and ONLY IF it remains secure unless you WANT to open it.

 

[sage5907]

I have several Model 70 rifles with hinged floorplate and I think the design is almost flawless. I have never had one come open when I didn't want it to come open. It's easy to open them with gloves on and I never drop cartridges on the ground. I load and unload them in the dark with gloves on. I can understand how people would drop cartridges if they were trying to unload with one hand. I lay the rifle over my arm on it's side and open the latch with my trigger hand and catch the floorplate with the other hand and hold it partially closed until I can tilt it over and drop the cartridges into the open palm of the trigger hand. It's just one fluid motion with both hands working at the same time. The magazine latch is simple to adjust on a Model 70. If the latch pushes too strong, tap out the retaining pin and clip a coil off the spring with a pair of dikes. If it is too weak replace the spring with a stronger one. Model 70 spring kits are readily available. I can't understand how the latch could be opened accidentally unless the catch didn't extend far enough over the floorplate. It would take a distinct bang from the front to open the latch accidentally if the latch is properly adjusted and the spring pressure is correct. If the catch doesn't extend far enough over the floorplate I would remove a small amount of metal from the groove with a small round file.

 

[Elkins45]

A detachable mag is just something else to lose or break, even if flush fitting. Blind or hinged for me please.

 

[bearman49709]

I have used all three types over the years and now I only own rifles with removeable mags.
In 50 years of shooting I've never lost a mag or had a hinged floorplate come open when I didn't want it to.

 

[30Cal]

I like the fixed mag option. A detachable one is something that I will leave on a kitchen table . Gotta carry a spare.

 

[herrwalther]

If an extended magazine is an option, that is what I prefer. I don't see much point in a flush fitting detachable magazine for a hunting rifle. But an extended magazine that can hold 5+ is a benefit to me.

Blind magazines I am pretty picky on. Most have small, hard to activate buttons as they might as well be blind magazines. The hinged floorplate in a Mosin is easy to activate but not too easy to lose rounds. Similar systems to that are what I like.

I have no personal experience with blind magazines. I have a Savage stock I want to build around that uses a blind magazine but that is it.

 

[ZGunner]

I can take them either way. I don't hunt much so I detachable box mag is nice at the range. But loading from the top into a blind or hinged floor plate mag isn't a pain.

As long as it feeds true I don't worry about much else.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Hinged plate. Much easier to unload at the end of the day than a blind magazine, less obtrusive than a detachable mag. I've always hunted with M700s, never had one accidentally open.

 

[Revoliver]

Hinged would be my first choice for a traditional hunting rifle.

 

[olafhardtB]

magazines

I was working at a LGS the week before modern gun deer season opened. Half the phone calls we got were from guys desperately seeking to replace lost detachable magazines. I prefer blind magazines.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I've used a Savage 110 with a blind magazine and a Savage 116 with a detachable. The magazines are spendy for only holding 4 rounds, but you can carry your spares quietly. The mag release is large and I have never accidentally ejected a magazine.

I have never had a Mauser style floorplate come undone unintentionally (Ruger M77V), but I have seen it happen once--again a Ruger M77 shooting off a bench.

 

[Bezoar]

alot of people cant really be trusted to unload a blind box magazine at all. they just arent safe to work the bolt and load and extract that many live cartridges without the risk of discharging one.

And if your bottom opening magazine just opens on its own, well you need to replace parts on it.

and if you jsut bump your gun and the detachable magazine pops out, well you need to replace parts on it.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

A detachable mag is just something else to lose or break, even if flush fitting. Blind or hinged for me please.

My thoughts exactly for bolt action rifles that are for hunting.