Why so many hunting rifles with proprietary detachable magazines?

[JDeere]

For use in the field and deer size game I don't need anything sticking below the stock. The blind mag with hinged floor plate solves any unloading issues. I unload the chambered round, stick it back in the mag and close the bolt. I have an old Model 88 Winchester with a detachable flush fit mag that is nice. That style I could learn to live with...

 

[redneck2]

I think much of the rhetoric about detachable mags comes from folks who are not roaming around the woods with a rifle but only from their vehicle to the bench.

This ^^^. I own multiple AR’s and deer hunted with a custom AR several years. Paid probably close to $2,000 for it. I quickly found the ergonomics were far from optimal for me. It went away for about 1/2 of what I had in it.

Were I to buy another hunting rifle, the requirement of using an AR magazine would eliminate it immediately for me

I’ve owned a LOT of firearms with detachable mags. Pistols, rifles. I’ve never lost a mag. I don’t see quick reloading as a requirement for most hunting. I do have a precision AR that I’ve used for prairie dogs and it works extremely well for that

 

[S.Crockett]

Seems like a lot of hunting rifles come with a detachable magazine that is (usually) a proprietary design are can be difficult to locate replacements or spares. Given that fast reloads while hunting is not a high priority, why do manufacturers of many rifles choose to use detachable magazines?

The industry should standardize on non-proprietary Magpul-pattern detachable mags, whether steel or polymer, and be done with it.

Short action mags (.223/.308); long action mags (.270, 30-06, 300Win Mag); and mags for magnum length actions (.375H&H).

I’ll take a reliable steel blind mag with a hinged floorplate ANYDAY over a flimsy plastic detachable.

It’s 2024. Blind mags only make sense to deer-camp Fudds who think it’s still 1979.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I have a couple with proprietary mags that stick out less than an inch, I like them for a finger hold when carrying. I've also lost mags for a hunting gun or left them at home, now I usually buy a spare with the gun and universal mags would make that easier and cheaper. For bench guns I prefer a detachable that holds a quantity that I want to test, 5 shot groups etc, so I can load a mag with what I need and still be able to use shooting bags easily.

 

[mgmorden]

For the most part proprietary is needed to match the stock lines of most rifles, which up until recently was something most people wanted in a bolt action. Now that seems to have fallen by the wayside and AICS type magazines are becoming pretty normal. Good for interchangeability, but bad for ergonomics (they usually don't hold anymore rounds but stick out of the action).

Personally for me in a bolt action a detachable magazine is just another thing to lose. Hinged floorplate is the best option though even outside of that a blind box magazine works fine too.

 

[mgmorden]

It’s 2024. Blind mags only make sense to deer-camp Fudds who think it’s still 1979.

My man its a hunting rifle. I have plenty of tactical type rifles with detachable magazines, but realistically nobody is "operating" with a bolt action deer gun where they need to be doing quick mag changes. I'd be willing to bet that in 20-30 years half the used rifles on the shelves will be missing the magazine because the owner lost it somewhere along the way.

 

[mcb]

You can convert many of the modern bolt action rifles (especially short action receivers) to the now standard AICS magazine format with a relatively simple bottom metal change with little or no change to the receiver.

Install a 3rd magazine and retain the snag free flush fit of a hinges floor plate. But now you have the option to run longer mags at the range or match. And since the AICS magazine is fairly well established if you loose the magazine you can always buy more easily. There are several reputable makers now.

 

[hoardingthemanual]

Well, this thread has me thinkin' . . .

There's a hole in my collection the size of a lever gun.

 

[LoonWulf]

In my state, a loaded mag separated from the gun can still be considered a "loaded gun" if they're both in the same vehicle. Arbitrary, but that's what the ODNR officer told me.

Internal mag with floor plate just looks cleaner and more snag proof.

Here I can keep my mags loaded while in a hunting area, but no ammo in the gun while in the vehicle......so for my drive around and try kill stuff days the DBMs make life MUCH easier than chasing loose rounds around the cab.


My favorite design is the browning Abolts floor plate and mag. Iits not actually much quicker to load or unload than a regular floor plate, but that not having loose rounds is REALLY nice. It does make the stock wider and a little taller than your average bolt gun, but not enough for me to really be able to tell unless they are side by side.

 

[JDeere]

It’s 2024. Blind mags only make sense to deer-camp Fudds who think it’s still 1979.

Those Fudds know a little something about hunting...I just love those Fudd comments...

 

[mcb]

There term Fudd is loaded with allot of baggage most of it negative and should be used sparingly IMHO.

I have not seen any Fudds in this thread. Being a Fudd is more about attitude than hardware. Fudds are gun owners so focused on hunting they would give up some other aspects of the second amendment rights under the mistaken belief it would save their right to hunt and access to the more traditional guns they often prefer to hunt with.

I don't believe anyone is arguing that. Some of us like traditional hunting guns, some of us like more modern hunting guns and some like both. Each to his own as long as you're not trying to force the other guy to do it your way or else.

 

[BreechFace]

I do have internal box bottom metal magazine bolt guns and like them just the same. But...

I'll take a bolt action that has magazine options that only protrude <1/2", that is not an issue when hunting and actually provides a good place to place one's hand when carrying the rifle at it's balance point. It also allows one to have an extra loaded small magazine in ones pack at the ready and it doesn't weigh much.

My Ruger GSR's are such rifles. It is really nice to be able to unload the magazine and cycle the round out of the chamber and be done each time one needs to make the rifle safe. And extra magazines for the Rugers are what $30. I have 4-5 of them as they are shared between 308Win and 450BM; I've somehow managed to not lose one of them.

Detachable magazines also allow me to fine tune a magazine for a particular load. A 425gr 450 Bushmaster subsonic for some odd reason can benefit from a little extra forward spring pressure in the magazine.

 

[gotboostvr]

My favorite design is the browning Abolts floor plate and mag. Iits not actually much quicker to load or unload than a regular floor plate, but that not having loose rounds is REALLY nice. It does make the stock wider and a little taller than your average bolt gun, but not enough for me to really be able to tell unless they are side by side.

Maybe not my all-round favorite, but certainly for a hunting rifle, I think the old A-bolt I/II system was absolutely fantastic.

 

[CraigC]

It’s 2024. Blind mags only make sense to deer-camp Fudds who think it’s still 1979.

Inflammatory troll post.

 

[Barnfixer]

I was looking for a lightweight rifle with a hinged floor plate or blind box last year but couldn’t find one in the caliber I wanted. I ended up buying a Kimber Hunter. First time out to sight it in I forgot the magazine at home. I really like the Kimber but the detachable mag I could do without. Old dog, new tricks.

 

[Bearcat1982]

Ill take a reliable steel blind mag with a hinged floorplate ANYDAY over a flimsy plastic detachable.

+1 on this. When I started out I was always thinking about "quick reloads" lol. I had some preconceived notions about all the shooting that went on hunting.

 

[Bearcat1982]

It’s 2024. Blind mags only make sense to deer-camp guys with experience, who kill stuff in the woods.

I fixed your quote

 

[35 Whelen]

I am not a big fan of hangy-downy detachable magazines in hunting rifles, just something else to lose or get damaged in the real world away from the recliner and the shooting range. I also much prefer the clean lines of a bolt rifle with a hidden box magazine. However...., because I didn't own a bolt action .223, I cashed in some Cabelas points a couple of years ago and bought an El Cheapo Savage Axis II, which unbeknownst to me, had a detachable 4-round magazine.

The nice things are 1) It actually holds five rounds-

and 2) it's very unobtrusive, even after I switched to a Boyd's stock-

I don't remove it from the rifle except to add rounds.

Still doesn't change my mind though!

35W

 

[armoredman]

When I picked up my CZ 600 Alpha, I knew it had a detachable box magazine, 5 rounds in .308. Doesn't stick out much.

However, the only place I have shot it is at the range.

I did occur to me that the magazine IS detachable, and it might be good to have a spare or two, so I picked up two spares from CZ-USA. Will I ever need them? As long as the supplied mag keeps working, probably not, but if I DO ever get out hunting with someone to show this old dog some new tricks, I will likely have one spare stuffed in a pocket somewhere...just in case.
And that brings me to my question - how many people reading this thread have ever had a fixed magazine break/fail? I will assume it's not very many.

 

[Varminterror]

There is no standard magazine for .30-06 length cartridges, certainly nothing bigger.

There ARE AICS magazines for long action and CIP length cartridges.

 

[CraigC]

There ARE AICS magazines for long action and CIP length cartridges.

Any AICS is going to hang out of the action more than necessary.

 

[westernrover]

Vilifying proprietary magazines is a formula for killing innovation. Standardizing magazines makes sense, and the current AR and AICS standards have their usefulness. Does it annoy me that the proprietary magazines for my hunting rifles (Benelli and CZ) are expensive, out of stock, and now that one of the rifles is discontinued may never be available again? Yes, it's annoying. All I had to do was choose a different rifle, but I didn't because I liked the propositions my choices offered. I wouldn't sell them now because I still like what they offer more than any rifle with a standardized magazine. I guess for me, the magazine doesn't make that much difference unless it's actually bad.

How about the Mini-14? Proprietary magazine there with some aftermarket support that most internet forum pundits will claim do not work (not been my limited experience). Nobody has to buy the Mini-14, and while I certainly wouldn't see the rationale of a military doing it, they seem to be extraordinarily popular. Despite being overshadowed by the "American Rifle," an awful lot of people have a Mini and 50 years of being saddled with a proprietary magazine hasn't killed it.

 

[westernrover]

The industry should standardize on non-proprietary Magpul-pattern detachable mags, whether steel or polymer, and be done with it.

Short action mags (.223/.308); long action mags (.270, 30-06, 300Win Mag); and mags for magnum length actions (.375H&H).

You could make the same argument that cartridges should be standardized: 5.56, 7.62x51, 338 Lapua, 50 BMG and be done with it. If everyone fit the pattern, it would be simpler to wrap your mind around it, and there would be a lot less redundancy, but then the rare innovation would be stifled for "not being 30 caliber." I enjoy non-conformity and I don't concern myself with whether I can use battlefield pick-ups or any similarly strange notion.

 

[sage5907]

For me the term detachable magazine goes with a heavy clumsy rifle. Detachable magazines seem to go best with big heavy scopes and long barrels which are the last things I want in a hunting rifle. For me the term user friendly does not go with detachable magazines, long barrels and heavy scopes. Many hunters who use them don't get very far from the truck. I will admit that if I see a well designed rifle with sleek and smooth lines that looks user friendly I will pick it up and look at it even if it has a detachable magazine.

 

[BreechFace]

For me the term detachable magazine goes with a heavy clumsy rifle. Detachable magazines seem to go best with big heavy scopes and long barrels which are the last things I want in a hunting rifle. For me the term user friendly does not go with detachable magazines, long barrels and heavy scopes. Many hunters who use them don't get very far from the truck. I will admit that if I see a well designed rifle with sleek and smooth lines that looks user friendly I will pick it up and look at it even if it has a detachable magazine.

My Ruger Scouts with 1-6x LPVO's, 16" barrels and polymer stocks with their detachable magazines don't fall into those characteristics. There are lots of detachable magazine equipped rifles that are geared for light and handy. Ruger American, Savage Scout and Hog Hunter, CZ 527 and Alpha lines, Howa Mini's, etc.

There are benefits afforded to detachable magazine equipped rifles that factory internal magazines are not afforded. Just like there are downsides to them.

I own both and see the merits of both. Don't like them, don't buy them; but to the OP's question there obviously is a huge consumer demand for magazine fed bolt action rifles because they are selling, and consumers are asking for them. Is some of this due to aging out of hunters, shooters, etc who are more familiar and desire internal box magazines, probably. But time marches on.

Proprietary magazine costs are often within reason with one box of premium hunting ammo $50-60 and many are cheaper than that. I can spend more taking my family to Chick-Fil-A.