Bolt Action Magazines......

[Lawdog]

Just curious as to the preference of those posting here. Lawdog

[Vern Humphrey]

One of the key advantages of a top-load magazine is the milled, built-in magazine lips.  The lips are the key to reliable feeding.

And, you can't drop, lose or dent a built-in magazine.

[Bart Solo]

My 788 has a detachable magazine.  It is both one of the best and worst features of the rifle. It one of the best because it is very convenient for loading and unloading.  It is one of the worst because it is noisy.  As a hunter, anything that makes noise is to be avoided.  On balance I think I would vote for built in magazine.

[Dave in WV]

I voted hinged magazine. I'm guessing you mean a hinged floorplate which I prefer. Detachable magazines are ok but can be left behind by accident. For me it's easier to be safer with a hinged floorplate over a blind magazine when unloading.

[KYsquirrelsniper]

I like a plain old top loading blind mag. Maybe I'm just used to them, but I don't find them any more of a problem to load and empty than a rifle with a hinged floorplate.

I don't really like hinged floorplates because factory rifles come with cheesy ones that are easily damaged if you rest the rifle over a hard surface or do anything where you're "getting rough" with the rifle (I try to avoid it, but it happens).

Although I like detachable mags, there's very few designs that I would consider "good", with most factory detachable mags being a poor, cheap design that's just asking to give you problems (and they usually do at some point).

[plateshooter]

I had a floor plate latch break on a Mauser once, and it pretty much made the rifle useless until I had it repaired.  Once bitten, twice shy!!.  I favor the blind magazines myself.

[hkg3k]

I took the hinged magazine to be the Browning type, which can be top-loaded or hinged out completely for detachment and loading.  

I prefer this type (browning) or a top-loading with hinged floorplate.  I believe them to be much safer during the unloading process.  JMO

[lilabner]

A top loader with hinged floorplate seems best to me. Unfortunately, some hinged floorplates don't fit snugly and can rattle. However, this can usually be fixed.

[Zachary]

I have a Browning with a detachable magazine, and it's the best design I've used.  The Remington DM seems to rattle from time to time.  I don't have any experience with top mounted.

Zachary

[MGMorden]

I'd say top loading, since whether it's hinged or blind mag I'm going to use it as a top-loader anyways.  I'm not a fan of a detachable magazine on a bolt action anyways.  I don't really have a need to quickly unload or load the gun (I don't load until I'm in the stand and I unload before I get out), and I usualy only keep 2 rounds in the gun anyways, so it's not much of a hassle to add or remove them both.

[Squeeze]

Of the three choices, I prefer a good box magazine.  The box mag, on my Tikka
Whitetail hunter(.25-06 Rem.), is the standard by which I judge box magazines.
Quiet, feeds well, and has metal sidewalls.  The box magazine on my Browning BAR
is a very cumbersome design which really defeats the purpose of box magazines(quick
reloading).   In this case it is almost better to treat this design as a blind magazine.

If I can't have a good box magazine design in a rifle, the I would prefer a blind
magazine.

Squeeze

[strider72]

I like Savage's detachable mags and really love Steyr's 10 rd. detachable mags on their rifles.

[longwinters]

On my Sako's all have had the detachable mags except my Stoeger 308 which has the hinged type . . . don't know why it came that way.  Anyway, with the Sako and Tikka rifles I really like the detachable.  Never had a problem with them and I like emptying the rifle that way alot better than the hinged style or having to use the bolt to empty, especially in the dark.

Long

[tripod]

Hi, All my rifles are now detachable box magazine most being single stack and some offset. Guess that gives away my choice.  Clips are the fastest easiest fastest way to load and reload with an extra.  Have had trouble with offset trap door feeding with one Weatherby and one Winchester. Trouble with one single stack clip in CZ. Hate digging ammo out of a hole on blind mag especially when cold or in a hurry. The more times a round is cycled the more damage it can get. Have seen bullet deformation from recoil in Winchester trap door mag. Clips are convenient reliable fast replaceable, can get extra and different capacity.

[leverfan]

One of the key advantages of a top-load magazine is the milled, built-in magazine lips.  The lips are the key to reliable feeding.

Of course, if those feed rails are incorrectly made, it can take a lot more to make the gun right.  I've already posted my experience with a Model 70 that had to go back to the factory twice, as opposed to just trying a different magazine.  

I like both types of magazines, but my only experience with a detachable box magazine rifle is in the Winchester Model 88.  Sturdy, reliable, and very convenient.