Magazine capacity of bolt action

[Nathan]

When you are choosing a hunting cartridge, do you consider it’s effect on magazine capacity?

I’m having a hunting rifle built....almost done. I’m looking for right about 300 Win Mag performance or just a bit less.

The caliber choices considered were: 280AI, 30-06, 30-06AI, 300 Sherman, 300 Win Mag and 300 WSM

I chose 300 Sherman....I wanted nearly magnum performance, but the extra round in the BDL mag was important to me. I just wonder how much folks consider that...

[NoSecondBest]

This is just me, but here goes: I’ve hunted almost sixty years now and I’ve taken around two hundred deer during that time. Half with a bow and the rest with handgun and rifle (mostly with handgun). To date, there hasn’t been a single instance where magazine capacity has been an issue. My favorite hunting rifles are Sharps, High Walls, and a Low Wall. Also a couple of TC Encores. I can understand perhaps needing one extra shot, but can’t see the need for much more. I’d go to three if someone lacks some shooting skills. If you think you need more than that for hunting you shouldn’t be shooting at game animals. If you’re hunting prairie dogs then I can see having more. Hunting animals and shooting at animals aren’t the same thing.

[dahermit]

Originally Posted by NoSecondBest

This is just me, but here goes: I’ve hunted almost sixty years now and I’ve taken around two hundred deer during that time. Half with a bow and the rest with handgun and rifle (mostly with handgun). To date, there hasn’t been a single instance where magazine capacity has been an issue. My favorite hunting rifles are Sharps, High Walls, and a Low Wall. Also a couple of TC Encores. I can understand perhaps needing one extra shot, but can’t see the need for much more. I’d go to three if someone lacks some shooting skills. If you think you need more than that for hunting you shouldn’t be shooting at game animals. If you’re hunting prairie dogs then I can see having more. Hunting animals and shooting at animals aren’t the same thing.

Having taken many deer with a Browning B78 ( a single-shot High Wall), in 6mm Remington, I agree that more than one shot when hunting deer is not a requirement. Normally, deer are walking, standing, slowly lopping before the sound of the first shot. If one cannot hit them when they are in an un-animated state, one is less likely to hit them at a full-flight run. Therefore, additional cartridges in the magazine are pretty much superfluous.

Over the years here in Michigan on opening morning upon hearing a single shot, I think "Dead deer." Upon hearing several shots in a row, I think "Missed him, more shooting is a futile gesture."

When one hunts with a single shot, one learns to be very selective with the first and only shot.

Thinking back relative to magazine capacity, I cannot remember ever taking a deer with my rifles' that had magazines where I needed more rounds to effect the kill.

[jmr40]

It isn't at the top of my list, but is something I consider. For a variety of reasons I like the Winchester 70 and part of it is the 5+1 capacity in standard cartridges like 30-06 and 308. Most other manufacturers are 4+1. Magnum cartridges are 3+1 in Winchesters and most other rifles.

A Savage in any of the WSM cartridges is only 2+1. You can load 3 in the magazine, but can't close the bolt. If you let it pick up the top round the bolt will close.

While needing more than 3 shots is rare it does happen. That point was driven home several years ago when a hunting partner shot at a bear and it ran in front of me. I fired twice and missed putting it down on the 3rd shot. But it still managed to disappear over a small rise and into some thick mountain laurel.

The rifle I was carrying at the time was 4+1, but I'd just loaded 4 rounds and closed the bolt. This left me 1 round in my rifle and a bear down in thick brush. To make matters worse my spare ammo was about 50 yards away in my day pack that I'd sat down. I had to go back, get more ammo, and reload before I could follow up the bear.

Where I feel it is safe to do so I hunt with a round chambered. But depending on the terrain I will unload the round in the chamber and just keep the magazine loaded. In many parts of the country it is customary to hunt this way all the time and only chamber a round shortly before taking the shot. Having 1 more round in the magazine helps offset this too.

[hooligan1]

I'm not gonna tell everyone that it only takes me one shot to kill deer, it usually does. But there are times when extra rounds come in damn handy, and I shoot more than the average deer hunter per year, testing rifles and handload I've conjured up,( got to try the next new bullet right) so monthly my 3 trips, (avg) the the range would have you believe a fella could be 99% sure of his first shot.
I get excited, sure do and sometimes it gets the best of me, I shot at a 10 point, at 150 yds 4 times one year before he dropped, thinking I had missed every shot but the last only to find a 3/4 moa group through both sides of his ribs, behind the shoulder.
The rifle I used this season,( 1901 Carl Gustov) holds 6 if I want to push feed the 6th, but I only loaded the 5, and that was more than it took.
In Missouri you can have 11 rounds in a firearm during Deer Firearms portion but I don't hunt with any rifle with that capacity.....

[taylorce1]

Not a consideration at all for me, if it was all I'd shoot would be 5+1 Winchester M70 rifles in cartridges based off of .308 and .30-06 cases. I've never had an instance where having more than three rounds in a magazine was necessary. In fact if I needed more than two shots the rodeo was on, and there was no way I was runningbthe magazine dry before having to come off a rifle and move.

[Pathfinder45]

If you reload your ammo, choose whatever caliber strikes your fancy.
If you don't reload, choose 30-'06 or 270 Winchester.
My choice? Winchester model 70 Classic Sporter in 270 Winchester and Walnut, of course. I like the 5+1 capacity; and yes, I do reload.

[44 AMP]

When you are choosing a hunting cartridge, do you consider it’s effect on magazine capacity?

Not in the least.

I choose a cartridge based on what it does, not how many a particular rifle holds. If it holds 5, that's fine. 4, 3, 2, or just one, all fine with me.

Spare ammo is on me. Always, and without exception, when hunting, at least one full reload of the gun is on my person, as long as I'm not naked.
(and no, i don't hunt naked...)

BACKUP ammo might be in camp, or in the truck, etc., but some ammo is always on my person not in a pack or something that might get left some distance away.

[Hawg]

I've hunted a lot with single shots and front stuffers. Capacity has never been a consideration.

[jmr40]

Sometimes another round or 2 might matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsqTXEM02Mk

[Double K]

Almost all bolt guns will hold 3 down in the magazine, I can't remember the last time I ran one dry and the animal was still upright. Having those 2 extra shots is comforting because I'm a shoot until they're on the ground kind of guy, doesn't happen very often however.
Coyote hunting is a different story, my bolt guns are typically 223 which hold 5 rounds, that's a minimum for me. Most of the time I use an AR and go for a 30rd magazine, never used that many shots but I don't want to have to start counting shots and wondering if I have enough for a triple or quadruple when calling. I believe I used 17 rds once on two coyotes, ha ha They were both running when I started shooting.

[Crankylove]

I hunt with rifles with capacities from 1 to 30. But, since I should only need 1 shot, magazine capacity has never really been a factor for me.

My bolt actions hold 3 (.375 H&H), 4 (.358 Win), or 5 (.223, .243, and .270). I’ve got two single shots, in .30-30 (H&R), and .30-06 (Browning 1885), and 3 AR style rifles (.223, and .338 Federal).

I don’t feel I’m at any disadvantage using rifles with lower capacity. No matter what I’m using, I try and make the first shot, the only shot.

[Nathan]

I too can only remember a couple times when I needed more than 3. It is a rare case.

I guess I fixate on that, but in reality I usually top off before getting down more than 3 rounds.

[Drm50]

I only load 3 cartridges in hunting rifles. I have very seldom fired more than 2. When young stoked them full and got hi cap mags for Rem 742. Now three in gun and 5 in my pocket.

[armednfree]

I often fire two but never three. Deer get a shot and if opportunity is there an anchoring shot. Woodchucks and coyotes often are two, miss and correction. Only really works when you miss long.

[std7mag]

Just a thought, but you may want to check your states regulation regarding how many rounds of ammo your allowed in the gun.
Some are only 3.

[bamaranger]

Capacity on a bolt rifle for the variety of deer species does not concern me. I'm a whitetailer, and as noted by others 4+1, seems plenty, a single shot is used by many, and I've hunted enough with traditional muzzleloaders where capacity is of course not applicable. If I kill one deer on a hunt, there is a bunch of work that follows. I've killed two on two separate occasions (legally, honest) and it was A LOT of work. I shot 4 times at a buck at some distance on a ROW that was so engrossed in sparring that rate of fire did not matter. I eventually got him bracketed and dropped him with the last shot in the rifle. To my surprise, it was the last shot I had along...I'd left extra ammo at the house!

I can see where a hi-cap bolt rifle like the Mossberg MVP and others, in a varmint caliber, would be an advantage in high volume shoots, like a prairie dog hunt. So to for hog hunting. If I were after some critter that could do me harm, I'd want some type of repeater as well.

[jmhyer]

I would say choose the caliber that you want...regardless of capacity. If more capacity is desired, have an extra loaded mag handy. Doesn't take long to pop in a new mag for more shooting.

[Sanch]

Hi Nathan,

Circumstances determine how many cartridges I'll carry, both in my rifle and in a cartridge case on my belt. I've left Rocky Mountain deer camps hunting mule deer with only 3 .270 Win cartridges that were in my rifle and no others. If I leave camp before sunup with the intent of returning well after sundown, I'll load 3 in my rifle and carry 5 in a belt case.

As a general rule, unless I'm in griz country, I'll load 3 rounds in either a .270 Win or 7MM Rem Mag. From my experience, it's the first round that attaches a tag.

I wish you many successful hunting seasons with your new rifle.

[RC20]

As I recall my 7mm Capacity was 3.

The only time it was an issue the issue was me not the capacity (more rounds I would have just missed more times).

If you miss the first time you are more than likely going to miss the second and the third + is just worse and worse.

Caliber? Doing it over again I would have gone 30-06. It would have been enjoyable to target shoot as well as hunt.

The 7mm never did anything the 06 would not do, which is kill what I shot.

A tad flatter at longer ranges and you still have to do drop calcs if its out past 400 yards.

On my debacle I was impressed (latter) I even grazed the animal on round one let alone an almost miraculous wing shot that grazed across the front round 2. I was also in very good physical condition.

What got it? My brother pulled off an amazing shot where he blew the left rear leg off.

Mine was some degree of skill as I was leading (probably 600 yards out) - he was not and while my shot was dead even mid level, his was low and how do you hit a moving knee at that range? Pure luck. But, lucky hit is worth far more than t pure skill any day of the week.

He went on to pull off some spectacular shots, I can only think he was imbued with Taerwits ! (god of hunting)

[Double K]

To jmhyer, lots of bolt guns don't have detachable magazines.
To Sanch, I've noticed a good percentage of people shoot bolt guns like they're shooting a single shot which is probably not a bad thing because they concentrate on making that first shot count pretty hard, depends on what you grew up shooting and where.
Regardless of how good the shot looks I automatically chamber another round and try and get back on the animal, seen to many get better and after the intial shot especially elk, they're automatic two shots unless they're laying down dead. Deer don't normally require a second shot but I like being ready anyway.
If your only capable of hitting game on the first shot you could use a lesson from the europeans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g4dKVOo68M

[Shadow9mm]

Depends on the type of hunting, hogs and coyotes definitely. Large game... I expect to get 1 shot so magazine capacity does not matter.

[Double K]

Years ago my wife and I were deer hunting, it was the last day and I'd been holding out for a good buck, we seen a nice whitetail chasing a doe in the creekbottom a half mile away and when they went into a thick stand of trees we closed the distance to the bottom. It was the first year Nosler came out with the 7mm 140 accubond and I had a full magazine of 7-08 cartridges loaded with them. One bleat on my fawn in distress call and the doe charged out of the willows with the buck right behind, they both stopped instantly at 130yds when seeing me and I shot. It felt good but the buck ran hard to my left and made a big U coming right back at us headed for the 8' high cattails, when he cleared the trees 40yds away I started shooting, the last shot was in front of me 20 feet as he passed. My wife was yelling at me to stop shooting because unlike me she was seeing the hits. He fell dead about 20yards away, I hit 3 out of the 4 shots, I had somehow missed the front shoulders and the accubonds hadn't done much damage at 7-08 velocities. After that I only use them in magnum cartridges but I was glad I had a bolt gun with a full magazine that day. The first shot was a hit but the bullet acted like a fmj with a dime size exit wound. I went back to 140 ballistic tips immediately.

[308Cajun]

You only get 3 shots when you hunt ducks, and they fly around in flocks!

[Double K]

I use an O/U and only get 2 shots but with any pump or auto it's very easy to keep jamming shells into the magazine with your weak hand. Not quite like a bolt gun.