Question: How Many Do YOU have In YOUR Magazine ?

[Pete44ru]

The thread, regarding the magazine capacity of various levergun detachable magazines, brought another thought to mind:

All levergun owners have guns with magazines of various lengths/capacities - BUT - HOW MANY CARTRIDGES are typically loaded for an outing ? (Home defense excepted, of course)

Full capacity, whatever - or only 3-4 (or less) ?

How many for the gun club/range, where the rules may limit use to single shots ?

How many for plinking ?

How many for hunting small game ?

How many for deer hunting ?

How many for hunting big game ?

I thought it might give us all some insight, to know what others say they do......................

For instance, when I was much younger, I used to load everything to full capacity, every time I loaded a gun.
Today............... I rarely load more than 3-4 cartridges into a rilfe, unless I'm supervising some youngsters or newbies while they're plinking - on my eperience that if I haven't gottn the job done in 3/4 shots, it's never going to happen.

.

[TedH]

Around here I usually just fill up what ever rifle I'm using to it's capacity and call it good. If I were in the mountains where I could be a long way from the truck or help, I'd carry more in pockets or whatever.

[KirkD]

If I'm hunting Woodchucks, I just put one in the chamber of my Winchester Model 53 levergun. The magazine holds more (I don't know how many), but I only get one shot per Woodchuck and if I miss, it's gone. I usually only see one Woodchuck per outing, so I got tired of emptying the cartridges from the tubular magazine. Therefore, I only put one in the chamber.

For Whitetail deer, I put four cartridges in. I usually only need one shot, but the second is there in case I need a finishing shot. The third is for unforeseen circumstances and the fourth is for good measure.

If I were in Grizz country, the magazine would be loaded right up.

[RIHMFIRE]

depends where i am....

How many for plinking ? I fill it!

How many for hunting small game ? 3

How many for deer hunting ? 3

How many for hunting big game ? 3

if there are bears running around ...more

Target practice...one at a time....

[meanc]

Loaded to max regardless of scenario.

[Paladin]

Around here I usually just fill up what ever rifle I'm using to it's capacity and call it good. If I were in the mountains where I could be a long way from the truck or help, I'd carry more in pockets or whatever.

+1
I am in the mountains

[Malamute]

Full up all the time. If small game or grouse hunting I most often use a centerfire, and single load the small game load, leaving the mag loaded with regular loads.

Most have been loaded as long as I've owned them. I prefer to know that any gun I pick up is good to go at any moment. No confusion that way.

[BigSky56]

Pete, I load 4 and as I carry it on a horse I carry cold till I need it even in bear areas which is everywhere now, thats what the pistol is for, I had to pack out a kid that slipped and dropped a 94 with the hammer back it landed on the hammer and discharged hitting him in the chest. In snow/ice conditions and shale Ive had a horse go down. If Iam on a hot trail of a elk I will pull my rifle and go hot but carry it across my legs in my lap. danny

[Malamute]

Danny, that's a good point, and one I didnt mention. Mine are always chamber empty, unless ready for a shot.

[BigSky56]

Malamute, people can get their panties knotted up over hot or cold chambers. I always considered the best safety was muzzle control. Some times bad luck rears its head and nobody is at fault. danny

[rjohns94]

in my lever guns, full up. .22, .357, 45-70 no matter.

[MrMurphy]

Fully loaded chamber empty except hunting.

If a range is single shot only, it's not a range i'll go to.

[Lawyer Daggit]

I normally load as many as I can comfortably- depends on how tight the mag spring is,

[Lawyer Daggit]

I also sometimes fire loads designed for my Contender in my 94. These are spitzers. I chamber a round and carry one round only in the magazine.

(Before folks tell me I know Hornady now make spitzers for lever actions- what I have done here is used loads I had at hand)

[FWiedner]

Hunting I load (3) and only (3). No good reason. If I use one, I load one.

At the range I load one at a time.

Plinking... It depends on the plinking and whether thereis rapid fire involved. I'm grown out of seeing how fast my semi-autos will unload, but slow fire for those I usually load (5).

For the levers and bolts, I load... (3)...

[J Miller]

I load my magazines full up regardless of circumstances unless restricted by law.
Weather or not I have the chamber loaded depends on the physical situation I'm in.
When it comes to shooting ranges I've yet to run into one that restricts repeating rifles to one round, if I did I'd not patronize them.

Joe

[tman]

Full capacity all the time.

[Pete44ru]

Interesting comments - AND, I heartily agree with the empty chamber comments, regarding mounted rifles.......................

Although I know YMMV, in over 50 years of hunting deer, I've never had cause to fire more than two rounds at an animal - because it was either down or long gone in the jungle.

Likewise, I've never been able to bring more than 2-3 squills to bag at one time, before they all got scared & hid out for an hour or so, allowing plenty of time to reload.

That's probably why shortening my 16" Rossi M92's 8+1 full-length mag to a 4-shell, forend-length, button mag doesn't perturb me.

.

[AJMD429]

I don't load 'full' except in removeable magazine guns like the Ruger 96 (which only holds 4, anyway). For hunting, I haven't really ever needed (yet) a second shot, and the 'downing' ones I've fired were after I ran to the site and was concerned the animal could still be suffering; after maturing a bit, I see the more humane thing is to let the animal go into hypotensive shock and unconciousness, vs. rushing up on it to deliver a second shot.

For plinking, I may load a magazine full if I really think I'll shoot all of them, but mostly I just shoot a couple rounds or so.

The 'go-to' gun:



Generally has six in it (could hold nine), so if I want to go out and ring the gong or whatever, I just slip in 1 to 3 more rounds of handloads or cheapies, leaving the six factory loads in it that it is sighted in for the best.

[Griff]

3 or 4 rounds unless more are required for competition or restricted to single load for public range.

I've only had to shoot more than twice for a deer on one occasion... and I still had lots of time to reload.

However, forgot, when coyote hunting, I generally load up the magazine.

[stanforth]

I can only get 27 in mine.... An Evans N/M.

[txpete]

Around here I usually just fill up what ever rifle I'm using to it's capacity and call it good. If I were in the mountains where I could be a long way from the truck or help, I'd carry more in pockets or whatever.

+1.
pete

[firefuzz]

Usually 5 or 6 in the magazine. Empty chamber driving or mounted, hot chamber when walking.

Rob

[HEAD0001]

Bolt action: One in the magazine. Normally leave the chamber empty during transfer. At my hunting spot I will load one in chamber. Normally no additional in magazine.

Lever action: I load two shells. One in magazine and one in chamber.

Most of my hunting is done with single shot rifles.

Small game hunting with lever action 22LR or 22 Magnum I will usually load 3 shells.

Some black bear hunting. When not hunting with single shot rifle I usually use an 1894 Marlin in 44 magnum. 3 shells in that one(including chamber).

I have never seen the need for a full magazine of ammunition. I usually do more uniformity damage to ammo when loading and unloading. And I never shoot more than one shell. Only twice a very few times. But then I do not shoot at running game(big game). Tom.

[buckeyeshooter]

I load the magazine full.

[geobru]

Full box magazine in my BLR, 3 in the magazine in the classic leverguns.

[AJMD429]

I can only get 27 in mine.... An Evans N/M.

I manage to load in 73 more than that, but it's only a 9mm, and the lever's on the side and only works for the first shot. . .


(Calico 9mm 100-rounds)

[Old Time Hunter]

Generally individually at the range and four when in the field hunting.

[COSteve]

As many as it will hold unless limited by hunting regulations. In either case, additional ammo is always a top priority for me in the field.

[Goat]

Unless sitting at the bench I load the mag to capacity then chamber a round. At the bench it is one at a time.
Goat

[JReed]

I always run a full load regardless. I just like the warm fuzzy I get from a full mag.

[the telegraphist]

In the field I have found 5 to be more than adequate. On the range, depending on the comp being shot anywhere from 5 to 10.

[2571]

3 when hunting -- never, ever gonna need more than that.

5 when killing beverage cans. Adequate & unvarying number. Have seen guys unable to tell you how many rounds left in magazine. That seems improvident to me.

[Chuck 100 yd]

CAS = 10
Hunting =4 + 1 in the chamber (all that is legal here)
Plinking = full up
Target shooting = 1

[Birdman]

I load um up.

[Otto]

I always run a full load regardless. I just like the warm fuzzy I get from a full mag.

Gee, how come?