MDT Hunting Bottom Metal - MDT Mention

Everyone knows those hunters who pull out Grand Papi's Model 70 .30-06, blow the dust off the Redfield scope, and load three rounds through the top of the action only once or twice a year. It might be too much to ask them to shoot their pre-hunt confirmation shots on the good 'ole pie plate. If you can't relate to this, that's good, but I'm sure you know at least a few who have this approach to hunting.

Fortunately, it is 2024, and we are making strides in innovation in the hunting game. Purpose-built hunting rifles from the 21st century are becoming commonplace in the community. In my opinion, the MDT HNT26 Chassis System is the pinnacle of hunting stocks or chassis. Is it necessary for all hunting applications? No, probably not. That being said, having a detachable box magazine should be prioritized; the internal box mag should be a thing of the past (we will discuss that later). And would you look at that? Modular Driven Technologies has you covered, as usual. We bring you The MDT Hunting Bottom Metal.

This is a Badger Ordnance M5 DBM profile bottom metal that will drop right in the

aforementioned inletting on a Remington 700 or 700 clone stock, accepting the ever-popular AICS magazines.

You might be asking what makes this product different than others in its class; let's talk about it:

• Lockable magazine latch with tension adjustment. Don't worry about your magazine getting bumped out while trekking through the backcountry.
• Slim and sleek. Minimal snag points allow you to focus on your surroundings, especially when combined with the MDT 3-round polymer magazine sitting flush.
• Compatible with aftermarket triggers. The trigger opening is large enough to fit all aftermarket triggers. The trigger guard is slotted to allow for pull-weight adjustments while assembled.
• They are built to withstand the elements. Corrosion-resistant coating and hardware keep it rust-free.

Other features to note:

• Includes pillars, allowing for proper torque to barreled action
• Includes washers to adjust torque/thread tension of action screws.
• Made from anodized 6061 aluminum
• Weighs 0.21 lb (3.36 oz)

As stated earlier, I believe the DBM (Detachable Bottom Metal or Detachable Box Magazine, depending on who you ask) is essential today. It comes down to a couple of things.

The first is slightly anecdotal. It is for safety. With an internal box mag, there is no real visual indication of the rounds that are or are not in there, especially with the bolt closed. You can't just pop the mag out to check how many rounds are in there; you can't just pop the mag out to remove the rounds, period. That leads to my next point: ease of use.

I don't know about you, but I learned about long-range shooting on a Remington 700 with an internal box mag. Top-loading a rifle feels like it should be reserved for classic firearms. It's objectively a major pain in the butt to make sure the rounds you're loading stagger nicely and don't pop up into the raceways. Many double feeds have happened from a loose round floating around while attempting to chamber a round. What I'm getting to here is the convenience of having a DBM.

At the end of the day, the MDT Hunter Bottom Metal makes sense. While my first choice will always be a chassis for bolt guns, I do love and appreciate a nice traditional stock. I personally have a few stocks, however, they are outfitted with the MDT Precision Bottom Metal. I will ALWAYS use detachable box magazines for bolt gun applications. If you're not a hunter, you should definitely check those out.

BOTTOM METALS FROM MDT

• HOWA Mini Bottom Metal
• MDT Precision Bottom Metal
• MDT Hunting Bottom Metal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In 2018, William Maxwell fell into the rabbit hole of precision rifle shooting. He spends his free

time competing, reloading, editing digital content, building rifles, and writing. He can be reached via Instagram @maddmaxxlop.