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Long or short action

Working on my build for an FTR gun in .308, what should I go with a long or short action? Can you give me reasons why for both?
 
I dont know alot about this subject but i do have a friend that shoots a 22-243 with 80gr sierra match kings..he personaly chooses a long action so that he can seat his bullets out fruther to achieve the accuracy he needs and this also allows him to make more use of the case capacity. If he chose a short action he would have to seat the bullets alot further into the case so that he can get them to feed thru the magazine. I dont recall him ever talking about having problems getting the 22-243 case to feed thru the magazine as he does use this gun as a repeater..I dont know if you would have to use a 308 follower or a 30-06 follower to get proper feeding. If you plan to single load this rather than use the magazine the short action will probly suit u just fine.
 
For a .308 Win. a short action is fine, all Remington 40X's in 30-06 SPG., 300 WM and the like are built on Short Actions.

As far as it being used in F/TR it will ONLY be loaded by a SINGLE ROUND during a Competition so there's no need to worry about it feeding from the mag. unless you plan on it being a multi purpose Rifle, ie, Snipe Match, Highpower XTC, etc. that require the use of a mag.
 
Taildrag15X said:
For a .308 Win. a short action is fine, all Remington 40X's in 30-06 SPG., 300 WM and the like are built on Short Actions.

As far as it being used in F/TR it will ONLY be loaded by a SINGLE ROUND during a Competition so there's no need to worry about it feeding from the mag. unless you plan on it being a multi purpose Rifle, ie, Snipe Match, Highpower XTC, etc. that require the use of a mag.

+1 on the short action. No need for a LA unless you like a longer bolt throw. ;D

Regards, Paul.

www.boltfluting.com
 
Does a long action tend to be smoother than a short due to the longer plane? How about the versatility of a long over short if down the road the gun is used for something else?

What lengths of cartridges can the long and short action accept?
 
Boisblancboy said:
Does a long action tend to be smoother than a short due to the longer plane? How about the versatility of a long over short if down the road the gun is used for something else?

What lengths of cartridges can the long and short action accept?

What something else?

A SA should handle anything up to and including belted Magnums like the prior mentioned .300 WM. It wouldn't feed from the mag well as a repeater nor eject a loaded round very easy.
 
I built a 308 on a LA so I could seat long for better accuracy when single fed not so much as to increase case capacity. I planned to use it for different type comp. Problem I found was mine shot just as well jumping a ton as it did at mag length. I am now putting together a SA.
Nothing wrong with a LA, just like the shorter throw. Mine fed fine if I could remember to pull er back far enough ::)

Jim
 
So there really isnt much of a benefit? More of a preference? I am going with a single shot, can't remember if I said that earlier.
 
My understanding is on one hand the SA is stiffer and on the other the LA has more area for bedding.
I think it comes down to preference. I don't know what problems if any might be associated using a SA for big cartridges. I've seen LA's shoot every bit as good as a SA's.

One big benefit to me, a LA can eject a loaded 6br round. Nice for testing ammo before a match.

Jim
 
Boisblancboy said:
So there really isnt much of a benefit? More of a preference? I am going with a single shot, can't remember if I said that earlier.

Put the 308 on a LONG action...for many reasons
 
holstil said:
My understanding is on one hand the SA is stiffer and on the other the LA has more area for bedding.
I think it comes down to preference. I don't know what problems if any might be associated using a SA for big cartridges. I've seen LA's shoot every bit as good as a SA's.

One big benefit to me, a LA can eject a loaded 6br round. Nice for testing ammo before a match.

Jim

A Short Action will eject a LOADED 6BR ROUND as long as you can make it, with ROOM TO SPARE!!!!
 
Ha ha, yes it will.

I was loading 6br at the time. I meant to say, can eject loaded rounds, referring to said 308. I don't think there's a problem with most 308 projectiles. Runs in my mind that I couldn't unload loaded 308 with 175 or longer bullets with them seated to lands on my first one. Maybe they were the vlds. Maybe I'm loosing my mind. :-\

Thanks for the fix, Jim
 
got it, loading 6Br and talking about something else....I do the same and usually slip like that when I'm supose to be listening to my wife......

I've never had any issues with long loaded .308 or .243 ejecting a loaded round......if my mind is thinking correct the Remington 700 short action factory loading/ejection port is close to 2.375" or so, might even be a bit longer.......plus the bolt comes back past the rear of the opening close to an inch if not more...if I was in the shop I could measure it....

I know that with a clip slot the bolt face is still well behind the cutout......by how much I'll have to measure...now it's going to bug me all day!
 

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