Rifle actions

[Spotted Owl]

Long v. Short. What are the calibers that are considered a long action? Are these like the .270, .280, 30-06, 7mm what are the others that aren't to exotic. What calibers are considered a short action? Are these like .308, 223, 22-250 and such also what are some others in the short area again not to exotic. Will any long action cartrige fit into the long actions and will the same work for shorts?

I'm kicking around a couple ideas but in the reading I have done I am not certain about all calibers of long or short fitting into any long or short action I do know long to long and short to short and don't mix this way. But will all work in each ones action classification.

Theres lots to read but sometimes it can get kinds confusing

Thanks

Owl

[traks44]

what are you looking to do?

[Hunt'nFish]

Not sure I understand your question.... if the cartridge fits it fits. It's a matter of cartridge overal length vs. the actions magazine length. There are no set rules. Every mfg'ers short action rifle are differant, same for long actions. Example Ruger M77 has two lengths, I think, long and really long. The long is used for almost everything upto .300win mag anything longer and it won't fit. By the same regard Brownings long action A-Bolt will handle a cartridge as long as the .30-378Wby (with a little bullet nose notch anyway). Remington has 3 action lengths the Model 7 is the shortest and two model 700 lengths short and long all with differant magazine lengths. If the cartridge is shorter than the mag it will fit.
The new trend in Short Mag cartridges kinda changes the game. No longer are we faced with long action lengths to get magnum performance.
I think you really need to know the action lengths & the cartridge lengths. Can you recamber a long action rifle in a short action cartridge?? YES, many folks have rechambered long action Rem700's in quick twist .308's so they can seat really long bullets out far. Is it common, not really. The practice has traditionally been to go the other way...cram a long action cartrige into a short action rifle because of the reduced weight and stiffer receiver. Lots of money has been spent creating the ultimate 5.5lb Mt. Rifle for sheep or goat hunting that is chambered in some rather long fat wildcat cartridge. (Wildcat means non-factory, and usually involves making custom brass from some std caliber, At one time the .22-250 was considered a wildcat. It was simply the 250savage necked down to 22caliber.) Prior to the new ShortMag cartridges like the .300WSM, 7mmWSM .325WSM and the Remington equivents (RSUM), the .284Win was a common cartridge used to push the envelope in Short Actions (SA).

So if it fits it fits, no rules. Other than the Ruger M77, most mfg'rs long actions will handle lengths upto the 8mmRem Mag and .340Wby, some like the Browning ABolt are a tad longer and will handle the 30-378 but not the .338-378wby because of the longer .338 bullets. Knowing the magazine lengths in key.
Hope I didn't confuse you even more. :tongue:
Hunt'nFish

[traks44]

For exmple:

The 6.5/284 I am building would fit into a short action, but I would not be able to take a loaded shell out of the gun. Its not a really big deal for Benchrest type of gun, but I still wanted to be able to take out a loaded shell so thats why I got a lonbg action.

I thought Remington only had two actions, Long and Short?

Another player in the "picking an action for a custom build" is case diameter.

[Spotted Owl]

I suppose looking at what I have written above I should have just came out asking. I am thinking about building a rifle for my boy. I have 2 M98s that are .06 and a Browning that is 7mm. He has shot all three of these and is not comfortable with them. He has shot my .280 and like this very well but it doen't fee; right to him. I am wondering if either one of the M98s in .06 or the Browning in 7mm actions can be used to build a .280 from. I have him looking to see what action between them he likes the best because the stock will have to be changed to one that will fit him. Seems like right now it's a toss up between which action that he likes the best.

I know that it would be most likely cheaper to go and buy one off the shelf but that would not be the same.

Owl

[Yeti]

Correct me if I am wrong but there are really four actions, Super short, Short, Standard and Magnum. If you have the equipment to measure it the shorter the action, all else being equal, the stiffer it is. Also, if you are good enough, the stiffer action can be more accurate.

Personally I am not a good enough shot to worry about building on a shorter action for accuracy. I have always been able to get'er done with standard actions. If you build on a "short" or "shorter" action you may have issues with cartridge OAL. This is especially true if you are going to reload with homogenious bullets like Barnes or VLD bullets.

Yeti

[Catching Nemo]

It would be easiest to change the M98 in .06 to 280 Remington. It would't require a new bolt head - just a new barrel. If you went with the action that is chambered in 7mm Mag, then you would need a head as well as a barrel.

[lor]

I think 300H&H is a long action.

I am wondering if either one of the M98s in .06 or the Browning in 7mm actions can be used to build a .280 from

Yes you can do this, the .280 is built off the '06 case.

[Spotted Owl]

Question answered thanks for your help. As this goes I'm sure that there will be more asked lots of info from the people here thanks again.

Owl

[Hunt'nFish]

SpottedOwl,
The .280Rem is a FINE choice! Huh KETA?
Something else you might consider is to rebarrel one of M98 in 7mm-08 for starters and then punch it out to .280Rem down the road and when he's ready for Elk punch it out to 7mmRem Mag. Go with a twist for the .280rem and you should be ok for all three. And opening the bolt face is easy enough. I do believe the 7mmMag should fit in the M98 action....????....Didn't Browning offer their 1st bolt action rifles on FN M98 actions?? I check the mag length 1st.
No, No.. I got it. 7mm-08 first and then rechamber to 7mmWSM.
Ah screw that, the .280Rem is just fine as is. If you grows out of it, which he will, he'll have other ideas about what he wants. Who knows mabe we'll be shooting caseless ammo by then.

Sounds like a fun project. Nothing finer than a cherry custom Mauser! A real heirloom.
Hunt'nFish

[SeanD]

Or if you want to be different, a 280 ackley impr. Almost 7 rem mag performance with a much cooler headstamp. And it will shoot factory .280's too. Of course you can load a 7 mag or 30-06 to feel kick like a .280, but thats just a reason not to customize, no need to get into that line of talk :smile:

[TonTo]

About 10 years ago my brother had a .280 built out of a 8mm k98,new barrel and he did a trigger upgrade,turned out to be a great rifle.

Hunt'nFish,
Although I am not really a 7mm fan ( Somehow I've ended up with a 7x30, .284, 7x57, 7mm-08 and 7mm Rem ) I think that if I didn't already have a .270 I'd have a .280.

[James in Idaho]

I built my daughter a 7 x 57 on a Mauser 93 Spanish (manufactured in Germany) action. It is a nice lightweight rifle that doesn't beat her up. There are some who have issues with the gas handling abilities of a 93, but I keep the reloads pretty tame. She loves it, it carries much nicer than my 98 in 35 Whelen, and while not a real popular caliber, it is a dang good one for anything she'll hunt up to and including moose. Like Keta, I've never been a real fan of 7mm, but this little gun has changed my mind. Amazing varity in bullet choices. I like it so much that I'm thinking a Kimber Ultra Light in 7-08 for myself. That 10 pound Whelen is not much fun to carry, but I do like the end results! My usual carry rifle is a Parker Hale in .270 with 130 Noslers. A Swede in 6.5 x 55 in a 96 action is another choice. Great reputation for being very accurate as "issued" and I've seen a few that basement gunsmiths have turned into works of art, stepped barrel and all. Now all I have to do is order the purple and pink laminated stock that she whats! Girls!

[Big Billy]

Whatever you choose, you are compromising something for something, what do you want this new gun to do? tip a bull elk over at 300 yards or kill blacktail deer at 300 yards or kill varmints at 400 plus yards, you have to compromise energy ( knock down power)for accuracy,there are many great calibers out there, if you get a mountain rifle that is light weight it is going to kick harder than a heavier rifle 9compromising weight fro recoil) if you get a short barrel vs a long barrel you are compromising the distance you shoot with a longer barrel for more manuverability with a shorter barrel, if you shoot light bullets they are affected more by wind than heavier bullets, here in Montana I get many shots at 400 yards, which is a long ways, I shoot a 30 caliber in 180 grain bullet, bucks the wind much better than the 165 grain bullet, we have alot of wind, so I am compromising some distance with the lighter bullet for better wind bucking ability with the heavier bullet, hope this makes some sense to you, long actions have more powder in the cases than short magnums, less powder less recoil, more powder more recoil more distance