W.O.T Report post Posted May 1, 2009 can someone explain this too me and the pros/cons for calibers? thx Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Sniper Report post Posted May 1, 2009 A short action is lighter and of course shorter which is important to some. Short actions can only take short claibers (again pretty obvious). Long actions can take any caliber, but are a bit heavier. If you are going with a custom build and plan to shoot longrange, my advice would be to get a long action as you can use the longer better BC bullets without any issue. Using a short action on some calibers can cause serious problems with the more long range minded bullets. If you plan on only shooting factory ammo, you could likely use a short action without issue. What caliber are you planning on getting? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Not necessarily disagreeing with you, Sniper but can you elaborate on the "better BC bulltes" part of your argument? For example a .270 WSM (short action) can be loaded with the exact same bullets as a .270 Win (long action) The same is true for .300 WSM vs a .300 Rem Mag, or other long-action .30 caliber rifles. Before the advent of the newer "short magnums" I would have agreed. Then most short actions were tailored to smaller caliber bullets that required less powder, and hence a shorter case. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted May 1, 2009 The higher BC bullets will be longer for caliber. So without seating them deeper and infringing upon powder space, one may need the longer magazine afforded by a long action, a deeper throat, or the clearance of the long action to eject a loaded case. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
W.O.T Report post Posted May 1, 2009 243, 6mm, 270, 300(wsm or rum)... bottom line... long action is more versatile, can use factory or reloads.... short action limited to smaller bullets and lighter rifle weight? which is the standard? meaning, which is the basic--- tried and tested? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Rabbit Report post Posted May 1, 2009 The 243win, 300WSM will be suited for a short action. The 270Win and 300RUM will need a long action. If you are buying a factory rifle, the appropriate action length will be used by the manufacturer for the chambering. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstcoueswas80 Report post Posted May 2, 2009 243, 6mm, 270, 300(wsm or rum)... bottom line... long action is more versatile, can use factory or reloads.... short action limited to smaller bullets and lighter rifle weight? which is the standard? meaning, which is the basic--- tried and tested? Just because you have a short action, it doesnt mean that you can not use reloads. Granted, if you plan on using a super long and heavy bullet (for its high BC) such as the Berger, you may need to have a smith open up the magazine, and put a longer throat in the chamber. My 270 wsm kind of has best of both worlds. It is built on a long action, so I can seat the bullets way out there and get a lot of powder in the case. Works great, but kind of neutralizes the advantages of the WSM. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Sniper Report post Posted May 2, 2009 Not necessarily disagreeing with you, Sniper but can you elaborate on the "better BC bulltes" part of your argument? For example a .270 WSM (short action) can be loaded with the exact same bullets as a .270 Win (long action) The same is true for .300 WSM vs a .300 Rem Mag, or other long-action .30 caliber rifles. Before the advent of the newer "short magnums" I would have agreed. Then most short actions were tailored to smaller caliber bullets that required less powder, and hence a shorter case. Once again, Doug is all over it. The higher BC bullets will be longer for caliber. So without seating them deeper and infringing upon powder space, one may need the longer magazine afforded by a long action, a deeper throat, or the clearance of the long action to eject a loaded case. Not saying you will have problems, but there is the possiblity, and a long action should take that out of the equation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
longshooter Report post Posted May 2, 2009 Dang Keith looks like your putting down the fishing rods and picking up the guns more these days .. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catclaw Report post Posted May 6, 2009 There is no practical advantage to a short action these days unless you are trying to shave every gram of weight. Not only are the long VLD bullets infringing on the powder space, but in some cases, (pun, of course, intended) you can't seat them deep enough to use the magazine without getting past the bearing surface of the bullet. They won't work that way- a perfect example is a 284 Win and 180 Bergers or a 6.5-284 and 140 bergers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted May 6, 2009 Ineresting stuff - so with a .300 wsm, can I still handload Bergers? I was about about to buy some dies this weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
