Remington 700 Short Action Vs Long Action 🎯 Which One Is Better?

Fact checked by Steven Lines, lifelong Hunter and Outdoorsman.

When it comes to rifles, there are many debates about the benefits of long actions vs. short actions. Both have great advantages and disadvantages, but is one better than the other? This competition is especially true when you consider the Remington 700 short actions vs. long actions. Which one is superior to the other? 

Both Remington 700 short action and long action rifles can be very accurate, even out to long ranges, and one is not better than the other. Long action and short action rifles both have their own sets of things that they do well and others that fall short. They do, however, have certain differences that a shooter should be aware of before deciding between the two. 

If you do not know the differences between long action and short action Remington rifles, then you are not alone. Luckily you have come to the right place, as we will cover the exact differences that set these two styles apart. We will cover some different calibers that fall into each category, as well as some of the benefits that one might offer over the other. 

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What Is Long Action Vs Short Action? 

Many shooters may assume that the only difference between a long action and a short action rifle is the length of the action itself. While this is certainly true, as short actions are shorter than long actions, there is more to it than that. Short actions have entirely different actions that retain slightly different design features. 

But what exactly is an action? The action of a rifle refers to the section of the firearm that is made up of the equipment that loads, unloads, fires, and ejects the ammunition. The action can be made to handle longer ammunition of certain calibers, while a shorter action can deal with shorter calibers. But, as we mentioned earlier, there are more differences than simply looking at the overall lengths. 

Identifying Short and Long Actions

One would think that seeing and noticing the difference between a long action and a short action would be simple, but it is not as easy as you would think. This is due to the fact that a rifle is not necessarily listed as either “long action” or “short action” like it is with caliber. This will lead to many people wanting to simply measure the action. This can work as long as you are measuring the actions of rifles from the same manufacturer, but it is not a fool-proof way to tell. 

This is because there are no universal measurements or sizes for short actions or long actions. Instead, each firearm manufacturer decides on the action sizes for their rifles, and this can lead to varying lengths. 

A more reliable method to determining whether you have a short action or long action style of rifle is to measure the distance between the front and rear action screws. You can find these screws around the bottom of the stock. When getting any replacement parts (especially a new stock), many manufacturers will include this distance with the product.

By measuring the distance from the center of one hole to the center of the other, you can get a reference point to what type of action you have. Just be sure not to mistake and measure the trigger guard screws instead of the action screws. Because the difference between a short or long action can be as small as ½ inch, any little mistake like this can throw off everything. 

Are All Remington 700 Actions the Same?

So what about the Remington 700? Does this mean that all of the actions are exactly the same? Well, yes and no. There is an obvious length difference between long and short actions that Remington produces, but apart from that, the Remington 700 action is the same across the board. Because it is produced by the same manufacturer, the actions are extremely similar and will have many interchangeable parts. 

Which Calibers Are Short Action?

Short action calibers, especially in the Remington 700 model, are very consistent across the board and, as you might expect, are shorter in length than other rifle calibers. While simply identifying the caliber of your Remington 700 is not a surefire way to tell, it will help to give you a good indication of whether or not the rifle has a short or long action. 

As far as calibers that are usually in a short action, you will see things such as the 17 Remington, 20 PPC, 204 Ruger, 218 Bee, 219 Zipper, 22 Bench Rest, 22 Hornet, 22 PPC, 22-250 Remington, 220 Swift, 221 Remington Fireball, 222 Remington, 222 Remington Mag, 223 Remington, 224 Weatherby Mag, 243 Winchester, 250 Savage, 260 Remington, 270 Winchester Short Mag, 30 M1 Carbine, 30 BR, 30-30 Winchester, 300 Remington SAUM, 300 WSM, 308 Winchester, 350 Legend, 32 Winchester Special, 325 WSM, 338 Federal, 35 Remington, 44-40 Winchester, 450 Bushmaster, 6mm BR, 6mm PPC, 6mm Remington, 6mm-284 Winchester (Single Shot), 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.8 Remington SPC, 7mm-08, and the 7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Mag. 

While this is not an entire list of every single caliber in the world that falls under a short-action rifle category, it does include many of the most popular options that you will most likely see. If you have a Remington 700 chambered in any one of these calibers that are listed above, chances are pretty good that you are using a short-action rifle. 

Which Calibers Are Long Action?

Long action calibers are very popular options for the Remington 700 and are favorites amongst traditional shooters and hunters. Again, you cannot simply reference your caliber in order to tell if your rifle is long or short action, but knowing the caliber and where it generally lies between the two can be a great indication for you. 

Calibers that you will most commonly see in a long action are those such as the 240 Weatherby Mag, 25-06 Remington, 257 Roberts, 264 Winchester Mag, 270 Winchester, 280 Remington, 30-06 Springfield, 30-40 Krag, 300 Winchester Mag, 303 British, 338 Lapua, 338 Winchester Mag, 35 Whelen, 350 Remington Mag, 45-70 Government, 6mm-284 Remington (Repeater/Semi-auto), 6.5-06 A-Square, 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser, 7mm Remington Mag, 7mm Remington Ultra Mag, and the 8×57 Mauser. 

While this list does not include every single long action caliber in the world, these are many of the most common and popular calibers that you will encounter. If you find yourself shooting a rifle, especially a Remington 700, in any of these calibers that are listed here, then there is a great chance that your firearm has a long action instead of a short action. 

Pros and Cons of Short Action

Now that we know a little more about what short and long actions are, let’s get into what makes one better than the other. Each will have its own sets of pros and cons to consider, and what works best for one person might not work well for another. Let’s begin with the short action rifles. 

Many shooters will argue that short-action rifles and calibers have numerous advantages over that of the long-action variety. You may have even heard some of these claims, such as faster cycling times, better accuracy, and reduced rifle and ammunition weight. But do any of these claims hold any truth? 

In theory, yes. Because short actions are smaller in length, both the action (and therefore the rifle) and the ammunition will be lighter in weight. But, this is not always the case. Many rounds may be shorter but include heavier bullets and more gun powder, so this is not always a benefit to boast about. Another argument is faster reloading and cycling times. This is perhaps the best advantage of shooting a short action.

Due to the smaller size, many shooters will argue that they get much quicker reloading times. If you are a competition shooter or a professional sniper, then this could make a big difference in what type of action you will want to shoot. For the average shooter or hunter, however, the difference will not even be noticeable. The same could also be said about weight savings. Because every gun, caliber, and stock is different (even those from the same manufacturer), weights will always vary a little. The savings from a short action to a long action will hardly be noticeable by the average person. 

Overall, another great benefit to short-action calibers is that they are easier to load in a gun and are smaller and easier to carry around. The downside, however, is that many calibers that are used in short-action guns can be hard to find ammunition for due to their popularity. You will most likely not notice an accuracy distance between the two as well. 

Pros and Cons of Long Action

As we previously mentioned, there are not many giant differences between short action and long actions that the average shooter will even notice or even care about. While it is true that long-action calibers have longer bullets and actions, weight savings is really not even noticeable. Even if you do save a tiny bit of weight by using a short action instead of long action, something as simple as a bigger scope or bipod can quickly diminish any of it. 

As far as reloading speeds go, it is also true that short-action calibers might be a little quicker. But again, for the average shooter or hunter, this will not even be noticeable. Good training and practice with the rifle can quickly make up this difference if there even is one. So even though many shooters will claim that short actions have way more benefits and advantages, they really are not that noticeable by the average shooter. 

One clear benefit, however, does come in the ammunition. Many long-action calibers are older calibers that have been around for a long time. This usually means that ammunition is plentiful and easier to find. When the newest and most popular short-action caliber is all sold out due to its newfound popularity, you can usually find your tried and true long-action calibers in stock and ready to go. Overall, long actions are simply just longer than many short actions but will still produce the same general results that you would expect out of other calibers. 

Should You Choose Short Action or Long Action?

So considering all of the potential pros and cons of both the long action and short action variety of the Remington 700, which one should you go with? As you can probably see, one is not better than the other. Each has a unique set of advantages and disadvantages to it, and they are close enough to each other that the average shooter would have difficulty telling the two apart. 

More important than considering a short action vs. a long action rifle is thinking about the caliber itself. As long as you put enough thought and consideration into what caliber will best suit you and your needs, you probably do not have to worry about the action size in your Remington 700 rifle. Selecting the perfect caliber for your needs will ensure that you have the proper sizing, ballistics, and power to accomplish your goals and whether or not it is short action or long action will have no impact on your shooting. 

Final Thoughts

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So which one is better in the Remington 700, a long action or a short action? There is no clear-cut winner on this one, and only you can decide which is better for you and your needs. You should be considering things like intended use, amount of practice, ammo availability, and additional gear you intend to use with your rifle. Overall, just try to pick your favorite caliber regardless of short action or long action, as the differences are minor.

Steven Lines is a hunter and outdoorsman from Safford, Arizona, USA. Since he was a child, he has been hunting and fishing and has over 20 years of outdoor experience. Steven works as a hunting guide in Arizona during his spare time and runs a Youtube channel dedicated to sharing his outdoor adventures with others.

Sources

• https://www.boydsgunstocks.com/short-or-long-action
• https://riflebasix.com/blog/long-action-vs-short-action-telling-the-difference/
• https://www.remarms.com/rifles/bolt-action/model-700/