First, let me take a moment to thank Jim Briggs - Northlander. He has been tremendously helpful in helping me plan out my build. If you have questions, I highly recommend just giving him a call. He's definitely earned my business.

I am going to build a 7mm08 rifle, primarily for hunting. If possible, I'd also like to be able to switch barrels and get something a little closer to a 7Rem Mag ballistics. However, Jim informed me that these are different bolt head sizes, so it's more complicated than simply switching a barrel.

As I understand him, if I base my build on a long-action .473" (instead of the short action), I should be able to switch between the 7mm08 and the 280 AI with just a barrel. The tradeoff will be an extra 1/2" on the action/rifle length, and a very few ounces of weight.

My questions:

1. Has anyone done this? Care to share your experiences?

2. Are there any issues with feeding? I heard that I should be sure to use the centerfeed-type magazine.

3. Is there any other tradeoff to giving up a short-action for a long-action? Will this affect accuracy in any way?

GPM