Sheldon and Bell were not concerned about the powder space being used up with 160 gr bullets in the 6.5-54 MS because they seated the bullets out where they belonged and didn't try to cram them into a 2.75" action.

For the life of me I can't get over the fascination some people have with super short actions. Soon, cartridges will be as wide as they are long. If you want less weight, get a lighter stock. I just can't see any practical advantages that outweigh the better ballistics and more reliable functioning of the full length actions.

But maybe that's just me