A shorter barrel has nothing to do with accuracy...In the same thickness barrel the shorter one will have a tendency to be more accurate...because it is stiffer...and won't vibrate as much at the shot....That being said...the barrels on the Model 7 are a little thinner than on a 700...I prefer a full sized rifle, increased weight usually helps a shooter hold more steady for longer shots....But...all this is a guys personal preference....a Model 7 is plenty accurate for those 300 yard shots...thats really what you need to know...

One of my younger brothers has had a Model 7 in 7mm-08 since the early 80's...Has probably killed 150 deer or better with...all he uses are 140 gr CoreLokts...groups run 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches...He has pulled off several 250 to 300 yard shots on power lines and over crop fields...its a great little gun and I prefer the 7mm-08 caliber in this rifle....I have another friend that bought a .260 Model 7 a few years back...It was much pickier on what it shot and he finally started reloading for that gun...he also did a ton of work to the rifle tuning it up...It kills deer...but he spent enough on the gun to have bought another one...Good Luck