What Magazine Fits a Remington 783 in .308?

A Remington 783 chambered in .308 Winchester takes the short-action magazine — a 4-round factory-pattern magazine, or an 8-round extended version if you want more rounds between reloads. The same short-action magazine also fits .243 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor, so if your rifle is chambered in any of those three, you're shopping the same part. Here's what to know before you order.

Why .308 Uses the Short-Action Magazine

The Remington 783 is built across multiple action lengths to cover cartridges from .223 Remington up to .300 Winchester Magnum out of a shared receiver platform. The magazine well and magazine body change dimensions depending on which action length your rifle was built in. .308 Winchester is a short cartridge, so 783 rifles chambered in .308 use the short-action magazine well — the same one used for .243 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor, since all three cartridges share a similar overall length.

That's good news if you own more than one 783 in different short-action calibers: the same magazine works across all of them. It's also the reason a magazine that says "783" but is sized for .30-06 or 7mm Rem Mag won't fit a .308 rifle — those are long-action and magnum lengths, and they're physically longer.

The Standard 4-Round Option

The Remington 783 Short Action Magazine is a factory-pattern, 4-round magazine built from steel with a corrosion-resistant black oxide finish. It's manufactured using tooling developed in conjunction with Remington, so it matches the fit and feed geometry of the magazine that shipped with your rifle. It's rated for .308 Winchester, .243 Winchester, and 6.5 Creedmoor — the same magazine covers all three chamberings in the short-action family.

The Extended 8-Round Option: 783 XT

If four rounds isn't enough between reloads, American Rifle Magazines also builds the Remington ARM-783XT, an 8-round short-action magazine for the same .308 Win, .243 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor family. It uses a reworked front latch that clips into the synthetic stock rather than a separate metal front piece, plus a thin spring-steel backplate that lets the internal spring cycle more smoothly under the higher round count. Because of how much the spring compresses at full capacity, American Rifle Magazines recommends loading 8 rounds rather than pushing to 10 for consistent function. Load it with the bolt open for the smoothest latch.

What Won't Fit a .308 783

Because the 783 spans several action lengths, it's worth being explicit about what doesn't work in a short-action .308 rifle:

• Long-action magazines (.30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester, .25-06 Remington, .35 Whelen) are built for longer cartridges and are physically longer than the short-action body — they will not seat in a .308 rifle's magazine well.
• Magnum long-action magazines (7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag) are longer still and hold only 3 rounds — also not compatible.
• The .223 Remington magazine and the .22-250 Remington magazine are each their own dedicated short-action magazines with different internal dimensions than the .308/.243/6.5 Creedmoor magazine, so they aren't interchangeable with it either, even though all of them are technically "short action."

If you're not sure which caliber your rifle is chambered in, the caliber is stamped on the barrel. Match it against the Remington 783 Magazine Guide before ordering.

4-Round or 8-Round: Which Should You Buy?

The factory 4-round magazine is the exact match for what your 783 shipped with — the right choice if you just need a reliable spare or replacement. The 8-round 783 XT is worth the upgrade if you hunt or shoot situations where reloading mid-string is inconvenient, and you're comfortable with the recommended 8-round load rather than pushing to full compression. Either way, check your state's magazine capacity rules first — magazine capacity laws vary by state, and American Rifle Magazines cannot advise on your specific state's law. See magazine capacity laws by state to confirm before you buy.

Why Buy the Factory-Pattern Magazine

A generic aftermarket magazine built to fit "most" bolt-action rifles is a common source of feeding problems — jams, failure to lock back, or a magazine that simply won't seat. American Rifle Magazines' short-action magazine is manufactured using tooling developed in conjunction with Remington, built from US steel in Naugatuck, Connecticut, so the fit and function match the original equipment rather than approximating it. That's the difference between a magazine that drops in and locks up the first time and one that needs to be filed, forced, or fiddled with to sit right — a real cost in a rifle you're depending on in the field.

Keeping Your .308 Magazine Feeding Reliably

A short-action magazine is a simple spring-and-follower system, and most feeding complaints trace back to a dirty or over-oiled magazine rather than a defective part. Wipe the body, follower, and feed lips down with a dry or lightly oiled cloth after a range session or hunt, and avoid packing heavy grease inside the magazine — it collects grit and powder residue that eventually causes hesitation or short-stroking on the feed ramp. If your magazine has sat loaded for an extended period, cycle it a few times before you head to the field to confirm the spring and follower are moving freely.

It's also worth keeping at least one spare magazine on hand if you hunt or compete regularly. A dropped magazine or a bent feed lip in the field can end a hunt early, and a factory-pattern spare from American Rifle Magazines is built to the same tolerances as the one currently in your rifle, so there's no adjustment period when you swap it in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the same magazine fit .308, .243, and 6.5 Creedmoor?

Yes. All three calibers use the Remington 783 short-action magazine well, so the same 4-round or 8-round magazine fits all of them.

Will a .30-06 long-action magazine fit my .308 rifle?

No. Long-action magazines are physically longer and will not seat in a short-action magazine well. Confirm your caliber against the Remington 783 Magazine Guide.

Can I load 10 rounds in the 783 XT 8-round magazine?

American Rifle Magazines recommends 8 rounds rather than 10 — the spring compression at higher counts affects consistent function. Loading to the rated 8-round capacity is the reliable choice.

Is this a genuine factory-pattern magazine?

Yes. It's manufactured in the USA to the original Remington 783 factory specification using tooling developed with Remington — not an imported universal clip.

My rifle is chambered in 7mm-08 Remington — does the short-action magazine fit?

7mm-08 Remington is a short-action cartridge and is listed alongside .308 Win, .243 Win, and 6.5 Creedmoor on our Remington 783 Magazine Guide's short-action fitment chart. Confirm the caliber stamp on your barrel against that guide before ordering.

A Quick Recap

If your 783 is chambered in .308 Winchester, .243 Winchester, or 6.5 Creedmoor, you're shopping the short-action magazine family -- 4 rounds in the factory-pattern original, or 8 rounds in the 783 XT. That's the whole decision tree for this caliber group; the complexity only enters the picture once you start comparing across different action lengths.

Order Your Remington 783 Short-Action Magazine

Choose the factory 4-round short-action magazine for an exact factory match, or step up to the 8-round 783 XT for extended capacity. Both are US-made, in stock, and ship from Connecticut. Not sure your rifle is short action? Confirm with the Remington 783 Magazine Guide. Buying for a shop or FFL? See our wholesale rifle magazine purchasing terms, or browse the full lineup in Remington 783 Magazines.