It refers to the throws of the crankshaft/distance the piston moves. It usually is compared to the bore of the engine. An example a 302 4"bore x 3"stroke is a short stroke motor, by comparison a 5.4L ford v8 3.552" bore x 4.165" stroke.
bore 4 in (102mm) stroke 3in (76mm)
Simple. The 302 is better for longevity. The 302 is a faster engine. The 305 makes its peak torque at a very low RPM because of its longer stroke. This is off the top of my head, but the 305 is like a 3.7x/3.5x bore/stroke. The 302 is a 4.00 x 3.00 bore x stroke. Way bigger bore with a shorter stroke. 302 is a faster revving engine because of this, with pistons the size of a 350 Chevrolet. I have had both engines, but the 302 definitely tows better.
Bore x stroke is 4 x 3.96
A ford 302/5.0 will be 306ci if bored .030 (4.030" bore)
BORE is 3.740 and the stroke is 3.480
Bore 4.250" Stroke 4.00"
4 inch bore, 3.5 inch stroke.
The bore would be 4.310" and the stroke is 4.00"
4.312 bore x 3.50 stroke.
4.00 bore 3.48 stroke
bore 3.497 stroke 3.81