Action
The mechanical part of a rifle that chambers cartridges, fires, and ejects spent cases. Bolt, lever, pump, semi-auto, and break-action are the major families.
In precision shooting, the action is almost always a bolt action. The single moving part means fewer variables in the firing sequence and a cleaner trigger pull.
Action choice flows down to barrel and stock options. Once you pick a Remington 700 short action, you’ve committed to a footprint that determines the rest of the build.