Specs

  • Manufacturer: Remington
  • Model: 700 VTR
  • Caliber: .308 Win
  • Barrel: Remington Factory Heavy Contour, triangulated w/muzzlebrake
  • Barrel Length: 22" (559mm)
  • Twist: 1:12" RH
  • Magazine: 4 round internal
  • Trigger: Remington XMarkPro
  • Stock: Injection Molded Plastic with rubberized inserts
  • Metal Finish: Matte Bluing
  • Weight: 7.5 lbs (3.41 kg) No optics
  • Overall Length: 41.625" (1057mm)
  • Street Price: $ 700

Well, here we are, another new year, and another few new tactical models introduced by Remington. Of all the rifle makers out there, Remington seems to be the one taking the most advantage of the tactical rifle popularity by introducing a couple of new tactical rifles just about every year. One of the new ones this year is the Remington 700 VTR, or Varmint-Tactical Rifle. This particular rifle has a few new twists to make it unique and we ordered one in to test these new twists and see just what kind of a tactical rifle the VTR is.

Yes, here is another Remington 700 with the same action as on all the other Remington 700’s we have reviewed. There is not a whole bunch to talk about in regards to the 700 action that we have not covered in all the other Remington 700 tactical rifles and custom built rifle reviews we have done. But, there are some things that are different that makes this review worth doing. To me, I’m not really sure who the target customer is for this rifle, beyond the tacti-cool crowd. It is a lightweight and compact rifle design, but the last time I checked, Remington was quite successful with the 700LTR rifles as well as their extremely popular, and good performing, SPS Tactical rifle introduced last year. This rifle is about the same weight as those two and fits in-between in price. But the one thing this rifle does have that is different, is the very unique barrel profile and integrated muzzlebrake.

As you can see in the photo above and below, the profile of the barrel is not a round profile like a typical rifle barrel, but is triangulated. Essentially, what it appears to be is that Remington took the LTR fluting and continued the flute all the way out, making the barrel a triangle. Looking at this objectively, beyond saving weight, I do not see what this particular profile does? Unlike a traditional fluted barrel, you actually reduce the amount of surface area which hurts with heat dissipation and barrel cool down, and as far as I can tell, you are making the barrel less rigid which should lead to degraded accuracy, but I’ll reserve that final judgment until after the shooting sessions. The triangle also gives a nice flat surface area where Remington engraved a nice looking VTR logo.

The other feature the VTR has that the LTR and SPS-T do not, is the integrated muzzlebrake. A well designed brake can reduce a lot of felt recoil as well keep the muzzle flip down helping with rapid follow up shots. This muzzlebrake has three large slots cut into the top of the triangle, angled slightly back to help “pull” the rifle forward, reducing the felt recoil and keeping the muzzle down. The brake is about 2″ long and is not a part of the barrel, so in reality, the 22″ barrel is really 20″ effective inches, making it the same as the LTR and SPS-T.

The stock on the VTR is the same stock that is found on the SPS Varmint rifle, but green instead of black, and they did make the inserts on the stock a rubberized material, which actually is a nice upgrade, but the stock is still injection molded and made of a fairly weak plastic and the barrel is not free floated as a result. It is fairly comfortable to shoot and the forearm is fairly wide and provides a stable enough shooting platform. It does have a Monte Carlo style cheekpiece, but it is not raised so it does not aide in bringing your eye in line with the scope like a normal raised Monte Carlo design does. Overall, like on the SPS Varmint, the stock is functional but nothing to write home about.

The VTR has the X-Mark Pro trigger which just about all Remington 700s have now. The trigger is fine, but I still prefer the old Remington trigger with its wider ribbed shoe and more options for adjustability. This one broke fairly clean right at 5 lbs. It is heavier than I like, but not bad for a factory trigger. The X-Mark Pro triggers do have a single adjustment that you can lighten the pull with, but we did not adjust the trigger at all for this evaluation.

The rest of the rifle is pretty much standard Remington 700. The action is as smooth as all Remington 700s, it has the same two position safety, the bolt release is in the same place, and it has the same extractor etc. So all the positives about a Remington 700 and all the negatives about a Remington 700 are there.

For the Shooting portion of the evaluation we mounted a Swift 6-18x50mm with mildots with a set of Burris XTR bases and Leupold Rings. We fired both standard Federal Gold Medal match and the nice HSM 168gr Match ammo. For zeroing the scope and doing some initial groups, the weather was terrible, which can happen in the spring in Montana. It was about 25 degrees with blowing snow. When we went back out for the performance evaluation, the weather was fairly nice at about 45 degrees in the early morning with calm wind, which made nice shooting conditions.

The first thing we noticed is that the muzzlebrake really was not that effective at reducing felt recoil. The rifle is fairly light, but not overly so, and the recoil on the rifle felt about the same as a LTR or SPS-Tactical. But the muzzle flip was less which did allow for quicker target acquisition after firing. I thought that the recoil reduction should be more than it was, as it did not seem to perform as well as most of the modern muzzlebrakes on the commercial market. Now, I will admit that we have no equipment for measuring the exact figure in terms of reduced recoil; this is just a personal comparison between rifles we have shot before.

The VTR shoots ok, but I would not say good, at least in comparison to the other heavy barrel Remington rifles available. We did manage to get one sub .5″ group at 100 yards, but we had to really work at it. The small group of the day was .448″, but the average group size of the good groups fired (meaning no obviously bad called flyers, etc) was only .858″. This is not quite up to the normal accuracy we typically will see out of a 700P, LTR, SPS-Varmint, etc. I believe this is due to the drastic reduction of metal that is removed making the triangle barrel profile. Though the accuracy is still sub 1 MOA, it is just not what we have come to expect from Remington tactical/varmint rifles.

So, to conclude, how do we rate this rifle? Personally, I’m not sure what the target market is for the rifle, but I would not take it over any of the other Remington tactical type options out there. If I were looking for a short tactical rifle, I would much prefer to buy a LTR or even a SPS-Tactical where I would get a nicer stock and save some money while I’m at it, not to mention get better accuracy. The Muzzlebrake does not do quite enough to make it a real decision maker over the SPS-Tactical. Unfortunately, I just don’t see the advantage of this rifle, but perhaps it’ll fill a niche somewhere.

41 Comments

robbie george

when this rifle made its debut I was shooting with a bunch of guys who loved competing against each other…this particular group was comprised of,,,,bench rest shooters,prairie dog hunters,a couple of accuracy hobbyist a couple of Game and Fish officers as well as a couple of us Government employed shooters…..like you we weren’t sure who the target market was for this weapon…Until one of the hobbyist showed up with one.then the light bulb went off! this particular shooter loved owning all the latest and greatest gadgets and rifles on the market,,,it seems this was the market Remington was after! this individual was sorely disappointed when his new baby could’nt hold its own against a standard Rem 700P in our annual easter egg hunt!!!

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robbie george

the easter egg hunt consists of,hanging chicken eggs suspended by a string and tape at three hundred yards,then each shooter puts a dollar in the till.the till is won whenever a shooter takes out the egg! and then the till starts over each time all this is done by rotation each shooter gets to shoot one round till the evil easter egg gets hit,whom ever wins that round shoots last in the next rotation And finally the eggs MUST be painted it is Easter after all!!

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Foster Price

We do the egg shoot thing too, usually at 500 (shooting F Class and FTR type rifles) but put the egg in a ziploc or other plastic bag. The idea of the till is a beauty though, we’ll do that next year!!

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Jeff

The Remington 700 .308 VTR is the Best Rifle I’ve ever owned! Love that weapon!

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Gregory Frank Salerno

I and my brother pretty much almost smack bullet holes at 200 yds with a Leopold scope !

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LARRY GOFF

I’m not really sure why anyone would knock this rifle. I have it in a .223 and it’s a tac driver at 100 all day long. My daughter got her first two deer with it at 11 years old so she rightfully owns it now. I loved it so much I put the .243 on layaway. There is no such thing as the perfect gun. Only the gun that is perfect for you.

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Chris

I bought this in stainless 308, have had many many bulls eye shots and 3 inch groups at 100/200 and 500 yes, love it

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Scott

I have one of these and it is a tack driver with federal premium 168 grain Berger bullets you can put rounds pretty much through the same holes at 200 yards ,don’t knock it until you try it I love this gun

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Christopher P Kelley

I have a vtr chambered in 260 rem, 22-250, and my 7 year old has it in 223…if your vtr aint shooting change ammo

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Joe G

Got a 308 and can’t get a tight group at 100 yards. Using Remington factory 150 gr. What load do you recommend?

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mele-02

To really get good groups you will want to get some high quality ammo, match grade will give you the best. I would try some federal gold medal match 168gr and 175gr and use those as a baseline, then try some other makes until you find one your rifle likes best, and then go with it. Cheap ammo will usually shoot 2-3″ at 100 yards. Match grade should be down around 1″

MEL

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Art

ATOMIC ammo, military with good bullet. But most any will shoot.
Strip inside your stock so no touching. Torque screws to specs. Build your load . Fun.

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Gary

Try federal 168gr hollow points. Mine groups at 100 yards can cover 3 shots with a nickel.

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Steven K.

I use 44 grains of H380 with a 168 grain Sierra Match King in my VTR and it will shoot 1 inch 5 shot groups at 300 meters. It’s topped with a Leupold 6.5×20 scope. One of the best rifles I own.

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Gabe

Mine is less than .5 moa at 100. I keyhole groups. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I also have a mcmillan stock, so maybe that has something to do with it.

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R L Wilson

Part of the reward of owning a tack driving rifle is to find out the round/load it likes plus other minor adjustments it needs. Have owned several 700’s and all had to be babied into very accurate rifles.

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Norman H

I won this rifle in .204 Ruger at my Gun Club (Berwyn Rod & Gun) Christmas dinner years ago. With Hornady ammo, it is a tack driver. While I have not shot it at varmint distances, only the 100 yards my range is limited to at this time (a local judge closed us down for a bit at the behest of some anti-firearm locals, and we are still working to get the 200 yard range up to snuff to re-open it!), at 100 yards it is a a 1 hole gun. I am thinking of getting a second, but round, barrel to convert to 6.5 Creedmoor and see how that does.

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Igun

Bought a second hand 700 vtr stainless steal in 308 that was barely used by previous owner. I paid $400. This thing is loud. Definitely need good earmuff. My electronic walker xl was inadequate, had to add ear plug underneath .. i did ok grouping with match home made 150 grains ammo while zeroing.. because of the built in muzzle brake i find it tricky to put solvent in the barrel .. i did no fall in love with the rifle.. not yet. Where i live i can only get 100-200 yards legaly,, beyond that you are shooting illegally lol. the previous owner said he was doing fine at 850 yards ..

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mele-02

Yeah, muzzlebrakes are indeed loud.
For the solvent, best to just run a wet patch down the bore instead of pouring anything directly into barrel.
MEL

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Biggus Dikus

I won this rifle in .204 Ruger at my Gun Club (Berwyn Rod & Gun) Christmas dinner years ago. With Hornady ammo, it is a tack driver. While I have not shot it at varmint distances, only the 100 yards my range is limited to at this time (a local judge closed us down for a bit at the behest of some anti-firearm locals, and we are still working to get the 200 yard range up to snuff to re-open it!), at 100 yards it is a a 1 hole gun. I am thinking of getting a second, but round, barrel to convert to 6.5 Creedmoor and see how that does.

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John Doe

It is a shame that this started with a conclusion from the onset, as it made the entire article an exercise in bias confirmation, something confirmed by subtle remarks peppered throughout.

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mele-02

Well yes, obviously, anytime you review anything, you come to a conclusion. Then you do the writeup to illustrate why you came to that conclusion? Isn’t that what a review is? If there is something that is not true or accurate, please indicate it here and we can discuss it.

But please remember, this web page is all about sniping. When we review a rifle, it is reviewed in the context of its potential of use as a sniper rifle. Not a hunting rifle, not a varmint or predator rifle, but a sniper rifle. We review lower cost rifles because not all agencies can afford a full blown, very expensive custom sniper rifle. So we try to find value rifles that can potentially work as a sniper rifle…but we must still review them as if they are going to be used as a sniper rifle.

MEL

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Amy Potsworth

Oh give me a break! If this venue is all about sniper rifles, then why are you reviewing this rifle at all??? It’s not a sniper rifle to begin with. And if your argument is that any rifle can be a sniper rifle, then I have some “sniper” pistols for you to review as well.

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mele-02

I just want to be sure you read the article? We routinely review lower priced rifles that could potentially be used in the sniper role. Not every police department has a massive budget for a custom sniper rifle, many small PDs do not have ANY budget at all for a sniper rifle. So we also look at lower cost alternatives to see if they can fill the need. If they can, we say it, if not, we say that too. The rifles we have reviewed span the spectrum from $500 – $10,000+

MEL

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JB Lee

I have the 700 VTR in .223, I found that with an aftermarket trigger it is an impressive shooter, after moving the barreled action into to a left-over Bergara B14R stock it has really started to shine. I shoot mine out to 200 yards regularly and look forward to shooting it every time. I’d like to place it in a KRG Bravo for a permanent home.

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Superdave

Now your talking. Just put mine in a nice stock that I free floated. Can’t wait to get it the range!

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Paul Hackworth

I’m looking for a 700 VTR 22-250. If anyone could please help me locate one.
Lost all my guns in a fire and tryin to rebuild, and kinda liked the looks of this one
Thank you

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Mike

Paul,
Did you find one yet ? Bitterroot Trading Post in Hamilton, MT has a new one as of 3/14/2023.

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roland

I have the VTR in .308 with an AICS stock on it. I just love it! Very accurate, with .5 groups of 5 at 300 yards (each hole touching another one in a circle format).
I use NATO ammo.

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Jason

I have 3 remington 700 VTRs. 308 243 and 223. The factory stock is trash. Throw it in the dumpster. Put it In a chassis. I have the 308 in an MDT the 223 in a TRYBE and the 243 in a MDT. Total game changer for these rifles. Went from 1 and 2 inch groups to 1/3 moa and 1 ragged hole at 200 yards. Handloads with SMK bullets. Arken EP5 scopes on all of them. Wouldn’t hesitate to use any of them as sniper rifles. Both the 243 and 308 have been to 1000 yards with excellent results both under MOA accuracy using 14″ steel plates.

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buy guns online

I absolutely love your blog and find most of your post’s very interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing such useful info, and again awesome site!

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Don Williams

I bought a VTR in 22-250 when Cabela’s introduced their first run of longer barrels with no muzzle brake. The stock was trash and the trigger was not to my liking. A good Timeny Trigger and a Hogue stock with the barrel channel cleared, turned it into my favorite rifle. It shoots four shot groups of 3 1/2 ” at 400 yard with factory ammo. Now I know there are other shooters with other rifles out there that will scoff at my results and thoughts, but for the money, a well tuned VTR shoots better than the average shooter is capable of. Way better than I can shoot. love Remington 700’S and have five of them.

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Timothy E

Not sure who is going to read this in 2023. But honestly, this rifle is extremely accurate. At 500yards I can shoot the winchester horse on the target sheets with a bipod. It is by far the most consistent rifle I own. Well worth it for the price as a hunting rifle.

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Graeme M

I have ther VTR in .243. At first I could not group under 1 MOA at 100 but after reading other forums on VTR I cleaned up the stock extrusion dags with a Dremel and the barrel is now free and clear. Now shoots well under 0.5 MOA at 100. Serously considering .308.

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John

I have the VTR in 308. Mine has a Timney trigger, Magpul Hunter stock with a Vortex Viper HS on it for my main deer rifle setup. I have yet to miss what I’m shooting at with it. Deer, coyotes, fox. Furthest shot hunting was a coyote at 325ish but that was before the new stock. Has been one of my favorite guns since I bought it the year they first came out.

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