The 700 VTR’s muzzle brake was extremely effective. It virtually eliminated muzzle jump without significant noise penalty.

The VTR At The Range
I had a good feeling about the new VTR, so I rushed home the minute I got it and tore apart my gun safe looking for a suitable scope. I didn't have one that wasn't in use, so I removed a Schmidt & Bender 4-16X 50mm PMII from one of my custom sniper rifles. It is bigger than I like for a walking-and-calling rifle. In fact, it's big enough that it looks out of place atop the little VTR. But it is, without a doubt, the brightest, most precise scope I've ever owned. I knew it would help me wring the utmost accuracy from the new rifle.

Although the author’s prized Schmidt & Bender 4-16X 50mm riflescope is arguably excessive for the VTR’s intended role, Greg installed it on the new rifle with Badger Ordnance rings and Leupold QRW bases.

The scope was already in a set of Badger Ordnance heavy-duty 34mm scope rings, so I rummaged around for a suitable base. I didn't have any spare one-piece bases, but I did find a set of Leupold QRW bases. The Badger rings mated to the bases perfectly, so I screwed them on, gave the barrel a thorough cleaning, and headed to the range.

Greg tested the .223 VTR with an assortment of ammo from Black Hills, CorBon, Federal, and Hornady in 55- and 69-grain weights. The rifle was far from fickle, but it showed a slight preference for the CorBon and Hornady 55-grain loads.

I was on a tight deadline for this article and only had one day to shoot this rifle and the new R-15 from Big Green detailed on page 52. Sadly, that day saw steady 25 mph winds that gusted frequently to 45 mph. Those gusts buffeted the shooting bench, tore targets from their backers, and knocked over my chronograph until I boxed up that piece of equipment in frustration. It was not the ideal day to be shooting, and certainly wasn't fair to the rifle, but I had a job to do, so I patiently waited for breaks in the gusts to squeeze off my shots. The new rifle was impressive, and I am sure it would have blown me away if the wind hadn't.

REMINGTON MODEL 700 VTR ACCURACY
FACTORY LOAD	VELOCITY (fps)	100-yard ACCURACY (in.)
	.223 Remington
CorBon 55-gr. BlitzKing	3000	0.58
Hornady 55-gr. TAP	3240	0.49
Winchester 55-gr. Ballistic Silvertip	3240	0.98
Federal 69-gr. Match	2950	1.09
Notes: Accuracy is the average of five, five-shot groups at 100 yards from a Caldwell rifle rest and a rear bag. Velocity is the manuafacturer's claimed velocity, as winds prevented chronograph use during testing.

I started out with some generic 55-grain loads to get the gun dialed in. I got it zeroed with little effort, and those initial rounds gave me a chance to get a feel for the 700 VTR. Immediately, I was impressed with the X-Mark Pro trigger. Although it was a little heavier than I like, it was crisp and clean and with a minimum of take-up and overtravel.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the rifle's integral muzzle brake. That is a tough confession for this muzzle brake-hater, but the VTR's brake doesn't make the gun appreciably louder than any other 22-inch-barreled .223 I've fired, and it doesn't vent gas and concussion back towards the shooter like most other brakes do. It also does a great job of keeping the scope on target. In fact, I could watch bullet holes appear in my targets as long as I held the gun normally. Although it is not a "must" for shooting groups at 100 yards, being able to call your shots at long range--whether shooting paper or prairie poodles--is a big help.