I was not surprised at the clarity of the Schmidt & Bender scope. At 16X, I could easily discern the fine lines on the target, and at 300 yards, focus was at its sharpest with the side parallax adjustment almost perfectly aligned with the 300-meter marking. That is far more accurate than any other side parallax adjustment I've ever used.

Because its 1:9 twist is so versatile, I brought an assortment of ammunition in the 55- to 69-grain range by CorBon, Federal, Hornady, and Winchester. I didn't shoot any 75- or 77-grain loads because, in my experience, they need a 1:8 or 1:7 twist to achieve stability. However, most prairie dog hunting and target shooting is done with lighter bullets, and those longer, heavier pills are best left to serious long-range shooters.

I started out with CorBon's 55-grain BlitzKing load, which, thanks to its accuracy and varmint-vaporizing performance, is fast-becoming one of my favorite varmint rounds.

As evidenced by its 0.58-inch average and 0.4-inch best group, the 700 VTR liked it, too. Hornady's 55-grain TAP load performed even better, producing a 0.44-inch best group and a 0.492-inch average for five, five-shot groups.

Winchester's 55-grain Ballistic Silvertip load also performed well, averaging 0.98 inch and producing a best group of 0.69 inch. However, I have found that it sometimes takes a box or so of coated bullets--the Ballistic Silvertip has a Lubalox coating--to see their true accuracy potential, which I assume has to do with getting an even coating in the bore. Coated bullets are best shot with a clean bore or one that has been seasoned with coated bullets. Because I started with the conventional jacketed bullets first, I didn't do the Ballistic Silvertip any favors in my evaluation, but the bullet performed well nonetheless.

With the rifle's 1:9 twist, I expected it to do well with Federal's 69-grain match load, too. It did, but it didn't shoot the heavier bullet quite as well as it did those 55-grainers. Still, its 1.09-inch average for five, five-shot groups is pretty darn good, especially when you consider that I had to rush my shots between those 45-mph gusts of quartering wind.

Given the weather, I didn't think it was fair to do any testing for record at longer ranges with the new Remington, but I couldn't resist doing a little plinking at rocks at 200 to 300 yards. Golf-ball-sized rocks at 200 yards were easily dusted, but those 300-yard rocks required some pretty good wind calls. Still, when I did my part and the wind was steady, I reduced them to a pile of pebbles more often than not. And when I did miss, the muzzle brake minimized the movement to the point where I could see where I missed and adjust accordingly to make an accurate second shot.

I wish I would have had more time to work with Remington's new 700 VTR to get a better idea of its true accuracy potential. Still, it displayed easy sub-half-inch accuracy with two loads and sub-inch accuracy with the other two. I am certain I could have improved on that given a calm day, but even with the wind, it was more accurate than the majority of standard-production factory rifles.

The new 700 VTR is an exceptionally strong entry into its intended market, and it truly impressed me with its performance. It is accurate and affordable to be sure. In fact, I would say it is far more accurate than any rifle with an $805 MSRP should be. But as much as I appreciate its accuracy, I am even more enamored with its futuristic appearance. The Model 700 VTR's muzzle brake, vented fore-end, and triangular barrel combine to make it about the coolest bolt-action rifle on the planet. That's reason enough for me to add Remington's newest varmint rifle to my wish list.