New Guy Buys a rifle..... Rem 700 VTR

J

JonProphet

Inactive
I'm interested in building a tacticle rifle. I'm basing it on the Remington 700 VTR .308. First day at the range and I put 50 rounds through it. Followed a break in..... for those who want to ask that question. Here is the current specs. .308 22" triangular barrel w/ built in muzzle break, green stock, Luepold base and rings, Nikon Buckmaster 3x9x40 scope.

I'm interested of doing longer and longer shooting. Just for sport, not competition as I don't have the time right now. I started at the range doing 100 yds off the bat. I was using 3 2x4's to steady the aim a bit after break in and trying to zero in the scope a bit better. This is my first time doing this sort of thing and frankly I like it. I want to do some more but I want to start improving my shot placement.

My first throught was to invest in a bipod and get some trigger work done to the stock Remington. Either improve the stock remington via a gunsmith or getting a Jewel or a Timney. The trigger seemed a bit stiff and pulled me off the target a little bit. 2nd was the bipod, I'm looking at a Harris Bipod 6"-9" that rotates.

I've read that also going to a different stock can improve the accuracy of the 700 quite a bit. But being that this rifle isn't your ordinary 700, what's the story on the VTR's stock over a SPS or other 700 rifle? Should I stick with what I've got?

I'm the type of person who likes a good platform (ie, piece of equipment) then improving my skills. I don't like to buy something, not improve and work on my skills first. Get a good base, then learn to use it, in a better than stock configuration.

As a last thought, I will probably upgrade the scope as the last thing I do to the rifle. I like the buckmaster, but I think I want to go with something else from Leupold. Fixed mag but something with better mag than just 9x power.

Anyhow, what are some of the pro's thoughts on using this particular 700 for a long range tacticle rifle? Any reviews out there, I understand this particular model is new for '08.

Thanks,

-JD-
 
All I know about the 700 vtr is what I read on the GUNBLAST web site and as far as I am concerned Jeff Quinn is my go to guy on anything to do with new firearms reviews and he says that it is a great rifle Good shooting and good luck ELMOUSMC
 
First off I think your shooting will get better if you get off them 2x4's and get a decent sand bag or shooters rest under your forearm and butt stock. I'm sure your rifle could be helped with a trigger job as well, I recommend taking it to a smith to have it done they are not that expensive. With that if your accuracy still isn't where you want it try glass and pillar bedding the rifle. I wouldn't change out stocks except as a last resort, because of the triangular barrel you might have to wait a while until an after market synthetic stock comes out.

As far as scopes go I don't know if you want a fixed power on a tactical rifle. I'd consider a scope like the Leupold Mark IV or Nikon Monarch tactical scope or something similar, of course all depending on how much you want to spend. If you do go with a fixed power I wouldn't go with much over a 10X range on a tactical rifle.
 
I was thinking of getting the trigger worked on. I talked to a smith today and I will be getting it done. I also ordered a Harris Bi-pod. I may go shoot again tomorrow and use sandbags.

-JD-
 
Does the VTR have that new X-trigger from Remington? If so I heard they can be adjusted to a pretty decent pull. I forgot what exactly they call their trigger, but it's x-something.
 
x-mark pro trigger
http://www.remington.com/xmark/

I too have purchased the VTR (.308), picking it up next monday. I'd like to adjsut the trigger but I don't know if the X-mark has the problem you read about where the safety can release the firing pin...

Anyway, I might not need to adjust it, I don't know what it feels like yet, I'll just be scope shopping until I pick it up.
 
Remington model 700 vtr safety problems

I was gun shopping and ran across the remington 700 vtr. I so that i could shoot the following morning. I am 31 years old and have been an avid outdoorsman all of my life..i know about purchased the gun and took it straight home to mount the scope guns and gun safety. I noticed that after i mounted the scope and put the bolt in, that there was a big problem. I started going over the features of the gun and inspecting it when i pushed the safety mechanism to fire...well it did fire. Luckily all of this was done inside and there was no ammo in it. I took the gun out the next morning and it was no surprise that it fired 2 of thirteen rounds whenever i clicked the safety off. I called remington immediatly and they said that they would send me a new one..well, i bought it on dec. 16 and here it is jan. 15 and still no gun. I just got a call from the dealer and he said that i "tampered" with the safety and they would fix the gun....not only did they flat out lie about sendind me a brand new one, they pretty much called me a liar and made it look like my fault. This is outrageous and someone with less experience could have killed another person just by this company's lack of inspection. After reading on the web for quite some time i have realized that i am not alone..take care of your customers remington!!!
 
Yea iv actually heard of that SEVERAL times. i just asked a few people about the remingtons going downhill and from what i heard they are. i guess their guns are going to sh** and service is there. Your problem may be in that i heard if u dont have the saty fully engauged and its in the half way point inbetween fire and safe then you pull the triger it holds the firing pin and is cocked and waiting for the saftey to be disengauged and let go and fires. So check and make sure ur safty is FULLY in safe before u pull the trigger.
 
JonProphet said:
This is my first time doing this sort of thing and frankly I like it. I want to do some more but I want to start improving my shot placement.
Click to expand...
Congratulations on your new rifle. :)

If you're fairly new to rifles, the chances are that whatever modern rifle you have is more accurate than you are.

A trigger job is probably not a bad idea, assuming your smith knows what he's doing.

Other than that, you'd be better served, IMHO, by spending your money on ammunition and training, and shooting as much as you possibly can, focusing on learning to shoot accurately and with good form, paying attention to breathing, trigger control, etc.. That's the way to improve shot placement, not tricking out the rifle. It'll be a better investment right now than glass bedding, changing out stocks, or what have you.
 
For goodness sake, get a proper bench rest for the forend. My VTR has the adjustable X-Pro trigger. Wait until you have at least 200 rounds to adjust it. The VTR has a basic SPS stock and the barrel is 20" with the last two covered by the brake.
 
The VTR trigger is very adjustable. My 204 ruger VTR shoots a little better every time I take it to the range. It just seems to have a little different feel than all of my other 700's. I've been happy with the way it shoots though. But by all means, get the trigger adjusted. If I recall my 204 came with about a 6 pound pull. Not good. Much better at 2 1/2 or 3 pounds. Good luck.
 
I have to agree with Vanya.
Any rifle you buy thats a decent modern rifle will welly out preform you. Just get the basics to set your rifle up and train with it shoot a few hundred rounds and feel and learn your rifle before you start messing with all the little things and changing out for better parts. Alot of people talk a lot about how first you need to do is upgrade this and that and most of them are either just talk and wana fit in with the big boys when they arent even good enough to out preform their stock rifle. Iv been shooting rifles for a while now and just picked up my own Remington 700 tactical and im not even considering changing anything out until you put at least a few hundred shots through your rifle and for one break in your rifle then get a feel for out it shoots and proper shooting techniques.

So in other words your rifle as is unless one of the lemons doesnt need to be upgraded for a while. Just because people have these top doller custom guns and role up doesnt make them look B/A on the range. Shooters can tell an experienced shooter when they see one and a kid that just has a nice rifle.
 
Am I the only one that noticed that this thread is ooooold? The OP hasn't been active on this board for nearly 2 years. Answering his questions and criticizing his equipment selections is an exercise in futility... He has likely sold the rifle and gone into basket weaving or something.
 
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