700 VTR 204

[doninva]

I looked at a Remington 700 VTR in 204 Ruger. It's the one with a green stock and a triange shaped barrel. It has the slotted ports on top of the barrel. With the noise of the 204, I can see a fireworks display and a sonic boom when you pull the trigger . I really like everything about the rifle except the ports and the price. Anyone own one of these. Is it really loud with the ports and do they group good. Thanks, Don

[doninva]

WOW, I thought there were a lot of these rifle in use. Don

[Buckskin]

I do not have a VTR, but am wondering why they would port a 204?  That round is plenty loud with all the gas going out the front!  And it's as low as recoil as you could ever want.

[dopinwind]

I just bought a vtr in 308 and although I have only put 20 rounds through it to break in the barrel I am thinking it is a keeper.  I was shooting 1 shot and then cleaning but still was shooting sub moa groups.  I was kind of worried about the port slots in the barrel making it loud also.  Don't flame me to hard but I did take my ear protection off for a couple of shots and it really is no louder than a normal barrel.  This being said and looking at the so called break it really doesn't do much at all other than look kind of cool.  The bore diameter of the ported section is much larger than the bore so really it doesn't do what a true break does witch it redirect the gasses to keep recoil down.  Most of the gases are just traveling out the muzzel like a typical barrel.  Just my 2 cents anyway.

Loren

[hotrunner]

I was gonna get one of those VTRs; didn't mind the triangle barrel as much as the "muzzle brake" on the .204. Bought an LVSF in that cal. instead, a little better fit and finish. If you don't mind the extra weight, you might consider an SPS Varmint. I bought a Cabela's special with the jewelled bolt and rough stainless barrel in .22-250 for <$500. These have a rep of being pretty good shooters, although I saw a thread on another forum (!?) where some .204 SPS owners were having trouble getting good groups.

[billy_56081]

My nephew has a VTR in 223. It seems like a very nice accurate gun.

[crash87]

I own a VTR in .223 and am more than pleased with it. In fact I would not have given it a 2nd glance if a friend who worked behind the counter hadn't thrust it in my hands and said "try thr trigger" I did and was sold. I didn't give it a 2nd look simply beacause I didn't care for the gimmicks, i.e. tri-angular barrel, useless muzzle brake. But when I handled it I found the balance to be of my liking and that trigger was/is sweeet. There are no fireworks with the 223 and to tell you the truth I really don't know if it cuts down on felt recoil. If it does it is very little IMO. I have to agree with dopinwind the stuff is on there for looks. As far as accuracy, I was out Friday, temps in the low 20's, slight N.E. wind and shot 3-5shot groups, Hornady 55 V-Max, H-322. My smallest group was 5/8" my largest 7/8", one took that one out otherwise it would have been smaller.
   As a side note, I don't know if they are readily available or just a distributer thing, but, (AND I hate to promote them), I saw in a Cabela's flyer I got in the mail, that they have & are selling 24" barreled VTR's without the vents in the muzzle. Hope this helps. CRASH87

[diggler1833]

I think that the VTR's selling point is its discinct barrel and ports.  I'm not a fan of either, and neither one of those two points has proven to be real effective.  The "muzzle brake" on the end of those things is about the least effective design out there (not that you would need one a .204, but on larger calibers yes).  Accuracy wise I haven't seen a VTR do what any other Remington can't.

[Brithunter]

Actually a well designed muzzle brake can be larger than the bore and still be effective. Back in 1956 BSA of Birmingham England designed the BESA Recoil reducer due to complaints about the sharp recoil of their Featherweight rifles. Despite the fact it was the customers WHO DEMANDED THE LIGHTWEIGHT RIFLES IN THE FIRST PLACE  .

The BESA consists of two holes angle forwards and seven rearward angled slots each side of the barrel below the foresight ramp:-






The muzzle is counterbored, remember this is on a .243  .


BSA Majestic Featherweight in .243 Win. Why they wanted a BESA on a .243 I have no idea. There is  range adaptor which fits over the BESA to close it off and this rifle came with it. I took it off to clean under it.

Oh and yes it works but it's darned loud 

[JPShelton]

I looked at a Remington 700 VTR in 204 Ruger. It's the one with a green stock and a triange shaped barrel. It has the slotted ports on top of the barrel. With the noise of the 204, I can see a fireworks display and a sonic boom when you pull the trigger . I really like everything about the rifle except the ports and the price. Anyone own one of these. Is it really loud with the ports and do they group good. Thanks, Don

Don't own one personally, know folks who do.  Several, in fact.  The local shop seems to turn them over pretty well, so a lot of folks in my neck of the woods seem to be be taking a shine to them.  I've had an opportunity to shoot probably a half-dozen fo them.  I've seen the targets punched out with double that many more where I wasn't behind the trigger.  Most have been .308's and .223's.  All have been very impressive performers at the target range. 

I think the price is fair and I like the ports and the way they're done.  Nice for laying out prone, as you don't get so massive of a boofy dust cloud on discharge as you would without them.  That is part of the point to them, I think.  I also think the triangle barrel profile is innovative.  You get stiffness, more surface area for cooling, and lighter weight than a round tube equally stiff.  What's not to love there?

The stock fits me great.  The newish X-Mark Pro trigger is pretty dang nice.  All the VTR's I've handled reminded me that Remington really CAN produce a real sporting arm and not just the poo they pass off at big box stores in the form 870 Expresses.  Fit, finish, and so forth all seem as good as anything Remington has turned out since Patton's 3rd Army defeated the Hun. 

If I was a varmint shooter, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.  I might anyhow, one day, just to have a range toy.  If they rifled their .223 bores 1:9 or faster, I WOULD own one now.

And I wouldn't bat an eye at the price tag.  This isn't 1980 or 1990 anymore, and the street price of these things is pretty fair when you compare it to the former going rate of the old BDL styled Varmint 700 and adjust that price to 2010 dollars.  Basically, if you bought a rifle in 1987 and paid $300.00 for it then, the same rifle made the same way today SHOULD set you back over $600.00 in 2010 dollars.  I'd rather pony up for a good gun than cheap out on a cheap one.  The VTR is a VERY good gun.

This is coming from a guy who isn't a huge fan of Remington rifles, too.  I've posted on here how they don't make anything I want to buy, etc.  But having had the opportunity to shoot several VTRs has me singing a very different tune.  This is one Remington rifle that I would buy and in fact, I probably will .

-JP

[crash87]

"If I was a varmint shooter, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.  I might anyhow, one day, just to have a range toy.  If they rifled their .223 bores 1:9 or faster, I WOULD own one now."
 I not sure where your going with that comment but, The 223 VTR "IS" a 1:9 twist. Crash87

[poncaguy]

I traded for  a VTR  22-250, excellent rifle, 1/2" groups. I knew the guy that sold it to the shop, he decided he wanted one in 223. He told me it would shoot, he sure was right!