Anybody have experience with Remington VTR in .308?

[PAfarmboy]

All,
Anyone have one of these? I am wondering if the triangular barrel worked for Remington, or was it just a styling/marketing ploy? I think they look good, and have been looking at getting into a Remington in .308. Buds has Remington .308 Tactical rifles for like $570. Should I just look at those, or is the VTR a shooter?

Thanks for any help

[LightningMcQueen784]

There's a pretty well done review over HERE, and they did review other Remington 700-series rifles as well.

Seems like the SPS-Tactical is still preferred over the VTR:

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.

[Tomcat088]

All,
Anyone have one of these? I am wondering if the triangular barrel worked for Remington, or was it just a styling/marketing ploy? I think they look good, and have been looking at getting into a Remington in .308. Buds has Remington .308 Tactical rifles for like $570. Should I just look at those, or is the VTR a shooter?

Thanks for any help

Lightning McQueen summed it up pretty well with the article he posted. If you search this site using google, you'll also find quite a few discussions about the VTR and the triangular barrel. I know the site's search engine doesn't really work all that well. Either way, I'll try to remember some of the points that I've made from other posts here.

Pretty much, the consensus is that the triangular barrel shoots fine, but not really any better or worse than a "normal" cylindrical barrel. I think of it as kind of a "half @$$" fluting job. They removed some weight of the barrel, exposed more surface area, and it happens to still shoot. Either way, for the most part, it's a marketing ploy and Remington trying to offer something different, for the people that want something that appears to be more advanced or "new technology".

You have to look at it and decide if you like the look of it or not, which is fine if you do. I personally don't like muzzle brakes on rifles, and even my magnums don't have muzzle brakes on them. It's a personally choice, some people like the recoil reduction that some can offer. For others, we'd rather put up with the extra recoil. Either way, an muzzle brake makes the rifle SIGNIFICANTLY louder, and as you read in the review from snipercentral, this particular design doesn't make a huge difference in felt recoil (to them). So you're making the rifle louder than an unbraked one, and not getting a huge effect in terms of recoil reduction.

Both of the stocks will need to be replaced eventually, in my opinion. It's not the end of the world or something, but especially if you plan on using a bipod, you're gonna need a new stock. The factory "plastic" kind of stock that comes on the LTR is light and flexes at the fore end, so that the barrel won't be free floated, and will be touching the stock. This puts pressure on the barrel, and it's inconsistent; it'll make you throw shots and random fliers, especially as the barrel heats up. The Hogue overmolded stock has the exactly same problem, it flexes in the foreend as well, and will do the same thing. The Hogue stock DOES feel better and not quite as cheap though, notice I say "feel", doesn't mean it's any better. Since people want something different, and Remington advertises their Hogue stock as an upgrade, it does one thing though. There will be some people willing to buy the Hogue stock for a little more than the factory stock, and you may be able to sell it a bit easier when you choose to replace your stock. Either way, besides the resale value, both stocks leave you at about the same place.

All in all, you'll be fine with either rifle, and neither model is known to have a lemons or "non-shooters" in the line. I don't think there's anything wrong with the SPS Tactical, and like the heavier barrel profile, and the fact that it's not braked. If you like the look of the triangular barrel and don't mind a brake though, nothing wrong with the VTR, they're handy rifles and are a little bit lighter. Hope this helps.

[dieselgeek]

I've really liked mine so far. I shot 1/2 MOA before and after I put the stock on. I did get flyers w/ the factory stock, but it was not that bad. I know this thread is a lil dead, but figured I'd add to it if any one was searching for the VTR.