Remington has lost my business forever.

[Hookeye]

Got rid of the VTR two years ago. Glass was Leupold, not the problem. Tried NINE factory loads and three handloads from a guy I met at the range. He didn't understand why it wouldn't shoot either. My 14.5" AR shoots 1moa with PMC and a red dot. The best the VTR shot was 2moa. It was just a bad rifle! Not to say they all are but mine was. And when you already own a great savage and your first remington is garbage savage gains a life long customer. And for the record so far I like the 597 a lot.

I've bought maybe a dozen Leupolds new, and 2 of them were bad from the get go (one replaced, the other fixed, both serviced fast and no further problems with the items).

FWIW I have seen where Remington on the cheap synth stocks has not clearanced for the screw that attaches the magazine body to the receiver.

Do that and free float and they might do OK, may have to bed the recoil lug and or stiffen the forend.

FWIW my old 700 BDL in .243 shot Win factory ammo at 2" @ 100. My buddy gave me some of his handloads and it was just over an inch. I free floated the barrel and loaded my own. Necksized later, that gun shot my reloads into less than half inch groups............repeatedly.

It was shiny, kinda beat up when I got it, so went with a new ADL synth. Did the stock mods, mentioned above before round 1 sent down the tube. .600" was my first group out of a brand new rifle (using same load). Of course those were FL sized, and after blasting a few, reloading with neck sizing, it was .50" with 4 into .330".
Did that back to back.

A non tuned 700? I would not be surprised at a 2" group. Esp with factory ammo.

Doesn't mean a dang thing was seriously wrong with the gun IMHO.

 

[Pughead]

I've bought maybe a dozen Leupolds new, and 2 of them were bad from the get go (one replaced, the other fixed, both serviced fast and no further problems with the items).

FWIW I have seen where Remington on the cheap synth stocks has not clearanced for the screw that attaches the magazine body to the receiver.

Do that and free float and they might do OK, may have to bed the recoil lug and or stiffen the forend.

FWIW my old 700 BDL in .243 shot Win factory ammo at 2" @ 100. My buddy gave me some of his handloads and it was just over an inch. I free floated the barrel and loaded my own. Necksized later, that gun shot my reloads into less than half inch groups............repeatedly.

It was shiny, kinda beat up when I got it, so went with a new ADL synth. Did the stock mods, mentioned above before round 1 sent down the tube. .600" was my first group out of a brand new rifle (using same load). Of course those were FL sized, and after blasting a few, reloading with neck sizing, it was .50" with 4 into .330".
Did that back to back.

A non tuned 700? I would not be surprised at a 2" group. Esp with factory ammo.

Doesn't mean a dang thing was seriously wrong with the gun IMHO.

So after spending more than $700 I should just expect to have to fix my gun. I should have to spend more of my money to get something that only does ONE THING to actually do that thing. You rem fans are easy to please.

 

[remauto1187]

So after spending more than $700 I should just expect to have to fix my gun. I should have to spend more of my money to get something that only does ONE THING to actually do that thing. You rem fans are easy to please.

Could be you just need to learn how to read....the owners manual. I cant say that ive never got a lemon on EVERYTHING that i've ever bought. But I do have the circular spheres to goto the manufacturer and persuade them to make it right INSTEAD sitting on my duff complaining about it.

 

[Obiward]

Don't get me started on what Remington has done to Marlin's quality as well.

 

[Pughead]

Could be you just need to learn how to read....the owners manual. I cant say that ive never got a lemon on EVERYTHING that i've ever bought. But I do have the circular spheres to goto the manufacturer and persuade them to make it right INSTEAD sitting on my duff complaining about it.

I'll just buy from a better manufacturer. I guess my expectations are unreasonable.

 

[philbert001]

I'll just buy from a better manufacturer. I guess my expectations are unreasonable.

In Remington's defense, you DID have to spend twice the money on your savage, to get a better out of the box rifle! If you had the HS precision stock on your VTR, it probably would have shot a lot better! I'll take my $500 homebuilt 70's 700 any day of the week!

 

[Pughead]

In Remington's defense, you DID have to spend twice the money on your savage, to get a better out of the box rifle! If you had the HS precision stock on your VTR, it probably would have shot a lot better! I'll take my $500 homebuilt 70's 700 any day of the week!

No I choose to spend %40 more to get a excellent rifle. All I expected from the VTR was "good" and it couldn't even do that. Would have been better off with a $300 Axis! And I'd take your $500 over that VTR any day as well. I don't care what stock you put on MY PARTICULAR VTR it still would have sucked! Can't polish a turd.

 

[nighthawk80]

Hmm, I bought a new Rem 700 3 years ago, and with handloads and the right person shooting it (i'm still learning to be consistent) it will shoot under an inch at 100yards 90% of the time. I'm capable of at least 1.25" groups at 100 yards about 80% of the time. Mine is the SPC varmint which is the longer barrel with the cheaper stock (it is closer to the bottom of the line 700).
Are some of you guys trying different bullet weights? I know mine is a 1:12 twist, and it don't really like the heavier stuff, but it loves the 52-55 grain stuff!

 

[philbert001]

No I choose to spend %40 more to get a excellent rifle. All I expected from the VTR was "good" and it couldn't even do that. Would have been better off with a $300 Axis! And I'd take your $500 over that VTR any day as well. I don't care what stock you put on MY PARTICULAR VTR it still would have sucked! Can't polish a turd.

I make a living polishing turds! Don't give the axis too much credit! I've played with one! They kinda suck! I guess we'll never know! You may have still had an AK fan's trigger press when you had your VTR! Now that you know more/better may be the difference! Otherwise, I'm with the others! You should have given Remington the opportunity to make it right! Who knows. You might have gotten $1000 in accuracy work for free, had you only called them!

 

[Cerberus]

Don't get me started on what Remington has done to Marlin's quality as well.

What quality? Marlin was never a high quality rifle, we always made fun of them in my teens. Nobody wanted them where I grew up.

 

[Cerberus]

So after spending more than $700 I should just expect to have to fix my gun. I should have to spend more of my money to get something that only does ONE THING to actually do that thing. You rem fans are easy to please.

Maybe you should have looked at it before leaving the FFL with it. The canted sights would have been visable in the store where the problem should have been found. I'm with 10x again. I could have gotten that VTR to run like it should, but then again I am very detail oriented.

 

[LEaSH]

What quality? Marlin was never a high quality rifle, we always made fun of them in my teens. Nobody wanted them where I grew up.

Same here. But you got to admit they've been brought down to new lows.

If anything Marlin was of decent quality, nothing spectacular in the fancy craftsman type woodwork nor engraving. Just a utilitarian longarm that was at least dependable. I feel that I took their mediocrity for granted.

 

[remauto1187]

What quality? Marlin was never a high quality rifle, we always made fun of them in my teens. Nobody wanted them where I grew up.

Maybe you just cant hit the broadside of a barn? Ive never had a marlin that didnt do what it was suppose to do.

 

[Pughead]

Maybe you should have looked at it before leaving the FFL with it. The canted sights would have been visable in the store where the problem should have been found. I'm with 10x again. I could have gotten that VTR to run like it should, but then again I am very detail oriented.

LMMFAO! It was hard to tell the sights where canted sense the VTR doesn't have irons on it! I don't think you are as "detail oriented" as you do.

 

[philbert001]

LMMFAO! It was hard to tell the sights where canted sense the VTR doesn't have irons on it! I don't think you are as "detail oriented" as you do.

Lol! I also like to lick my thumb to tell me how much windage to put on it blind!

 

[philbert001]

Wait!...What!???

 

[1911ly]

I looked at 5 1895's then I bought a Henry. The quality was poor. They evidently don't have a quality control department or the ones I looked at would have never made it out the door. Canted sight's like the OP's. The stock to receiver fit looked like it was done with a pocket knife. Most had gritty stiff actions. I really had my heart set on one after I shot my buddy's. I could not find a used JM for less then the cost of a new Henry. Hopefully they get there act together. Remmy and lever guns is a no go. They have ran the Marlin name in the ground. My Remmey Bolt guns have been great.

On a good note, I love my Henry's.

 

[Hookeye]

No I choose to spend %40 more to get a excellent rifle. All I expected from the VTR was "good" and it couldn't even do that. Would have been better off with a $300 Axis! And I'd take your $500 over that VTR any day as well. I don't care what stock you put on MY PARTICULAR VTR it still would have sucked! Can't polish a turd.

How do you know this, did you identify the exact problem(s)? Did you do a stock swap to check?

BTW my Axis shot well but took more work than my 700.

I understand that buying a standard factory rifle might get me something good as-is, but probably will need tweaked.

But then, I'm not a sucker for gun magazine articles.

Thought it was common knowledge that handloading and maybe some stock and trigger work were required to get the most out of a rig.

 

[Hookeye]

And.............if you could plunk down $700 for a rifle that shoots one hole groups right from the get go................those "other guys" wouldn't be in business.

 

[snapping turtle]

What quality? Marlin was never a high quality rifle, we always made fun of them in my teens. Nobody wanted them where I grew up.

You were buying the wrong marlins. I grew up shooting model 39a's and Mounties. Straight out of the box a 1980's marlin model 60 would outshoot a 10-22 everyday. Sure marlin made a working mans gun and lots of low end kmart/Sears guns based on meeting a price point. Look past those and into the model 39a and you would see why they are so sought after.