Got a Mod 700 Tactical in 223. It was the third one some guy had brought back to the gunshop saying they weren't ejecting the shell properly. Guy at gunstore said this was the last one that he was going to send back to remington. Remington said the rifle was fine.
Think he said the guy was shooting some kind of cheapo surplus ammo or something through. Who knows what it actually was.

Anyway I bought it put a cheap 6-21 simmons master series scope on it that a friend of mine had bought on sale.
Loaded it with 55gr V-Max bullets and Win748 powder. Can't remember the charge weight have it written down though, but my 17 yr old nephew shot a 3 shot group that you probably couldn't have stuck a pencil through. Then I shot a 3 shot group with it that was much bigger.
Then took some varmint nightmare bullets from midsouth, the ones you buy in a bulk box of 500 bullets and loaded some of them up and just picked out a load of 4895 and they didn't shoot hardly as good as the V-max but close. I think tinkering with the powder a little could probably get them to shoot as good as the V-max's.
I have never been prairie dog shooting but I think with the V-max loads I would probably be set

In my m700 varmint, I load the 50 gr varmint nightmare over 26gr of H-335. In mixed headstamp range pickup brass the best groups are 1/2" for 5 shots, with 3 of shots in 1 ragged hole.

Is this the 700VTR or the bull barreled varmint gun?

quote:

Originally posted by Donald Nelson:
Is this the 700VTR or the bull barreled varmint gun?

It is the 20" Bull Barrel. Model I think is SPS Tactical, Item number 84206 per remington's website.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul H:
In my m700 varmint, I load the 50 gr varmint nightmare over 26gr of H-335. In mixed headstamp range pickup brass the best groups are 1/2" for 5 shots, with 3 of shots in 1 ragged hole.

Have you tried the 335 with 55gr bullets or just the 50's?

I've used 25 gr of H-335 under a 55gr bulk sp and it also shoots as well as the 50 gr varmint grenade. I don't know what brand of 55 it is, I got them from a buddy. I've only used the 50 gr v-max, also under 26 gr of H-335, and it shoots 1/2" 5 shot groups.

O.K. I have the VTR with a 9 twist. Yours should have a slower twist. I am having good luck with 50 and 60 grain Vmax bullets and Benchmark powder as well as 55 grain NBT's with the same powder.

quote:

Originally posted by Donald Nelson:
O.K. I have the VTR with a 9 twist. Yours should have a slower twist. I am having good luck with 50 and 60 grain Vmax bullets and Benchmark powder as well as 55 grain NBT's with the same powder.

The rifle had been returned so it didn't come with a box. But according to remington to remingtons catalog and website it should have a 1:9 twist.

I'd be interested in what the average group size is, every rifle shoots a good group now and then, that doesn't make it a good rifle or a good load.

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
I'd be interested in what the average group size is, every rifle shoots a good group now and then, that doesn't make it a good rifle or a good load.

That is true. So far the few groups that have been shot with the V-Max's have been from the diameter of a pencil to no bigger than all bullet holes touching.
Shot a couple more groups with 4895 and they were all touching.
Shot a few more groups with 55gr varmint nightmare and they didn't all go in the same hole but the groups weren't any larger than half the size of a 1 inch target dot. I think with a little powder tweaking and fiddling with the bullet seating I feel I could get them to close up as well.
Anyway it goes I think the rifle is definately a keeper as that is all we have tried so far and had those kind of results right off the bat.