Remington LTR in .223?

JohnnyMac007

New member
Does anyone have any experience with this rifle?

Would it make a good varmint/predator gun?

It's got a heavy fluted barrel so I suppose it would be ok to clear out a prairie dog colony, but it is also supposed to be light enough to carry around in the field.

How about accuracy?
 
I know that my 700 VLS is certainly to heavy for a calling gun. It weighs about nine and a half pounds with the 26 inch heavy bbl and over ten and a half with scope and sling and ammo.

700vls.jpg


I couldn't find an LTR at the Remington Web sight, but did find a heavy barrel fluted rifle with a synthetic stock was the Model 700 VS SF II and it weighs 8.5 pounds.

I guess it would depend on how far you walk to get to your sets and how much weight you mind carrying. I have a CZ 527 Varmint in 204 Ruger and used to shoot and carry a Ruger #1B in 243. The Ruger weighed about the same as the VS SF II and the little CZ Varmint with a 25.5 medium heavy barrel comes in at 7.2 pounds less the scope and sling.

CZ527-204-2.jpg


To tell the truth I like a lighter gun. Off a sitting bi-pod or shooting sticks even a sporter weight rifle makes a good calling gun. The heavy bbl's work better when shooting prairie dogs or ground squirrels, but it never slowed down my hunting partner with his old Winchester 220 Swift.

Some of the new Remingtons are extremly accurate and some are not. Quality of Remingtons is seemingly so-so anymore. Most of mine are good to excellent, but I'm on three other forums and hear folks complaining. I've been a Remington 700 fan for a long time, but If I was going to buy a new varmint rifle today I'd probably look at the CZ first and the Savage second and Remington third for a new gun.

I just went thru the buy a new gun thing cause my grand daughter got the Ruger #1 for Christmas and my choice ended up the CZ. It's shooting dime sized groups at a hundred and the 204 shoots as flat as any 22-250 or Swift I've owned. Kinda the best of both worlds thing along with the fact I can see the hits, or better yet the misses, when I'm shooting it. Right now the CZ is the most accurate gun in the safe and well surpasses the Rem heavy bbl VLS.

Groups with the new 527.

CZ52720440grHorn09-09-063.jpg


I've got a few friends whom shoot Savages and all are extremly happy with the way they shoot also. If your a die hard Remington fan then that's the way to go, but if your interested in pure accuracy perhaps there are some better bangs for your buck than the Remington and I'm a Remington fan.
 
Thanks for all of that info IDBob.

The LTR stands for Light Tactical Rifle and can only be found on the Remington Law Enforcement site which can be linked to at the bottom of the regular Remington Website.

It sports a heavy barrel but is only 20in. long and is supposed to weigh about 7.5 lbs. It has a faster twist rate of 1 in 9 as opposed to most varmint guns that have the 1 in 12. So you can shoot the heavier bullets.

I just got a quote from my dealer of $950 which I thought was too steep for a bolt action rifle. For that price I think I'd go with something like the Bushmaster predator.
 
Mine weighs 9.5# with a Nikon Monarch 5.5X16.5 scope and Warne QD rings and bases. You could knock 1/4# off with a lighter scope and rings. Hope this helps Denny
 
If you guys are looking at the LTR and want something cheaper but with the same heavy, short barrel, check out the Remington SPS Tactical:

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/premier_dealer_exclusives/model_700_SPS.asp

This is the same setup as the LTR except for a more economical Hogue stock rather than the HS Precision stock found on the LTR. You can usually find the SPS Tactical for around $550 and many times less. The majority of them come with a 1/9 twist but the early SPS Tacticals came with either a 1/12 or 1/14 (don't remember).

I'll conclude in saying I own an LTR in .308 and it has surpassed any accuracy expectation I've ever had in a factory rig. It usually holds 1/2" (sometimes less) 5 shot groups at 100 yards.
 
I own an LTR chambered in 223. I bought it new last year trading a Bushmaster Varminter for it. It was hard to find someone who could get the rifle. I ended up finding a pawn shop that located one. They ordered one in for me along with another chambered in 300 RSAUM. I installed a Leupold Mark 4 4.5x14 on it. I took it out for the first time about a couple of weeks ago. At a hundred yards it clover leafed 40g CTs backed by 27g of Benchmark(and I know I wasn't holding the rifle completely still!). I tried eight different loads with 50 and 40g Combined Technology bullets that day but the rifle only liked this combo. My next project is to load up some 60g Hornady Vmaxs for Yotes. Its definitely worth the extra money, I wouldn't trade it for the world! The gun is light enough to use for everyday hunting and yet a tack driver! I adjusted the trigger down to less that 2 lbs which definitely aided in accuracy along with the HS precision stock it cant be beat unless you buy a custom built rifle for a lot more money.
 
"best 3 shot groups "

It would be a lot more meaningfull to hear about the worst 5 shot group. That is a much better indication of the rifle's potential.

Jack
 
Jack, Ive never had to shoot 5 times at a Coyote, its either dead with the first shot or I normaly get one more shot off before its gone. I will start on the five shot grouping project just for you and list them again. Give me a few weeks.
 
I recently did what Hunt suggests, and bought the SPS Tactical for $499.00. Picked up a used REM.VS (H-S Precision) stock for $150.00 to replace the Hogue stock which is OK, but pillar bedded and pretty flexible at the forend.
So far I'm very happy with the gun. It's shooting a couple of different reloads under MOA and I'm sure it will improve when the new trigger I just ordered gets here. IMO the "New and Improved" X-Mark trigger is pretty sorry.
I would buy the LTR without hesitation if you can find one at a price you can live with. I'm poor so I went with the SPS after talking to a Remington rep and finding out the barrel is the same one used on the LTR, but without the flutes. I'll sell the Hogue stock and end up with less than 6 bills in it. It shoots as good as my Sav. 12V but without the extra 6" of barrel. Plus I just like Remington's better than Savage. Just My Opinion. No Flaming! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Later
 
I will tell ya that it may be a hit or miss kinda thing. I have owned both as I bought the when they first came out. I thought it was a great idea and a great looking rifle. So I went to the range with both rifles in hand and Federal Match ammo. I shot the 308 version and was completely surprised as it was shooting one hole groups at 100 after about 30rnds of setting up the scope etc. using the shoot and clean method. Now on to the 223 version, to make a long story short I could throw rocks at the 100yd. target and get a better group!! So needless to say I sold the LTR the very next day! Oh I still have my 308 LTR and it still shoots like a house a fire!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

The Conclusion:

Could I have made that gun shoot? Probably. Did i want to put that much time and effort to make it shoot? I probably would have if I had not bought the matching 308 and of course would have not known how well the 308 would have shot. Now for the record I have not done one thing to my LTR 308 accept a trigger job, other than that nothing!! I only shoot Federal Match ammo or now that Federal is so hard to find I only shoot Black Hills Match ammo. It is the only rifle I have that I do not reload for. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 


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