I'm getting a chance to compare my Varmint to my new MTR. I got the Varmint based on the simpler stock design, lots of anecdotal evidence that the match chamber of the MTR was not necessarily a huge advantage and the lack of availability of the MTR. Even though I'm just getting it broken in and just getting used to shooting it, when a deal came up on an MTR, I decided having both wouldn't be a mortal sin and jumped on it.
I've shot the Varmint in a couple of matches and it's doing just fine. I've only got a hundred or so rounds through the MTR but it's shooting very well. I have to say I like the MTR stock more than I thought I would, though the shape of the buttstock portion makes it awkward on the bag I'm using. I took both of them to the range today to see if I could get a sense of any difference in performance. I needed to get some more rounds through the MTR anyway to help season the barrel and I hadn't shot the Varmint since a match last week so I was eager to revisit it.
I started by putting a 30 or 40 rounds of Norma Tac through the MTR after sighting in with some CCI SV. The SV's seem to want to group pretty well and the Norma Tac definitely shoots well in this gun. After the Norma Tac, I wanted to try a couple of lots of SK Rifle Match. Those have been shooting well in a couple of guns and they showed plenty of potential today. I moved on to a few groups of Lapua Pistol King and Center-X. I didn't shoot a lot of those because it seemed obvious that they shot well and I wanted to move on the Varmint.
Since the Varmint is pretty broken in by now, I just blew through 10 rounds of Norma Tac to warm up the bore. Results are pictured below. I'd like to say that the one flyer was my cold-bore flyer but I don't think it was. The ammo seems pretty consistent so I'm pretty sure that's just me pulling a shot. I shot a few groups with the Rifle Match and the Pistol King and Center-X but I didn't go too deep with a lot of groups. This gun has pretty much established itself and I have a good idea of what it does. I will say that after shooting the MTR the stock felt a little skimpy and uncomfortable. I had trouble finding the sight picture and I realized that I didn't have a predictable cheek weld to work with - definitely going to put a little riser of some sort on the stock to see how that works.
Below is a target with the groups from each. Both guns had decent 36X scopes and both are in more or less stock trim with no bedding on either other than some aluminum tape to snug the action side-to-side and the triggers lightened into the 10 ounce range. Though it's not a very exhaustive test regimen, it's plain to see that while there may be a bit of an advantage for the MTR, it's not significant - that may change a little as the barrel gets worn in a little.
For the averages, I left out some first groups after ammo change and groups with particularly nasty flyers.
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I've shot the Varmint in a couple of matches and it's doing just fine. I've only got a hundred or so rounds through the MTR but it's shooting very well. I have to say I like the MTR stock more than I thought I would, though the shape of the buttstock portion makes it awkward on the bag I'm using. I took both of them to the range today to see if I could get a sense of any difference in performance. I needed to get some more rounds through the MTR anyway to help season the barrel and I hadn't shot the Varmint since a match last week so I was eager to revisit it.
I started by putting a 30 or 40 rounds of Norma Tac through the MTR after sighting in with some CCI SV. The SV's seem to want to group pretty well and the Norma Tac definitely shoots well in this gun. After the Norma Tac, I wanted to try a couple of lots of SK Rifle Match. Those have been shooting well in a couple of guns and they showed plenty of potential today. I moved on to a few groups of Lapua Pistol King and Center-X. I didn't shoot a lot of those because it seemed obvious that they shot well and I wanted to move on the Varmint.
Since the Varmint is pretty broken in by now, I just blew through 10 rounds of Norma Tac to warm up the bore. Results are pictured below. I'd like to say that the one flyer was my cold-bore flyer but I don't think it was. The ammo seems pretty consistent so I'm pretty sure that's just me pulling a shot. I shot a few groups with the Rifle Match and the Pistol King and Center-X but I didn't go too deep with a lot of groups. This gun has pretty much established itself and I have a good idea of what it does. I will say that after shooting the MTR the stock felt a little skimpy and uncomfortable. I had trouble finding the sight picture and I realized that I didn't have a predictable cheek weld to work with - definitely going to put a little riser of some sort on the stock to see how that works.
Below is a target with the groups from each. Both guns had decent 36X scopes and both are in more or less stock trim with no bedding on either other than some aluminum tape to snug the action side-to-side and the triggers lightened into the 10 ounce range. Though it's not a very exhaustive test regimen, it's plain to see that while there may be a bit of an advantage for the MTR, it's not significant - that may change a little as the barrel gets worn in a little.
For the averages, I left out some first groups after ammo change and groups with particularly nasty flyers.
