Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
V3 does well on paper, clays
On the range, the Remington V3 performed well with light target loads and heavy waterfowl loads.
The first shots I fired with this gun were 3-inch Winchester Drylocks with 1¼-ounce of No. 2 steel.
I fired one round with each choke tube at a cardboard target 25 yards away. The target was a 12-inch square, which is roughly the kill zone of a mallard with upswept wings.
With Rem Chokes, the point of impact was well below the point of aim. The Full tube also hit well to the right. It placed 77 pellets in the square, 25 of which hit the far right quadrant of the square, and 21 hit the bottom quadrant.
With a higher point of aim, the Modified tube placed 106 pellets in the square. Forty-two hit the lower quadrant, and 31 hit the right quadrant. Nineteen and 14 hit the left and top quadrants, respectively.
With the same point of aim, the Improved Cylinder tube placed 89 pellets in the square, with 30 in the lower quadrant, 28 in the left quadrant and 21 in the right quadrant.
With the Modified and Improved tubes, many pellets hit about 3-4 inches under the bottom quadrant. A higher point of aim would have improved the scores.
Not so with the Full tube, which threw a sparse pattern.
For duck hunting in green timber, where shots are close, the Modified and Improved Rem Chokes are fine, but aftermarket chokes, like Carlsons or Patternmaster, will probably throw better patterns.
Next, I shot three rounds of trap at the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex in Jacksonville. My loads were 2¾-inch Estates with 1 ounce of No. 8 lead.
The low point of impact factored into missing targets flying straight away. Those are the easiest to hit, but I missed them consistently.
My scores with the Full, Modified and Improved tubes were 20, 19 and 21, respectively, or 80 percent. For a short-barrel field gun right out of the box, that’s not bad.
Even with the light target loads, the V3 kicks harder than the Versa Max or the SX3.
Also, vents on the top of the forearm funnel gas upward into your sightline. Three shots showered my face with hot particles. You definitely want to wear eye protection when shooting the V3.
Overall, I like it, and I am eager to use it next fall.