In 2006, investment fund Cerberus created Freedom Arms and purchased Bushmaster. In 2007, Freedom Arms purchased Remington, then purchased DPMS later that same year. Under the Freedom Group umbrella other companies with synergy were acquired which includes: Marlin®, H&R®, The Parker Gun™, Mountain Khakis®, Advanced Armament Corp. ®, Dakota Arms®, Para™ USA, and Barnes® Bullets.
For some folks, this consolidation suggested a loss of a favorite independent brands and tradition. However, the reality is that the combining of resources yielded financial strength and stability, a large pool of talent and resources to be shared amongst the group and the ability to form a common defense against hostile politics. The R-Series hunting rifles, assembled and marketed by Remington are a product of this alliance.
In January 2008, Remington introduced its R-15 modular varmint – predator hunting rifle, a Bushmaster derivative, and in February of the same year introduced its big game modular hunting rifle, a DPMS derivative product, the R-25. These are, respectively, AR-15 and AR-10 type products.
Made in Ilion, NY, the R-25 is available in a number of chambers that are suitable for anything from hog hunting to moose, and at a range not feasible for the R-15’s heavy hitter, the 450 Bushmaster cartridge. The R-25 is available in 243 Winchester, 7mm-08 Remington and 308 Winchester cartridges.
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Remington R-25 #60031 |
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| Cartridge | 7mm-08 Remington |
| Capacity* | 4+1 |
| Action | Semi-Auto Gas Operated |
| Stock | A-2 Zytel Synthetic |
| Receivers | Forged Aluminum |
| Barrel | Carbon Steel – Fluted |
| Barrel Length | 20″ |
| Twist | 1:9 ¼” |
| Sights | None |
| Mounts | Picatinny Front – Rear |
| Weight | 8 lbs 12 oz |
| Overall length | 38¼” |
| Stock Pull | 13½” |
| MSRP – | $1631 |
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*Accepts all AR Standard Magazines |
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Remington defines the R-25 as a “modular repeating firearm” and as a “precision hunting rifle”. Real Guns elected to review the R-25 as a hunting rifle, rather than as a tactical firearm, even though the R-25 could be easily reconfigured for that purpose with the appropriate accessories. Light by about 1 1/2 lbs in comparison to typical AR 10 rifles, the R-25 is about the same as a full size bolt action sporter.
Difficult to see, Mossy Oak Treestand camo really works, but all controls: bolt release, safety selector lever, (flip side) forward assist, and magazine release are all in traditional AR locations and easy to access. The supplied magazine holds 4 rounds but, yes, standard AR 10 high capacity accessory magazines fit.
The lower trigger guard, like the DPMS products, but unlike Bushmaster products, is fixed. This precludes the use of replacement winter trigger guards some folks like to use with gloved hands. The Integral Picatinny receiver top rail is excellent for mounting virtually any type of accessory sight.
Roll out the barrel… No, not by the Rhythm Playboys
Again, think hunting rifle, the floating handguard is fabricated from heavy gauge, but lightweight aluminum. It is not drilled, nor should it be drilled, for accessory rails. The low profile gas block has a top rail that works well with fold down and fixed upright quick detach front sight assemblies.
The barrel is floated, button rifled with a relatively heavy profile barrel. The muzzle OD is 0.680″ and the crown is recessed. Fluting removes some weight from the barrel and also increases cooling surfaces and barrel rigidity.
Unlike most tactical hardware, the R-25 has a single stage trigger which is more consistent with a sporting rifle. The nominal trigger pull as the firearm leaves the factory is listed as 4.5-5 lbs. This example checked 5.5 lbs as part of a very new and very tight firearm. There will be a recheck of this following completion of live fire check out.
These sights may not be expensive, but they work like they are…
The R-25 is built to an AR standard, so there are no shortage of bits and pieces that can be added or changed out to optimize it for a specific application and/or personal preferences. In this case, a set of DPMS adjustable iron sights provide excellent utility for fast moving, close in shots at game.
A tactical alternative that is actually well suited to hunting inside 200 yards is the Burris 4x XTR-14Tactical Riflescope, with P.E.P.R.™ (Proper Eye Position Ready) Mount and 3 MOA FastFire III Reflex Sight. There is the 4x scope with a good compensating reticle and the red dot reflex sight for both eyes open and fast tracking shooting.
Of course any sight of preference and mount combination can be used. A Picatinny rail on a flat top is one of the most versatile mount surfaces found on a firearm. In addition to this modest magnifier and reflex sight, a Bushnell 30x Tactical scope was installed on the R-25 for critical accuracy testing. The idea was to eliminate the influence of the shooter, as much as possible, to get a sense for the mechanical accuracy of the rifle. Live fire coming up in Part 2.
Remington’s R-25 in 7mm-08 Remington Part 1
Remington’s R-25 in 7mm-08 Remington Part 11
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