The steady rain that welcomed early arrivals to the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Louisville, KY, on May 15 wasn't enough to wash out a special pre-show introduction by Remington Arms.

As readers here know, "Big Green" has a relatively new streak of "black gun" in it since the introduction of the R-15 VTR predator hunting rifle. That rifle now has a counterpart for the big game fields in the form of what Remington is calling the R-25 Modular Repeating Rifle. The new gun is based on the proven AR-10 action, and comes chambered for .243 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., or .308 Win. We'll have a complete report with extensive shooting results at a later date, but for now, here is what we know from the press gathering.

For Remington to make such an introduction is a natural outgrowth of cooperation between it and its sister companies--Bushmaster and DPMS. Clearly, Remington is recognized as a leader in the hunting market. Both Bushmaster and DPMS are recognized as leaders in the black gun market. Combine the three, and you have Remington nicely positioned to lead the further legitimization of AR-style rifles for mainstream hunting applications.

R-25 triggers come from the factory with a 4 ½ -to 5-pound pull achieved using a combination of a competition hammer spring and different angle on the sear surface.

The progression of arms used on the battlefield to use in the hunting fields is nothing new. Bolt-action rifles are perhaps the best example. Even lever-action rifles saw use in battle before being so widely accepted as hunting arms.

It would be a simple marketing matter to put a camo dip finish on an AR and bill it to consumers as a hunting rifle, but that's not what's going on with the R-25. Instead, the folks at Remington are hunters--I know because I've hunted with them--and it's from their real in-the-field experience that the R-25 is optimized to be a true hunting gun.

One of the first things I noticed is how light the gun is for an AR-10. Don't get me wrong, it's probably not my first choice for a sheep hunt. But tipping the sales at 8 ¾ pounds, the R-25 does weigh less than many of its contemporaries--including some carbine variants--and it does so despite having a 20-inch free-floated barrel.

One of the weight saving features is the slimmer profile barrel that has a 0.680-inch outside diameter at the muzzle. Barrel flutes forward of the Koelbl single-rail gas block also help trim a few ounces, as does the skeletonized integral Picatinny rail.

Further optimizing the R-25 is a single-stage trigger, as most American hunters are not accustomed to using two-stage triggers often found on AR-type rifles. R-25 triggers come from the factory with a 4 ½ -to 5-pound pull achieved using a combination of a competition hammer spring and different angle on the sear surface.

It would be a simple marketing matter to put a camo dip finish on an AR and bill it to consumers as a hunting rifle, but that's not what's going on with the R-25. Instead, the R-25 is optimized to be a true hunting gun.

Since many game departments restrict magazine capacity, the R-25 ships with a four-round magazine. Shooters wanting more capacity will be glad to know that the R-25 accepts standard AR-10 after-market accessories, including magazines.

When asked about the possibility of an R-25 chambered for .338 Federal or .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Mag, Brand Manager John Fink replied that Remington had, "opportunities to do some things down the road."

Be sure to watch for a more complete evaluation of Remington's new R-25 in the future. Until then, log on for more updates from the NRA Annual Meetings.