Got rid of the VTR two years ago. Glass was Leupold, not the problem. Tried NINE factory loads and three handloads from a guy I met at the range. He didn't understand why it wouldn't shoot either. My 14.5" AR shoots 1moa with PMC and a red dot. The best the VTR shot was 2moa. It was just a bad rifle! Not to say they all are but mine was. And when you already own a great savage and your first remington is garbage savage gains a life long customer. And for the record so far I like the 597 a lot.
I've bought maybe a dozen Leupolds new, and 2 of them were bad from the get go (one replaced, the other fixed, both serviced fast and no further problems with the items).
FWIW I have seen where Remington on the cheap synth stocks has not clearanced for the screw that attaches the magazine body to the receiver.
Do that and free float and they might do OK, may have to bed the recoil lug and or stiffen the forend.
FWIW my old 700 BDL in .243 shot Win factory ammo at 2" @ 100. My buddy gave me some of his handloads and it was just over an inch. I free floated the barrel and loaded my own. Necksized later, that gun shot my reloads into less than half inch groups............repeatedly.
It was shiny, kinda beat up when I got it, so went with a new ADL synth. Did the stock mods, mentioned above before round 1 sent down the tube. .600" was my first group out of a brand new rifle (using same load). Of course those were FL sized, and after blasting a few, reloading with neck sizing, it was .50" with 4 into .330".
Did that back to back.
A non tuned 700? I would not be surprised at a 2" group. Esp with factory ammo.
Doesn't mean a dang thing was seriously wrong with the gun IMHO.