I've gotten my hands on one of each - both in 22-250. Each has a laminated stock, heavy barrel without target crown and are in similar excellent condition. The VLS is a late 90's vintage with a matte finished barrel while the Varmint Special is a mid 80's production model with a glossier finish on the barrel.

Initial shooting says they are both pretty accurate with factory ammo, but I don't want to go down the road with load development and/or customization with both of them. Does one or the other of these rifle lines have a better reputation for accuracy or a history of issues or problems?

Any owners reports out there that could help me decide between the two?

the similar shooting you see with the factory ammo will be borne out with handloads as well. there's nothing wrong w either vintage from a shooting perspective, although, as you noted, they changed the general aesthetics of the rifles over the years. I've got remingtons of 80's vintage thru 2011 vintage and theyre all very accurate. main difference I can see is that they got less and less shiny over the years.

Quadzilla: If that barrel on the 1980's vintage Varmint Special is at all "fresh" then I would give odds that it will shoot just a tiny bit better than the newer VLS.
I have a pair of Remington 700 VLS Rifles in 22-250 Remington caliber (one is actually a VLSS - Varmint Laminate Stainless Steel) and they both shoot quite well indeed.
My 700 VLS on its last two sight in verification trips to the range made groups (5 shots at 100 yards) on those days measuring .542" and .503". I have a Leupold 6.5x20 variable on this one.
My 700 VLSS on its last two sight in verification trips to the range made groups (5 shots at 100 yards) on those days measuring .448" and .476".
My 700 Varmint Special has been semi-retired as I am saving it for a gift to one of the VarmintSons and I have not shot it in several years now - but my loading log shows several groups (5 shots at 100 yards) over the years, in the .3's with its best ever group at .302" - this done with an old Redfield 6x18 variable scope.
I am guesstimating from my loading log that its average 5 shot group would be right at .400" on dead calm days.
Let us know how yours shoot - it will be interesting to compare the results.
If... I were you, I would make every effort to keep BOTH of those Rifles!
If not let me know what they are selling for.
Best of luck to you.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

There are many variables involved in "accuracy".
The year it was made really isn't one of them

I certainly understand that in general. The reason for my question is that I'd read some accounts that suggested the Varmint Specials were in some way "special" compared to more recently produced rifles. Not sure if that's total poppycock.

That sounds more like a sales pitch than reality.

There are new Remingtons that do great and old ones that do as well

They are just heavy barreled 700's, no matter what model name they are given, since that usually just denotes finish and stock variations, and sometimes barrel length.

There's no way to predict which will be more accurate without testing them both