Pulled out a little used rifle from the safe today...  A Rem 700 VLS chambered in .243.  26", 9 1/8 twist, heavy varmint barrel.

Is 9 1/8 twist enough to stabilize 105 grain bullets?  Does anyone have any first hand experience with this combo?

Try the Berger Twist Rate Stability Calculator.  

you'll need an 8 to spin those,

Yep...  I don't think my 9 1/8 will cut it.  After trying a few loads in the calculator, the best I get is 1.33.  Marginal at best.

Looks like these 105's are off the the EE...

Thanks for the help guys!

My old  .243 likes 95gr bergers or Nosler ballistic tips. It wouldn't stabilize the 105gr Hornadys either. Now 105gr speer flat base are a different story. The nosler ballistic tips like a little jump to the lands but the berger bullets like to be seated back barely off the lands. I don't remember how far. I haven't loaded for it in a long time.

If you have some of those old Amaxs try them out.  I've used that calculator and had very good results with bullets it classified as "marginally stable" which is about what you're looking at with 1.33.  In my case it was 95gr Matchkings in a 10" twist 243.

I have a VLS also, but haven't shot ANYTHING yet to offer any feedback other than, try it!

I've been dealing with a similar situation.

I have an older 700 BDL Varmint.  It has a 1-10" 24" varmint barrel.  In the past I've used it to shoot 100 gr BTSPs on mule deer, and it has worked very well for that out to 300 yards.  It shoots lightweight 55 gr varmint bullets sub MoA out to 800 yards on no wind days.  My shooting is mostly at about 5000' and above.

So, recently, I've been wanting to stretch the range a bit, shooting steel targets out to 1000 and 1200 yards.  I tried Nosler 105 CCs, and Hornady 105 AMax and BTHPs.  Out to 800 yards or so, all shot well.  When I pushed out to 1000 yards, and 1200 yards, I would get a few hits, but lots of wild, unexplained misses.  At 1200, I finally found out why.

I hang my steel targets from 2x4 wood sawhorses.  At 1200 yards, I found several keyholed bullet holes in the 2x4 supports.  Evidently, the bullets were destabilizing and were tumbling.  They shoot ok inside 800 yards, but beyond that, no joy.

I bought some 87 gr VMax, but haven't found a load the rifle likes yet.  And at distance, they are pushed around by the wind much more than the 105s were.

I am currently working on loads for 95 gr TMKs, and they look promising.  I'll get a chance to try them at distance in a couple of weeks; I'll update then.

So, when you ask if you can shoot 105s in your 1-9 1/8 barrel, it depends on your altitude, the velocity, and apparently, the distance.  

But from my experience, save yourself some grief, and keep to 95 gr and lighter, or use them at shorter distances.