The Remington 788

[Petrol & Powder]

My Tikkas Remind me of all the 788s I've owned- stiff receiver, 3 shot mag, small ejection port, stunning accuracy. I like the Tikka's light weight better!

SAKO was one of the manufactures that made true medium length actions and they made damn good ones.

[waco]

My 788 is in .308
Besides shooting jacketed bullets well, it loves the NOE 30 Hunter. A 190gr PB boolit over 10.5gr RedotAttachment 199209

[Treetop]

My first centerfire rifle that I ever bought "brand new" was a LH 788 in .308 Win. I bought it at a now defunct store, Sporting Goods Inc. in Houston Tx. I paid $79.95 + tax for it in 1972.

I still have it, in fact, no kidding, I shot it yesterday as part of my July 4th festivities. I was shooting 15 gr. of Blue Dot behind a 151 gr. Lee sized to .311. and a 311291 with 13 gr. of Red Dot.

Sometime in the late 80s, I picked up a twin to it at a local gun show. It appeared to be unfired and I gladly forked over $100 for it. I have shot it just enough to confirm it's accuracy and it didn't disappoint!

My original one has taken countless of our smallish central Texas deer and hogs, mostly with cast boolits. Over the years, I have glass bedded the old gum wood (?) stock and replaced the stock trigger with a Timney. I haven't found a J word or cast boolit yet that it doesn't like. One of the few smart things that I've done was to pick up several extra magazines while they were < $10 each. However I'm still waiting for the originals to go bad! I have never had a bolt handle come off but then, even with J words I never got close to max loads.

My two are not for sale! Semper Fi, Treetop

[Texas by God]

Rentinglen- I think they're getting closer all the time. I've seen $500 Tikkas and $500 788s at the same gun show.

[Texas by God]

SAKO was one of the manufactures that made true medium length actions and they made damn good ones.

We have one in .250 Savage that started out as a round top Browning Safari with the stepped pencil barrel. ER Shaw rebarreled it right. It will shoot lightest&fastest and heaviest&slowest into the same group. Sorry I drifted away there for a second. Some days I get to missing 788s. I let the last one go last year- a.243. I've always thought Remington should have chambered the.35 Rem in the 788. The .358 would have been welcome and would have become popular.
Best, Thomas.

[bstone5]

I went to Sporting Goods Inc a lot when I first moved to Houston, bought my first 788 at Carters Country on I-10 in 243. Both of my sons killed their first deer with this rifle. I purchased several 788 rifles when they were cheap. A very accurate rifle at a good price. I still have a 788 rifle in 308 that has had a new flutted barrel installed. Shot this rifle in High Power matches for many years once the magazines were lengthened to hold 5 rounds. The bolt handle broke off and was TIG welded on with steel. The original handle was brased on and did not hold up in the rapid fire portions of High Power matches.
Still shot this rifle with cast and paper patch bullets.

[richhodg66]

Count me as a fan, have owned several over the years, just one now a 6mm.

I'll never get rid of the 6mm. Crazy accurate rifle.

I am generally not a fan of Remington products, but have a strong like for the 788 and also the 721/722 series of rifles.

[Four Fingers of Death]

the old gum wood (?) stock

Mine are pallet wood I think, but they shoot great. I have a 222Rem and a 22/250. I would love a 308Win as a cast boolit launcher! They always seem to bring about $AU450 in good condition here, which is about $100 cheaper than the new economy rifles. the 222 and 22/250 seem to be the most common here. The only other calibres I have seen here are 243s and one 7/08 that a friend owned.

[Texas by God]

Other than the early walnut ones, The 788s had birch stocks that were very tough & stable. Many refinished ones are probably nicknamed "old yeller"......

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[Four Fingers of Death]

I really like the shape of the stock and forend.

[charlie b]

I had one in 7mm-08 back in the 80's. It was very accurate. The factory loads in those days came out with the primers completely flat! Only put a 1000 or so rounds through it, mostly near max with Sierra bullets. Would shoot better than 1" with almost any load. I was going to lap the lugs but when I looked 7 of 9 were in contact. Never had trouble with bolt handle but never did any fast action work. All my cases were neck sized and never had a problem with chambering a round.

Good functional weapon.

[arlon]

I had one in 7mm-08 back in the 80's. It was very accurate. The factory loads in those days came out with the primers completely flat! Only put a 1000 or so rounds through it, mostly near max with Sierra bullets. Would shoot better than 1" with almost any load. I was going to lap the lugs but when I looked 7 of 9 were in contact. Never had trouble with bolt handle but never did any fast action work. All my cases were neck sized and never had a problem with chambering a round.

Good functional weapon.

You sure making me want to invest some time in the 7mm-08 I recently acquired.. I haven't heard a bad thing about them yet unless you manage to break a bolt handle. It DOES seem like it might make for a decent cast bullet plinker..

[shoot-n-lead]

You sure making me want to invest some time in the 7mm-08 I recently acquired.. I haven't heard a bad thing about them yet unless you manage to break a bolt handle. It DOES seem like it might make for a decent cast bullet plinker..

Well...I will give you a negative...THEY ARE HEAVY.

[arlon]

Well...I will give you a negative...THEY ARE HEAVY.

Heavy compared to what? Mine is heavier than the 722 I think. Not as heavy as a lot of things I have owned. I've never owned anything with a plastic stock or pencil thin barrel. I like a little weight for for shooting off hand. Might be more of an issue if I was a hunter hauling it for miles. From the trunk firing line, it shouldn't be too much of a burden. (-:}

[Texas by God]

In my youthful wisdom I lightened my 24" 22-250 by cutting off 4" of the barrel. It still grouped the same and was handier. I didn't own a chronograph so I didn't worry about velocity. Today I would leave it 24"!

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[shoot-n-lead]

Heavy compared to what? Mine is heavier than the 722 I think. Not as heavy as a lot of things I have owned. I've never owned anything with a plastic stock or pencil thin barrel. I like a little weight for for shooting off hand. Might be more of an issue if I was a hunter hauling it for miles. From the trunk firing line, it shouldn't be too much of a burden. (-:}

It is heavy compared to most off the shelf, woodstocked, standard hunting rifles...you name which.

[Multigunner]

The lugs may be hand lapped to bear evenly.
Had a .243 788 in the early seventies. Traded it for a Volkswagon beetle engine. Had planned to buy another in .308 but they quit making them before I got around to it. I had assumed they'd be making these from then on, but apparently Remington had a different idea.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I was in a friend's gunshop in Sydney when the Remington rep was there explaining why they discontinued them. He said that he had been told it was not economically viable to produce two lines of rifles and the 788 was just undermining sales of the 700 Remington.

They are heavy compared to most modern sporters, but they were just a standard weight sporter whn they were being sold.

[Texas by God]

I have owned a dozen 788s- the only problem I ever had was weight and you have to trim cases more often if you're using max loads. Maybe the rear locking- I can't say. Otherwise good to go!

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[Texas by God]

Oh I forgot to mention the broken bolt handle thing because I never saw or heard of it before joining this forum. I guess I was lucky because I remember having to kick my bolt open a couple of times in 100 degree weather with my teenage super duper 22-250 crow loads!

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