Winchester 88 and cast Boolits

[44deerslayer]

Any one shoot cast booilts out of there 88s I have all 3 284 308 358

[johnly]

I have pre-64's in 243, 284, and a pair of 308; I shoot lead through my Marlins though.

John

[44deerslayer]

why no lead. all mine are pre 64s

[Larry Gibson]

Both the .308W and the 358 Win should be very cast bullet friendly with thieir 12" twists.

I'd look at the RCBS 308-168-SIL or the Lyman 311041 in the .308W and the RCBS 35-200-FN in the 358 Win.

Larry Gibson

[excess650]

88s aren't exactly easy to "clean from the breech"

[44deerslayer]

The promble I have with a cast 311291 it won't close or chamber

[725]

Let us know of any of your experiments. I've been thinking about the 311041 for the 88. Just haven't gotten 'roundtoit.

[44deerslayer]

My mom just gave me these they were my dads he never shot them as new in boxes I want to use them hunt with them I also got his Winchester model 100 too

[missionary5155]

Good morning
That would be a treasure to have !
I am of the opion any firearm can shoot a lead boolit accurately. Measure the throat area, fill that throat with an appropriate diameter WW boolit of 180 grains with good lube propelled at 1900 fps and you are in buisness. I would be very surprised if a RCBS 180 FNGC will not work fantasticly. Add FPS as needed.
Now being a new barrel I personally would smear the first 20- 35 boolit noses with either very fine lapping compound or metal polish depending on on what I learned with a very tight fitting series of patches run through that barrel. All my not fired barrels get treated to a rub down. Clean after each 5 shots and pass another very tight patch through.
The metal polish should be the last 5 rounds by the way.
I have never been dissapointed in this procedure. I have only had one barrel in my life that maybe did not need a final polish. John Taylor made me a 414 SM Dan Wesson barrel that was as smooth as glass. But I still fired the first 5 rounds nose smeared with metal polish. That is one barrel that runs clean.
Mike in Peru

[excess650]

New in boxes? You would be a FOOL to shoot pre-64 Winchester 88s that were new-in-boxes. Collectors will pay a premium for them, and particularly in 284 and 358.

[The Ranger]

NIB pre-64's, you have got to be kidding?

dont shoot those guns!

tuck them away i a safe place to pay for you retirment and go buy yourself a different 88 to shoot.

i have a pre-64 88 in .308 but it's well worn with an amachure made stock on it, still havn't tried any cast from it.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I had an 88 in 243 and had lots of problems with it. I think reloading cast or j-word from my experience was not very successfull.

[hornsurgeon]

new in the box pre 64 88 in 358. that is a 4k gun to some guys. DO NOT SHOOT IT!

in fact, dont shoot any. get a used 88 in 308 and use that to honor your dad. don't loose collector value firing his guns. he kept them unfired for a reason.

[runfiverun]

the 284 and 358 model 88's and 100's [nib] are like the holy grail of most collectors.
the 100's i think are worth more because they made fewer of them.
but the nib designation drives the price up to the stupid level.
even shooter grades of the 284/358 bring a good price.

[Kestrel4k]

The asking prices for 'shooter' 88 .358's seem to be around the $2K ballpark, I've always wanted one but they've been been above my price range. I can't even imagine a NIB 88 .358. :)

[44deerslayer]

It's funny this thread pop up my mom and I were talking about those guns today my mom found all the paper work and recpeipts she has pictures of him holding one of the 88s on a canada hunting trip she thinks it's the 308 but not sure but he did get a bear .she wants me to use them they all have Leuplod scopes mounted on them . My dad and I had plans on using them as we bought molds dies and brass but never got to it he got sick and died .thats when I joined this site because I had no one to talk about guns he was the professor he knew everything about guns and reloading we would talk guns for hours go the range work up a load . Sorry for the long post just miss my dad especially since hunting season coming up .and getting my gear ready first hunting season without him.

[onceabull]

I got my first 88 when there were only pre64's ,and my model 100 in 284 in 1968.. No reference i've seen,nor 50 years of looking had shown me a model 100 in 358 ?????? I guess a pro could cut the gas hole in a 88 barrel in 358 and put that barrel on an otherwise stock Model 100,, But why, any beater 88 in 358 W. that still functions in a taped together stock will probably get you $500..??? Onceabull

[Kestrel4k]

It's funny this thread pop up my mom and I were talking about those guns today my mom found all the paper work and recpeipts she has pictures of him holding one of the 88s on a canada hunting trip she thinks it's the 308 but not sure but he did get a bear .she wants me to use them they all have Leuplod scopes mounted on them . My dad and I had plans on using them as we bought molds dies and brass but never got to it he got sick and died .thats when I joined this site because I had no one to talk about guns he was the professor he knew everything about guns and reloading we would talk guns for hours go the range work up a load . Sorry for the long post just miss my dad especially since hunting season coming up .and getting my gear ready first hunting season without him.

Don't worry about your post, my Dad passed away earlier this summer so I know what you're talking about. When we hunted together I always used the Remington 700 30-06 that he gave me when I was a kid, but once when I showed him my prize (& rare) pre-64 Win 88 in .284, the first thing he told me was that if I loaded it with 175 gr's it would make for a dandy moose rifle (all he ever hunted was moose & caribou up in AK). Not exactly my plan for such a collectors piece, but that was my Dad for ya. :)