Remington M788 6mm Rem. left-hand action

[26Charlie]

Picked this up as kind of a birthday present for myself (75). I had medical problems and heart surgery this spring, then rehab, so I felt I deserved it. It just intrigued me. I don't think it had ever been shot - the guy I bought it from said he had never shot it, and when I came to see what it would do I found the following: a) 3-9x Bushnell scope badly out of focus. b) L45 clicks, D60 clicks needed to get on at 25 yards. c) Safety didn't work. c) Action very rough - put some gun grease on the locking lugs. After ten rounds, action smoothed out, safety started working.
I started with a jacketed load - using some of the 105 gr. Round-nose Speer bullets I bought 600 of 40 years ago when some gun shop was selling out of non-moving stock - 44 gr. of 4831, WLRM primer. 5 into 1.7 inches at 100 yards. Then a load of 14.0 gr. 4227 with the 85 gr. Lyman 244496. Not good. Next, the same load of 14.0 gr. 4227, Rem 9 1/2 primer, with the 100 gr. SAECO RG6 - aha! 10 into 2.5 inches at 50 yards.
Today, the sun was warm, not hurried, although the light on the targets was not so good I punched out a 5 shot group of 1.4 inches at 100 yards with the RG6 bullet but only a 3.6 inch group at 100 with the jacketed load. I had some trouble seeing that target.

[wmitty]

Pretty rare rifle, sounds like to me. I've a couple of 788's, and have found them to be quite accurate if the trigger is worked over. Congrats on your recovery and good shooting with the Remington!

[pjames32]

I've been on the lookout for one for years. Left hand 788's don't show up much.
Good find!
PJ

[richhodg66]

I have a 788 in 6mm that is crazy accurate. Have owned several 788s over the years, all good shooters, but the 6mm is the best. Try some Winchester 760/H-414. Best stuff I've found yet for 100 grain bullets.

[376Steyr]

I have a couple of right hand 788s, a 308 and a 223. They are absurdly accurate for the price I paid for them. I bet the rough action and non-working safety were due to dried out 30 year old factory grease.

[Rick Hodges]

That is a Left Handed 788 6mm Rem in my avatar....restocked in Bastogne Walnut. It is a shooter. A bunch of H4831 under a 95 or 100gr. spbt Hornady or Nosler does the trick.

[oneokie]

A 6mm Rem. 788 is a rare bird, being left hand makes it more rare.

[Rick Hodges]

The left had actions only came in .308W and 6mm Rem. The right handed ones came in .243W ,.223R, 44 mag. .308 W and I believe late in the production 7-08 ...I'm not sure if right hand were chambered for the 6mm or not.

[richhodg66]

My 6mm is right handed. I'd like a 788 in .223 someday, you just don't seem to see them often.

[Rustyleee]

The left had actions only came in .308W and 6mm Rem. The right handed ones came in .243W ,.223R, 44 mag. .308 W and I believe late in the production 7-08 ...I'm not sure if right hand were chambered for the 6mm or not.

Didn't they make them in .30-30 too?

[oneokie]

222, 223, 22-250, 243, 6mm, 7-08, 308, 44 mag, 30-30.

[brassrat]

I am lusting at a RH with a sweet, turret Bushnell Mil-dot.

[FergusonTO35]

I'm a big .30 WCF fan and would love to have a bolt action so chambered.

[26Charlie]

The .30-30 M788 was a desired item for the cast-bullet silhouette shooters. Although, almost any .30 cal could be loaded to the same ballistics to knock over the 200 meter rams. If you can get known to some of those silhouette guys you can maybe pick one up. The club I used to shoot at in Mass. stopped sponsoring those CB silhouette matches about 10 years ago.

[Motor]

My dad bought me my 6mm 788 RH model in 1976. It $130+tax.

A older friend hand loaded for me. 100gr Hornady BTSP The rifle would shoot 3 shots touching at 100 yards until I eventually wore out the original barrel.

The rifle currently sports a #3 varmint barrel and a Boyeds tbumbhole laminated stock.

Oh yeah it's still a tack driver. 75gr Hornady V-Max at 3500f/s and most recently I worked up loads for a 85gr Nosler Partition and Sierra 100gr GK all easily shoot sub MOA.

The trigger has been made adjustable by using a Remington 541T's trigger as a guide for adding the adjustment screw. But it was a one time deal. I set it up to be safe then locked it in place. That was sometime in the 1990s.

Timney now makes a nice trigger for the 788 and doesn't cost as much as the Jewel.

At one time the 788 was sought after by competitive shooters because it had the fastest lock time of any bolt action.

Motor

[26Charlie]

Well,I suppose I'll continue this thread although it is not about strictly cast bullets - I decided that I would have a .24 caliber day at the range. I took the M788LH 6mm Rem. and a Savage M99 .243 Win I bought back in 1965 (?) [remember the magazine articles about .243 Win. vs..244 Rem.?] I had no .243 moulds back then. At that time, I first tried some 90 gr. Rem. bronze points in it (another forgotten bullet) getting close to an inch groups at 80 yards, shooting on a powerline; no measured range available back then.
Anyway, winds were blustery varying from 4 to 8 O'clock. I first tried the 6mm Rem. The 100 gr.SAECO RG-6 CB with 14 gr. of 4227 gave a 5 shot 3.2" group at 100 yds. Next up, the 105 gr. Speer spitzer in the 6mm gave a 2.85" 5-shot group, and the 105 gr. Speer RN gave a 5-shot 2.15" group. Both these 105gr. bullets were over 44.0 gr. 4831. Lastly, the M99 .243 Win. produced a 1.7" 5-shot group, with the 105 gr. Speer RN over 43.0 gr. 4831.
Considering the wind conditions, I left the range happy as a clam with my two .24 caliber rifles.

[pietro]

.

IMO, the M-788LH was a great find - it should do pretty well, with a better scope.

If you find it still a tad inaccurate, there's a few accurizing tips available online (google)

There's even a thread here, on accurizing them: https://www.shootersforum.com/gunsmithing/87119-bedding-remington-788-accuracy.html


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[nekshot]

I always wanted one of those in LH 6MM but I never found one. In the 70's they were considered about like the savage 340's.

[ben lurkin]

Sounds like a good get! Like someone else said, H414/W760 is THE powder for the 6mm Remmy (if you're shooting j-words).

[Pioneer2]

I have a rare Redfield one piece base for the LH 6mm action.

[EDG]

I had a 788 in .243 that shot 5/8" groups exactly like my 700 Varmint in .243. I sold the 700 to a stranger and the 788 to my cheap brother. He slew a slew of deer with that rifle.

[izzyjoe]

I've never seen a 6mm LH, didn't know they existed. A buddy from high school used his dad's 788/243 several deer seasons, and it shot 1" groups across the pickup hood with a rolled up coat for a rest, we didn't know any better back then, but even with crude shooting techniques it still shot great!

[Don Fischer]

They also came in 222 Rem, I had one. Most accurate rifle I ever owned! I have a 308 now and had a 222, 223 and a 243. All great shooter's!

[ntxhawk]

I have one in .243 I haven't shot in years because the trigger is so bad. Think I will get a Timney for it and start playing with it again!

[CASTER OF LEAD]

They also came in 222 Rem, I had one. Most accurate rifle I ever owned! I have a 308 now and had a 222, 223 and a 243. All great shooter's!

I currently have two , one in .222 and the other in .243. Both are tack drivers. Shot bunches of whitetails over the years with the one chambered in .243 . It's favorite load 34.7g of 4064 under a 100g Sierra Gameking SPBT . Absolute death ray. CASTER

[John D]

I have a 788 in 6mm LH that i bought new in 1972 for a grand total of $90.00!
Installed a Canjar set trigger in it shortly after i got it. Still have it and it ain't goin' nowhere!

[CASTER OF LEAD]

This is my 788 in .222 . The squirrel tail is from a fox squirrel I head shot from a big oak tree about 75 yards away. 176015 Sorry it's upside down for some reason. Not too experienced with the picture placing I suppose. Caster