Shot a 788 yesterday...

[Uncle R.]

At our club Sight-In shoot for deer hunters. Being one of the old-timers and <Ahem!> a respected expert for a few years now I've held a post of shooting and zeroing rifles for those customers who prefer to let us adjust their sights. There are more than you might suppose.
Yesterday I shot a 788 in .30-30 with a cheap Tasco scope on it. The rifle was in excellent condition and was very accurate. It even had a fair-to-middlin' trigger. I've read many complaints about 'em but most of the 788s I've shot had at least fairly decent triggers. I managed to zero the scope and return the rifle without drooling too much.
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When I talked to the customer he said he'd bought it used a couple of years ago at a local gun shop. He said he had paid $275 for it.
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Sigh...
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Uncle R.

[Buckshot]

...............The 788 series were a kind of an embarassment for Remington, as they performed at least as well and in some cases better then the M700 flagship series. There are some really devout M788 folks out there too. A friend of mine who is long since passed on owned at least one of each M788 in it's various chamberings. He also had one of the 44 Mag versions rebarreled and chambered for the 454 Casull.

The first centerfire rifle I ever paid my own money for was a used one in 243. This was in 1978, and I'll tell a story on myself. My cousin Johnny who was a career Marine and happened to be currently stationed handily at 29 Palms found out I had a 243. At the the time I thought he owned more guns then God:-) We'd driven out there for a visit and he mentioned I could easily make 243 brass out of 308, and he just happened to have a ton of once fired range pickup stuff I could have.

He said all I had to do was to run it up into my 243 dies. Okay, great! All this brass came in a large plastic laundry soap pail, mixed up with a large quantity of the disintegrating links they'd been issued with. At the time I had an RCBS JR press and it sure seemed they resized hard. Especially dragging them back out over the expander button. However the vast majority I decided to turn into 243 DID in fact become 243 shaped. I didn't resize them all as I'd created this really long linked belt of empty cases, which I thought was cool as heck.

I don't recall now what the load was I'd used but it WAS a book load. My folks owned a bunch of citrus acreage kinda out in the country, and since it was close I figured I'd go there and fire a couple rounds. I fired one cartridge and couldn't get the bolt open. My dad had a hardwood chisel mallet and with that I was able to rotate the bolthandle. After that I was also successfull in breaking the bolt handle off trying to OPEN the bolt.

I contacted Remington and was told to send it to them, which I did (including the loose bolt handle). After awile I got it back and the only thing I recall them saying on the paperwork was that they'd replaced the trigger assembly. Nothing about being a real idiot for not turning the altered casenecks down, or even doing what I'd done in the first place.

..............Buckshot

[shotman]

most bolts were broke for the bolt freezing in cold weather If snow got in the locking lugs and melted then froze you couldnt open the bolt.
Last year buddy called and ask me if I wanted to buy a 308. He said it was remington "plain jane type" I asked what model and he said didnt know would ask the guy that had it. He called about 2 hrs later said have I heard of a 788 said looks like a pine stock. He said guy wanted $150 I said where can I meet him?
Met him in about 20 min"couldnt get there faster" He said is 150 ok with me I said well I guess the scope is good "Redfield 3x9
Took it out and shot it was 3in left and 2in hi at 50yds scope wouldnt adjust. pulled scope and replaced sighted in was doing 1 hole at 50 and one bigger hole at 100
sent scope back to redfield its back on the gun.
Buddy called few days later said the guy felt bad that he sold me a gun that was junk. . said he would give money back
I still have gun and he still feels bad I guess

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Most accurate .243 I have ever owned (still have it) is a 788 I bought in Cattanooga Tenn. in 1979 used. I have popped coyotes at 250 yards across the flat Illinois fields with no trouble if I can get my wiggles out sitting down.

[gnoahhh]

The closest I ever came to getting shot while hunting was by a guy (idiot) with a 788 in 6mm. How do I know? I read the barrel info after I yanked it out of his hands.

The 788 in .30/30 was a sleeper back then. A lot of guys shot them in CBA Production Class back in the early days. I guess they never caught on with the public in that caliber because anybody who wanted a .30/30 wanted it in a lever action.

[Blammer]

my first center fire rifle was a Rem 788 in 223.

I still have it. It wears a leupold straight 8x fine cross hairs. Havn't moved it since I put it on the gun. that was 26 yrs ago. I've killed a ton of prarie dogs, ground hogs and a few coyote's with it. It's my go to gun when somethin needs killin.

[Calamity Jake]

I've had one in 222 for more years than I care to remember. It's a tack driver for sure.

[sargenv]

I had a borrowed 788 in 308 Win for a few years.. it was a fun rifle and was a tack driver for me with factory or handloaded ammo.. I mistakenly shot what we later determined was MG ammo (a bit over pressure) and I also broke the bolt handle off of it.. I sent it to Remington and for about $100 they replaced it with a tighter than before bolt assembly. Unfortunately the guy who I had borrowed it from wanted it back.. so back to him it went..

[TCFAN]

I have a 788 in 222 cal. Bought it new from wal-Mart in the early 70's I think for 89.00 dollars. Did the trigger mod. from the Rifle magazine article back then and it has been a tack driver ever since. It has a 12X Burris scope with target knobs.
Shoots cast good with 225415 and 225462 .................Terry

[atr]

Had a 788 in 22-250 Remington....
a true tack driver and the trigger was crisp and clean....
sometimes I wish I hadn't sold it

[Artful]

Wonder if there could be a business for making guns like the 788 that have a following but no longer available. With the prices of used going so high on some of these, I'd think you could make new cheaper in quantity.

[Rocky Raab]

I'm not a collector - but I have four of them. In fact, I've never owned a 700, only 788s.

I have a pair of .223s and a pair of .308s, one of which I had re-barreled to .25-308 by Mike Bellm (he no longer does rifle work). I looked for a .30-30 for a few years but never found one at less than collector prices, so settled for a Savage 340 as my cast bullet, bolt-action 30-30.

The real collector models are the few left-handed rifles and the .44 Mag models. The 6mm ones are nice, but prices for replacement magazines will cause you to gulp. Twice.

[AZ-Stew]

Looks like the 788s in my safe would make most of you drool. The two I don't have are the .308 (I've seen a bunch of beaters, but none I'd like to own) and the 7mm-08 (can't find one). I've picked up the rest at gun shows, except for the .30-30, which I got through an ad in the local paper. The first one I bought was a .223. I paid retail ($135.00) for it in the late 70s. I have another .223, and the .222 and .22-250 I have are both are old enough to have walnut stocks. I think the .222 is a 5-digit S/N. I got the .22-250 in a trade. I attended the Phoenix Boat Show a number of years ago and tossed my name in the "hat" at each of the vendor's booths. Monday afternoon I got a call from Sports Authority saying I had won a $100 gift certificate. I put $100 of my own with it and bought a Remington 870 Express 12ga. to take to the gun show the next weekend as trading material. Traded the shotgun, even-up for the 788 .22-250. Out of pocket cost was $100 + the boat show tickets. Great rifles.

Rocky, What's the difference between the .25-308 and Warren Page's .25 Souper? Thanks.

Regards,

Stew

[casey]

I have a .308 carbine. Bought it used, looked as if it was unfired. Guy also gave me the first and only box of Remington, 180grn. ammo he bought with the gun. It still had 12 rounds in the box! He said it kicked so he never used it. BTW, I gave $125.00 for the gun and the guy asked if that was okay. Just about dislocated my shoulder reaching for the wallet. Gun is a solid, one holer!

[rockrat]

Picked up a nearly new 788 in 308 a couple of weeks ago and then lucked into an ever newer 30-30 a few days later. Both look like safe queens. Shot the 308 a few times but haven't had a chance to wring it out yet.
Not shot the 30-30 yet, but soon.
Anyone have any good loads for the 30-30 and with what boolit? Thanks

[Mk42gunner]

I had one of the early long barreled .222's that would shoot an honest five round group that would fit under a nickel at 150 yards, prone with sling. The .223 that I had wouldn't do quite that good.

I have never seen a 788 that didn't shoot decently at the least, (I am sure there were a few though).

Looking back, I remember when the Matco store was closing here in town; they were selling 788's for $69.99 at the last. Wish I'd been smart enough to buy a few.

Robert

[dale2242]

Stew, No difference between the 25-08 and the 25 Souper. Check this link:
http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/ai.cgi?sn=VCxAoUIFgv&catid=548
dale

[Rocky Raab]

The 25-308/Souper is a great little round. It has exactly the ballistics of the 250 Savage AI, but it is much easier to form and uses dead-common parent brass.

But it isn't Warren Page's baby. The fairly rare Speer Reloading Manual #4 for Wildcat rounds credits P.F. Lambert with its development. The round generally credited to Page is the 243.

Either way, the 25-308 is great, but unlikely to be commercialized because the gap it fills is just too narrow. I built mine well before the 260 came out, but even then the difference between the 243 and the 25 Souper was slim. Present, to be sure, but slim.

No matter. I can still grin and claim to be the only kid on my block who owns one!

[AZ-Stew]

Rocky and Dale,

Thanks for the info. I have three gun-related "collections". Two I consider complete. They are Speer reloading manuals (so I have the #4, I'll have to look up the Souper), and Remington 5XX series .22 RF rifles. I think I have examples of all of them. The collection that's incomplete is the 788s, as noted in my previous post.

I've often thought of having a Remington XP-100 set up in .25 Souper for the handgun metallic silhouette game. The trajectory of a 100 grain bullet should be flat enough so sight settings can remain the same for all distances. Many years ago someone wrote an article, may have been in The American Rifleman, titled, "What makes the steel fall?", or something similar. According to that article, the same load would have adequate power for the rams. It's one of those "round tuit" projects that I never got.

By the way, Rocky, I read your article in the December Handloader this morning. I was surprised that none of the bullets you tested had crimp grooves. I have some plated ones around the shop that do. I'll have to photograph a few and post them here. Anyway, I enjoyed the article.

Regards,

Stew

[Rocky Raab]

Thanks for the kind words, Stew. Both Berry's and Rainier tell me that they could roll cannelures into their bullets, but that would add to the cost - and hence the price. As price-point is one of their major selling points, they feel that would be counter-productive.

Both of them will also tell you the Lee FCD is the answer if you feel the need for hard crimping.

[AZ-Stew]

That's understandable.

The ones I have, if I recall correctly, look much like a traditional cast bullet. They actually have a crimp groove, rather than a rolled-in cannelure. I'll have to shoot a photo and post it here when I get home.

Regards,

Stew

[Rocky Raab]

I think I know what you mean. I have some 38 158 SWC bullets that were given a very thin copper wash but are otherwise just cast bullets. I don't call those plated, but "washed" much like some 22LR bullets are. Not the same thing at all.

[AZ-Stew]

Well, I can't make the photos because, apparently, I shot up all the bullets. They were 158 gr .38 SWCs, but the plating, as I recall, was quite thick. They were probably Meisters.

I have some Meister plated bullets that are marked: 45 LC, .451 dia., 255 gr. They have a thick plating and a rolled-in cannelure. They are a truncated cone design which would probably work pretty well in a .45 ACP for general purpose loads.

Regards,

Stew

[BAGTIC]

GET YOURSELF A CANNELURE TOOL AND ROLL YOUR OWN.THAT WAY YOU CAN PUT THEM WHERE YOU WANT THEM.

I had a M788 in 30-30 AI once. Nothing wrong with it. My only complaint was the magazine projected instead of being flush. Make it a little awkward to carry in one hand.

[Houndog]

Rocky,
I also read your article and enjoyed it! It's refreshing to see a gun writer give an honest workup and report on some advertizer's product instead of the typical "it's the finest thing since sliced bread" writeup. Keep em coming!

[Rocky Raab]

I'm deeply honored, Houndog. You may count on more to come.

[1Shirt]

They say hindsight is always 20-20, and guess in my case, it is true. I remember when a store in Topeka Ka had a sale on 788's, for I think 118.00. Had about 25 of them in various cals. Remember looking at one in 243 and thinking that even at that price it was just sort of an ugly plain Jane. Wish someone had kicked me. In the sunday paper was a picture and article of a magnificant whitetail rack, possibly the new record for Ne. The article discribed it being killed with an old 60's 788 rifle. The owner said it was something of a beater, but it did the job. Ah-se le gar!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[leadman]

I had a left hand 788 in 308 many years ago in Michigan. Was a very accurate rifle but got the muzzlerloader bug and sold it off. Still have a left hand 581 in 22lr.

[luvtn]

I have a 788 in .308 that was bought used with a bushnell 3x9 scope and a leather cobra sling for 350.00 in 1983. From what i am reading here I may have been took. On the other hand it has been a dandy.
ll

[testhop]

i have 2 788s;
one in 223 with 4 clips
onein 30-30 with 5 clips
both shoot great

[wolfspotter]

I have the 308 carbine. Added a black walnut monte carlo stock. Shoots as good as it looks. In the past I've owed a couple 788s in 22-250. Both were tack drivers.

[richhodg66]

The only 788 I have now is a 6mm and it is spooky accurate. I shoot it better than any other rifle I have.

I've also had a .308 carbine which shot OK, but not great. Had a custom .22-250 built on one I bought that was a real good shooter. I regret having gotten rid of that rifle, but kinda needed the cash. One day, I'd like to have a full length .308 one.

[Ohio Rusty]

I had a 788 in .308 years ago. That rifle kicked like a mule !! You could only shoot three shots from it, and when those were done, you had a bruise the next day on your shoulder the size of your fist. Holy Moly that rifle was a handful. I finally sold it a gun show. Good riddence to bad blood !!
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Old Shooter]

I bought a left handed 788 new and have never shot it. It is in 308 cal. If anyone wants it let me know.

[watkibe]

My first centerfire rifle was a 788 in 223. Later I bought 2 more in 308. One was a carbine and was mine, and the other had a longer (22"?) barrel and was my (now ex) wife's
I still think my 788 in 308 is the most accurate, reliable, and easy-to-use rifle I own. I really miss the 223 though. I regret few things, but I do regret selling that one.

[AaronJ]

I have my dads old 788 in 6mm rem. I have never shot it due to bad joojoo but have been thinking more and more about giving it a try. Stew you mentioned a trigger mod if you remember it and could pass it on I would be very grateful.

[9.3X62AL]

I have 2 Rem 788s in the safe presently--one each in 22-250 and 243. The 22-250 has seen A LOT of shooting prior to my acquisition, and I got it for low dollars accordingly. 10-15 consecutive 3/4" to 7/8" 5-shotters at 100 yards later, I decided that rebarrelling could wait a year or so. I think that was about 2001 or so. I'll re-tube it when accuracy really goes south, for now it does well with 60 grain Sierras.

The 243 landed about the same time, and in near-new condition. It has been a tackdriver since Day 1, jacketed or cast.

[Snoopz]

Yeah got one in .223 think I got it at Lee's Outdoor Sporting Store, used it for "testing " boolits made out of .22LR cases, has a Redfield 3-9 Scope, shoots like a dream, have a Remington 660 in .308 think I paid $75 for it

-Snoopz

[Big Boomer]

My Rem 788 is in .223, is very accurate and I really like it. I've had it since the early '80s. With military cases, turned necks to uniform the case grip on the bullet, a good dose of surplus W844, along with Nosler 52gr. match jhp, it gives exceptional velocity for a .223. Nosler says that bullet should not be used for varmints but after finding it such an accurate bullet, I have had nothing but success with it on vermin. It is deadly on groundhogs and coyotes here in southern Ky.

A while back my wife called me to look at some "dogs" that were keeping one of her cows from going to the barn to get out of the weather. I took one look and told her those were not dogs but coyotes. Another cow had just dropped a new calf and had already escaped to the sanctuary of the barn. I think the coyotes were confused on that point with all the smell of the new calf and all.

I managed to get to my gun room, unlock the safe, get the Rem 788 and get back to the back window of the house and dropped two of the coyotes before they could get away. Distance was about 200 yds on the first one and probably 250 yds or more on the second.

Up to that time I couldn't figure out what was happening to the dead groundhogs I was pitching into a sink hole on the back side of my wife's property. After knocking off those two coyotes (a third got away because I didn't see it), I haven't seen one since, but then I hadn't seen one before. Recently my wife's son had a female beagle attacked and the skin on much of the dog's throat was torn off. I figure she ran into a couple of the coyotes and they almost got the best of the fight. 'Tuck

[alamogunr]

I got my 788 in .308, used, about 8 or 10 years ago. Shortly after that I ran across a deal for Norma .308 ammo with 180 gr bullets. Price was about what Norma brass sold for so I bought 5 boxes just for the brass. A previous poster mentioned that a 788 in .308 Win. has a kick. He's right. Off the bench they hurt. I only use the rifle for 150 gr or less boolets in light loads. Very accurate to 100 yds.

I may try the recent NOE .311-165 GB. As long as I'm working up a load for the Marlin, I may as well try this one too. Hadn't thought about it recently until I ran across this thread.

John
W.TN

[Three44s]

I have what now amounts to a gathering of 788's .........

222 Rem I bought last summer and have only just begun to work up.

A .22-250 that I finnished the barrel off on coyotes and other vermin (wears the now discontinured Canjar single set trigger)

And enough parts and pieces to cobble together a .243 also in the 788.

A good member of this forum sold me two used barrels for my .22-250 so I may well get it going again.

There is a lot of "bad press" out there about the 788's and a lot of "holy grail" press out there as well.

I shot my .22-250 a lot before the barrel finally went south. And I can certainly tell you these rifles are good work horses but no magic beans!

One thing that sets the series apart from it's peers and even rifles that cost much more at that time is it's LOCK TIME.

While a rifle with slow lock time can shoot well off a very good rest ......... it's only intuitive that a rifle with a faster lock time can overtake more accurate rifles somewhat to fairly well ........... in the field.

I always overlooked the "uglies" as my 788 was first and foremost a tool. I packed it on tractors and farm trucks (with as much respect as I could afford it and still get the "job done").

I also worked around the dreaded bolt compression issues as I use the Lee Collet die (neck sizer die).

I loaded for accuracy for the most part as .22-250 has enough extra gonaads to kick 'ole Freedie way out there!

:bigsmyl2:

I think that the tendency for some folks to spend their "life savings" on getting one is missplaced and similarily other folks' desire to run the series into oblivion.

For those of us that don't know it .......... Timney now produces what is said to be a good adjustable trigger for the 788 for about $130.

The American Rifleman article on doing up your own 788 trigger was in my opinion on the whole a great disservice to the shooting fraternity. Many otherwise good 788s died for lack of a safe trigger because of that. That is not to say that many owners followed the instructions properly and came away with much better rifles as a result .......... but across the board, most folks just don't possess enough JuuJuu beans to get that technical and come away unbruised!

One other anomolly I have recently become aware of with 788's is that the trigger has a little "ear" on the bottom of the receiver that the trigger is pinned to. Some folks snap this ear off rendering the receiver useless.

I have conversed with a gunsmith over at the THR forum who has conqueered this and will gladly forward anyone to that has this problem.

I also know from discussions with other 'smiths that the best way to avoid this train wreck is not break it in the first place. As it turns out there is a set screw in the front of the trigger housing that provides tension to stabilize the trigger once it's pinned. It seems that too many folks bent on doing their own work are not loosening this tension screw first and are just driving the roll pin out under tension and snapping it off.

I have a receiver that has this ear snapped off (not my doing). I was thinking of having it fixed until I found a different receiver with matching bolt and barrel but with a bad trigger for less overall money than having it fixed.

Best regards

Three 44s

[Rick Hodges]

I have two 788's. A .308 left hand purchased new in 1971 for $84.95 ($5 more for the left hand model) and a LH 6mm Rem. purchased new in 1976. I have restocked both, the .308 as a Mannlicher with the bbl. cut down to 20". Both are very accurate rifles. The triggers are stock, very crisp right at 4 lbs., a little heavy but very shootable.

The 6mm Rem. is uncanny accurate with 100 gr. Horn. condoms, but very fussy with lighter projectiles. The 6mm is the rifle in my avatar, Antelope taken at 265 yds.

Neither rifles are for sale at any price. I like them a lot.

[gravel]

A .22-250 that I finished the barrel off on coyotes and other vermin (wears the now discontinured Canjar single set trigger)

...

A good member of this forum sold me two used barrels for my .22-250 so I may well get it going again.



if money is no object,.... haha....... you could have that barrel rebored and end up with a 788 in caliber .250-3000 ! that would be cool.

[waco]

i have a 788 in .308 and she is a tack driver with j-words! mine is a carbine version. 165gr hornady & Varget is what shoots best for me. The stock was pretty plain, so i stripped it down and stained it green! looks pretty cool now!

[seabee591]

I also have two 788's One I bought in the late 60's is a 222. I gave $67 dollars for it. At that same time I order a 12X Unertl scope for it.When it came in (9months later) I had to report to the US Navy. I didn't get to use it for a very long time. 20 years later I got in touch with Unertl about the front scope mount. They still make them and I had one on the way.
Now this one of my best guns and it will shoot a 5 shot group under a dime size at a 100 yards any time. I do handload all my rounds.
The other 788 is a wildcat 25-222 actly improve. I will finish it this week. When the weather improves.
I am still looking for a 788 in 30-30. Would love to build a 20 Classic to go with my 6MM Classic.

[Ohio Rusty]

I had a 788 in .308 caliber and that was the worst kicking gun I ever shot !! It was so painful, I only shot 8 rounds and had a bruise bigger than a softball on my shoulder. My shoulder hurt for days. I kept the rifle for a few years after that and finally sold it as it just collected dust in the closet. I was glad to part with that rifle !!
Ohio Rusty ><>