Traded into a like new 788 Remington in .222 got her up and running,

[koger]

I recently traded into a nice 788 in .222 Rem at a local pawn/gunshop. I am pretty good friends with the owners and they know I like older odd stuff. They had bought a entire estate collection off of a older gentelmans family, several guns. I like old 788s, but the ones I see are usually beat to death nowadays. This one was pretty dang slick, still had the sights on it and the dummy screws in the receiver where you mount a scope. I pulled the bolt and looked thru the barrel, bright and shiny, sharp lands, no wear was visible. I then looked at the locking lugs, they had no blue wear, I mean pristine. The stock had a quarter size spot where the finish was about gone on the toe of the butt stock. They had not sold anything all morning, and it was close to 12 noon, I struck a bargain for the rifle and a base, headed home with it. I have had several 788s over the years, all were shooters. This one had the worst trigger I had ever saw on one, about #8. I ordered a Timney trigger for it, and tore the rifle apart, glass bedded it with Acraglass and added powdered aluminum, so that I ended up with thick bed of aluminum on the whole receiver, to the end of the chamber, and floated the barrel. I stripped the stock, and put on several coats of clear coat with it being blonde in color. I put on a EGW picatinny rail for it, set of Millet steel rings, and NIB Simmons 4x16x44 with AO and target turrets. This was a old/new stock scope that I thought I would try. I had some 50 gr hps loaded up for another .222, 6 rounds and I had it zeroed dead on at 100 yds. I let the barrel cool a few minutes, then shot a 5 shot group at 100 yds. The first 3 went into 1 tiny hole, the last 2 overlapped the first 3 by about 30%. I let it cool for 10 minutes since the temps here today was 94, and shot 5 more with a vertical hole that was about .450 long outside to outside. I am a happy camper to say the least. I had forgotten how sweet shooting a .222 is and the recoil is non existent. I may have to keep this one for awhile.

[country gent]

Thats a keeper all the way around. the 788 has always been a good shooting rifle. Along with the .222 that held many bench rest records for years. Combined it should be a real sweetheart.

[sigep1764]

I've lucked into a 788 in 3030 and it ain't going nowhere. If I see another, I'm with you. It's going home, even if it's on the back of the motorcycle.

[dverna]

The .222 was my first CF rifle. M700 HB. That was 55 years ago.

Great to see you found a 788 at a decent price. They are not "cheap" anymore. Superb results BTW!!

[Larry Gibson]

It should have a 14" twist and will shoot cast bullets quite well. One I had (never should have allowed a "friend" to talk me out of it....) years back shot jacketed like yours and really liked the 225462 upwards of 2400+ fps. Killed a lot of Belding ground squirrels with that bullet out of the M788.

[schutzen-jager]

my .308 is my most accurate center fire - 100 yard 3 shot groups that are covered by a .25 cent piece - got it decades ago at a Woolworths 5+10 store when they sold firearms - at one time a Remington sales agent told me that the 788's were discontinued because they were cutting into the more profitable model 700 sales - total cost with 4X scope $75.00 back then - i have never seen another with the blonde stock -

[Ithaca Gunner]

Yup, those ''budget'' rifles shoot WAY out of their price range! A lot better than what we have for cheap these days.

[ttd444]

my .308 is my most accurate center fire - 100 yard 3 shot groups that are covered by a .25 cent piece - got it decades ago at a Woolworths 5+10 store when they sold firearms - at one time a Remington sales agent told me that the 788's were discontinued because they were cutting into the more profitable model 700 sales - total cost with 4X scope $75.00 back then - i have never seen another with the blonde stock -

my friend has a m788 with a blonde stock too. it is a 243 Win. he got that in '84 or '85 second hand. he uses any cheap, factory ammo that is 80gr and 100gr that will shoot 3/4" or less at 100 yards (5 shots). he uses 80gr for groundhogs and such and he uses 100gr for deer.

my uncle has a 788 in 308 that he never shoots.

[Texas by God]

The 788 in 22-250 was my first centerfire rifle at age fourteen- and I certainly regret letting it go for a Franchi 20 gauge auto!
I still remember the serial # 6106093!
Most of the blonde stocks are blonde because they were refinished. The Birch wood stocks are a very light color of wood- they were “Walnut Finished Hardwood” according to the catalog.
788s didn’t have the tough RKW finish that the 700s did.
I’ll try to post pics of Sam’s new Triple Deuce if I can.


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[beemer]

I have had a 788 in 222, 223, 22-250 and 243, should have kept every one. All I can say is that I was young and dumb, thought all rifles were supposed to shoot like that. The last group I shot with the 222 was 5 shots at 100 yards, could cover the whole group with a nickle and room to spare.

Hope you have a ball with that duce.

[Texas by God]

Here it is making me envious.
That would be good for making those pecan bottom crows relocate!


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[curiousgeorge]

Good find, Sam. Hope you enjoy it. I'm still looking for a .222, but haven't lucked up on one yet.

[35 Rem]

I've always wanted a 222 but haven't got one yet. My Remington 788 is a 22-250 but I've never been able to find a load that would hold 1moa. I glass bedded it thinking that would help but no real difference.

[schutzen-jager]

The 788 in 22-250 was my first centerfire rifle at age fourteen- and I certainly regret letting it go for a Franchi 20 gauge auto!
I still remember the serial # 6106093!
Most of the blonde stocks are blonde because they were refinished. The Birch wood stocks are a very light color of wood- they were “Walnut Finished Hardwood” according to the catalog.
788s didn’t have the tough RKW finish that the 700s did.
I’ll try to post pics of Sam’s new Triple Deuce if I can.


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my 788 purchased new + taken out of factory packaging + never refinished - possible non catalog run for cetain merchandisers -

[Texas by God]

my 788 purchased new + taken out of factory packaging + never refinished - possible non catalog run for cetain merchandisers -

I believe you; that’s why I said “Most”.
They also occasionally put maple stocks on 742/760 rifles and Mahogany stocks on 870s.


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[Eddie Southgate]

I've had my .243 carbine near 55 years , never gonna be for sale as long as I'm on this side of dirt. Still wearing the same steel Weaver with steel weaver rings it's worn since day one. Got the set of TLJ'r dies , 310 Set , and the Lyman #45 manual bought the same day to keep it fed with. Bought a jug of Dupont IMR 4320 and 500 Speer 100 gr SP's and 500 Nosler 100 gr FB's and have seldom ever shot any other bullets in it and no other powder. Now the powder is discontinued as are the Nosler bullets but I've got 30 some odd pounds of the powder and 198 rounds loaded in Lapua brass with the last of my Nosler FB's . At my age I will never need to load anymore of them anyway since I only use them on one deer a year. I use the Speer Hot Core 100's for varmints. It is and always has been my favorite of all the bolt guns I've ever owned , it and my Winchester 43 in .218 Bee .


PS: Congratulations on your .222 Koger . Hope you live to shoot it another 100 years. !

[beemer]

The 788 in 243 I had was bought new by a good friend in 67-68. I traded for it in the early 70's, it was a very early 788 and I believe it had a walnut stock. Sold it to one of my cousins and the rascal still has it.

[atr]

the 788 is a good rifle. And the .222Rem is an outstanding cartridge, one that I really enjoy shooting.
you are going to like shooting that rifle/cartridge combination.
best
atr