Remington 788

[sixshot]

When I was in the military in the late 60's & working part time in a Gibson's Discount Center in Texas they had just came out with the Remington 788's & we sold them for $63.50. I bought one in 222 & shot a lot of Texas varmints with that gun until one of my buddies at the base talked me out of it. I bought another one at the store & they had went up $4 dollars, now they were $67.50 & this one was a 22-250, nothing was safe!
You couldn't push it quite as hard as a 700 because of those rear locking lugs or you risk getting some set back but I don't know of very many rifles that could out shoot a 788. Always wish I had bought one in 30-30 & used cast bullets in it. Almost had one once when I was working in a gun store after I got out of the service but noticed one of the extractors was broken, I should have still bought it & replaced the extractor but at the time I figured another one would come by, didn't happen.
It took a really good gun to out shoot a 788, most guns couldn't do it, period. As mentioned, buy those mags when you see one for sale, you can always trade them.

Dick

[45MAN]

I HAD A 788 IN 22-250 SOME 50 OR SO YEARS AGO, IT WAS FUN TO BLOW THINGS UP WITH AND EVEN VAPORIZE SOME. SURE WAS AN UGLY GUN THOUGH.

[x101airborne]

Ever seen a left bolt, right eject Rem 788 in 6mm Remington? Bought that one out of an estate at a gun store. I have an original shorty in 7mm-08, a rebarrel 788 in 338 Federal, a rebarrel in 358 Winchester, and an original 22-250. Yeah, I like a 788 pert well.

The comment above about it took a lot of weapon to out shoot a 788 is absolutely my experience as well. A hot rod they are not. If you spring a case in that 788 with even a warm load you risk ripping the bolt handle off opening the action. I will work up .1 grains at a time in a 788, I dont do that for any other action style. I have seen no evidence of bolt setback in any of the 788's I have ever owned but have seen where maybe only half of the bolt lugs actually make contact. That is where a warm load will get you into trouble. And real danged quick if you aren't paying attention.

[hounddogman]

My dad ripped the bolt handle off a 788 22-250 shooting factory ammo. Since then I've been loading it around starting loads. Reading this thread has me thinking about that old rifle. Maybe cut and thread it at 16 inches for a compact suppressor hoast. Make a good ranch rifle.

[pacecars]

I picked up the Remington 788 7mm-08 today. I have a Bausch & Lomb Elite 2x7 scope on the way to go on it. I am debating on having the barrel threaded and might add a recoil pad

[x101airborne]

Nice purchase!!

[cas]

Aug 8, 2024 7:03:08 GMT -5 pacecars said:

Can’t argue there, they ain’t pretty.

Cheaper economy lines, yet there's something about them I love. Beautiful in their own way. Sleek and simple. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing, but price aside, I would take one of them in a heartbeat over so many of the plastic boltguns on the market the last 10-15 years.

[crazyhorse]

My best friend won a 788 in 243 back in 1981 by selling magazines for FFA in High School. It's ugly but still to this day it is a tack driver. He beat one of our buddies shooting that had about a $5000 rifle and scope rig. We still laugh about it.