I've read that the Remingotn 788 had a bad propensity for bolt handle failure (i.e. coming off in your hand) and that it was prone to set back with the higher end loads. Does anyone have any experience wtih this rifle or any other comments?
Remington 788
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788
Advocate,I have been collecting and shooting 788s for many years now.I personally have never had any failure problems from them.I find them to be a very accurate low priced rifle.If you are looking to buy one make sure the inside of the barrel is in good condition.Down here in So.Ga. I have been finding them at the gun shows for $300.00 max.These guns are really nice most not being shot much.Good Luck,I am CAL..
Advocate,I have been collecting and shooting 788s for many years now.I personally have never had any failure problems from them.I find them to be a very accurate low priced rifle.If you are looking to buy one make sure the inside of the barrel is in good condition.Down here in So.Ga. I have been finding them at the gun shows for $300.00 max.These guns are really nice most not being shot much.Good Luck,I am CAL..In theory, rear lug bolt actions may have these problems, but I have never had trouble with a 788 at all. Or heard of any actual cases of trouble. They realy are a great (but ugly) rifles. Form follows function I guess.
My wife has a 788 in 6mm and I have put some fairly hot 100gr bullet loads through it. I have shot 5 shot groups at 100yds that you can cover with a dime. And it will almost always do it with 3 shots.
With the 30-30 version you can load spirepoints in your cartridges. :idea:
I think a 375/6mm or a 375/308 would be a great wildcat for this gun.
Hud
My wife has a 788 in 6mm and I have put some fairly hot 100gr bullet loads through it. I have shot 5 shot groups at 100yds that you can cover with a dime. And it will almost always do it with 3 shots.
With the 30-30 version you can load spirepoints in your cartridges. :idea:
I think a 375/6mm or a 375/308 would be a great wildcat for this gun.
Hud
The McMillian custom rifle maker did a study of them and there's a web site which discusses the design and manufacturing problems of the 788 in some detail. I' ll list it. Seems that Remington welded the bolt handles on with a lower temperature type of welding than the M-700 and there have been many that failed. I have one with an 18.5" barrel in .308. Has a great trigger pull and is wonderful to handle as well as accurate. I was considering a .358 Winchester either rebore or rebarrel or a 7mm/08 AI with a 23" barrel.
My only problem arose from shooting some mil surp 7.62 that was toooo hot. Round stuck in chamber and I had to use a tree limb to knock open the bolt. The bolt handle and the extractor held, the casing was extracted and ejected, but the bolt stop was sheered off and the bolt flew out the back of the receiver. I had to have the bolt stop replaced, but other than that, it was fine.
Actually, would love to have one of these in .44 Remington Magnum, but they're very hard to find. Thanks for your input.
My only problem arose from shooting some mil surp 7.62 that was toooo hot. Round stuck in chamber and I had to use a tree limb to knock open the bolt. The bolt handle and the extractor held, the casing was extracted and ejected, but the bolt stop was sheered off and the bolt flew out the back of the receiver. I had to have the bolt stop replaced, but other than that, it was fine.
Actually, would love to have one of these in .44 Remington Magnum, but they're very hard to find. Thanks for your input.
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788
I have only seen one in 44mag. and the price was $450.00.Dealer said they were very scarce,reason for price.Saw a 7mm-08 last week.Rifle was in good shape but the bore wasn't.Didn't ask the price either.Good luck,I am CAL....
I have only seen one in 44mag. and the price was $450.00.Dealer said they were very scarce,reason for price.Saw a 7mm-08 last week.Rifle was in good shape but the bore wasn't.Didn't ask the price either.Good luck,I am CAL....
I've owned 4 and all were very accurate. My current 788 is a 7mm08 and it makes a great deer rifle. I've never had any problem of any kind and I've shot some pretty hot handloads in mine. Most of the nice clean ones I see are around $350 but the 7mm08, 3030 and 44 mag bring a premium. I'm currently looking for one in .223 for a decent price.
Good shooting, Weagle
Good shooting, Weagle
I have two, one in .308 and one in .243 (actually my mother's, it's on extended loan) They both shoot sub-MOA with anything, as long as it's up near maximum for charge. The .243 loves the NBT's especially the 55 gr.
.308 loves anything I put into it, the bullet doesn't matter as long as I fill the case with H380. Note, these are my findings with my two guns, they are not a good representation of all 788's, don't try my loads, work your own up for your own safety, none of mine are above the max load with H380 because that much powder will not physically fit in the case.
Selmer
.308 loves anything I put into it, the bullet doesn't matter as long as I fill the case with H380. Note, these are my findings with my two guns, they are not a good representation of all 788's, don't try my loads, work your own up for your own safety, none of mine are above the max load with H380 because that much powder will not physically fit in the case.
Selmer
I had one of the first to hit the market back in those days. It wasn't the prettiest rifle around, but it was very functional and with those locking lugs, it was also strong looking. Mine was in a 22-250 and it was one heck of an accurate rifle shooting factory fouder back then. I had NO complaints about the working or functioning of the rifle. A plain looking rifle that really was used hard by several people and NEVER broke down. I put over 2000 factory rounds through that gun and another 1500 handloads before it even started to lose any noticable accuracy.
I also had one, a 243. Checkered the stock(tough to do on sycamore), glassed the action and restyled the stock. shot just great and was my favorite rifle. Was stolen from my home about 16 years ago.. I still watch for it. Did have to have the handle reattached once. They had a bit of a problem in that way.. The reason Remington gave for discontinuing them was the cost of machining all those locking recesses in the receivers. I believe the real reason was that the 788 was cutting too deeply into the sales of the m700.. Good rifles... My brother has one in 222 with a walnut stock. Only done the 1st couple of years..
Hud: You mentioned wildcatting the 788 into a .375-308. I was thinking of reboring to .358, but the guide rails in the single row magazine are not wide enough for a cartrdige neck any larger than .30 caliber. .308 was the biggest bottleneck round in the 788. On your .375-308, how did you plan to adapt the magazines to such a large caliber....or did you intend to use it as a single shot?
Well............I didn't look at, or even think of that. There must be a way around that. I''ll take a look at mine. It would also be nice in my opinon to get rid of the clip all together and make a blind magazine.
I had a chance to buy a second clip for my wifes 6mm but the wanted $80
for it at a gun show. I passed it up, but wish now I had taken it.
Hud
I had a chance to buy a second clip for my wifes 6mm but the wanted $80
for it at a gun show. I passed it up, but wish now I had taken it.
Hud
I have owned 3, a .44 Magnum, a .243 and a .30/30. All were very accurate. The bolt hand is brazed on without much surface area so you might knock it off if you beat on it. The 243 developed sticky extraction with loads near the upper end of the reloading manual recommendations but factory loads were not sticky. I got rid of the .243 and the .44. I kept the 30/30. These were decent rifles when they were about 1/2 the price of a M700 or M70. Most 788se now sell for about the same price as a 700 and I would pick a 700 ever time.
Ed
Ed
Advocate,
I see what you mean. I was able to get a 38Spec case to slip between the shoulder stops on my 6mm, so a 358 Win should be able to work.
I think if you put a piece of steel bar stock in a vise that would slip into the clip you could gingerly hammer those stops down a little to allow a 375 cal cartridge to fit.
That's the same problem that is run into with the Lee Enfield in 303 Brit.
You see the 303 wildcated into smaller calibers, but seldom larger ones.
When you do see one, a different style clip is used.
Hud
I see what you mean. I was able to get a 38Spec case to slip between the shoulder stops on my 6mm, so a 358 Win should be able to work.
I think if you put a piece of steel bar stock in a vise that would slip into the clip you could gingerly hammer those stops down a little to allow a 375 cal cartridge to fit.
That's the same problem that is run into with the Lee Enfield in 303 Brit.
You see the 303 wildcated into smaller calibers, but seldom larger ones.
When you do see one, a different style clip is used.
Hud
Hud: My .308 clip was not wide enough for a .338 cal. Your 6mm must be very different if you could get a .38 special inserted between the two rails. I combed the net and ebay for 6mm 788 mag's after reading your comment and found NONE. I see your problem.
If you only have one magazine for that 6mm M-788 and it cannot be replaced, do you really think it's a good idea to start messing with that magazine and mabey ruin it and be left with a single shot in whatever caliber you ultimately choose?
Why not sell your 6mm 788 and buy a .308 M-788 for which magazines are plentiful on the internet. I have such a rifle (18.5" barrel) and at least one extra (new in box) .308 magazine for it as well as well. This would perhaps be better suited to your .375-308 project than the 6mm that you have.
If you only have one magazine for that 6mm M-788 and it cannot be replaced, do you really think it's a good idea to start messing with that magazine and mabey ruin it and be left with a single shot in whatever caliber you ultimately choose?
Why not sell your 6mm 788 and buy a .308 M-788 for which magazines are plentiful on the internet. I have such a rifle (18.5" barrel) and at least one extra (new in box) .308 magazine for it as well as well. This would perhaps be better suited to your .375-308 project than the 6mm that you have.
The 6mm is my wifes rifle. I'm not messing with it. No sir!
I was just saying that the 788 Rem in general I thought would be a good gun to wildcat to a larger caliber. The rails/case shoulder stops however, are a problem I had overlooked.
I do my best never to sell or trade in a gun. I always try to scrounge the funds from somewhere. I had a old chevy(85) ,1ton, 4wheel drive PU that I had put 450,000 on. I was just going to park it, but some one offered me enough to get my 375 Blackhawk converted to 480 Ruger by Gary Reeder. So I'll sell a truck to convert a gun, but I don't like to trade guns off.
I do have a Ruger SS P85MK11 9mm I might get rid of though and the local gun shop has a nice Ruger 77, in 300 Win mag, for $360 that I wouldn't mind having. But then I also want to convert my mauser98 to 475x2.5 belted mag and I want a new 480R lever gun. And I also need a better concealed carry revolver.
Tried to pawn off the pistol (it is very nice I think) on my boys, but they turn their noses up at Rugers. Ruger is too low grade for their tastes, I guess. Yuppies. (I didn't raise them that way.)
Hud
I was just saying that the 788 Rem in general I thought would be a good gun to wildcat to a larger caliber. The rails/case shoulder stops however, are a problem I had overlooked.
I do my best never to sell or trade in a gun. I always try to scrounge the funds from somewhere. I had a old chevy(85) ,1ton, 4wheel drive PU that I had put 450,000 on. I was just going to park it, but some one offered me enough to get my 375 Blackhawk converted to 480 Ruger by Gary Reeder. So I'll sell a truck to convert a gun, but I don't like to trade guns off.
I do have a Ruger SS P85MK11 9mm I might get rid of though and the local gun shop has a nice Ruger 77, in 300 Win mag, for $360 that I wouldn't mind having. But then I also want to convert my mauser98 to 475x2.5 belted mag and I want a new 480R lever gun. And I also need a better concealed carry revolver.
Tried to pawn off the pistol (it is very nice I think) on my boys, but they turn their noses up at Rugers. Ruger is too low grade for their tastes, I guess. Yuppies. (I didn't raise them that way.)
Hud
Hud: I know what you mean about trading off/selling guns. I feel the same way and have remorse for the loss of those I swapped, traded, bartered and sold off. I respect your respect for your wife's rifle, even though wildcating it to a larger caliber is not the best idea you'll ever have. Like your idea of the .458x2 in the M-98 Mauser though. Would love to hear how that turns out.
Best
Best
Advocate,
My 98 not going to be a 458x2". It will be a 475x2.5". That is the 458 Win mag case straightend out to take a 475 cal bullet. It would be the same as a short 470 Capstick or 475 Ackley magnum, which are based on the longer 375 H&H case.
I need it for absolutely nothin'. It is just somethin I wanted to try out. Soon as I get the cash rounded up I'm going to have it made up. Got the case dimentions, reamers, barrel, sights, triggers all figured out and located. I have the gunsmith all lined up too.
Hud
My 98 not going to be a 458x2". It will be a 475x2.5". That is the 458 Win mag case straightend out to take a 475 cal bullet. It would be the same as a short 470 Capstick or 475 Ackley magnum, which are based on the longer 375 H&H case.
I need it for absolutely nothin'. It is just somethin I wanted to try out. Soon as I get the cash rounded up I'm going to have it made up. Got the case dimentions, reamers, barrel, sights, triggers all figured out and located. I have the gunsmith all lined up too.
Hud
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