User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
MT, USA
|
Posted: 12/7/2023 7:02:21 PM EDT
As the title says, I inherited a Rem 788 in 22-250. The trigger was frozen up, but I have disassembled it and am soaking it and giving it a thorough cleaning.
Came with a vintage Leopold M8 6x on it. Doesn't look like my grandfather shot it too much. I see I can replace the trigger with a Timney if things don't work out. I was considering getting it threaded to use my Nomad if it shot well. Looking for people's thoughts and experiences with this interesting bolt gun. |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/7/2023 8:13:34 PM EDT
[Last Edit: 44-40pro]
[#1]
My 18 inch carbine in 308 is an amazingly accurate rifle. I've been told Remington stopped production of the 788 series guns as they would regularly outperform their 700 series guns. Rear locking lugs are a thing. Not a huge fan of the 22-250 cartridge, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it. If you can't sort out the trigger, Timney would be my choice for a replacement.
ETA: Can't see much use in threading the barrel as EVERYTHING you'll be shooting out of it will be supersonic unless you've got some really unusual hand loads 
|
|
|
|
MT, USA
|
Posted: 12/7/2023 8:34:46 PM EDT
[#2]
Interesting, thanks for the info! I am not a huge fan of 22-250 either but it was extremely popular with my Dad and Grandpa in the 60's and 70's.
As for threading I am a huge fan of taking the edge off anything I can. I was thinking this might be a nice varmint bolt gun for my boys someday. |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/8/2023 12:23:27 PM EDT
[#3]
788s are really good rifles and they have a following.
One thing to be aware of is they are prone to the bolt locking up with high pressure & high bolt thrust loads, and then having the bolt handle break off trying to unlock it. I have one in 308 that is pretty accurate with factory Winchester SuperX, and I'll keep it around for that reason alone. Yours being a 22-250 from that era, it probably has a 1-12 or even 1-14 twist barrel. If it were me, I'd want to keep every inch of barrel for the highest possible velocity with 45 to 55gr varmint bullets, that is where it will shine IMO. Murphy Precision machined a beautiful stainless picatinny rail for mine. The blued finish ln the rail matches the receiver nearly perfectly. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/8/2023 12:32:44 PM EDT
[#4]
I have a .243 carbine, I love that gun.
I replaced the trigger with a Timney when the original Remington safety went from SAFE to FIRE wayyy to easily, with the slightest bump. |
|
|
|
MT, USA
|
Posted: 12/8/2023 1:44:01 PM EDT
[#5]
Good info guys. I don't think I will have to cut the barrel back at all for a simple 1/2x28 thread.
I did some reading and it does seem that 1-14 is the most likely twist. I am hoping it will shoot 55's well as that is my mainstay of reloading. I don't plan pushing max velocity either. |
|
|
IL, USA
|
Posted: 12/8/2023 2:12:36 PM EDT
[#6]
A Friend has a Remington 788 in 22-250 with a Weaver 6X and it is an excellent shooter. My Brother has a like new Remington 788 in 223 Remington and it is also accurate. Both make great varmint guns even though they have been out of production for decades. The 55 grain SP are very effective in either cartridge and usually tack drivers.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/9/2023 1:26:09 PM EDT
[#7]
Don’t think I’d do anything to it except get the trigger fixed. Great rifles! There’s a little bit of collectibility in it.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 12/9/2023 8:38:39 PM EDT
[#8]
By the way, once the fake walnut finish gets banged up, if you sand it down it's a beautiful blonde stock underneath.
|
|
|
|
VA, USA
|
Posted: 12/9/2023 10:00:31 PM EDT
[#9]
Spent a fair amount of time with one in .243. Very accurate and handy rifle, zero complaints. That sounds like a fun caliber for one, I'm jealous.
|
|
|
IA, USA
|
Posted: 12/9/2023 10:44:32 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 44-40pro: ETA: Can't see much use in threading the barrel as EVERYTHING you'll be shooting out of it will be supersonic unless you've got some really unusual hand loads No kidding. I inherited a 60's vintage Rem 700 in .22-250 that my dad either A) shot the barrel out with his hot-ass handloads, B) kept the old scope on too long, or C) all of the above. I have a new scope, so we'll see... |
|
|
MT, USA
|
Posted: 12/10/2023 5:15:22 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DDiggler: By the way, once the fake walnut finish gets banged up, if you sand it down it's a beautiful blonde stock underneath. Funny you say that because I was just thinking about what I could do with the stock it is fairly beat. He carried it a lot but didn't shoot unless he had to (depression era childhood.) |
|
|
|
Posted: 12/11/2023 9:09:06 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MT_Mauser: Funny you say that because I was just thinking about what I could do with the stock it is fairly beat. He carried it a lot but didn't shoot unless he had to (depression era childhood.) @MT_Mauser  Attached File |
|
|
|
MT, USA
|
Posted: 12/12/2023 1:17:06 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DDiggler: @MT_Mauser https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/52825/IMG_4801_jpeg-3056941.JPG Yeah I just might have sand the fake finish off if we ever start having real winter here. |
|
|
USA
|
Posted: 12/20/2023 10:50:49 AM EDT
[#14]
I have a 788 in .222 Remington. The gun is a laser with 45 gr and lighter projectiles. Anything much above 50 gr and the slow barrel twist will not stabilize the bullet.
|
|
|
USA
|
Posted: 12/20/2023 12:57:54 PM EDT
[#15]
My favorite .22-250 loads have always been the Sierra or Nosler 52 grain BTHP. I bought my M700 varmint and 5 boxes of factory Remington 55 PHP for the brass. Those shot outstandingly small groups too but were the last factory loads that gun saw and that was the eighties. They shot so well I did nothing to that rifle for a few decades. It sat in the back of the safe after my younger years of clobbering woodchucks out to 550 yards. When I pulled it out of the safe around 2007 I noticed my zero moving sideways. It got worse when it got hot. Somewhere along the line the forend warped. I tried bedding it, free floating it but the forend warped more even after hogging out the forend and bedding rod stiffeners. After all that I gave up on the old wood stock and found a HSbPrecision take off stock and bedded it in that. No problems now.
I had a couple 788 .243s for work all with 18.5” barrels. They were a bit noisy with muzzle blast. A few department issues with defective safeties and bolt handles pulling out of the bolt. Remington took care of those issues. You have a great varmint rig! |
|
|
MO, USA
|
Posted: 12/26/2023 8:14:09 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 44-40pro: My 18 inch carbine in 308 is an amazingly accurate rifle. I've been told Remington stopped production of the 788 series guns as they would regularly outperform their 700 series guns. Rear locking lugs are a thing. Not a huge fan of the 22-250 cartridge, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it. If you can't sort out the trigger, Timney would be my choice for a replacement. ETA: Can't see much use in threading the barrel as EVERYTHING you'll be shooting out of it will be supersonic unless you've got some really unusual hand loads This is a great thread. I have the same thing, 788 w/ 18" barrel in .308, a real tack driver especially with certain reloads. Combination of an amazingly accurate rifle with an inherently accurate cartridge. Would be a great deer rifle. |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/1/2024 2:24:17 AM EDT
[Last Edit: sgwlower]
[#17]
I collect 788’s. Almost have every caliber at this point.
The 22-250 is my favorite. Mine loves 53 grain sierra’s. They are wonderful rifles, you may want to skip straight to the timney. The stock triggers are serviceable, but they are not Timneys. |
|
|
|
OK, USA
|
Posted: 1/1/2024 2:37:13 AM EDT
[#18]
Got a 308win, sort of heavy but a fine shooter, safety to fire takes a light touch to move.
Had 223 one in the 80s that had been re-barreled to 6x45, it looked funny with the 24" barrel since iirc all 788s had 18" barrels |
|
|
|
Posted: 1/7/2024 10:41:17 PM EDT
[Last Edit: xciapup]
[#19]
I am thinning my heard of about 15 of them. Have owned and shot them for 30 years. Check gunbroker, under bryant ridge in KY. Four of them. Like new. Should post in about a week.
Some quick notes. If you reload for a 788, especially for a 22-250, consider full length sizing. And even if you neck size, pay close attention to length. The bolts compress. This means the brass grows much more than in a forward lugged bolt. As soon as you sand the stock, you will loose value. Change the trigger. It helps. Float the barrel. A cascading of sizes of deep sockets wrapped in sandpaper works. Seal where you sanded. Snug the forward receiver screw. Don't snug the rear one much. There are 3 receiver sizes.. Short, long, and a unique one for the .44. Don't be afraid to try heavy bullets in the 22-250. I killed a lot of TX white tail with the 70 gr speer running on the slow end of velocity. I am guessing you won't have enough barrel wall thickness to thread for a can. You might. Be careful before cutting. You can't uncut. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/7/2024 10:44:48 PM EDT
[#20]
I have a .308 788 that my Dad bought me new in 1979. Still a tack driver
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/8/2024 10:13:56 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Ndenway1twicetimes: Got a 308win, sort of heavy but a fine shooter, safety to fire takes a light touch to move. Had 223 one in the 80s that had been re-barreled to 6x45, it looked funny with the 24" barrel since iirc all 788s had 18" barrels Factory lengths were 22, 24, 18. Plus or minus. |
|
|
|
USA
|
Posted: 1/8/2024 3:06:44 PM EDT
[#22]
Shellacked up oil in the trigger, I’ve used acetone and lighter fluid at different times. I had a 40x .22 from CMP that was so rock hard like epoxy that I had to split the trigger pack and pick the hardened solids out with a dental pick. Then soak and scrub the rest off. So far I’ve had two or three walker triggers that were gummed up but that was the worst one. An 1187 that was gummy inside and wouldn’t drop a hammer fast enough to fire.
|
|
|
OH, USA
|
Posted: 1/13/2024 11:49:07 AM EDT
[#23]
I have never owned one but I have known guys that did and it seems like they are all very accurate, they had them in 243, 7-08, 44 mag and they all seemed to be winners.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 1/16/2024 7:12:25 AM EDT
[#24]
For anyone interested, my 4 788s are live now on gunbroker. They wont go cheap, but as-new 788s are getting hard to find. Bryant ridge has them. 222, 223, 22-250, 308.
|
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 2/6/2024 10:23:35 AM EDT
[#25]
Can a 243/308 magazine work with 22-250?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 2/7/2024 6:17:31 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By country_boy87:
Can a 243/308 magazine work with 22-250? |
|
|
|
ND, USA
|
Posted: 2/7/2024 1:59:12 PM EDT
[#27]
I had the 223 788. It was the most accurate rifle I’d ever had. With 50gr. Hornady SXs it was .25” groups, consistently. I forget the rest of the load, it’s in my notes somewhere. Rifle was ugly looking but it took hundreds of California ground squirrels when I lived there. It was actually very boring after a while.
|
|
|
IL, USA
|
Posted: 2/28/2024 10:11:59 PM EDT
[#28]
They seem to be way more accurate on average than they should be. Most rear locking bolts are good at stretching brass like the Lee Enfield. They had somewhat sloppy chambering was most of the reason. Brass needs to be trimmed every time or every other time in them. The 788 not so much
First rifle I ever bought was a Remington 580. A rimfire version of the 788. The 580 was a single shot, The 581 was 5 or 10 round magazine, The 582 was tube fed. These where an cheaper version of the 540/541. One of the best 22 bolt guns ever built. I didnt know just how good my gun would shoot. A 10 shot group at 50 yards would make a hole that would tear bigger putting a pencil through it. That was with 4 or 5 different loads and put everything way under an inch including wildcats. I still have that rifle. I also have a left handed 581. Not sure if any of the 540/541 or 580 series came left handed. I know the 788 did. The 788 came in 44 mag. I shot one suppressed in the 1990s. Not sure if the left hand came in 44 or if the guy converted it. |
|
|
|
Posted: 2/29/2024 6:42:56 PM EDT
[#29]
I had one really loved it shot laser beams into a ragged hole with 40g v max idk why I sold it guess I'm dumb like that
|
|
|
|
LA, USA
|
Posted: 2/29/2024 7:02:05 PM EDT
[#30]
It's a nice gun, replace the trigger and shoot it for another 40 years.
|
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
.jpg)
