Rem 788 in 243 Win.

M

musky hunter

New member
Hi, i have a chance to buy a Remington 788 with a cheapass 3-9 scope in .243 Win. I would use it as my predator and groundhogs. The rifle is well used and a small crack on the stock. I can fix the stock easily. The bore looks good.

I can have it for $450 CND. Or i can go buy a Savage 12VF for $775 CND. Both prices are out the door.

Anyone use a Rem 788? I would like all reviews on the Rem 788 or the .243 win. Caliber. Thanxs.
 
I use one in .222 and really like it. It shoots better then most of my "pretty" rifles. I had one in .243 for a while but couldn't get it to shoot like I expected so it went out the door. I personally don't like the .243 but that is just me and not very many people agree with my opinion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Ryan,

The 788's are good cheap rifles. The rear lugged rifles suffer from bolt compression in the larger calibers.(.473 head) Then you get headspace problems. They are just not designed to handle heavy loads that hammer the lugs. They are also prone to bolt handle failure. Unlike the 700 bolts which are brazed on, the 788 bolt handles are silver soldered on. They also have a high ejection angle which makes the fired rounds hit your scope and tend to fall back causing jams. The clips are nice except they tend to rattle and are prone to loss. The bolts just rattle when opened. The stamped metal and plain wood with no checkering just make it look cheap. The rifles have little metal in the barrel thread area which makes it a problem if you want to set the barrel back much over a quarter turn if you do have a chamber or headspace problem. No serious benchrester, or custom gunsmith, would build a custom rifle out of this action. Why would you buy a rifle with all these possible problems when a model 700 ADL is cheaper and better on all points?

Now for the good news... most 788's will shoot! I have owned a 222 788 for over 30 years. It will shoot just about anything with a 222 Remington headstamp that you put into it. It will shoot several loads into a cluster you can cover with the back of your 243 case.

I have two friends that have 788's in .223 that have had the bolt handle come off. They were both trying to remove a stuck case when they snapped off. A gunsmith with a Tig welder can fix them. If you do buy the 243 don't hot rod it and it will give you many years of pleasure. In all used guns "Let the buyer beware" always applies.
 
My calling rifle is a Rem 788 in .222. My Dad and I bought one each in 1978 for Iowa foxes and the (then) occasional coyote. They've killed a lot of game for us. Amazingly accurate. The trigger is one of the better factory triggers I've experienced, especailly in this class of rifle. Despite my fondness for this one, I wouldn't buy another 788 unless it was almost a giveaway. The bolt doesn't lock down with the safety on. If you hold the trigger down with the safety on and then push the safety off it will fire. I also find the safety very easy to push off with the web of my hand, and if done so while wearing gloves it almost always goes unnoticed. I consider it a good truck rifle - where it's loaded and shot or unloaded, but rarely carried far. And no heart-breaker if some bipedal scum decides it's worth busting your truck window for.

As for the .243, I adore it and have owned several. My Dad loves the .243 and the two he has are the only centerfire rifles he owns. They have never let him down and I've seen him do some truly amazing things with them - but he's an exceptional woodsman with the ability to surgically place his shots.

A .243 will probably replace my .222 for Kansas coyotes.
 
I have been shooting a Remington 788 in .243 for about 12 yrs now and so far no problems what so ever. I take that back. It hates factory ammo but thats no big deal. I floated the barrel and did a trigger job on it and for fun redid the stock. Shoots great and for me a prefect varmint rifle.
 
Musky,
I lucked into my 788 about 20 years ago_One of my Ex's uncle offered it to me as I was looking for a small caliber deer rifle(.243).He gave it to me for $125.Up until the past few years I shot less than a box a year thru it.I actually never knew it's potential.Now I probably couldn't count how many rounds I put thru it.It isn't pretty but it gets the job done.I haven't had anything or done anything to this rifle and it is capable of cloverleaf one holers.I wouldn't trade it for anything.
 
first 788 in 222 i paid 98$ after the divorice i paid 200 for the same gun!!!! the biggest deer i ever killed i used my buds 243!! i would not pay 450$ for a 788 when i paid 415 for my 700 bdl in 243!! for the price i would buy a better gun!!! it may not shoot as good as a 788 but it won't be a cheep gun
 
I agree with the above post. The price seems a little steep. I picked up a 788 in .243 from a pawn shop about a month ago that sounds a lot like the one you describe. I paid $280.00 for it and so far am not impressed with the way it shoots. I floated the barrell and changed the scope but since then its been too windy to see if I did any good or not. It'll make a good truck gun if I can figure out what it likes.
 
i have a 788 in 6mm that santa claus gave me when i was 16 yrs old. That was back in 1977. My dad topped it with a 3x9 bushnell. It is today as it was back then with the execption of the camo paint job i sprayed on it. it did and still does shoot very tiny groups. awesome gun. moose
 
I own two - one in .222 and one in .223.
As a bottom line, they are ugly as Grandad's big toenails but shoot accurate as hell. The .223 in particular is extremely accurate - can and typically does shoot sub MOA with factory ammo - even with the crappy original trigger. its so accurate I am afraid to do anything different with it - if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Have followed the prices on Auction Arms and Gun Broker.com - looks like they are going up as this rifle develops a cult following.

I dressed the .222 up in a Richard's Microfit stock. Its like putting a prom dress on a fat girl - she looks better but you still don't really want to be seen with her in public /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ....... Suggest you keep it in the plain brown wrapper and enjoy it.
 
MuskyHunter,

Go with the Savage 12VF for $775 CND and never look back. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Not only would it be a new toy but it would come with a good warranty. New bore, and spiffy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Just my 2cnts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 


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