Those damm 788's

P

pyscodog

Active member
Went to a gun show today and sold a few things and for a change, actually made a few bucks, till I saw one of those damm 788's. It was a pretty clean little rifle, looked to be refinished but someone did a pretty decent job. Got to fondle it a little and noticed it looked to be bedded around the recoil lug and had a mild trigger job. Had a Vari-x III 6.5-20x40 in Leupold rings and bases. Oh ya, caliber was 223. Needless to say, I left broke and a 788 to add to the pile. Don't know what it is about those 788's but they are my weakness.
 
I was quite excited to see a 788 in 222 on the gun library rack at my Cabela's...till i looked at the tag...some jag-off rechambered it to 223.
angry.gif
 
Probably 25 years ago I had the chance to buy a NIB 788 in 44mag, and walked away because I had no need for a rifle chambered in that. CRAP
 
Originally Posted By: JOKERPyscodog--
Did you go to tulsa --
How is that show -?
Seems I only make it to Tulsa for Wannamaker ---
Thx

It was a Metcalf show. Pretty big crowd Saturday, not so big Sunday. I heard a lot of pistols and AR's were sold using plastic money. Getting ready for the big Obama push. Overheard a dealer telling a guy this might be the last Tulsa show. Who knows for sure.
As far as pics, all I can do is cell phone pics and haven't a clue how to post them.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogOriginally Posted By: JOKERPyscodog--
Did you go to tulsa --
How is that show -?
Seems I only make it to Tulsa for Wannamaker ---
Thx

It was a Metcalf show. Pretty big crowd Saturday, not so big Sunday. I heard a lot of pistols and AR's were sold using plastic money. Getting ready for the big Obama push. Overheard a dealer telling a guy this might be the last Tulsa show. Who knows for sure.
As far as pics, all I can do is cell phone pics and haven't a clue how to post them.

Smart phone? Download the app. Or pm me for an email and I'll post em later.
 
I don't know what it is about that rifle, but just like the 760/7600 is the "Pennsylvania machine gun" the 788 will always be the original hillbillies benchrest rifle!!!!! I don't know why or what it is...birch stock, unsupported bolt up front, never was a very good trigger, cheesy bottom metal that looks like it was cut with aviation snips....like a long haired toothless gal in a halter top at the Blue Dog Saloon on a Saturday night...got ta, got ta have one!!!!! The boys will fight over it.
 
All the years that I been going to gun shows, which is a lot, I think I've only seen the "Holy Grail" 788, 44 Mag, once. It was to far out of my budget to purchase or I would have bought it. I had one in 30-30 which is kinda rare but sold it to a guy who wanted it more than I did, and it probably was just a average condition rifle. I had a 243 carbine in a plastic stock years ago. I made the longest shot, on a whitetail doe, that I ever made on a deer, 373 yds. I was a lot younger when that happened. That was my first 788 I ever owned. Been a on and off love affair ever since.
 
I fell in love with them years ago, when a friend had one in 243. That ugly thing would outshoot my Ruger 77V in 243. Since then I've messed with them in 25-250, 6MM Rem, and 223. Never had one that didn't shoot at least decent, most a lot better than that.

The gun writer Jim Carmichel wrote in his book years ago, that they were so accurate because they had a lighting fast lock time. Don't know if that is gospel, but seems possible. I know that many people have poopooed the six locking lugs and lugs at the rear of the bolt as being of poor design but I guess no one ever told the guns that they were poorly designed.


That 44mag that I seen was $400.00 in the late 80's or early 90's and that was just more than I could swing at that time.

I remember passing up M1 30 cal. carbines for 100$ apiece at that same show, because he would only sell them at that price, if you bought a case or more.
 
Don't shoot the messenger, but I have HEARD, that if you could pull the trigger on a 788 and a 700 at the exact same time, the bullet in the 788 would be leaving the barrel before the 700. Or something like that. I have heard their locktime is considerable faster than the 700. Others will say the 600 had the fastest locktime. IDK, they all seem pretty quick to me. I'm just repeating stuff I have heard
 
Congrats on your 788....!

I traded into one (.243) about a month ago. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet due to the weather.

I plan on using it for coyotes out at the ranch....
grin.gif

 
Last edited:
Inherited one a few years ago in .22-250. My Dad believed in
keeping the outside of barrel/action oiled to never have any
rust. It was kept upright in a gun cabinet. I noticed the
pistol grip area was sticky and decided to refinish it. But
oil seeped up to the surface of the grip. It also followed the
wood grain down to the butt and came to the surface there as
well. Tried different approaches for over a year to remedy the
situation, but the oil would always reappear and I never could
put a finish on it. As luck would have it, Boyds had a short
run of the stock, laminated, unfinished and in the original
Rem788 style. I got one and improved the trigger action a LOT
by installing a Timney. This is the result:

788-1_zps9kwsqxce.jpg
 
Very nice Danno. I been thinking (already) about getting a Boyd's stock for mine. Only had it 24 hours and thinking about buying new parts for it. LOL Must be madness!
 
Back
Top