Hi all, new to this site, I just introduced myself in the new members area.

I recently acquired a 788 in .308 from a coworker. I don't know much about this rifle and it is my first bolt action other than my .22lr. I wasn't on the market for it, but he was practically giving it away due to a recent change in his life (converted to Buddhism and was getting rid of most of his possessions). I have several questions about this model. I'm just taking a stab in the dark hoping to get some answers because I know so little about the 788 and this rifle in particular.

1. What accuracy can I expect from the 788 in this caliber, assuming everything is original parts? I took it to the range and at 100 yards I was shooting 4-6" groups from the bench and with the barrel on bags. This doesn't strike me as anywhere near accurate at all, but this is my first scoped rifle larger than a .22 as mentioned before, so I want to know if it is me or the rifle. A friend I was with, who is an avid hunter, didn't think it was that bad for a .308. Also, I was using the cheapest .308 I could find, which was Magtech FMJ. As you'll see in my follow-on questions, this rifle is actually not stock and said to be accurate by the previous owner.

2. My coworker said the bolt currently in the rifle is an aftermarket lightweight bolt. Not sure what that accomplishes, but wanted to know if the bolt pictured below is indeed not the stock bolt. There is the number 6558 hand-etched into the bolt. Picture:



3. The serial number is 6126xxx. Am I able to find out approximately when this rifle was manufactured? How about any other information based on the serial number alone?

4. Two questions about the picture below. Is it normal for the metal bracket around the magazine well to stick out like that? There is a rather noticeable gap between the bracket and the wood stock.



5. Secondly, my coworker said he had some trigger work done to the rifle. The trigger breaks extremely crisp and light and there is very little travel. In the photo you can see how far back the trigger is set. I wanted to compare this to what stock 788 triggers look and feel like.

6. The rifle came with a 3-9x Bushnell Sportview scope. Was this part of a combo package from Remington? I'm thinking no because there are empty threading holes on the ends of the barrel that I assume were for open sights. Also, the scope is mounted on a single piece rail... my previously-mentioned hunting friend said that switching the rail out for individual scope rings might help with the rifle's accuracy. Any truth in that?



7. The rifle came with two magazines. However, only one says .308 on it; the other says .270. The previous owner claims he has been able to use both for this rifle. Is there anything wrong with using the .270 magazine?

8. Previous owner said the barrel is bedded. I tried the dollar test, and the dollar was only able to go about halfway down between where the front of the stock starts and the barrel ends (about where the barrel starts to really flare out to the receiver). Is this different from stock barrels?

As you can see, I have lots of questions about this rifle. Please be as brutally honest with any answers you may have, no need to sugarcoat. For the price I paid for it (I'll leave it at less than $100 to a charity of his choice), I'm OK with a low accuracy plinking rifle, regardless of what work he says to have done to the rifle. I would like to know if this rifle is capable of much more and what you would suggest to get the most out of it. If it is a good rifle, I would also like to swap out the scope for a better one.

Here is a picture of where the barrel and stock meet. You can see where the gap ends. This is the furthest point I can slide a dollar bill down the barrel. I'm not sure what that filling material is, either.

The Remington 788 was produced between 1967 and 1983. It utilizes a single-column detachable magazine holding 3 rounds.

The distinguishing feature of the 788 is its rear-lugged bolt. The bolt has 9 lugs in three rows of three lugs each. They lock into the receiver behind the magazine well. Because of this design, the bolt handle lifts only 60 degrees on opening giving more clearance for scopes compared to the 90 degrees required for the Model 700 and other two-lugged bolts. The bolt travel is also reduced because of the rear lugs. The receiver also has a small ejection port and no bolt lug raceways, making the receiver stiffer than a Remington 700, although it is the same outside diameter.

Remington made extensive use of 'screw-machines' in the manufacture of this rifle. In its used form, the 788 retains a cult following for its accuracy, despite a serious design flaw. Such as the safety, which is notorious for slipping up and making the firearm unfit for safe use. Because this rifle is no longer in production, replacement parts are expensive and difficult to find.

The Remington Model 788 was never chambered for .270

Question #1...4" to 6" groups are not accurate at 100 yards. That could be blamed on anything from where you rested the rifle on the bag ( rest the stock, not the barrel on the bag ) to you're inexperience with shooting a .308 ( squeeze the trigger, don't mash it )...to that dreadful stock and the way it's bedded.

Question #2...Pictured below is the correct bolt for a Model 788 chambered for .308





(NOTE: serial # on bolt...if that was a new aftermarket bolt, it would NOT have a serial # on it !)

Question #4...NO, that gap is NOT normal.

Question #7...NO, do NOT use the .270 mag in a .308 rifle...NEVER !

The filler on the stock looks like wood putty...and a bad job at that.

What did Mr. Budda do with all the original parts he "swapped" out...?! Good thing he swapped religions...he's got some atoning to do for what he did to that rifle !

If the action and trigger are good...and the price was low...take some of the $$ you saved and buy a new synthetic stock and you'll be good to go...

Good luck...

Thanks for the honest assessment Shooter13! That's exactly the type of info I was hoping to get. I'll have to really think about what I want to keep this rifle for. I was thinking about getting into hunting and was hoping this might be a viable option; so far it seems like it is not. I had fun shooting it, albeit was only about 10 rounds or so.

- As for any parts the previous owner had, he no longer has them. This might have been a hand-me-down from his father or grandfather, but I'm not sure.
- When I shot those groups I rested the rifle on the stock.
- I will have to double check that other mag. It fits into the rifle, but you are saying there was never a 788 in .270. I will check to make sure I quoted the right caliber.

At this point, it looks like I have myself a cheap plinker. I don't know if I really want to invest in this rifle at all, but you have given me serious food for thought. Where is a reputable place to find aftermarket synthetic stocks?

Here's a few:

http://www.stockysstocks.com/servlet/th ... cks/Detail

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/Thumbhole ... 8-s/47.htm

http://shop.macongunstocks.com/Remingto ... ductId=308

http://mpistocks.com/availablestocks.htm

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/156631 ... etic-black

...and it's a fact that the Model 788 was never chambered for .270 !!

Keep me in the loop on what you decide...OK !?

Chalk it up to bad memory... that second mag is stamped .243, not .270!

OK...that makes sense.

The .243 is based on a necked down .308 cartridge case.



.243 <...........> .308

That being said...the two cartridges similarity ends there...and they are not interchangeable.

OK, that lines up with what he told me when I mentioned the different magazines. He was saying they are loaded from the same casing. He says he used both mags for the rifle, but I haven't ventured to try.

I have 4 Remington 788s. I have a right hand in 308 that shoots just about everything into 1 3/4" at worst. 1" with handloads is common. That is 5 shot groups at 100 yds from the bench. Re: ques#2, the numbers etched into the bolt should match the last numbers on the serial number on your receiver. If not the bolt was taken from a different rifle. Caution!! if the numbers don't match you could have headspace problems that could be hazardous!! Have it checked by a good qualified gunsmith before you shoot it again!!! Ques#4, you might be able to bend the bottom metal back to get a better fit. Does it lay flat when removed from the rifle? If the holes in the stock were changed in the "bedding job", it could be the cause. Ques #5, my rifles vary on the trigger pull but stock they are about 4-5 lbs with a fairly crisp break and little overtravel. The stock trigger is not adjustable. Timmney makes good qualiy aftermarket replacement triggers that are adjustable and available from them and many distributors, ~$135. Canjar made triggers many years ago and they were very good. Ques #6, The rifles came with very cheap open sights, I do not remember any scope packages from Remington. The open sights are usually gone from most used 788s. If your scope aligns to the target near the center of its adjustment range with your current base and ring setup, I would call it good. Check that the base and ring screws are tightened to speq. Loose base or rings can open your groups up. Ques #7, If you look closely at the two magazines I think you will see that the only difference between the two is the cartridge stamping. Just remember to NEVER fire any cartridge other than 308 in your rifle. These magazines were $8.95 in the 80's when I started buying 788s. I think they are $35 from Remington now. Ques #8, Stock bedding was usually tight at the front tip (not usually even from side to side, I sanded mine out to free float and got better groups) and then loose back to just in front of the receiver. Quick and nasty. No bedding compound, just the wood and finish.

easyrdr wrote:I have 4 Remington 788s. I have a right hand in 308 that shoots just about everything into 1 3/4" at worst. 1" with handloads is common. That is 5 shot groups at 100 yds from the bench. Re: ques#2, the numbers etched into the bolt should match the last numbers on the serial number on your receiver. If not the bolt was taken from a different rifle. Caution!! if the numbers don't match you could have headspace problems that could be hazardous!! Have it checked by a good qualified gunsmith before you shoot it again!!! Ques#4, you might be able to bend the bottom metal back to get a better fit. Does it lay flat when removed from the rifle? If the holes in the stock were changed in the "bedding job", it could be the cause. Ques #5, my rifles vary on the trigger pull but stock they are about 4-5 lbs with a fairly crisp break and little overtravel. The stock trigger is not adjustable. Timmney makes good qualiy aftermarket replacement triggers that are adjustable and available from them and many distributors, ~$135. Canjar made triggers many years ago and they were very good. Ques #6, The rifles came with very cheap open sights, I do not remember any scope packages from Remington. The open sights are usually gone from most used 788s. If your scope aligns to the target near the center of its adjustment range with your current base and ring setup, I would call it good. Check that the base and ring screws are tightened to speq. Loose base or rings can open your groups up. Ques #7, If you look closely at the two magazines I think you will see that the only difference between the two is the cartridge stamping. Just remember to NEVER fire any cartridge other than 308 in your rifle. These magazines were $8.95 in the 80's when I started buying 788s. I think they are $35 from Remington now. Ques #8, Stock bedding was usually tight at the front tip (not usually even from side to side, I sanded mine out to free float and got better groups) and then loose back to just in front of the receiver. Quick and nasty. No bedding compound, just the wood and finish.

THanks for the suggestions and all the background information. Unfortunately, the numbers on the bolt do not match the last portion of the serial number. I'll have to get it checked, I guess.

Yes, I noticed the two magazines seem identical except for the caliber stamp. So what your saying is I can load .308 in the .243 mag, right?

At this point, I don't know how much I want to invest in the rifle. It's not shooting well, parts seem scarce and available ones are expensive, etc. It seems all the money and time I would have to put into getting this rifle into good shooting shape would probably be better spent on a new rifle...