Remington 788 replacement barrel????

Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Silverbullet-2</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Any accuracy bolt gun smith can chamber and install one of the many manufacture's barrels. Back in the 60's and 70's that 788 was used by many benchresters. Best of luck, JPG </div></div>

2 years ago I shot with some BR guys - they were all using 788's - it's still a VERY hot rifle for BR.

I've got a 243 as well, they are the cats meow for a hunting rifle - extremely accurate right outta the box.
Rem788B.jpg
 
Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

hey thats my rifle! lol i have the exact same one, my dad free floated it and glass bedded it back before i could walk and that thing still shoots amazing, its my go everywhere kill anything gun, it was my first deer rifle and will be my daughters first as well, i just wanted to know how common replacement barrels were, i would love to do a trigger job but everyone says its pointless, i think if i had around 3 lbs this gun would be perfect, do they make bull barrels for this gun?
 
Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

I never was a fan of the 788 until my neighbor brought one over that would not shoot. It was a 243 like the ones above, but had seen better days. We found an old 40x 243 barrel laying in my scrap pile. I cut an inch of the back of the barrel threaded it for the action and chambered it in 243. I recut the crown and pillar bedded the thing. Without any load work it shot 1/2 MOA at 800 yards using 80gr bergers and some vv560. My neighbor is a machinist, but does not know much about gun work. We were just doing it to let him get familiar with the process, but he ended up with a great shooting little gun.
 
Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

The "Way back" machine and Stuart Otteson's book <span style="font-weight: bold">The Bolt Action</span> stated the 788 was somewhat of an embarrassment for Remington.

While it was supposed to be cheaper to build than the 700 (so its finish wasn't as nice -- but it still came out slightly more expensive) it has faster lock time and the rear locking lugs help with bolt rigidity (minimizing bolt flex during firing). On average it was more accurate than a hunting 700 with the thinner barrel. With a quality barrel and Timney trigger it's a tack driver.

Have a gunsmith put on a quality cut-rifled barrel and you can't go wrong.
 
Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

I wish I could find the article about the gal - 1978 or 1979 - she was shooting a match - the airline lost her luggage so she went down to the local sports shop- bought an out of box 788, and won some national match with it...

Mine shoots about .5 moa all day long, good day or bad day it just shoots.

I shoot 100gr Speers out of it, it's my kill-anything rifle as well.
 
Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

ive always shot the hornady sst light mags, 95 gr with great results, im not a reloader but would love to shoot the right hand load through this thing to see what it would do, anyways thanks for the help guys, i dont see many of these rifles so its cool to chat with people that have them
 
Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

I used to have them in 6mm, 243 and 22-250. I wish I still had all of them but traded or sold them all for some things or other. I now only have the 223 which is a great gun and I love the thing. The others were accurate if you did your part. My buddy is trying to get the one I have left from me but I keep telling him I am not interested at present. Anyways, they are good guns and mag fed which I really like. You can get them rebarreled any place that does other actions and they will probably really shine.
 
Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

Hi!

The 788 is my no. 1 killing machine since 84. With the trigger reconstructed, converted to a single shoot in 6.5-284 and with a target (tactical) stock-bull barrel configuration, it is, by any measure, as deadly, at any range, as any other gun.

The gun has digested a heap of barrels, both button and single cut, and rebarreling is straight forward with profiled or straight barrel blanks.
 
Re: Remington 788 replacement barrel????

Nothing. Shoot it as is, and rebarrel it when you need to. My 788 in .22-250 is about to et it's third barrel and is a great gun. Bought it 20 years ago for $250, and I've killed piles o' critters. Shot a prairie dog at about 750 yards.


1911fan
 
700 take off barrels will work for 788s. Be aware that the bolt flexing during recoil can bind the action so the smaller diameter bullets will work better, as there is less weight being pushed forward and therefore less force rearward. Also, choose a cartridge that you don't have to hot rod to get acceptable performance from. This bolt flexing and mechanical locking is the reason the 788s have a reputation for bolt handles breaking (my guess).