I have a chance at a 788 in 6 mm and 308. Both are left hand bolt actions. I don't know much about the actions, except they are rear locking and have heard horror stories about them. Is there someone who has real life experience with one. I will use it mainly as a back up rifle or when the weather is absolutely horrific. Also, can you easily rebarrel one ? I am not interested in turning a sow's ear into a silk purse, but a .308 into a 358 or 348 in a few years might be fun. Thanks for all your help.

Marcus,

I have owned a few over the past thirty years and ALL have served me well. One of them, an early .22-250 was shot until it literally had the throat in the barrel shot out. I had another in .223 that also spit out thousands of rds of military ammo until it just wasn't accurate anymore. (I was yound then and didn't know any better).

Had another in .308 that was a "truck gun" and it too served me well. They are accurate, and tough. I'm unaware of any "horror stories" on the older models though the new models may be different.

FN in MT

I've also owned a couple over the same 30 years tenure as Frank, and have had NO problems. Let's see, there was a 22-250 that shot lights out; a 6m/m that was an excellent shooter; and a 308 that shot so well the guy I loaned it to never did give it back. They are reputed to have the fastest lock-time of all R-P's rifles, as well as a great reputation for accuracy.

E.R. Shaw's rebarreled a few of them for me over the years, and, there's never been a problem or any extra costs because it was a 788.

The factory trigger is not adjustable, but, I just got one of my 788's back from a 'smith who modifies the trigger by adding three screws, making it as adjustable as a 700's.

R-WEST

marcus,you can't go wrong with those,I also have those two as i am left handed.The 308 has shot better then several 700's from the same time period,the 6mm you will find likes the lite bullets,the best,when I was working as the buyer for the gun shop the remington rep allowed as how that Remington wasn't real happy because the 788 was out shooting the 700's,and they were going to drop them,sure enough a year later they were gone.
If you can buy some extra mags as they are hard to find.

I'll just add to what's already here, they are very good rifles. Not much for pretty, but every one I own is a shooter (22-250, 22-243 Middlestead, 6mm Remington, 7mm-08). They are as easy to rebarrel as a 700, will chamber anything 308 based or smaller, the mags can be easily modified for loading the cartridges long. The rear lock up isn't a problem as long as you use factory or equivelant loads. The trigger can be swapped out for a Canjar, or if you do a search on this forum there's a gent who modifies the stock trigger for adjustment. Any of the 308 based mags will work for any of the 308 based cartridges and quite a few wildcats, and are easy to get. The smaller mags (22-250 and 222/223 size)are tougher to find, and the 6mm mags are tougher than that to find. 44 mag and 30-30 mags are a buy them wherever for whatever proposition. Aftermarket stocks are available (MPI, Garrett AccuLite, Brown, Ramline). They really are good little rifles. - Dan

and this from a dyed in the wool CRF guy...

GET EM!!! do NOT wait. rebarrel one to 257 roberts and the other to 358 winchester, and you are a king of the woods or beanfield.

just my 2�, and if you only want one, let me know and I'll buy and barrel the other for a lefty friend
jeffe

Marcus, I can't imagine where you heard horror stories about the 788. Among experienced shooters, just the opposite is true. There is some belief that the rear-lug bolt flexes and isn't accurate in hard-kicking calibers, but the 788 is wonderfully accurate at least up to .308.

The 788 was brought out as an inexpensive gun and I believe it was only stocked in plain birch. Also, the action isn't quite as pretty as a 700 and I believe the blued parts weren't polished as highly. But if you're looking for a very accurate hunting gun, the 788s are great guns.

I've owned a .243 carbine (18.5 inch barrel) 788 for about a year and I love it!

I've heard so many great things about 788s over the years that I have been seeking one out in 243 for quite some time. Finally found one dirt cheap. Its nasty looking from field carrying but it shoots Fed 85g SPs right at 3/4 MOA. I paid $239 for gun with old scope and mount and sling all together. Ugliest gun I have but I love it, and the action & trigger is just as smooth or better than a 700. Don't see 'em very often. Find one in good shape and grab it.

I have one in .243 which will be going to ER Shaw for another barrel this winter. It's a 1/2 MOA rifle, but I want more velocity so I'm having a 24" tube installed.

My .308 has always shot well, even though the dolt who owned it before me shot corrosive primered foreign milspec crap in it and let the bore pit.

The only criticism I've ever heard of was that the bolt stops could break off if you slammed the bolt all the way rearward too hard. I've never had any problems of any kind with either of mine. I found a pretty good source for parts, too. This guy actually makes those bolt stops.

Out Back Gun Parts
2110 McLean Ave.
New Albany, IN 47150
(812)945-0480

They're great rifles. One was used to win a Camp Perry match in the early 70's. Remington ran an add after that which read: "Meet our 85 dollar rifle which embarrassed us at Camp Perry." It seems that on that particular year a shooter used a 788 to best all other rifles, which included among them several Remington 40X's! I think there probably is something to the rumor that Remington dropped the 788's due to the fact that they were outshooting their bread and butter 700's. Folks were sending their 700's back to the factory in droves mentioning that their "buddy's 788 was more accurate..."

You can "purdy" them up a bit with some fancy refinishing of the stock. I stripped the stock on my .243 down to natural wood and then used some dark green paint, thinned with varnish to stain the stock green. I then poly'd over that with a couple of coats and she looks pretty good, actually.

Yes, that one is my...

"green 788"

Dan