All other things being equal, is one of these barrel apt to be more accurate than the other? I have a 788 action that I intend to rebarrel as step one toward a target rifle. I have some experience with a .243 but I understand that the .260 is the latest phenome. Thnx in advance.
John

I'd think with the vast array of match grade 6.5mm bullets, you'd find something that shoots very well for the 260 Rem.

What is the specific purpose of this 788 target rifle?

Since I am a serious competitor I don't have any 788 Remingtons if you follow me. They do have rear locking lugs which I don't favor. I can't think of anything else nice to say.

Owning 243, 260 Rem and 7/08 I have nothing bad to say about any but...you will really enjoy your 260 Rem. It is a deer killing machine!
Noooo recoil.

Not sure what advantage the 260 would offer compared to a 25-06???

260 is harder to find ammo for, and offers no balistical advantage to the 25-06. I thought the 260 craze ended 3 years ago.

Since I am a serious asshole I don't have any 788 Remingtons if you follow me. But being an asshole, I do prefer rear locking lugs.

I'd go with the .260. I had a .243 for 12 years and happily switched to the .260. I've found accuracy easier to attain and reloading for it is easy.

Why not the 6.5 X 55 ?

why not the 6.5x55? .260 for rather pragmatic reasons. The .260 -as is the .243- is a variant of the .308. I have a couple of 7-08's and have had a .243. Some time back, in a fit of thrift I bought a couple of thousand match grade military .308 cases even tho I don't own a .308. Soooo, I need to do something with them.
When I explained this to my wife, she gave me THAT look but it makes sense to me. Right?

The choice between the 243, and the 260 rem is really a personal thing, and you can spit farther than the difference between the two! The 260 will not do anything the 243 wont do just as well.

As far as the 788 action goes, this was the $80 rifle That embarrassed them at Camp Perry, a few years ago! It seems a privateer took a factory 788 rifle to camp perry, and beat the pants off all those 40XB shooters with their $2000 tune jobs. I don't know how more serious one could get! Remington even launched a commercial for a 788 combo with scope mounted for little more than $100, that read " The 788 Remington, our $80 rifle that embarressed us at Camp Perry"

I have a mint 788 chambered for 223, that will print five shots in one hole a 150 yds, all day long of the bags! Those rear lugs didn't seem to effect the shooting at Camp perry much, I guess it was just luck! The 788 is just one of those cheap little ugly rifles that shoots the pants off some real SERIOUS expensive rifles. That happens sometimes!

[ 02-28-2003, 01:12: Message edited by: MacD37 ]

MacD, thanks for the input. I am aware that the 788 has been used as the platform for numerous "serious" bench guns but I didn't want to pop anyones bubble. I have had a couple of .223's in the past that would shoot like a house afire. I am leaning toward trying to put together a IBS rifle without having to sell the children. Personally, I try not to take myself too seriously in any facet of my life as it tends to skew my sense of self worth.

Sorry...beg to differ with you regarding the .260 vs .243 I shoot a 6.5 swede which is not a nickel's difference from a .260 The swede replaced my .243 as my antelope gun long ago. You can shoot a variety of bullet weights in the swede (120,140, 160 gr for heavier) or just stay with comparable bullets (85 or 100 gr)to a .243 . The .264 caliber is noted for penetration due to the long bullets used. Penetration is not the .243's long suit. If I put up a mule deer on a late season pronghorn hunt...I am going to be undergunned with the .243. The 6.5 swede will perform.

My $.02

swede

260 all the way!

B

I am stuck on this very same decision. I have a .223, .270 WSM, .45/70, .308, 7mm Rem Mag, .300WSm, and several bigger guns. I know I don't need another gun, but I want something smaller. It will be used later by my kids, and for now as a coyote/deer gun and for clients who are having a hard time managing the recoil of their latest super magnum.

I would like a .243 because it's tiny, doesn't kick, and I can get ammo anywhere, including Africa. I like the .260 because it is more veratile, and I can use it for the same things as my .243, but it gives me more insurance on big pigs and other, larger animals if I feel like it. Of course, I don't really need to take it anywhere because I have larger guns if I need them. What would you do?

Amen MacD37! My 788's shoot great and they're straight factory stock. Until I shoot out the barrels I'll leave them the way they are, which is shooting sub-MOA when I do my job. As long as I fee my .308 and .243 out of the 788 platform they are happy as am I.
Yardbird

I really like your idea of the 788 with the 260 with my positive experiences with both I'd very much like to know how this project comes out if you do try it.

I think one would be happy with either the .260 or .243.

The .243 gets some bad raps from folks who either haven't used it except in factory loads, or can't shoot.

I have had a .243 since I graduated from college in 1957. I bought it with money given me for graduation and mounted a Kollmorgen 4X scope on it.

I reload it with 4350 using 45 grains behind a 100 grain bullet.(That might be too hot in your gun.) It chronographs at 3150 fps. That is maybe as much as 250 fps over the factory rounds. I have read of chronograph results with some factory rounds that did not reach 2900 fps. That is a different rifle than the way I load.

I have had a higher percentage of 1 shot in the tracks kills on deer than with any other rifle. I use .270, 7MM RM, and 300 Wby Mag. All kill extremely well. I have killed two antelope at slightly over 500 yards with the .243, and it puts them down instantly.

I have only killed probably about a dozen deer with it since I use several rifles. However I have two friends who have used it and a 6MM Rem exclusively for at least 30 years, and have killed many head of deer and similar size animals. I am sure that the number would be at least 50 and probably a lot more, and at least one elk. They consider it completely adequate for their hunting, and have no desire for anything else. Either could afford any rifle he desired by any maker.

I recall that Les Bowman thought the two 6MMs were excellent deer cartridges. They were easy to shoot and killed well.

Poor shooting, or low velocity loads will not make the .243 a good deer gun, but good loads and good shooting will. Any chest hit will anchor any deer with my loads. Experience proves it beyond a doubt.

Having said that, if I were to hunt anything larger than deer I would prefer the .260.

Jerry

I've used extensively the .243 Win, with premium bullets, of course. It's a ONE SHOT KILLER on antelope. Excellent performance if you take the time to put the bullet where it belongs.

I have 243, 260 and 7/08.
The 260 with a 140 grn bullet will do more than the 243 with the 100 grn. I am talking factory ammo now.
I have two 7/08's, one 260 Rem and one 243...the 260 is a very pleasant rifle to shoot and gets the job done...the 7/08 will give you the best edge of the three.
Having said that, I will build another 260 on a new left hand Montana action for a left dominate eye 11 yr. old grand daugher...I bet the deer at the ranch won't like it.

I just bought a skanky, nasty beat up 788 in 243 for $200 w/scope last year. Opened a box of Fed 85g gameking ammo and put 1st 5 rds into 0.75" at 100yds. Decided to do nothing at all to it. It's still the nastiest looking rifle I own, but also one of the most accurate! Rear lugs are not a bad idea, although from an engineering point of view it certaibly doesn't see ideal. I also own 2 Steyr SSGs that shoot one hole consistantly. Rear lugged bolt design as well.

Well, I scrubbed about 23.5 lbs of copper out of the bore and it shoots -without a whole lot of development- 1.00-1.5". In other words, it would be a good "hunting" rifle. Right now, I have other obligations -like trying to get this POS barrelled action that Remington sent me to replace the one they destroyed to shooting. More on the remington deal and the 788 later.

i vote for the .260 also. it just seems to kill like the hammer of thor. i use the 125 partition exclusively.

gabe