|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,569
Campfire Outfitter
|
OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,569 |
I have had lefty 6mm for a few years now and its a real shooter. it was rebarrelled to a varmint weight barrel by a guy I knew that passed away a few years ago. last weekend in Richmond va. at the gunshow a friend of mine had a lefthanded 308,hardwood stock,with 2 mags,to sets of bases and original box. gun is in excellent condition and he claimed to have bought it new. 99.95 wrote on the box. I pick it up because the lefthanded guns are getting really hard to find. it shoots really well but the trigger is 8 1/2lbs so I see a timney coming for it soon. well,saturday I went to another small gunshow near me and a guy next to me had a left-hand 6mm walnut stock in great condition. he wanted 600 for it. well I didn't think they ever made a walnut stocked 6mm in the 788. I looked the stock over and saw that someone had put a right handed stock on this gun and cut the bolt notch on the left side and filled the right hand side. they did a very good job on it. sights were gone on the gun ,plus the stock being changed and modified I soon talked him down to 450. then the guy said he may trade it to me if I had anything he needed. I ended up trading him a 300.00 handgun I had bought a few weeks back even for it. I am feeling very good about finding 2 lefty 788 rifle in 2 shows. this one has a very good trigger ,thank god. that puts my lefty collection at 12 guns.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 570
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 570 |
I bought a left handed 788 back when I was a freshman in college in 1979. The gun store had two of them. The 308 that I bought and a 6mm. They were asking $135 each, which at the time was a lot of money. I wish I still had that gun but the thing I didn't like was how the gun carried. It was a good shooter though.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,640
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,640 |
Bought a .308 in 1978 for $119. Ordered it from Ron Shirks thru an ad in Shotgun News. Had it rebarreled by McGowen to .243 improved and used it to kill a couple of Dall sheep in the Brooks range. It was accurate enough but I just never warmed up to it. Stock design was sort of clubby and bolt travel was rough due to all the locking lugs. Ugly as hell.
Rifle had issues. If I remember correctly it had one pin that held the trigger housing to the action. Seemed the metal tab with the hole for the pin broke off several times and had a few Smith’s try silver soldering it back in place but failed. The one and only rifle in my life that I threw in the trash can.
My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,807
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,807 |
Bought one new ,when they first came out. Mine was in 308. to this day its one of the most accurate rifles I own. great trigger also.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 12,123
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 12,123 |
I bought a left handed 788 back when I was a freshman in college in 1979. The gun store had two of them. The 308 that I bought and a 6mm. They were asking $135 each, which at the time was a lot of money. I wish I still had that gun but the thing I didn't like was how the gun carried. It was a good shooter though. Have owned one. Very nice custom full stock. 22 or 24 LPI checkering. Handled well and shot well. However, the mag box with square corners and edges protruding out the bottom just didn't feel right when I one hand carried it. So, I tripped it. SIL has a Right Hand 788 in .243 and loves it.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 8,573
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 8,573 |
If you're one hand carrying your not hunting anyway. If hunting, two hands or crook of elbow.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,640
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,640 |
[quote=Orion2000 However, the mag box with square corners and edges protruding out the bottom just didn't feel right when I one hand carried it. [/quote]
Forgot about the mag, you are so correct.
My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 425
Campfire Member
|
Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 425 |
I have 7 of the 9 calibers. (all rh models). Good job! The 6mm is my second favorite, my 22-250 is my favorite and hands down the most dependable and accurate firearm I own. Get them scoped and go have some fun.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,840
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,840 |
My first centerfire rifle was a 788 6mm. It spoiled me. I thought all rifles were supposed to be that accurate. First reload for that rifle shot five into less than a dime size group. I shot that load for years and racked up a lot of dead coyotes. Sure wish I hadn't let it slip away. One of the many regrets of youth.
Chronographs, bore scopes and pattern boards have broke a lot of hearts.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 2,556
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 2,556 |
I had one of the .308s, many years ago. I shot a few deer with it and ended up trading it off. It shot really well. It is extremely hard to find parts for them, now.
You did not "seen" anything, you "saw" it. A "creek" has water in it, a "crick" is what you get in your neck. Liberals with guns are nothing but hypocrites.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 13,924
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 13,924 |
If you're one hand carrying your not hunting anyway. If hunting, two hands or crook of elbow. LOL. I guess if you're really slow at getting into action.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,031
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,031 |
If you're one hand carrying your not hunting anyway. If hunting, two hands or crook of elbow. LOL. I guess if you're really slow at getting into action. Ha ha.. Holy chit, now I've heard of everything... For fu cks sake...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,010
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,010 |
Remington stopped making the 788 because it out shot their 700's and cost much less...........................
Great truck gun with the single stacked magazine.
When the tailgate drops the BS stops.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,569
Campfire Outfitter
|
OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,569 |
Read up on the 788 factory trigger and a few places on line said that they tend to gum up and get really tight. The 308 trigger pull was at 8 1/2 lbs. i decided to give it a good cleaning and see what happens. I tore it down and cleaned and managed to get it down to 5 1/4 lbs. i then ordered a trigger spring from ernies online and it took it down to 3 1/2 lbs.last week i picked up 2 lefthanded stocks for the 788 rifles at a gunshow for 25.00 each.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 15,887
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 15,887 |
The only issues I'm aware of is the bolt handle might snap off. Seems they were attached to the bolt in a different method.
There are 2 rules to success:
1. Never tell everything that you know.
|
|
|
|
566 members (12344mag, 10gaugemag, 10gaugeman, 160user, 1234, 16gage, 60 invisible),
2,708
guests, and
1,302
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,191,611
Posts18,473,902
Members73,941
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|