Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Remington 581

Been looking for a accurate bolt clip fed 22lr stumbled upon one at a fair price what is to know about it looks like a 788 Remington

You can throw in a lighter trigger spring. Mine is 1/2" or less 5 shot at 50.

I got one for Christmas, 1967. Good rifle, but not great. This one will obviously stay on, but I’m not looking for another one. They were, after all, cheap rifles that just happened to have interesting and very strong actions. Need to take mine shooting.

It is about like a mini 788. Both are shooters.

The only real problem I have for target shooting, is that it is very light. It has shot 4 of 5 into one hole at 50, but that was a good day. Nice to carry around hunting, though.

Like the 788, they were very accurate and inexpensive.
I built a custom rimfire off the one I had and it is one of the most accurate, possibly the most accurate, rimfire I have. All the parts I used were Rem. except for the Bishop Sporter stock.
If I had a couple more I would build 2 more customs, but one would be a 17HM2.

Great shooters with a lot of trigger work! I have the 580 single shot version because every 581 I ever owned wouldn’t feed for chit!

Bought one for $130 in righthanded. Son bought one on here for $250 in lefty. Both shoot well enough for hunting and as mentioned are light to carry. Soiid old rifles and we had no feeding issues.

The first gun my father bought for me 50 years ago. Yes, a mini 788, accurate and functional. Shot hundreds of bullfrogs ,squirrels and woodchucks with it over the years.

I bought a 581L when I heard they were being discontinued. had wanted one for a while and thought I had better get one while I had the chance. it is an absolutely great shooter with almost any ammo. In the years I have had it I have only found one ,22LR round it wouldn't shoot bug holes with. First order of business with mine was sending it to a gunsmith for a trigger job. The trigger is now 2.25#. I don't shoot it as often as it deserves, since I bought a Browning T Bolt in left hand. The T Bolt is much prettier, but the 581L lays right in there accuracy wise.

Great rifles and getting harder to find and more expensive. One of mine had the trigger worked over by Brian Volker and it's a thing of beauty. Magazines are the biggest downfall, plastic and somewhat fragile. Factory five rounders are the most reliable but are hard to come by and expensive. I saw a guy selling after market metal mags over at Rimfirecentral.com, but I haven't logged on there in a long time. Place is ran by a miserable twat.

I have several of these rifles in the 581, 581S and 580 configuration.. I've probably carried my original gun from the late 70's literally thousands of hours coon hunting and a few squirrel hunting.. I've killed coons, ground hogs, beaver, bobcat, coyote, fox and all manner of vermin with the old girl.. Completely beat to death, but shoots where you point it. Of the ones I own that I have shot I see consistent results.. As stated, not the best triggers, but quite sufficient for a hunting gun..One of the "cheap" guns that turned out quite good..

John Reed makes great stainless magazines for the 581. A couple of other guys rework other metal Remington magazines for them as well.

i had the same issue with mine...solved it by drilling holes in the forend and butt for 38 wadcutters. after drilling, i varied the weight to add until it suited me and it's a fine squirrel gun. williams aperture sight and a ramp front with a 1/16 white bead.

i haven't had much problems with feeding.

A Remington 581 was the first gun I bought for myself in 1976 or 77. I never really had feeding issues, and the trigger has gotten better after many thousands of rounds. I replaced the birch stock with an after market walnut 541 stock that was inletted for a heavier barrel. It still looks pretty good and is fully free floated. It shoots very well and has taken a lot of rabbits, squirrels, rats, gophers, and prairie dogs. I still have it along with the box, single shot adapter, and paperwork. Too bad I sold the original stock.

I fire lapped mine with 5 shots of 800 grit then 5 of 1200 grit, I can shoot black birds out of the tree at 100 yards, 6.5x20 leupold with target knobs marked in 25 yd increments to 200 yards.

Bed the action, freefloat the barrel, re spring the trigger

People often forget that rim fires need to be cleaned every 250 rounds or so, more if you use cci Stingers or super high velocity ammo, use good rim fire bronze bristle brushes.

Too many think that you never have to clean a rim fire....till they own a bore scope. I got this "cleaning" info from the guy that built all the Olympic 22's. Lead builds up.

I glue animal crackers on a piece of card board and let the nephews practice bench techniques with it at 100 yards. CCI std velocity for practice then the cci mini mag hp for hunting above the size of a squirrel.

Brownells sells 800 grit, roll a std velocity bullet between two steel plates and it will grind the 800 grit into the lead grooves in the bullet. Good idea to clean right after you fire lap the barrel. Get ready for the shock of your life.

Then did a Rem speedmaster, and it turned out to be as accurate as the 581.

I think they are great. They were a "cheap" gun for their time. I've had a couple over the years. Including a 541T HB, before I knew what I had.
Currently I have a 582, tube feed...on the chopping block and a custom 581.

The 581 started out beat up and was used for some kind of hunter education program. After a few gunsmiths, it has

Timney 788 trigger modified to fit
Anschutz 1712 barrel glued in
Second action screw added
Pillar and glass bedded
Drilled & tapped
Stock painted and a thin soft pad added and sling swivels

I've shot sub 1" groups with it at 100 yds using Eley Club, not the best ammo out there.

I've had a 541THB, 580,540X, 2nd 581..wish I kept all of them. My friend had a 580 with a Broughton barrel, for a short while. I stay on the lookout for ones that aren't overpriced