Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Remington 788 30-30

Thanks buddy. I appreciate that. Believe it or not, I was looking at a bullet mold the other day. Where I live now, they have cast bullet only shoots. I may just get into that sort of thing. I've met some of the guys at the local range that shoot that and they have a ball. I've never casted bullets, but I have been researching it.

Indeed. Back in the 80's, the 788 .30-30 was the darling of the Production Class in Cast Bullet Association matches. There seemed to always be one in the top spots.

The .30-30 has always been an ideal cast bullet cartridge - with its nigh perfect case capacity for slinging 170-190 grain cast bullets at factory velocity of 2000+fps, and great for reduced loads all the way down to subsonic mouse fart loads with light bullets. A fact that's been well known to astute rifleman for over a century.

BSA - if you want to give cast bullets "a shot", let me know and I'll fix you up with some samples.

Thanks buddy. I appreciate it. I'll send a PM.

Pretty cool rifle, nice grab.

bsa1917hunter;
Good afternoon, me once more.

As mentioned we put a Timney into my wife's carbine and are happy with it in every way possible.

I'd add that the safety action is more crisp and positive than the stock trigger and apparently the bolt stop pin is more robust.

I'd replaced a spring in the original 788 trigger and like most of our rifles it had a shoe, but there was no comparison to the Timney.

Anyways all that to say one more vote for a Timney.

All the best.

Dwayne

I totally agree. Great points on the why's. That is exactly what I experienced when switching to the Timney. When I bought the left hand 788, it appeared that someone had previously worked on the trigger and made it unsafe. After switching to the Timney, it seemed like the safety was more positive feeling and no more trigger going off on its own. Back then, it seemed like everyone suggested the Timney. The reason I went that route with that rifle.

I'm going to give these Barnes 150s a go in my Savage 340

I had one a few years ago that I bought from killertaylor(I think) and it was the craziest accurate rifle I’ve shot. Shooting crap 150 grain green box Remington cor locks, it shot 1/2” groups…consistently. If it was a 20” barrel it would still be with me. It was big long and heavy. I had a 3-9x36 Swarovski on it and sold to a fella as a package. He has called me a couple times to rub my nose in it….it’s just so damn accurate!😂 it was an itch. I scratched it and sent it to its forever home!

I love those iron sights! Didn't Federal offer premium/match .30-30 brass years ago, or am I thinking of something else?

I've been after a 788 .30-30 or years, and finally found mine a couple months back...

Great score. That’s a cool rifle! Looks like it’ll shoot just fine once you get on with some load work!

I currently have two 30-30s. One is getting a new home in a few days. I've only shot one of them and it is a shooter. I currently have 9 788s and I'm looking at 2 more right now.

Very cool Jason. Thanks for sharing! Have you shot it much? I'm just now getting back from the range. I just loaded 6 cases for each charge weight with some old Hornady 150gr round nosed bullets. I am using 375 Winchester brass, that the original owner threw in with the rifle. He necked that brass down to 30 caliber, or I would have used it in my 375 Winchester!!! Dang. ha ha.. Anyway, half of it was new, never fired, but annealed. The shoulder was not sized down far enough, as it was lacking about .040". I used a 30-30 body die to finish the shoulder set back and then a FL RCBS die to finish it off. Everything measured out right and that brass fit the chamber. In my reading on the subject, it says you need to turn the necks of the 375 Win brass. It seems like the original owner did that, so it was pretty easy to do the final re-sizing. With the 150gr Hornady interlocks round nosed bullets, I lucked out and shot a 5 shot group of about 1 3/8" (have not measured it yet), but the last shot dropped out of the group by a ways. Probably my eyesight or a screw up on my part. Trying to get used to the rifle. The Canjar set trigger is sweet, I just need to remember to push it forward before each shot.

That is quite a collection.

After I got it, and all the brass and components, I have been messing with it. Discarded everything that was way out of spec. Weight sorted the brass, since there was 375 winchester, 32 winchester, and 7-30 Waters brass in the mix. I can't wait until I have brass that is all consistent and I am just using fireformed brass. Precision will be much better, I'm thinking. I think sometimes guys try to make this schidt more complicated than necessary. I was shaking my head on some of this brass. With a bushing (Hornady comparator), it measured .030-.050" shoulder set back. I tossed that crap.. This is what I loaded today. Had some fun at the range:



I need to change out the front insert with a smaller one. I'm running a #6 right now. The smaller ones are in my Target 22lr's. I'll probably end up ordering some new ones for this rifle though..

The weather was much better today. This group was one that made me happy, until I dropped that one out on the last shot. I had 6 of that charge weight to shoot. I was just going to shoot 2 3 shot groups, but this one was going so well that I just kept shooting. The first 3 shots went into .56", 4 less than an inch, and the 5th one opened it up to 1.461" (not 1 3/8" as I previously stated, going by eyeball not caliper):


I was more happy with that rifle today than my new Tikka 22-250 shooting 88 ELDM's.


I like this set up. I just leave the rifles on the bench and shoot them just like you see. Left handed for scoped rifles and right handed for irons.

Back in the 70's, I wanted that rifle in that caliber so bad I could taste it. I would go the the little gun shop tell the guy I would be back when I got the money. I worked and saved and a few months later when I had the money, I went back, but she was gone....
I stopped on the way home and bought a Winchester 94 in 30-30.

788's are cool old guns and some of them had decent looking wood on them.
Congrats on your find.

My only 788. A .243 purchased in 1974-75. 1/2” shooter. My brother got a .308 from Dad a couple years earlier. Also accurate. That 30-30 is a cool rifle. Have fun tinkering!

Ron

788’s will always hold a special place in my heart. Shot my first groundhog back when I was 6 with my dads 222 and thats the only gun dad used for a lot of years. I always wanted to find one in a 30-30 and now I may have to start searching again.

Currently own a 788 in 223. Completely factory stock. Actually took it to the range this week. Shot three 5 shot groups at 100 yds into .625 inches. Replacing the factory trigger and glass bedding would probably improve that to a half inch or better but for my Varmint hunting needs I’m satisfied to leave it as it is.

Back before they were a collectors item I bought one simply to see if it shot as well as other 788s. It did. Killed a number of deer and one elk with it then....for no apparent reason, it quit shooting well. Never could figure it out, so it went down the road.Loved it while it lasted....