Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing accurizing a Win. 88

Can anyone share any tips to getting an 88 to stay on paper ?
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<br>Because I tinker with my own rifles quite a bit a young chap brought me a rifle he recieved from his grandpa, in hopes I might find a cure. It's in .308 and literaly sprays bullets all over the page . I did scrub the barrel with CR10 and Rem bore cleaner.
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<br>Does bedding or free floating help this one, with the stock fastened on the forearm ?
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<br>Can the 5 1/2# trigger pull be reduced ?
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<br>I'm looking for a used bolt rifle he can afford, but would like to help him out by getting this one to shoot a little better. Any ideas would be appreciated, thanks

canon. You can't do much with the trigger, but It can be bedded with considerable help to accuracy. I'v done three or four and they shoot about 1 moa now. I use 4064 powder and usually 165 Gr Sierra Game kings or pro hunters, match ,brass CCI primers. I have a set of instructions for glass beding that someone else wanted awhile back and I can e-mail them to you.
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<br>vincent.mautinoitt.com

Saddlesore ; email sent
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<br>Thanks for the hand.
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<br>Can anyone tell me if there is a way to touch up the muzzle crown, other then utilizing a lathe ? Seems to me, there was something mentioned here, of a tool for this purpose. This wouldn't be attempted on a custom barrel ,but this thing shoots so erratic, anything is worth a try.

Get some valve lapping compound.and some #10 round headed brass screws (BRASS, NOT STEEL) put the screw shank in a drill, coat head of screw copiously with the valve lapping compound. Turn on drill and apply screw head to crown of barrel. This takes a little dexterity to make sure you keep it staight, but will take any burrs off. Not a for sure a lathe job, but it will give you better than what you got. I would inspect for gouges, chips, burrs, etc first to see if you really need to. This is something that you can make a lot worse with little or no effort.
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<br>I think this was first mentioned in Brownells Gunsmith Kinks, first book

Saddlesore
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<br>I do have the ingredients on hand, including a couple small dings in muzzle, so will try this method. If it gets messed up, it can always be redone at the smiths. You've been a big help, and I'm grateful, as I'm sure the young fellow will be as well, if he can shoot at and take a buck next fall with his Grandpa's old rifle. Thanks again

This deal seems a little strange here. What's the targets look like. Stringing?, walking when it's warm? shotgun like pattern? Just how big a group are you talking about, 4" or 12" at 100 yds. Type of ammo, scope mounting? tell me about it
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<br>You mention sometime getting the lad a bolt action rifle. The model 88 is essentially a bolt action. The bolt is just opened differently. If you can diagnos the problem, and fix it, he will have a dandy little deer rifle, unless it's been really abused.

Canon. I suspect the muzzle crown, and it's "dings" are the problem. Do have it done, correctly, by somebody that knows how. Those rifles often shoot MOA in .308. I know of one that shot in the .2-.3 range with good match ammo. It wasn't glass bedded. E

My #88 had uneven pressure points on the stock it is
<br>a .284 adn quite valuable so did not want to bed it.
<br>I put a small hard rubber gasket ( hose bib seat )
<br>on the barrel screw which free floated the barrel and
<br>improved accuracy.

When he mounted a Scopechief on it, he had it grouping about 4" at a hundred yards, with Winchester PP ammo.
<br>He missed a deer at 75 yards with three shots so rechecked zero, and it was all over the page. The scope may be part of the problem. The screws were all tight on the Weaver mounts.
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<br>I don't know what kind of a shot he is, but he did fill his tag later, using a 30-30.
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<br>The barrel to stock fit is very tight so this could be an added factor. The crown is the rounded type. The highest part shows sign of being bumped, but the bore edges appear undamaged.
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<br>I haven't shot the gun yet, so will mount a proven scope and put some Federal premium ammo through it.
<br>It's gotta warm up a bit though. Supposed to be -30 this weekend.
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<br>The rubber washer at the barrel bolt is a good idea. If this helps, I don't mind bedding it.
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<br>The only experience I've had with an 88 is one my brother bought in the late 70's. It wouldn't do any better than 4-5 " groups with three makes of ammo. He returned it and exchanged it for a 7 mag. He could shoot this one around an inch.
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<br>Thanks for the input fellas, I'll let you know what unfolds

The high part of the crown is suppose to take the dings. IF the bore is ok , that's all that matteds. I yield to Emericus advice, but find most 88's that don't shoot are due to the stocking. The pre 64's shot better than the post usually, but the fit was better. The washer will most probably tell you if the bedding is the problem. If it wasn't the scope.
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<br>Did you undersatnd all the directions I sent you?

Saddlesore
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<br>When I first looked at muzzle, it appeared in ruff condition. Apparently it had been used with masking tape over muzzle, so remaining glue from tape had attracted debri . After cleaning up with steel wool, it would appear OK, barring the marks mentioned earlier.
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<br>Your instuctions were quite thorough and easy to understand. I would have thought bedding material is too thick to load into a syringe. There is one hairline crack in the stock in top tang area, that I will drill out from action inlet, and fill with epoxy. A syringe would be the way to go, to ensure filling this void. If you don't mind , perhaps you could enlighten me as to the type of syringe you use . You've been very helpfull and it is much appreciated.

Saddlesore
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<br>Since my last post, I stopped at a veternary clinic and picked up some syringes. From my understanding the Brownells kits in the red box is of a more liquid nature, so will try one of these for this application. I've only used the gel, in the green box and the steel bed, which I assumed to be too thick, to use with a syringe. Thanks again

The green Box gel will go into a syringe. I use a100cc or sometimes a litle bigger. The trick is that you can;t suck it up through the needle end and don't use the needle. Mix the epoxy. Take out the plunger in the syringe and push the epoxy into the back end with a popsicle stick mixer or screwdriver. Put the plunger back into the syringe and apply. I have found the red box Acruglass to runnny.

Well it finally warmed up above freezing today, so decided to shoot this 88. I mounted a 6-18 Bushnell Trophy scope and tried it at the fifty yard mark to adjust scope. Had it set up in a Gunsiter Vise, so after initial shot, I cranked the turrets to get the crosshairs on the bullet hole. Up and down was OK, but I ran out of scope adjustments before vertical crosshair lined up with the hole which was way right. Tried it from 100 and two shots impacted 4 1/2 " apart and six inches right of centre. I knew this was a waste of ammo, so I ran back to the shop and installed a nylon washer at front stock bolt. I was hurrying cause I was running out of daylight, but the next three rounds went into exactly a 2" group. This method of freefloating made a big differance, so a proper bedding job should do the trick.
<br>Back in the shop, I took the scope off and set a straight edge along action to see if rear base holes were out of line. The barrel doesn't appear bent, but it is definitly pointing starboard(1/4") . The action threads must not be sqaure, yet the barreled action would appear to be centre in stock inlet . This can be corrected with bases with rear windage adjustment. Not one of Winchesters finest attemps at building a rifle, but it looks like it can be made to shoot tighter groups than before. I only tried it with Federal Hi shok standard ammo .
<br>If this were my rifle, it would get a custom barrel in 284 or it would find a new home. Definitly the worst trigger I've pulled, and pulled and pulled for a long time(grin)
<br>It seems your tips will bring this oldie around to shooting adequate hunting groups once again. Is the offset barrel a common thing with the 88's ?

My original one was the same way. Plus as I remember, I had to shim the back base to get enough scope adjustment. So a set of Leopold or redfield mounts should do the job fro you. Good luck. Can't do anything with the trigger in terms of pull. You might be able to stone the sear and get rid of some of the creep. I leave those jobs to ones better qualified than. It really helps to stone the edges of all the stamped metal parts in the lever mechanism to smooth up the action.