Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Winchester Model 88

In 1955 Winchester introduced the Model 88, proclaiming it the "Bolt Action Rifle with a Lever" let's post some pictures:

1968 mfg M88 in .284 WIN - this M88 only killed one deer while it was in my stewardship, it was killed with a handloaded 145 grain Speer HotCor.





1963 mfg M88 in .308 WIN - this one has made a lot of meat and will be with me next week when the rifle season opens in eastern NC. All three of these shot the same week from the same box of 150 grain CoreLokt ammo.

nice pics....an 88 and an army coat.....remember them well....

leaning inside a home made blind hunting a dark stand of cedar a couple years ago.

Today it wears a vari x scope manufactured within a year or 2 of the rifle itself in a new old stock weaver tip away mount.

I wanted to set the rifle up and hunt it as it might have been rigged when it was new.

In one of Jack OConners books he describes the Winchester M88
as a Savage 99 that was scared by a Winchester M70. Cabelas
in WVA had two 88s in 358 Win awhile back, Im sure they sold
fast.

Dave, love the look with the vintage scope and mounts. In the pictures above, my .308 WIN has an old M8 Leupold 4X in Redfield mounts. Unfortunately I had to change it out to a Leupold Century 3-9x40 - I simply cannot see squat anymore without using scopes with good multi-coating on the lenses. I have a VX-III that came off of the .284 WIN that is sitting in the box - going to compare the two at the end of legal light and see which is best - then have that one on the .308 from now on.

Started life as a post 64 308, about 10 years ago read a story about someone making a 338-08 out of the very same rifle. Thought it sounded like a great idea so off it went to be rebored.
Found a new stock from Fajen and here it is. It will shoot the new 338 Federal but likes my handloads much better.
Has alway worn a Leupold VX-II 2-7X in Redfield low rings.

I killed two blacktail bucks with my BIL's 88 in .284.
We ran the Speer 130gr soft point redicuously fast and it really did a number on them.

Rolled the loads on an old Herters World Famous (or something like that) press...surprised I didn't blow myself up!

He sold it to buy a .300 win mag for elk hunting, as he was convinced the the 7's weren't up to the job... regrets it now...

Here in mine. I just bought it from a neighbor and have not yet hunted with it. It is a .308.

Notropis, you are going to enjoy that rifle. I have shot both 150 grain and 165 grain bullets in mine - it prefers the 165 grain in a handload (1 MOA), but does tolerably well with the 150 factory CoreLokt (2 MOA).

I think I want to swap out the scope with a Leupold and get some better rings before I try getting her in shape for some serious hunting. I will start this season with a .257 Roberts in a 98 Mauser that is scary accurate but may try the 88 or a 100 I bought with it later on in the season.

I hope to have a date with this fellow. The time on the picture is wrong.

I just want to toss something out for consideration. I'm telling everybody because I'm a big "buy made in USA" guy.

Probably old news to the masses but I was happy to recently learn that redfield is once again made in the USA. Leupold purchased the redfield name and they now manufacture the redfield rifle scoped in the Oregon Leupold factory.

Folks are comparing the glass quality to that of VX I and VX II, it carries the same sort of warranty as leupold scopes, it has click adjustments like a VX II... They are getting great reviews and I honestly believe it's the best buy out there right now in a rifle scope. Example, the 3-9 40mm scopes sell for $160 - $170 depending on which reticle you buy.

The 2-7 33mm are less.

look up redfield revolution scopes.

The Win 88's are great guns to collect and shoot. I have a full set in all calibers and the 284 and 358 are fun to shoot and hunt. The 358 especially is a real killer out to about 200 yds. Have fun. Daryl.

I've had the 88 in evercartridge it was made in one time or another. Right now I am down to a .284 and a 308 rebarreled to .358. Had the triggers worked on so they are better than normal, but not great.

The last deer I shot with the .284 was with the 120g NBT at 3200 fps MV. The gun really shot those well. The .358 likes the 225g Sierra and partition.

This young buck wandered out in front of the M88 .308 WIN a couple of days ago; got to use the 165 grain Interlock handload on game for the first time - DRT. Placement was just behind shoulder and in top of lungs (downward angle) - virtually no meat damaged - all sausage and burger now. Ps The Leupold Century scope is very bright - shot taken at 0621, sunrise wasn't until 0639.

Can anyone tell me the serial # ranges of the Pre-64 88's (i.e. what's the last # prior to post-64)--I'm looking at a particularly clean 88 and would like to know if it's pre or post as I'm fairly unfamiliar with the model. Thanks.
Greg

As I understand it, cut checkering on an 88 is pre-64, pressed basket-weave checkering is post. Mine is a post-64 in 308. Excellent hunting rifles, those 88s.

Congrats odessa!

Did you shoot it with an interlock or did you accidentally chamber a tomato?

lol!

Thanks Dave, that is actually the exit wound - the big bullet (for such a small deer) brought a lot of what it passed through out with it - the wound was still bubbling when I walked up 45 minutes later.

Greg, last serial number listed by Blue Book for 1963 manufacturing of the M88 is 148858. Douglas Murray, author of the only book on the M88, lists the pre/post change-over around serial numbers 151,300 - 151,693. My rifle is a middle 1963 (pre-64) mfg rifle based on either of the two serial number lists, but has an impressed checkered stock (post-64 design). As I didn't buy the gun new (bought it from Shuman's near Carlisle PA in 1996) it could have a replacement stock or it could have been fitted with the new style stock at the factory, but either is speculation on my part.

Odessa and TNrifleman----thanks mucho. The one I'm looking at has cut checkering, will check the serial # this afternoon. If I understand you guys, cut checkering is a confirmation-at-a-glance issue as long as it's the original stock?????
Thanks again.
Greg