Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Looking for accuracy tips for the Win 88

What do you do to improve the accuracy of your 88? Anybody put a rubber o-ring between the for end and barrel at the for end screw? Free float? Other suggestions with details please....

What kind of groups is it shooting? factory ammo or hand loads? cal? from what I been told over the years 88's and 100's are far from tack drivers. I did have a win 100 for awhile in 308 the trigger drove me nuts so I got rid of it. so I cannot really speak 1st hand on the 88's but the 100 shot 2 inch plus groups I guess it would be ok in the woods but not out in the open.

What cartridge are you shooting in your M88? I have owned one in .308 WIN for many years, (it is my first choice deer hunting rifle) - factory 150 & 165 grain loads of most brands would only group between 2" and 3" at 100 yards. I worked up a handload that will group from 1" to 1-1/4" at 100 yards, year in and year out. I haven't adjusted the bedding of the action or the barrel - just worked up various handloads until I hit a winner. I have owned several others (in .284 WIN & .308 WIN) and found you have to work to find a good group in a M88.

It is a .308. Haven't even shot it yet, but wanted to see if there was any concensus on what works. It seems to me if they would have moved the front screw back off the barrel and into the receiver, the thing would have a lot better chance at accuracy.

"I worked up a handload that will group from 1" to 1-1/4" at 100 yards, year in and year out. "



If you could share your .308 win pet load in a PM, I would appreciate it.

I would have to say if your getting 1"to 1"1/4 you doing great. Being owner of severial model 88's and found only one to shoot much better than 2" groups with factory ammo. Have not had to shoot any reloads because the one like 150gr garbage ammo. (remington.)LOL. Keep us posted on any new info.

I have had 4 Mod 88s. One in each caliber, however, the .358 Win is a custom barrel. I never did shoot the 308 before selling it again, but the other all shot well.

With a Custom Fajen Stock (from the original Company) my .243 and .284 Win shot under an inch regularly. The 358 Win shoot > 1.5" all day long. These are all with select handloads.

The biggest detriment in the Mod 88 is the trigger. That can be fixed, sort of, by a good gunsmith. Before the trigger jobs on mine I could produce good groups if I really concentrated on squeezing the trigger. With the trigger jobs it became much easier.

I think you'll find that maybe that is all that needs done to get the Mod 88 to shoot well. If not, do what you think you need as if it was a bolt action.

Actually, I think the trigger is quite good on mine. Made in 1961. There is some travel, but is fairly light and breaks clean. I would have a hard time blaming the trigger for poor shooting on this rifle.

Every gun is a mystery. I have an M88 carbine in .243 that, by some experts accounts, shouldn't shoot well with the band around the forend and barrel. But I've gotten several sub inch groups from it with generic Federal 100 gr ammo. And man, does it make a huge fireball with that short barrel!

If your 308 is a shooter, you learn to live with the trigger. Try 45 gr Ball Lot C2 and 165 Sierra. Mine does under 3/4", no pressure signs. Haven't chrono'ed, but expect it is about 2600. 45 gr of RL-15 is a bit hotter, but groups drop to 1/2". You might want to reduce 3 gr and work up just in case. Mine is a little earlier than yours, so be careful and enjoy.

These rifles bed at two points; into the forend and into the tang block. They are highly repeatable. The barrels are among the best, if someone has not damaged the crown. Recrown unless perfect.

Thanks for your input guys. I'll have to work up a load and give it a whirl. Labarr are you using flat base or boat tail sierra's in your loads?

300jimmy,
I have always had best accuracy from BT bullets except for one rifle. Some people swear exactly the opposite. Can't say why. The BT's are generally used in match ammo, so I don't plan on changing.

I would get several different factory .308 rounds and try them out.

My .243 88 likes the cheap Federal 80 gr soft points.

I've had a few different types of factory ammo that have grouped right around an inch in my '57 308. IIRC, they were Federal blue box 150's, Federal Fusion 165's, Federal Premium 150 BT's, Federal Premium 150 TSX's, and the old Hornady Light Magnum 165 SPBT. Federal Premium 180-gr. Partitions grouped at 1.5". There's no reason why an 88 can't be accurate, as they are really just a bolt gun operated by a lever.

Good handloads I've tried are with Hornady Interlock 150's or Nosler BT 150's and 46 grains of Varget or 46.5 grains of 4064 (again, IIRC). I have no reason to think that any of the bullets I mentioned above in factory rounds wouldn't do at least as well in good handloads.

I've had a trigger job but it only made a slight improvement. The trigger is probably the critical factor in achieving good accuracy. If you get used to it and can squeeze it off appropriately, then you'll get some decent groups (assuming the barrel's in good shape and the bedding hasn't been screwed up. One more thing - most people find that they shoot best with the forend screw tightened pretty snug.

Have fun with your 88. They were a great design (except for the trigger) - reliable, good looking, and quick handling.

I picked up an 88 chambered for .243 and despite my best efforts could never get that darned thing to shoot good enough to carry it. "Minute of Deer" accuracy never materialized, and 4" groups at 100 yards off the bench just wouldn't cut it. The trigger was way too heavy, and whatever else ailed that gun,but it just never worked out. 'Saw no reason to hang on to it when I had a battery of Savage 99's (the best lever gun ever made) that would shoot 1" groups with Remington Green Box ammo all day long. Most of those have been sold or traded now too. I'm down to just one EG that is just a deer killing machine.

My Win 88 did earlier shoot 1" groups with Sierra RN 180 grs or Hornady Interbond 165 grs. But it eventually began to spread with one or two shots at the correct spot and than the following ones 4-5" higher a bit to the right. Now I have free floated the barrel between the action and tip of the fore end, which has improved the accuracy but not restored it. Being adviced to bed the recoil block, I'll give that a try too.

The problem with the model 88 is the way the action is connected to the stock. The barrel block seems to be qiute OK, but the fore end screw is - to put it politely - a bit misplaced. The action and the barrel is locked in between the screw and the recoil block. When the barrel is being heated by the shots, its length increases and it start to bend, thus altering the POI. If the screw would have been placed just in front of the action, the barrel would have been able to move freely without bending.

My first deer rifle was a pre'64 M/88 in .308, it shot 1"-1 1/4" groups @ 100yds. with 180gr. RN Hornady bullets over a moderate charge of IMR4895.

I sold mine a bought a 99 Savage. Worked for me!