Tried to find the old threads on the M88, but my search abilities turned up nothing. Got mine back out for the start of rifle season here, dropped a doe last Thursday morning with a neck shot. This old rifle keeps making meat for me. Odessa

Very nice.

There is something about the 88 that I like. Maybe it's because I like lever-actions. Lever-actions that act like bolt-actions are nice to hunt with. I have had them in all the calibers they came in and now have a .358 rebarreled from a .308 and a .284. This is the first year in a long time one or the other isn't going to be taken out hunting. Mainly, because I don't have much time this year and I'll be doing part of my hunting with another old lever -action, a Winchester M64 in 30-30 made in 52. Love the levers.

I got my 88 in .308 Win, when I was 14 years old (1966 )I retired it in ‘82, and gave it to my son 2 years ago. My son doesn’t hunt, it will probably never be “hunted” again! memtb

I have a Winchester Model 88 in 308 Winchester (post '64). I really like the rifle.

Very nice Odessa! Your 88 looks new. What cartridge is it chambered for?

I have one in 308.

T.S.

Thanks gents. Mine is a 308 WIN made in 1963. This one is my second one; the first was an early one from 55/56 - it was more prone to jamming as it lacked the cartridge lifter on the bolt head and had the flat bottom magazine. I traded it for this one about 25 years ago (1995 at Shuman's Guns in PA). This one is very accurate with a handload - Hornady Interlock 165 grain BTSP and IMR4064. It will not shoot worth a damn with any factory ammo I tried. The finish is getting thin on the wood but it is in overall good shape - however when you examine it closely you can see the finish is gone near the buttplate. I am guessing the rifle got the new style stock in 1964 (transition era) or that a prior owner broke the original stock and ordered a new one after the checkering change. Serial number is from 1963. It's been my favorite deer rifle a long time - I own one Ruger M77 in 270 WIN and three pre-64 M70's (270 WIN, 308 WIN, and 30-06 SPRG) but deer hunt almost exclusively with this rifle.

Odessa-how's the trigger on your 88? I bought one in .243 and it had a very heavy trigger. Just never could be satisfied with it. Hunted with it one season and then sent it down the road. I'm a 99 guy. I always thought the 88 was a good looking rifle.

Well done, Dessie

She looks tasty

I tend to like the basket wewve 88 stock better. Know its pressed but just dont GAS

I'd call this trigger "decent". It is not as clean or smooth as my pre-64 M70's, but it isn't the creepy, crunchy, 8 lbs. trigger you hear about so often with these rifles. This one has never been worked on (in the 25 years I've owned it), measures 5.5 lbs. on my old RCBS Trigger Pull gauge, and frankly I never even think about it when shooting a deer.

Thanks Will, I like the pressed checkering too - but as the old folks used to say, there ain't no accounting for taste!

My 4-digit 88/.308 is going to Kansas for a December deer hunt.

Hunting value increased with a nice black recoil pad and push-button sling swivels. Some owner cut out a chunk of the stock where a receiver peep sight should go but no evidence that the screws were ever removed to mount it. It currently wears a 2x7 Redfield with a post. Collector value? Meh!

I’m not the greatest shot, but I’m consistently getting 3 shots into 2 inches at 100 yds with 165 gr SPBT. Unless Kansas whitetails are wearing Kevlar this year, I won’t be under-gunned.

Very successful week in Kansas!

10 minutes into shooting light, a 4 pt walked by my stand at about 30 yards. Based on the mounts at the base camp, I knew he was very young, so I passed. Does kept appearing and fading away.

About 45 minutes later, a young doe raised her tail and started sprinting around (not disturbing the other does).Fun to watch, but my attention went to this 8 pt slowly walking in my direction (ranged a hay bale at 150 yds). He turned sideways and I hit him behind the shoulder. He ran straight for 50 yds and jumped straight up but behind a rise. Turned out he hadn’t moved from that spot. Estimate was 175 lbs- not huge but respectable. Maybe I should have been more patient, but he was considerably bigger than the first one I saw.

https://imgur.com/a/bpRz9Aw

Next morning from same stand I filled my antlerless tag with what turned out to be a button buck at 80 yds. He ran straight for 75 yds and piled up.

I had taken enough ammo for a small revolution. Only used 7 rds (5 prior to hunt confirming zero), so 2 mags would have been enough. Variable scope never left 7X. 165 SPBT were all clean pass through with great exits and internal damage.

6 of us in camp all took bucks ( last one with 1/2 hr left on last day).

Bought mine new in 64. KiIled a lot of deer and a my first elk with it. Then several more. Probably have not hunted with it for 15+ years.
180 gr Sierra Rn for elk and 165 gr Game Kings for deer.Seems to do the job.

the reason I think is its built from the ground up as a pure hunting rifle. The stock is shaped for excellent off hand shooting. shooting from a bench not so much. It just seems to handle well. someone mentioned trigger. The one I used to have was terrible. I found a gunsmith that got it down under 4#'s it took accuracy from 2" off the bench for me to .75. the one I had was not finaky and shot most loads pretty well.

I have had a few Models 88 over the years, still have 4 of them in 284, but have never cared for the geometry of the pistol grip. OTOH, the same stock on a Model 100 seems to work fine for me.

I've always thought that the Model 88 carbines were a nice package, but they must not have been very popular 'cause I have seldom seen them anywhere that I've lived, worked, or traveled to. I've long wondered why Winchester chose to drop the 358 from the Model 88 several years before the the carbines were introduced, as the 88 carbine and 358 cartridge seems like a great match of rifle and cartridge for hunting at typical woods ranges.

I agree, the carbine and the .358 woulda gone together like peas and carrots! I have an 88 carbine in .243 and it's a joy to carry and very accurate, but I'm not a fan of the .243. A local gun store has a nice .308 in carbine length but are on the high end for price.

I lust over this custom 88 in .358 but can't justify the asking price.

Was unaware Herters made LH stocks for the 88.

That is a pretty rifle!

The only Model 88 carbines that I own are chambered in 284 and the only reason that I own them is because they are chambered in 284.

The only female hunter who I knew growing up used a Model 88 carbine in 243 and she was a better hunter and a better shot than most of the adult men who she occasionally hunted with. My Mother liked her, so she was one of the very few people she would allow to hunt deer in and around her heritage orchard.

One of my favorite rifles for still-hunting in thick cover is a Model 100 rifle that has had the barrel cut back to 17".

I like the 88 a lot myself. But I have a pre-64 in .308 I need to put up for adoption, shipped for $825.

It is extremely clean, uncut stock, very few wood dings and low blue or bore wear, zero rust. I don't think it ever even has had a scope put on it. I've never hunted it, just put a half box of shells thru it off the bench, then put away. It grouped well at 50 yards.

The story I bought it with was that a Montana rancher bought a pair of them on the same day around 1960, one for himself and one for the wife. It appears he did all the hunting with his own, this one staying the safe queen. I'll pull it out and take pictures if anybody is interested. PM me your email if you'd like to see it.

Love mine in 308...used to wear a Leupold 2.5-8 vx3...
After load development I switched to a Williams peep sight
with factory front bead, and it’s still shooting close to MOA
May switch the front bead to a small fiber optic as my eyes keep getting older, but I have no complaints at all. Mine is from 1969
Johnny

Used a Win 88 in 284 to bring home a 52" Bull Moose and a Solo hunt Full curl Dall Ram.

Pretty interesting Win 88 differences and history

https://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun%20Articles/winchester_model_88_100_info.html

I bet you have a nice trophy room. I have been watching "Living Alaska" on the cable and Eagle River is beautiful. Makes me want to do another Alaskan trip.

Craig

Excellent thread!