I've got a thing for carbines, the homelier, the better. New to me 788, 1980 manufacture and I bet it's going to shoot.





This is another of my father's pawnshop finds, the lot of which he often points to and says "take something and put it to good use". Somebody once did a little work on this one, bedding the lug with Accraglass, floating the barrel, installing a whiteline pad at a 13" LOP, and tuning the trigger to 2.5lbs. I cleaned a few decades of grit out of the inletting, scrubbed the bore, and mounted a 3-9x40 Redfield Revolution in the supplied Weaver low rings.

I'll be looking for 3,000fps with the 120TTSX and CFE223 later this weekend. Ugly is as ugly does......

Well I’m jelly.

Everyone I’ve seen shot lights out!


Roy

nice. im also a sucka for a carbine

I finally got a chance to get one of my 788’s out to the range. This one is a .308 with a VariX-II 3-9 on it. After a couple adjustments that rifle shot everything I fed it into ragged holes. The 6” hanging steel gongs at 225 yards were a breeze. I’d load up the mag with various and assorted leftover ammo including some 1960’s military stuff. I’d cycle and fire as fast as I could and banging steel as I shot the gongs left to right. A couple old guys that were acting as rangemasters were getting a laugh at how easy I made it look. 225 isn’t that big a deal but it was fun. I’ll go back with real ammo and really get it tightened up but there’s no doubt those ugly (only in the eye of the beholder 😉) are definitely shooters. I’ve got a ton of boxes of 150 and 180 grain Corelokts and that’s what I’ll set it up for. It’ll be a loaner rifle for Sitka blacktails and black bear for our place up north. I’ll eventually get a synthetic stock (if I can find one at a decent price) and it should be plenty for anything in the Great White North. I also finally got around to sighting in the Weatherby Vanguard I bought on Walmart clearance for $249 and that rifle was dead on balls accurate too. I was very impressed with how consistent it shot even with a HOT barrel. I’ve standardized most of my northern rifles around the.308 for simplicity.

Next up is my father in law’s unfired 1965 Winchester Model 70 in 7mm mag. I’ll shoot it to see its potential but it’ll get a new stock and I’m thinking of a rebore to .338wm since I’ve got a .338 and lots of ammo. I just don’t have a need for a 7mm and don’t want a bunch of different calibers to worry about. The .338wm will do anything I’ll need it to do if the .308 isn’t enough. Of course if the 7mm shoots the way I think it will then I’ll be in a quandary as to rebore or keep it a 7mm. I suppose the 7mm with premium 160’s should be enough but a .338 with premium 225’s I know is enough.......choices choices....poor me. 😂

PS....I have a 788 in 30-30 that was my first “big game” rifle and is very sentimental to me. I’m thinking that I need to get some loads developed for it because it’s always been a tack driver. A 130TTSX at 2700-2800 should be make the old turdy-turdy a modern deer and bear nightmare. 👍

To the OP.....that’s a fine carbine and a great caliber. Many happy hunts to you and your pawnshop find. 👍

They say, "there is someone for everyone."
If you're happy.


Jerry

I always wanted a 788 in 7mm08, remember looking over Remingtons catalog when 7mm08 first came out, and I was looking to buy my first rifle. I handled a 788 in 7-08, and a Ruger 77 Ultralight in .308, and liked the feel of the Ruger better.
I would snap up a 788 in 7-08 if I found one. Hope it works out well for you.

looks great to me.

As Kinky Friedman is wont to say, "why the hell not"!

ya!


GWB

Nice,

I like the 7mm-08, wish my 788 was one. I have a .308 Carbine, almost unloaded it until I realized it was the perfect truck gun. The detachable magazine being a plus.

I like the Remington 788, every one i have seen shoot great, they are a fantastic utilitarian whitetail rifle 👍 ...Dont forget a range report....Enjoy!.....Hb

My first deer rifle was a 788 chambered in 243 Winchester. Dad ((lastround) bought it for me in 79 or 80. I wish I still had it! We traded it in on a Ruger 77 in 270. Wish I still had that one too.

We don’t see many 788’s traded in at the shop.

Dad got a 24” 22-250 M788 magnum contour at the same shop, with a Canjar trigger. It’s been a great varmint rig. I think he gave around $250-275 for each of them. We miss that little pawn shop since it closed.

I had my eye on this carbine since Dober got one years ago and reviewed it here on the forums. A pawn shop buy he called “The Runt.”

That 788 looks like a shooter!

Every one I've seen was a good shooter. Maybe Remington ought to consider bringing back the 788.

Good luck with it - the potential is strong!

Guy

My mom has shot a 788 7mm-08 with 139’s over R15 for the past 20 years. Ugly as sin pawnshop find in a Ramline stock that has been cut down to fit her. The thing drives tacks with anything out in it. It’s one of 4-5 her and my have and despite many other rifles in their safe atleast 1 is always in the truck when hunting.

Thought you were gonna have a pic of Hillary....

Nah, that would be short, chunky, extremely Fugly and smells like sulphur

Before the introduction of all the custom rifle actions we have today, 788 actions saw a lot of use in the short range bench rest circles. Known to have good accuracy potential.

One of the unsung heroes of the late 20th Century gun world. Enjoy it!

I have a thing for short "women" (they were like Catnip to me back then) but slim/slender and beautiful ( in fact, I married a Honey Blond one 46yrs ago!) Now rifles, I have tried carbines, but the only ones that don't feel "whippy" to me are leverguns and M4 clones! My BIL had a nice 788 in 6mm Remington. Longer barrel, don't remember if it was 22 or 24 inches. Anyhow, he "lived " for his Mod 742/308 and never used the 788! He had it for sale for $90 ( this was from 1974 to 1980 before it sold!) and since I was all wrapped up in my own odyssey from leverguns , Mod 742, 280 then 7mm Rem Mag at the time , I didn't try to beat him out of it ( I mean buy it from him at an even better "fair" price. :)) He had a devil of a time selling it back then! Try it nowadays for $90! lol

It made me wonder why no one wanted it. I think it was because, in that part of the country,(SE Texas) bolt guns were rare then. People had "messed & gummed with old surplus rifles and were burnt out on them. The Mod 742 and leverguns were still King then.

Jim

I know for sure that the 788s were not getting good press in the 80s.
Rear locking lugs, bolt compression, et.al.

I had one in 243 and it didn't melt my butter.


Jerry

I’ve got it’s twin here at the Ranch. It’s killed a ton of deer and several truck loads of feral hogs over the years. And all of my nieces & nephews shot their first deer & hogs with it.
Mine absolutely LOVES 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.
And I’ve never owned a 788 that would’ve shoot 1/2”
3 shot groups at 100 yards.

Short, chunky and ugly...how many Savage rifles do you own then?

Very nice. I Like it.

I can’t Savage, but I can hold my nose and Ruger American. Close as I’m going to get.

..............................I am with you. Love da shorty carbines too. Gots one.........What is the barrel length? The 7/08 is one of the best shorty barreled rounds that you can get.

There AIN’T no flies on a Savage 99 >> period.

NO other Savage will occupy space here !!!!!!


Jerry

I agree about ONE of the best carbines.

I had a 77 UL in 308 with 20” bll and it gave up NOTHING to 22” ers.

I’m not particularly a 308 fan but in 20” it does very well.


Jerry

I’d shoot a 99, true. They’re classy.

The 788 carbines are 18.5” barrels of a sturdy contour, about like a 660 or 600 Mohawk.

..........................................I have owned a 300 WSM Ruger Frontier since '07.............LOUD and powerful!....................LOL..................Hearing protection a must!

308 W vs 300 WSM ? ? ?


Jerry

I always wanted a 30-30....I found one and couldn’t bring myself to cough up that kinda dough on a 30-30....I almost regret it now.

$400 is the best price I've seen so far on the Marlin 30-30s! I had my SIL bring my Mod 94BB in .375Win back to me ( it was kept in his gunsafe as heirloom for grand daughter, who is only 9 now) to "scratch my levergun itch". I still have 3 boxes of 200gr factory ammo but order two boxes of Buffalo Bore Heavy 38-55 255fn ammo. The Mod 94BB is neither fat nor chunky ( don't get me wrong, in my youth I'd "dance" with any girl of any shape!) but it is short, handy, good for heavy snow day out here.

I think I have seen "one" 788 since I moved out here, back in 89. Savage 99s (especially in 300 savage) were everywhere! I agree, the Savage 99c .308 I owned briefly was a fine, quality rifle! I just can't resist poking fun at the 110s and Axis. Ewww, no Ruger American for me either...but lots of folks out here are buying them! Since box blinds/tree stands are not used out here, you just don't see a lot of carbines. Truck guns can be a 28" 300 RUM to ARs!

My first deer rifle was a 788 22-250 and fortunately I’ve managed to not trade it off.

I’m not a fan of carbine length hunting rifles b/c of the increased noise. I still want to be able to hear the thunder chickens sound off when I’m 70.

The noise difference in an 18” barrel vs a 22” barrel is surprisingly quite significant.

Wise thinking Weslley2. I'm 76 and wishing I'd been more careful years ago. Living with significate hearing loss is a PITA

I have the carbine bug in .22 rimfire. I have four CZs in 16.5", and all of them shoot with, or better, than my 452 American. I also have two RARs with 18" barrels (Predator configuration) that are short and handy, too. All six are under 3' in length, total. I have to use a scope, so the sight radius is of no importance to me. The snubby barrels shoot like sumbitches, too. I really like them, handy in the truck, handy in the field. Just plain handy, period. If I ever get around to it, 5 of the six are factory threaded for suppressors, too.

Heck, I'd hunt it.

I've not gotten around to CFE223 with the 120 TTSX.
R15 bested Varget and I called it good.

I look forward to the report.

....................Well yep!!!.........Given the 16.5" barrel length that the Ruger Frontiers have, a 308 Ruger Frontier would have whole lot of catching up to do in order to ballistically match a 300 WSM Ruger Frontier...............I get the ballistics of a 26" tubed '06 from a rifle only 35.5" long.........Lots a fun.

the ONLY practical downside ive found w a carbine is muzzle blast. which depends on your cartridge of course

I'm thinking that this year will likely be the year I start hunting with electronic earplugs. I'm 40 now, and I noticed my ears rang a couple times last season when I was hunting from a blind, and this was shooting barrels 20-23". With hogs, deer, coyotes and such, I may shoot 20-25 rounds in the field each fall and it's likely a good move to do some prevention on further hearing loss going forward.

You are definityly wise to do so! My ears starting ringing back as a teen. We never used ear plugs, shot shotguns, worked around oilfields, then I went in the Army. They gave us some useless rubber plugs, but 8 inch Howitzers really "hammer you" with a shock wave. Then driving 318 Detroit turbo charged tracks with poor sound panels, oh yes, what joy! Out of the Army, back into the oilfields with loud, reverberating machinery..and when you "did" get time off...its back to shooting w/o aby protection! So, now have zero HiFy hearing. Lots of ringing. Take from an Ol Phart...use those hearing protectors!

I'm only looking at CFE because it gave good results in another 18" 7mm-08, although that was with the 120 NBT. If it won't work in this rifle, I'll likely look at Big Game also. Hopefully there will be time to load some ammo this week and find a time to shoot when it's not 90F+ outside. Anything accurate that's going 2,950fps or better will be good by me.