Rem 788, is it wrong

[taylorce1]

To want to rebarrel a rifle that shoots great?

I have a Remington 788 in .30-30 Winchester, and on a good day if I'm doing my part it thinks it's a varmint rifle! At 100 yards I'm often getting the first three rounds under 1/2 inch and touching, rarely have 5 shots go over an inch with just about any 150 grain ammunition or hand loads. 160 grain FTX or 170 grain bullets usually stay under 1.25" for five. I've also had good results with 125 grain BT bullets and 130 grain TTSX, having a bolt action .30-30 really opens up your options.

So here's my why I think I should rebarrel. The rifle is in good shape, stock has been bedded and refinished. Other than that the rifle is original, the original sights were removed when I got the rifle but I have them. So my thinking is have a custom 18" barrel installed that duplicates the factory contour but threaded to use my suppressor and use a faster twist, and take advantage of some of the new subsonic bullets.

For some reason I'm having a hard time just cutting down and threading the original barrel. It would save me a ton of money if I just did it, $100 vs. $7-800. I just hate the thought of not having the option to restore it back to close to original.

[HiBC]

Its your rifle,your money and your priorities. Your ideas.
You don't need my approval. I might do things different than you but thats OK for both of us.

Cutting the barrel may have an effect on accuracy. (Better or worse)

An option : If the goal is a suppressed 30 cal rifle for heavier bullets.....

And if your rebarrel cost is $700 to $800

The 300 BLK was designed to be a subsonic, heavy bullet ,30 cal suppressed cartridge. I might keep the Rem 788 as is and build a 300 BLK AR.
But you do you.

[Jim Watson]

Using the factory barrel could limit how heavy a subsonic you could shoot. I don't know if it is 12" like a Winchester or 10" like most other .30s.

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by HiBC

The 300 BLK was designed to be a subsonic, heavy bullet ,30 cal suppressed cartridge. I might keep the Rem 788 as is and build a 300 BLK AR.
But you do you

Well, I have the .300BLK in both an AR and RAR. It doesn't change the fact I want to suppress my 788. Actually I want to suppress most of my rifles.

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

Using the factory barrel could limit how heavy a subsonic you could shoot. I don't know if it is 12" like a Winchester or 10" like most other .30s.

There are subsonic bullets made for the .30-30, like the Hornady 190 grain Sub-X bullet.

[old roper]

taylorce1, Got question do you have original 3rd magazine?

[natman]

If you have an original 788 in 30-30 and it shoots that well, IMO it would be nuts to monkey with it.

But at the end of the day, it's your gun.

[stagpanther]

You have a 30-30 that shoots great--and you want to muck with it? You probably jinxed it just by posting that here!!

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by old roper

taylorce1, Got question do you have original 3rd magazine?

Yes I do, and I have one I bought off of Numrich.
CPC MFG 788 magazine

Originally Posted by stagpanther

You have a 30-30 that shoots great--and you want to muck with it? You probably jinxed it just by posting that here!!

Just taking a page from your playbook!

I need to fix my previous post error, the 175 grain Sub-X will work with my current twist. I don't think the 190 grain will stabalize. Plus there are a lot more specialized subsonic bullets out there that I could try.

[44 AMP]

Consider this, once you cut or alter the original barrel, you can't go back. If the change leaves is shooting like crap when it shot well before, you're not only stuck, its entirely YOUR fault.

If you replace the barrel, then dink around with that one, you should still be able to go back to about what you had, by having the original barrel re-installed, HOWEVER, if you do that, there is still no guarantee it will shoot as good as it did before. It should, but it might not.

You've got a long out of production budget grade .30-30 bolt gun (not very common) and it shoots really well, as is.

I suggest, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Get something else for your subsonic /suppressed toy. I think, in the long run, doing that will make you happier, even if it means a few more $ right now.

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

I suggest, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Now why do you got to go and be pratical?

[stagpanther]

Your real issue is you want to buy another rifle--just do it!

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by stagpanther

Your real issue is you want to buy another rifle--just do it!

Well the issue is I love using my suppressor, people without suppressors sometimes have a hard time understanding this. We were supposed to have a .30-30 only deer hunt this year in OK, but had issues with our deer lease with Bureau of Indian Affairs. We got them ironed out, but we've postponed the .30-30 only hunt until next year. Some of us changed plans and won't hunt this year like we normally do over Thanksgiving.

A couple years back we did a big bore deer hunt, smallest cartridge allowed was a 9.3X62. The rest were .375 Ruger, .375 H&H, .400 Whelen, and .416 Remington Mag. Last year was AR-15 hunt but no .223. So we had 6X45, .25-45, .277 Wolverine X2, and I used a .300 BLK AR pistol. We just have fun letting the kids hunt, with the old guys taking targets of opportunities with stuff we rarely use.

[USAF Ret]

Originally Posted by taylorce1

Well the issue is I love using my suppressor, people without suppressors sometimes have a hard time understanding this. We were supposed to have a .30-30 only deer hunt this year in OK, but had issues with our deer lease with Bureau of Indian Affairs. We got them ironed out, but we've postponed the .30-30 only hunt until next year. Some of us changed plans and won't hunt this year like we normally do over Thanksgiving.

A couple years back we did a big bore deer hunt, smallest cartridge allowed was a 9.3X62. The rest were .375 Ruger, .375 H&H, .400 Whelen, and .416 Remington Mag. Last year was AR-15 hunt but no .223. So we had 6X45, .25-45, .277 Wolverine X2, and I used a .300 BLK AR pistol. We just have fun letting the kids hunt, with the old guys taking targets of opportunities with stuff we rarely use.

That sounds like a blast. Well, especially for the big-bore hunt.

[Pumpkin]

One of the harder to find 788's out there and it shoots good.
This has regret written all over it, but it is yours.

[Pathfinder45]

Yes, it's not only wrong but could be an indication that you should talk to a shrink about it.

[NHSHOOTER]

taylorce1, Just been reading your post, I have to join with the a few of the other members, if it aint broke leave it the hell alone Just go buy another toy, I remember as a teenager and long since I have been a teenager my friends dad had a old bolt 30-30 and it shot well too of course its long gone. I have sold or traded off some nice old rifles in my day and I regret it..Just for what its worth..

[Paul B.]

From what I understand, the Remington 788 in 30-30 is somewhat of a collector's item. It would be a shame to alter one in my humble opinion. I have a Winchester M54 in 30-30 that looks as if it was rode hard and put away wet. The bore is as shiny and a new silver dime and the rifling quite sharp. I'm not much of a shot with a receiver sight bit when friends and I had our little shoot offs where the loser pays for lunch that I paid for very few lunches. As a group we shot cast bullets only and most shoots were offhand at 25 yards,10 shots for score. There were other shoots ai 50 and 100 yards but mostly us half blind old timers shot at 25 yards. IIRC, the youngest guy in our group was 62.most have passed on to a better place and at 84, I may be the last shooter from the group above ground. These days I consider my 30-30s fun guns that I use to shoot cast, desert wandering at least before the knees quit, harassing jackrabbits and the odd coyote. I even hit one once in a while.
Paul B.

[bamaranger]

I've never even seen a 788 in .30-30!

By posting the question, the OP asked for it.......I would not touch that old school, rare bolt rifle and would go so far as to label such an act a travesty.
Yeah, it's his and he sure will do as he pleases as his his pleasure, ...but there will be no more 788's and few in 30-30 to begin with. If it shoots good, why dork with it?

Go buy a budget contemporary bolt rifle for your project.

[Jim Watson]

Want to see mine?

(Bamaranger and I are semi-local, sometimes shooting, sometimes lunching.)

[bamaranger]

About a decade ago, I saw a 788 in Corinth (Trading Post) chambered in .44 mag........that would be another rare one.

[Frontierfrank]

I love me some 788's. First new rifle I owned was a 788 .22-250 bought at the Base Exchange in Bedford, Mass on a 2nd looey's salary in '68 or '69. Shoots dime sized groups at 100 yd. Cost new $88 and change as I recall.

Bought another new 788 in PA after I got out of the military. It was 6mm Rem and not as accurate as the .22-250. 3/4" groups were fairly common; sub-MOA reliably. Cost new was $110. Decided to clean out all the copper fouling and groups at 100 yd opened to 1.25".

Bought a used 788 carbine in IN in the 90s. Caliber was .308 Win. and someone had tried to glass bed the action in the wood stock. They did a poor job. Put it in a drop-in plastic Ramline stock (remember them?) and got it shooting. It was picky. Nothing did very well (1.5"@100yd) until it got to 125gr. Handloads. Then it perked right up. If you kept the barrel cool, it came close to the .22-250's precision. Cost used: $250. Handy little thing.

Still have 'em all. Sadly, no .30-30s or 44 mags. Saw 'em at gun shows going for not too much, but laughed at the calibers. The greater fool, I.

The moral of this 788 tale is; If you have one that shoots, don't mess with it.

[GeauxTide]

I bought a 260 Rem barrel to replace the 308 and been sitting in the Safe for 3 years.

[gwpercle]

I have learned one thing in the last 50 years hunting , shooting , reloading and altering guns .

When you get your hands on a good shooter ... like you say your 788 30-30 is ...
Don't go acting the fool and screw it up ... I see REGRET written all over this story .
Keep that rifle just like it is and SHOOT it and enjoy the Tack Driving accuracy .

DO NOT rebarrel , cut down the existing barrel or add no flash supressor sub-sonic do-dah's or BS ... You got a shooter ... Shoot it !
Shooters don't come around very often so don't screw it up .
Gary