REMINGTON 788 in .243 Win.

[musky hunter]

Hi, i have a chance to buy a Remington 788 with a cheapass 3-9 scope in .243 Win. I would use it as my predator and groundhogs. The rifle is well used and a small crack on the stock. I can fix the stock easily. The bore looks good.

I can have it for $450 CND. Or i can go buy a Savage 12VF for $775 CND. Both prices are out the door.

Anyone use a Rem 788? I would like all reviews on the Rem 788 or the .243 win. Caliber. Thanxs.

 

[Badger Arms]

Remington is better finished, more inherintly accurate, and a bit more refined than the Savage. I'd pay about $300 for the Remington and nothing for the Savage. I don't think you get what you pay for with the high-end Savage rifles. That's US dollars... can't do the conversion in my head but I think that's close.

Whoops, didn't see the crack in the stock. Subtract about $75 for that in value. Try to talk them down. I'd still pick the Remington though.

 

[Mike Irwin]

That's $330 American. That's a good price here in the US for the action alone. These are highly sought after because the action is very conducive to target rifle performance, and a lot of have made over into target rifles.

I don't know what the prices are for rifles in Canada, but I can't believe that they're that hugely different.

 

[Art Eatman]

Eons ago a buddy of mine had one in .243. Great shooter; tight groups.

I set up one in .308 for a guy; again, quite accurate. Three-shot groups from 7/8" to 1-1/8" at 100 yards with a six-power scope.

But the one you've found? I'd sure work at bargaining the seller to a better price. Bad-mouth the stock, even though you can easily fix it. You don't have to tell him you can.

And for money purposes, an el cheapo scope adds no $ to the deal.

, Art

 

[Badger Arms]

But the mounts are nice to have. You're unlikely to be able to go into a store to get the mounts. I put Redfield mounts and super-low rings on most of my 788's. When I say most, I mean 5 out of 7 that I have are scoped with redfield scope mounts. I like a low-mounted scope with a 60 deg bolt throw. I've got high cheek bones and it feels better this way for me. That, and the 788 stock is a compromise between iron sights and scope. Might need to get some Pac-Skin for mine.

 

[cratz2]

The older Remingtons are very nice but I've also had several of the heavy barrel Savages and they were all shooters. The $775 Cn translates to about $600 and I paid $350 each for my two 12FVs (I assume this is what you mean... I'm not familiar with a VF).

The Savages are great shooters and have the heavy thing going for them if you're taking a bunch of shots but even at equal prices, I'd tend to go for the Remington. As Art suggested, try to bargain him down because of that stock. If you really want to keep the budget tight, ask him to keep the crappy scope and knock $50 off... he probably won't but it's worth a shot. If you don't need a lot of scope power, get yourself a Weaver K4 scope off eBay when you see a really nice one for $50 and you will have a very nice carry rifle on a budget. And it would take quite a few dollars invested to significantly beat it overall.

 

[cracked butt]

I used to have a 788 in .243. I really miss that rifle.

 

[TallPine]

Only paid $225 for mine with 4x Bushnell.

Nice rifle.

Anyone know where you can get extra magazines for them?

 

[HarryB]

Extra Mags

Midway has them
here

 

[9mmepiphany]

maybe i'm strange, but most 788's i've seen have had a rather rough finish. the 788 looks exactly like what it is...a tube with a barrel on one end and a bolt at the other, with 2 cut outs...one for the ejection port and one for the mag.

what i love about the 788 is how stiff that tube is (more than the 700 and close to the savage 112V), the rear lock-up and quick lock time. the price does sound a bit high, but...

i'm looking forward to the rebirth of the remington 600/660

 

[Mornard]

It's really priced too high. As a comparison, I just sold my Savage, (because it had a composite stock) and bought this same rifle - 788 in .243. Price without scope was $179 (About $250 CND) I know this was a good deal - these sometimes go for a ridiculously high amount. I'd try to talk the guy down to $375

 

[Badger Arms]

maybe i'm strange, but most 788's i've seen have had a rather rough finish.

It's a bargain gun. Problem with the Savage is that it's a cheaply finished bargain gun. For those wanting a high-gloss gun with fancy wood, polished parts, jeweled bolt, can opener, etc., you don't want either of these guns. In this class, the Savage is the loser in terms of finish. Every 788 I own is finished better than a brand-new Savage. Not to knock Savage, but it's the truth. I'm not a big fan of fancy finish on a gun because the first hunt or serious trip to the range can ruin that fancy finish. I don't like the idea that I have to treat a gun with kid gloves in order for it to retain its value. I want to be able to treat my gun like an expensive tool... use it but not abuse it. The 788 falls right into that category and delivers bench-rest accuracy to boot!