straightshooter wrote:If you want to load at or near "maximum" in a 788, and do a lot of shooting, then you will need to ensure a good source of inexpensive brass as case life won't be very long. Although the action is one of the strongest in absolute terms Remington engineers found that bolt compression in this particular rear locker was the culprit behind shortish case life.
Another issue with the 6mm Rem in some Remington rifles is a slow factory barrel twist which may restrict the range of projectile weights and shapes you can successfully use.
Another factoid is that although the 788 started out as Remington's entry level cheapie it ended up being more expensive to make than a model 700 so it was manufactured for only a few years. It was also reputed to be sensationally accurate.
I have no personal experience of a 788 but I have been occasionally tempted by cheapies appearing on used guns.
Get one straightshooter...!!
If one came up cheap enough & in good nik id get another...!
Id assume you'd know this, but thought id say it incase you dont...
If you get one, the other things wrong with them to look out for that i know of are...
Safety--being plastic people often bear handed them & it broke...
Bolt Handle--high pressure loads as you say gave a little excess chamber room, so tight bolt lift was common & i believe many broke the braised on bolt handle while hammering the bolt open...so try get one that hasnt been broke'ded...
And the trigger...i believe the trigger was not so great, & often over honed/worked to a 'no longer workable' state by many self confessed 'smiths' of the time...& so many are pretty crappy, & ive heard (but not experienced) some are dangerous..so get one that hopefully hasnt been fooled with.
The one i have, the trigger had been touched, but still enough left to hone in ness...& it feels every bit as good as the Tikka triggers i have, only a tad heavier...(but i know nothing of the workings)...
Id like a good one in 222...i rekon with mild loads would make a great little small game fox & bunny buster...
The man who knows everything, doesnt really know everything...he's just stopped learning...