Remington 788?

I am pondering selling my 788 in .223. I scanned gunbroker to get an idea of a value. There are 2 on the at the moment. 1 is starting bid of $720 and the other starting at $800 with an $895 buy it now price. Are these guys off their rockers or has the value of these guns gone up? I'm leaning towards off their rocker. BTW, these are non-scoped guns.

They're off their rocker, but I'd like to see what you've got. Assume it's 24" barrel? If it's in good shape, you're probably looking at $350-450.

$350-450 is the "real" price on the ones I have seen sold. On those Nation wide auction sites, they are always trolling for big $. I think it was PT Barnum that said "their is one born everyday."

They are good guns, but there are many better buys at that price range.

Nine locking lugs on the bolt, its got a clip too. I had one in a .308. It was one of my first deer rifles. It was ok, but it needed a lot of TLC, like barrel floating, trigger work and I probably had some low end rings on it. Accuracy wise it was one of my worst. I bought it for 140 dollars at a sporting goods shop and it was rigged with an old fixed power 4x32 bushnell. I put a 6-18x50 banner on it. Killed 5 deer and some hogs with it. Never liked the rattling clip that it had. I traded it off for a PSE Dan Fitzgerald Bow. Fast bow, but real loud. I like the old 721s and 722s better than the 788s because I like a quiet blind magazine and the smoothness of the action better. Seem like they cycle smoother and faster. Some folks look for the 788 action to build bench guns, which seems to be suited for that action. I like the newer short 20 in bull barrels now days in the .223 rem model 700.

Check the Completed Auctions on Gun broker yo find a more realistic going price.

By any chance, were the high dollar rifles in .44 mag? I know that particular combo seems to be very desirable.

They were actually a low end rifle. Ive seen them in 222. 223. and .308 You may have to google it.

No, the ones he posted about above were .223s. There is a .44 mag listed for $1200.

I checked another source 788's seem to be pretty soildly in the $650-$700 range. I couldn't find a 223 but did a 222 and a couple in 222-250. This is on a fixed price site, though you can negotiate, my experience is that a 10% discount is about max. I found one for $500 but it had a shot out barrel.

Very good budget rifles from Remington discontinued in 1983 IIRC (bought my first one in 1982 for $200). They were made in several calibers including 222, 223, 22-250, 243, 6mm Remington, 7mm-08, 30-30, 308 and 44 Magnum. The 3 least common ones are 44Mag, 30-30 and 7mm-08 and will be the prices the OP listed or more if in very good condition.

Love one in .44 mag

Looked a long time before I found one at a small town gunshow

The 788 may have been built as a budget rifle, but the .22-cal 788s have a stellar reputation. Some think it was discontinued because it made the 700s look bad. Maybe so, maybe not...but certainly possible.

I believe a nice one in .222 is worth $500 to $550. Probably the same for .223, and maybe so for .22-250. The ones chambered for .308-based cartridges? I'd give $400 or so, maybe $450 for a nice one.

Interestingly enough, the lug design of the 788 was also used for the 540/541/580/581/582 rimfire rifles. Many of them are astoundingly accurate, just like their 788 big brethren.

Every one I have shot or owned have shot well! I have not shot a 7-08, but the .44 was Very picky about ammo.
I have .222,.223,22-250,2X .243s,2X .308s. Looking for a clean 6mm. Luckily I have a .44, and a 30-30 spoken for in a good friends gun safe. That is WHEN, he is ready to sell.

Boonee you refreshed my memory, I saw one in the 6 mm while back in auction. Seemed rare. My 9 locking lugs had ruff edges around the corners. I always figure that the higher tolerances of the smaller lugs didn't like my fast action slamming while rapid shooting at hogs. That's why I got rid of mine and wasn't very accurate.

On bolt-action 223's, people seem to be getting as much for a used one as a what a new one costs. No matter what the brand.

True, the .223 has many uses and is affordable to shoot.

Dare I say that both the 788's I have in 222 are bench rest accurate after a bed job and trigger work. Both shoot 1 small hole. I had a target on the wall for over 10 yrs shot with one of them through a 6x Lyman scope that was literally a .22 hole for 3 shots at 100. That was when I first started reloading and didn't know I was supposed to shoot 5 rd groups. Been many years since I have pulled them from the safe. Might be time to get them out again. The 22-250, 788 was my first and only center fire for many years and it has seen very few missed shots. Stock was cut down when I was 12 and my boys still hunt with it. Great guns for what they cost back then. Wouldn't pay what they cost now.