A great deer rifle

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
The
Remington
788

30-30


Here in Alabama, the shots on whitetail deer range from 25 - 125 yards.
Most are between 40 and 70 yards.

The Remington 788, 30-30 is not your typical super duper , belted magnum , 250 - 350 yard rifle. ( I am glad that I have all of that out of my system )

It is nail driving accurate and super dependable in the places that I hunt.
The rifle is walnut and steel, no synthetic stock, no aluminum, no polymer.

May be " old tech ", but I like it.

Some would say that the 30-30 lacks in stopping power, I
say that if you use the correct cast bullet at the proper velocity
( and you're a good shot ) that the reverse is true, it might
just be the ideal caliber for the type of hunting that I do.

In off season, the rifle is great to train my grandson with.

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Ben

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In the woods, the 1- 4 magnification range , joined with a very bright, super
wide, field of view is just about ideal. The illuminated reticle is also an added feature for early morning and late afternoon hunting.

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Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
A 30-30 is never a bad choice. The Rem 788 has an excellent reputation for accuracy.
That is a perfect cast bullet deer gun.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Did you re-finish that one, Ben? It almost looks too nice to take into the woods!
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
Yes and Yes..........
This one has my low gloss , satin finish, with all pores filled.

Ben
 
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Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Nothing that needs doing to a deer inside of 150 yds that a .30-30 won't do just fine.

Speaking of fine....that's a fine looking rifle. Gee, I wonder how that stock got to looking so good?
Probably did not come from the factory looking like that! I'll bet that it has been 'Ben-ized'
somewhere along the way.

Bill
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I haven't shot truckloads of deer during my lifetime, only 8 so far. Every one of them could have been taken with a 30/30 rifle, and 3 of them were--to include my first one in 1968, which was also my longest-ever shot on a deer--125 yards. Next-farthest-away was my most recent deer (2006), at 65 yards. The 30/30 is PLENTY for 95% of the deer harvested in this country.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
That 'old man' is a really good gun stock refinisher, from what I have been able
to see. I have done enough wood finishing, and a few gunstocks to know that you
really do know how to do a fine job. Seems like all your rifles have beautiful stocks,
and nobody is that lucky to just stumble across that many rifles that look like that.;)

Bill:D
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
With the exception of stag grips on one Colt and the original hard rubber grips on another, nothing I own is made of anything other than wood and steel.
Am I old fashioned? I would hope to spit in yer mess kit!
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
Not a thing wrong with some of the " old stuff ".
The synthetic stocked , aluminum and polymer stuff these days is beginning to wear on me.

Ben
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Walnut and blued ordnance steel has a warmth that is utterly lacking in plastic and aluminum componentry. Stainless steel doesn't thrill me much, either. I admit without reservation that Glock pistols and pillar-bedded synthetic stocks work very well--they just have the soul of a ghetto pawnbroker. My 2 cents.
 

uncle jimbo

Well-Known Member
Walnut and blued ordnance steel has a warmth that is utterly lacking in plastic and aluminum componentry. Stainless steel doesn't thrill me much, either. I admit without reservation that Glock pistols and pillar-bedded synthetic stocks work very well--they just have the soul of a ghetto pawnbroker. My 2 cents.

I have to totally agree with this. And I put nickle plated firearms in this category also. I don't even like nickle plated cases either.
And this is my 2¢ also.
 

Rally

NC Minnesota
Nice rifle Ben. Looks like she shoots also. I looked for a 788 in .30-30 for a long time up here. Those that have them keep them, or will them to grand kids. I bought a Savage 325B about a year ago, with some problems. It came off one of the reservations here and had been "refinished" with some kind of industrial log stain/ varnish. Stripped it four times to find the wood! It's still not pretty but sealed and shoots fairly well.
I love a pretty gun as well as anybody, but, a working gun, and a hunting rifle, are two different animals in my mind. I couldn't see a wood stocked, blued steel rifle, on my trapline much anymore. Image that 788 splattered with blood and beaver urine, resting on a boat seat, or the bottom of a canoe! Or, sticking out of a scabbard on a snowmobile covered with powdered snow, after riding all day. Image that 788 skipping down the bank of a muddy river, a daily occurrence, for any coon or beaver trapper wearing hip boots or waders. You can cruise the isles of any state trappers convention and see the results laying on tables for sale. Bent bells on scopes, soldered sights, cracked forearms and stocks, bluing worn badly on receivers from being center carried by wet leather gloves or mittens. Lots of brush or pack frame scratches, hand sewn slings, and plenty of road rash. Ugly as they are, the stainless composite firearms being produced have niches for good reason. I own and appreciate them for what they are.
 

Bill

Active Member
Rally, my 870 shot gun has dents scratches gouges all over it from hunting chuker in the lava hills at China lake cal for three years in the 60s, I am 76 years old now, and when I handle the ol girl I can still remember how they got there, I wouldn't trade it for a brand new one

Bill
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Bill--No part of the Ridgecrest area topography has changed much since your departure, I assure you. We lived there from 2008-2014. Good place to live, lousy place to work.
 

Rally

NC Minnesota
Bill,
I have an old 870 in 16 gauge, It has a 30 BBL, full choke, with a poly choke rib that the former owner put on it. Bought it when I was 14, via installments, with money I made selling nightcrawlers, flipping burgers, and delivering newspapers. In 1976 I was in the Navy going through ASM training in Millington, Tn. My in-laws drove my wife down to join me. My father-in-law took the barrel off the 870 and wrapped it in a wool blanket, then put it in the trunk of their Grand Torino. That was in June and the blanket melted into the finish on the gun! That was the first gun I ever refinished. I've shot ducks and pheasant with it in four states, but quit using it for ducks when we had to use steel ammo. Still hunt pheasant with it at least once a year. I've had to touch it up a couple times to keep it sealed, but it is still smooth as glass and tough on pheasant. Guess I got my $128.00 worth.
Sorry for the hi-jack Ben.
 
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F

freebullet

Guest
Ben, the stock is gorgeous.

I can attest they didn't come like yours. On the attic rifle I can see the beautiful grain trapped under the nasty Remington stain/finish. You let it out nicely.