Favorite Firearms: A Go-To Remington 788

by
posted on November 16, 2021
Remington Model 788 bolt-action

Growing up with my grand­parents, guns were the norm. I was taught at a very young age by my grandfather how to properly handle a firearm, and not just how to effectively use them, but to service them as well. There were no excuses for irresponsible gun ownership.

The day I graduated from my hunter’s safety course, I was ecstatic. My grandfather had something for me after graduation, and it was my first long gun—a rifle that would not only become one of the most reliable tools in my chest but also a part of me. It was the Remington Model 788 bolt-action.

As inexpensive as it was, I called it “Old Reliable” because you could run it through mud, snow or rain, and that gun would shoot straight without hesitation. It’s a bolt-action with a bolt throw of just 60 degrees, rear locking lugs and a birch stock. I’ve since sanded it and refinished the wooden stock, as well as coated the barrel and the trigger mechanism.

I have numerous great memories with that rifle, and there are many scars on it from the long miles it was carried through the woods—with many more to come. My first deer was put down with that Remington. All the work I had put into learning to confidently shoot accurately, prior to heading to my first true hunt, paid off; one shot, and it was down.

I hold this firearm close to my heart for many reasons. Remington produced the Model 788 from 1967 until 1983, and despite its age, mine still shoots true and is by far the most accurate rifle I’ve owned. No dollar amount could get me to part with this rifle.

—Jordan Harris

Latest

heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees
heavy machine gun crew with DShK on tripod pointing in air above trees

Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

While the Browning .50-cal. M2 machine gun has been unequaled for more than a century, John Moses Browning’s genius design has had one significant 12.7 mm competitor: the Soviet DShK.

Support The NRA Youth Education Summit (YES) On Giving Tuesday

With more than 1,200 students having graduated from the program and over $700,000 in scholarships awarded since 1996, NRA's YES is an immersive leadership program for high school students eager to learn about the foundations of our nation, the importance of civic engagement and the role of the Second Amendment.

Rifleman Review: Remington 360 Buckhammer

Remington Ammunition's 360 Buckhammer is a straight-wall hunting cartridge that's designed to give deer hunters an ideal round for their Midwestern hunt.

New For 2025: EAA Girsan Witness2311 Brat, Match and MatchX

European American Armory Corp. (EAA) introduced an affordable variation of the double-stack 1911 design with their Girsan Witness2311 in 2023, continually adding additional chamberings and slide length options. New for 2025, the company is adding three new versions of the Witness2311 with the Match, MatchX and Brat models.

Review: Citadel Trakr

At less than 4 lbs., this repeating rifle is easy on the back while also being extraordinarily easy on the budget.

Freedom Munitions To Move Ammo Component Production To Idaho

Freedom Munitions has announced it will be consolidating its projectile component production from X-Treme Bullets out of Nevada into its Lewiston, Idaho, facilities.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.