gunsmith in southern oregon

jsc · Dec 15, 2014

In need of gunsmith that can rebarrel a Remington 788 in 222 in Klamath Falls Medford or Bend

SOrez · Dec 15, 2014

A&B Traders in Medford might be able to help you.

Jamie6.5 · Dec 16, 2014

jsc said:
In need of gunsmith that can rebarrel a Remington 788 in 222 in Klamath Falls Medford or Bend

Wait,... Why re-barrel it? What chambering are you looking to go to?
The reason I ask, is because 788 bolts can be an absolute b*tch to find for any case-head size.
So unless you're looking to go with .204 Ruger or .17 Rem or maybe a wildcat based on a version of the .222 case, (.222, .222Rem Mag, .223) you may end up out in the cold looking for a bolt.

jsc · Dec 16, 2014

I'm thinking the throat is shot out. Will not group better then 1.5" even after bedding.

Jamie6.5 · Dec 17, 2014

jsc said:
I'm thinking the throat is shot out. Will not group better then 1.5" even after bedding.

Do you handload? Most eroded throats can be compensated for by adjusting seating depths out a little farther, or going with a longer/heavier bullet.
Or,...
You could just have the chamber reamed to .223?

Jamie6.5 · Dec 17, 2014

Or, if you're convinced it needs a new barrel, I would get a hold of Mark Skaggs.
He's in Grants Pass I believe.

jsc · Dec 18, 2014

Took it to a local smith today he said the barrel look good so don't know what is causing the lack of grouping

netcarrier · Dec 21, 2014

Hi JSC,
Maybe look at the Crown of the barrel? Maybe a nick on the rifling?
I know a Great Gunsmith in the Coquille, , Ken Brooks at PISCO Gunsmithing; phone number is 541-396-5558 tell them Tony (AGI) from Clackamas, Oregon Sent you. You can mail the weapons to them.

Jamie6.5 · Dec 21, 2014

jsc said:
Took it to a local smith today he said the barrel look good so don't know what is causing the lack of grouping

The 788 I owned (wish I still had it) would shoot almost everything I fed it under MOA, some by a lot.
Do you reload? If not,...
It sounds like it's time to go shopping for a variety of loads/brands/bullet weights.
Grab a pen and a notebook and head to the range with your purchases. Don't forget to let the barrel cool down between groups.

jsc · Dec 21, 2014

A list of powders
4198
4064
4895
Blc2
H335
H322

Bullets
36 - 55

Jamie6.5 · Dec 22, 2014

I've never reloaded for the .222, but I'm sure there's more than one aficionado here on the forum that has.

It may be time to hit the reloading section and ask about favorite loads/bullets/powder/seating depths etc.