Gettin' the ball rolling.....

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It will be interesting to see how the 788 deals with a current generation high pressure cartridge. I know that my 788 in 6mm Rem , while superbly accurate with mid pressure handloads, does not like real high pressures.
 
Well, I swallowed hard and took a deep pull of my Jameson and clicked on the "Checkout" button. Ordered it from Eurooptics. Free shipping but a charge of $14 for "shipping insurance". Yeah, ok.o_O I will remember THAT bait and switch.:scrutiny:
I think they do that for anything over a certain amount It was offered to me on my Zeiss but on a couple of the other cheaper scopes I ordered it wasn't added.... Course free shipping also doesn't apply to Hawaii.......
 
Update:
Lilja's barrel arrived. Just what the doctor ordered! Stainless steel, 6mm, 120 grit finish, light-varmint contour. Waiting for the Boyd's stock (AA Walnut, Prairie Hunter w/skip-line checkering, polymer tip and grip cap. - over $500!!!) It will likely be the last custom / semi-custom rifle I will have built soooooo.......
Aw, what the heck! It's only money, right? o_O :uhoh:
Now I have to start thinking of a scope ..... At first glance, I like this one: https://www.eurooptic.com/swarovski-z5-5-25x52-bt-4w-reticle-matte-black-59884.aspx :):)
I highly approve of your choices. Pictures and a range report are required, LOL.
 
ANOTHER UPDATE:
100 rounds of 6mm Creedmore brass arrived from Midway today. Looks like I need to get busy doing the brass prep!
The new stock is in transit from Boyd's. It left Mitchell, SD and went to Sioux Falls, SD, then to St. Paul, MN, then to Chicago, IL and 3 other IL locations, then to Lebo, KS and is still listed as In Transit. Expected delivery is late Thursday.
I'm more than a little curious to see what Boyd's calls a Claro XX Walnut figure stock. I had first wanted a maple one, but a buddy said he sent the one he ordered back because of a complete lack of figure in a XX maple stock he had ordered for one of his Savages. :scrutiny:
I'll take a group photo of all the goodies when the stock arrives. ;) The barreled action is at the 'smith's shop and I'm starting to feel a little excitement for the project.

I was able to find a one-piece base for the scope and I want to reuse the Vortex vertical split rings just because I like them. The completed rifle may look a little off as the barrel is stainless and the receiver is blued steel. But then I do have another rifle like that in a plastic stock and it doesn't look too bad.

Stay tuned! :)
 
ANOTHER UPDATE:
100 rounds of 6mm Creedmore brass arrived from Midway today. Looks like I need to get busy doing the brass prep!
The new stock is in transit from Boyd's. It left Mitchell, SD and went to Sioux Falls, SD, then to St. Paul, MN, then to Chicago, IL and 3 other IL locations, then to Lebo, KS and is still listed as In Transit. Expected delivery is late Thursday.
I'm more than a little curious to see what Boyd's calls a Claro XX Walnut figure stock. I had first wanted a maple one, but a buddy said he sent the one he ordered back because of a complete lack of figure in a XX maple stock he had ordered for one of his Savages. :scrutiny:
I'll take a group photo of all the goodies when the stock arrives. ;) The barreled action is at the 'smith's shop and I'm starting to feel a little excitement for the project.

I was able to find a one-piece base for the scope and I want to reuse the Vortex vertical split rings just because I like them. The completed rifle may look a little off as the barrel is stainless and the receiver is blued steel. But then I do have another rifle like that in a plastic stock and it doesn't look too bad.

Stay tuned! :)



awesome!!!!!
 
I got around to opening the box of the Boyds xxClaro Walnut Pairie Hunter stock. I am disappointed! :thumbdown:
The stock has been over sanded and the rear third of the bottom metal on the left side stands proud about 2/3 to 3/4 of the thickness of the metal . Also, the left side of the stock at the wrist is over sanded and when you look at the bottom metal, it looks like it is off center because so much material was removed. They also just "painted over" the sanding dust in the bottom metal inletting. $525 and a nice piece of wood turned to crap. :barf:

I have a time setup with the gunsmith to deliver the barrel and stock to him for fitting on Tuesday. We will do a test fit of the receiver in the stock then.

I sent photos and an email to Boyds asking them what can be done to make it all better. I am not holding my breath. :(:(
 

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I got around to opening the box of the Boyds xxClaro Walnut Pairie Hunter stock. I am disappointed! :thumbdown: :(:(

Recently purchased 2 Boyds stock. A Varmint Thumbhole and a Spike Camp. I paid much less for both than you paid for the one.

The Thumbhole fit well on the gun just didn't fit well on me. The Spike Camp fit me better but my groups went from MOA @200yds. to 11" Ground it out and bedded it and now it shoots pretty well.
 
It will be interesting to see how the 788 deals with a current generation high pressure cartridge. I know that my 788 in 6mm Rem , while superbly accurate with mid pressure handloads, does not like real high pressures.
The 788 is an enormously strong action, despite having the locking lugs toward the rear of the bolt. I am curious as to what you call "high pressure", because a 788 should handle any reasonable load. They were chambered in 22-250, which SAAMI lists as loaded to 65,000 PSI. Doesn't get a whole lot higher pressure than that.
 
Let us just say that Ken Water's "Pet Loads" for 6 mm Rem taught me that maximum loads have to be worked up very carefully. As I recall, he used a Remington Model 700 to work up his loads. When I was 2 grains short of his maximum I had to hammer the 788 bolt open.

It left me with the feeling that if he said DO NOT EXCEED (and the load I was working was not one of those), I would prefer to be several pastures away when some one was shooting test loads.

Yes, the 788 is very strong, but I think that it is somewhat elastic. And, capable of being extremely accurate.
 
Let us just say that Ken Water's "Pet Loads" for 6 mm Rem taught me that maximum loads have to be worked up very carefully. As I recall, he used a Remington Model 700 to work up his loads. When I was 2 grains short of his maximum I had to hammer the 788 bolt open.
Fair enough. Every rifle is different. :) I suppose there is a small chance the brass was to blame, possibly too soft? Having a bolt stick that badly is scary enough! Glad nothing worse happened.
 
UPDATE:
No email answer from Boyds prompted me to call them. About 15 minutes on "ignore" and I was talking to a real person. She apologized and said it definitely sounded like a problem and would I send photos along with the returned stock just for nformational purposes so that they don't have to guess exactly what the problem is.
Well, alrighty, then.... I ordered the replacement stock to be unstained and unfinished because their stain and finish does more to hide the grain figure than to enhance it. Lost the laser checkering because that is done after finishing the stock. That's ok by me as I think the laser checkering stinks anyway. Won't do that stuff again.

Back to the waiting game.... :barf:
 
The wait sucks but the ball continues so I’m putting you down in the progress being made column. Thanks for the continuing updates!
 
The 788 is great- accurate and many would be pleased to Have that kind of accuracy from a basic non Benchrest rifle.
You can easily acquire a 700 action and stock used on the market for whatever you so choose in caliber.
Yet that old 788 deserves a Upgraded trigger and or scope and some Tlc, Not to be diced up and rebuilt. It’s a classic and should remain. No flame , yet a bit of spark perhaps.

Ps - How about some photos?
Here are my 788s… a 44 and a 308.

If your looking for a new home for it, I can adopt ;) DB78DC40-0C1D-4F52-93BC-D138218602F2.png 186CF57A-C02C-4D76-9029-DFD7AEAA2E93.jpeg
 
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