Any Win.Model 88 fans ??

[308magtip]

Just surfing for info

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I have that book specific to the 88 lying around here somewhere. I've never made it into that model. I wanted a 284 or 358 ... pre-64 of course, but my money went elsewhere. I think there are a few here with 88's. I think Blaine actually has one in 284. I see them on the racks down here at one of the local collector stores ... but they are all 308's and 243's. The whole rotating bolt is such a departure from the John Browning designs that they seem more like a bolt gun. Though the Browning BLR's have been very successful with that design. Still, people on this board would probably fall all over themselves to get their hands on a B92 in 357 rather than a BLR. Nostalgia I think.

[Old Savage]

I have a 73 manufacture 308. Very accurate with Fed 150s, 4-5” groups with Win 180s. Bought it NIB have around 600 through it. A 243 would be interesting. First two center fire rifles I bought were a B92 357 and a BLR 243.

[samsi]

I've always held out for a .358, passing up a pile of 308's and couple 243's in the process. Kinda regret not grabbing a 308 now. I do know a guy with one in .30-284, it's pretty neat.

I always hear about the bad triggers but just about every one I've tried has seemed pretty decent, and I'm a bit of a trigger snob. They are a bit chunky feeling now that I've got some years behind me, which is a little funny since I was hunting with a Model 100 when I was 13 and thought it was pretty slick.

[COSteve]

One of my 'Grail Guns' was an early Winchester 88 in .308 that was in decent shape. I absolutely love the lines of it. Well, after 20 years of searching, a friend called me back in 2012 and introduced me to a widowed friend of his who had bought her husband an early model, 1959 one as a Christmas present back in 1959.

Back then you could order custom features from Winchester so she ordered it with a recoil pad and sling swivels installed from the factory. She still had the paperwork for the order and it cost her an extra $9 for them to add it.

She presented him with the beautiful stocked Winchester 88 in .308 you can see below (click on it for a full size view) and he took one look at it and said that it was much too pretty to take out hunting so he put it in the safe and left it there saying he'd get to it in the future. However, in the early 70's he'd still not fired it and found out that he had developed Parkinson's disease.

He finally passed in 2010 and by 2012, she was ready to let it go. My friend told her about my quest for one so when I arrived to look at it, she offered it to me for a ridiculously low price. After inspecting it and checking it's function, I verified that it was in fact unfired!! I refused her low-ball offer and told her I'd give her fair market for it. So, I pulled out my cash and I paid her what it was worth.

I took it to a gunsmith friend of mine who was trained on the Win 88's maintenance and repair and asked him to check out the trigger as I'd heard that they were spotty. After cycling it he remarked at how smooth the action was, confirmed that it was in fact unfired, and then told me it had the best stock trigger on it he'd seen.

It is too pretty to hunt with and even though I added a Redfield 3x9 scope and sling to it, I just use it to shoot at steel plates at 400 yds with my 168grn HPBT handloads. As Winchester's last model design of a levergun, it's a beautiful example of the craftsmanship Winchester was once known for.

Many complain that it's got too light of a barrel so the accuracy suffers but I've found with good handloads it can consistently produce 1 1/2" - 2" groups at 100 yds. That's a decent standard for a hunting rifle in the 50's.

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[Old Savage]

I would suggest you give it a try with Fed 150s. My 73 manufacture will put 3 in a 1/2”.

[308magtip]

Got mine much the same way you got yours Steve. Post 64 and it had the acorn stock and this the kick in the n!@#$ the stock was cut short for a former GF to use.So short I could not reach the trigger when butt resting inside my elbow. Gunsmith buddy got a new walnut stock,fitted it to me with a thin recoil pad and I found year and model correct Redfield NIB peepsights installed.My load is new PPV brass,CCI lg mag primer,150 gr Speer Magtip and win 740 ball powder 46 t0 47 grs which ever yours likes.I also lightly crimp the bullet with a Lee factory crimp die.From the bemch and letting barrel cool between shots I have 5 at 50 yds inside a half dollar. I use a diomand target and put front sight on bottom point of diamond and shoys hit 1" high at 50 yds.Where I hunt in eastern pa in lancaster Co 100yds is a long shot now because of encrochment from the cities. Good shooting and keep the front sight on the target..

[COSteve]

I should mention that the accuracy I mentioned above is with me shooting it. My son with better eyes and more stable hands can do a lot better.

[Kenworth71]

I have a 308 of my dad's, it was his favorite, I think it was made in 52, but he was a farmer and farmers can be hard on there gear, she's not in the best shape, I had a 284 when I was like 19, foolishly traded it away, I see them come up now and again, just in 308 though, I think sako built one similar, I remember seeing pics and thinking they looked similar, but can't remember the model .

[COSteve]

I have a 308 of my dad's, it was his favorite, I think it was made in 52, but he was a farmer and farmers can be hard on there gear, she's not in the best shape, I had a 284 when I was like 19, foolishly traded it away, I see them come up now and again, just in 308 though, I think sako built one similar, I remember seeing pics and thinking they looked similar, but can't remember the model .

That would be Sako's VL63 Finnwolf.