winchester model 88, 284 winchester loads

[tooth doc]

Ya gotta experiment with different factory rounds/bullets/loads. But I'd recommend not the-barreling unless the barrel is shot out (doubtful) due to the collector value of this rifle.

my original post indicated that i would only rebarrel if i cant get it to shoot well. i will be spending time , with different bullet/powder combos to find what she likes. no offense to anyone here, but if she wont shoot i dont have any qualms about rebarreling, if it can be done. i dont really worry about keeping something factory original, if it can be improved on. im having turnbull take a very worn original model 86 and build a beautiful 475 . ypu are not the first, nor will u be the last to express the same sentiment. i do understand it, its just not how i feel unless this was a really pristine example as is.

 

[tooth doc]

Get your custom stock ready, if you shoot maximum loads through the 88 you'll find the wrist portion of the stock is kind of week they have a tendency to crack right there other than that they're a very fine rifle just don't shoot super hot loads, good luck with it

will definitely lay out the stock for proper grain through the wrist, and after your comment probably add a couple of kevlar rods through the wrist. would like a nice palm swell, cheekpiece for proper scope/eye alignment, and a nice butt pad. possibly a schnabel forend like winchester mod 70 lightweights .

 

[tooth doc]

I just sold a Winchester model 88 308. Hooded front sight and flip down adjustable rear sight, to a friend of mine. It is a great gun. This link has the serial numbers by year. Page 33.
file:///C:/Users/joepr/AppData/Local/Temp/Winchester-Manufacture-Dates-by-Year-2012-Scanned-Documents.pdf

i found the link, and my guns year of manufacture. 1966. again, thank you.

 

[tooth doc]

139 Hornady projectiles to see how it does, and, it may prefer flat bases. If ya can get under 1 inches or so at 100 then maybe keep it as a curio fun piece of history.

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/7mm-284-139-gr-interlock-sp#!/

if i get 1in or smaller i would absolutely shoot it a lot as is and leave it as is.

 

[tooth doc]

Rifle sounds interesting.

The original load that Bob Hutton worked with was the 140 partition and 57 gr of IMR 4350.

That is considered maximum on Hodgdon's site but Nosler lists Max at 53 grains. With your particular rifle I would error on the side of caution due to action strength.

Have been using a 284 Win since mid 80s. Evolved from using IMR 4350 to H4350 or RL-17. Have taken elk with 140, 150 and 160 partitions. Many coues wt and a few muley with 120 nos bt, 140 nos bt, 168 Berger hunting VLD and the original bullet I used, the Sierra 140 gameking. Don't think you can go wrong with any of these bullets on deer sized game. Would suggest you use a premium bullet with larger animals.

for hunting i use premium bullets always.

 

[tooth doc]

my neighbor has one and is loading 140 TSX bullets with H 4350 and Reloader 19. his groups are slightly over an inch. load recipies are in the middle of the charts. A 6X6 bull dropped to this rifle last year, so it does the job. I have 3 284's all bolts. Two of mine have magazines and overall length of the finished cartridge are limited. I believe your lever action will be length limited too.

im a big barnes fan. this will be a combo i will check out. i will probably try heavier too, just for fun.

 

[436]

you rifle is nicer than mine! live it. now that i have 284 ill keep looking for others

I thought the same thing... I was always looking for the .284 Win and the .358 Win in that rifle model, I understand they also made a .243 Win as well... For a short time, I had the Mod 88 and the Mod 100 both in .308 Win. Well, good luck.

 

[Gregg C]

I've got an 88 in 308...its my 4th, and last, as it was my Pop's. He bought it in 58, or 59, and spent the entire Winter of 59/60 hand whittling a stock for it. I was born in 60, but my older sister remembers him working on it. He got the trigger to break very nicely, tho the pressure to do so is high. I've done two other trigger clean up on my previous 88's and it IS a job!! Can be done, tho. I found one for my son, and was working in the trigger and broke it. Thought it was fubared, but I found a replacement on line. Anyway, apologize for the length here, hope you love it. If not, lemme know! I'll give it a good home

 

[R. Cram]

I took one of my M88's for an experiment and used a match barrel I had shot then set back and wore enough on the second set back I couldnt reach the riflings so I turned the outside diameter paralell 6 inches from the new breach [ I cut 3 inches off the breach to get good rifling] to create 2 rings on the bottom side of the barrel about 3 inches apart and set these in a block of aluminum in the forend then drilled from the bottom of the forend to set two bolts into these rings and thus bed the barrel into the stock . The rifle shoots consistently minute of angle so I think my bedding system works because I don't think the factory system is very good. I hope I presented this so you could understand it because if you restock it might be something to consider. Hopefully it will shoot good enough so you don't have to do extra work

 

[Gregg C]

And to those who think it's a weak action.....
It's a three lug rotating bolt, not a breech lock. Not saying it's indestructible, nor should one not work up their loads...but the action itself is plenty strong.

 

[Maol]

That's not really a rifle that a guy will be able to change out the barrel but, they shoot tiptop. Triggers are fine on them as is, difficult to impossible to gunsmith better. Magazine and feeding of rounds might be an influence on bullet shapes, Speer's work in mine quite well. Great rig, good luck.

Difficult to change barrels, not impossible though finding one maybe. A good Smith that knows the 88 can improve the trigger. Those Smiths that really know it well are endangered species. Jim Green, of GunWorks in Harrington, ME is one. He has a few videos of the 88/100 on YouTube. To clean them real good you'll need slave pins to get it back together. I bought a set of pins from Numrich.

 

[Maol]

The triggers are notoriously mushy , but mine also shoots very well. Killed a lot of blacktail with it !

Mine isn't. It's light and sweet, breaks like glass.

 

[Maol]

By the way I did have one apart completely, and the previous posters right there an SOB to put back together, but it's nothing that lots of patients can't do

Slave Pins required or at least make it a lot easier. I take mine down at the end of the season and clean it.

 

[Maol]

will definitely lay out the stock for proper grain through the wrist, and after your comment probably add a couple of kevlar rods through the wrist. would like a nice palm swell, cheekpiece for proper scope/eye alignment, and a nice butt pad. possibly a schnabel forend like winchester mod 70 lightweights .

I believe that mine (early 1957) was one that cracked and why it was restocked with Fancy (Extra Fancy?) American Walnut for strength. It has a Weaver Tip Off Mount and 4X. The stock isn't like what you described but I like it. I just use a Limb Saver on mine, the 88s are Beautiful but Stout. It makes the LOP better, for me I anyways. Not the boys, all three are 6' 4" or more.

Anyways here is one with a custom stock.