I must back off my earlier recommendation of the Remington 788 based on extensive testing of “My 788” the last few months. Judgment of the series cannot be made based on one rifle with two magazines. The rifle will continue in the line-up as a limited varmint rifle because of the caliber it is chambered in and its accuracy. If I am hunting deer or bear I want a dependable rifle in my hands. “My 788” is not dependable at this time. I have a lot of components for it and is will do as a practice rifle.
I was pleased with my different handloads during the summer. I have 40 rounds reserved for deer and bear hunting. The 105-grain Speer Splitzer pushed by WMR (Winchester Magnum Rifle) powder in new Winchester cases. I fired this load along with others at 100 and 200 yards. Without a doubt the rifle is accurate in the hands of an old shaky shooter. This is at 100 yards and should be adequate for the targeted game.
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,213380.msg1099170677.html#msg1099170677You mentioned you were looking at a 30-30 for your wife.
I believe there are a lot of used 30-30 rifles on the used gun racks that are better made then the Remington 788. One of the rifles I took to the range as a companion to the 788 this summer was a Marlin 336 made in 1971. It was bought new as a K-Mart special on sale for $79. I paid more for the 788 on sale a few years later.
The workings of the Marlin 336 was flawless, the action is very smooth and dependable. The top four rounds are Hornady factory 160-grain Leverelution rounds aimed at the center orange spot. The lower group was aimed at the low spot, using the second cross hair in the BDC scope. I expected the point of impact to be different with the 150-grain Hornady RN bullet. This is acceptable 30-30 accuracy for my hunting needs.
Unlike the 788 the Marlin 336 had absolute no issues at the range. It is the rifle I would bet a deer or bear tag on.
The shorter stock of the Marlin 336 comes in handy when heavier fall, winter, and spring clothing is worn. The addition of a recoil pad without cutting back the stock can also take care of the length of pull issue. During a hunt my length of pull will change with the evening and morning hours favoring additional clothing, and shading during the heat of the day. I do have a slip-on pad for my Marlin but rarely use it because of the cooler fall weather.
The high flyer was the first round and I made an adjustment to bring the point of impact down at 100 yards.
I will not let my granddaughters use the 788 for hunting because safety demands a reliable rifle. I will work towards improving the magazine feed. Otherwise it is a good rifle for an experience shooter. They lack experience dealing with a problem firearm at this time. My wife has not hunted for many years but if she expressed an interest I would not burden her with this rifle.
During my career I attended quarterly firearms qualifications and training. A malfunctioning firearm would never be certified for duty. I recall. A case of non-original manufacture handgun magazines being disposed of because they did not make the grade.
My fall hunting trip has gone down the toilet with a case of shingles. A day or two before the outbreak I was packing for the trip. I packed ammunition for two different rifles, niether of them being the M788.
