Win 88 trigger gets a bad rap IMO

Firstly, I am a huge bolt action fan. For F-Class and varmints and long range hunting I have at least 40 of them.

HOWEVER, nothing is a cool in the bush as an 88. They were light years ahead of their time and are one of the prettiest rifles made. Out of the 6 I own, the triggers range from acceptable to horrible. None are great. But when I whitetail bolts up in front of me, they seem to work.

Sometimes I wish Winchester would reintroduce them but I doubt they would leave the styling alone so no matter what they came out with, it could not be as pretty.

Just like Marilyn Monroe. She was pretty then and is pretty now. However todays styles would detract from her.

Long live the 88!
 
My cousin dump 5 shots in 5 second in the boiler room on a deer out of his 88, he don't seem to mind the trigger ;) Not trying to stir up trouble he just likes his gun and knows how to use it.
 
The two deer I shot this fall, one of which was at a lasered 167 meters, didn't seem to complain about the trigger on my 1956 issue Model 88. Both bang flops with my 300 Savage level reloads for .308 Winnie.

Cheers,
Ricky
 
noneck180 said:
I have shot some real good groups with a creepy trigger..I just was use to it..I would rather a have a trigger with creep that was light..rather than a trigger that is 8lbs with no creep. IMHO
I got an 88..hate it..will never sell it though.
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You can get used to all sorts of things, and you can overcome all sorts of obstacles, but IMHO a poor trigger should be fixed or replaced. To me the trigger is the single most important element of all the components that make up a rifle. The sights can be mediocre, the stock can be a little clubby, and it might not shine too brightly on the target range; but if the piece has a really good trigger, all is forgiven.
 
ko<I have shot a lot of different rifles,as I have 15 hunting rifles.. several 88's and 100's with the wins as some of my favourite to shoot. Old sako,s I sold off...
 
I'm not really a fan.

No you do not need a match quality trigger, but a decent trigger helps on a difficult (off balance) shot. Heavy, draggy trigger....Lots of levers have good triggers.

The action is very overweight and creates a finished rifle with a light (or vacant) feeling for offhand shooting.
The mags are forgettable except you need the mag to function in order for the rifle to operate....IIRC the mag was prone to falling out and getting lost.

Worse of all was when a fellow I know (he owned a gun store at the time) had one that would occasionally refuse to go bang....A flaw he said was common to the rifle.
Something about the action does not like heavy recoil...(I can't remember what).

The are hardly the equivalent of a bolt action in terms of strength, ignition, weight, and extraction.
Put a hot load in one and you will see what I mean.
 
A hunting trigger, and target trigger are two totally different things IMO.
The 88 has fine trigger for hunting. If you want a target rifle, buy a bolt!

Kelly Timoffee said:
I wanna find a poor condition one and make into a 7-08 , that would be unique.
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Not at all. I had them built in both 7-08, and 260Rem. Not to mention 257Roberts.
 
X-fan said:
They are hardly the equivalent of a bolt action in terms of strength, ignition, weight, and extraction.
Put a hot load in one and you will see what I mean.
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Put two, or three deer ahead of dogs running through hardwoods in front of me , and I will show you where 88 shines. Keep in mind, I'm not a lever guy;)
 
All I can say is junk is junk and some people like junk.
Had an 88 with a stiff trigger. Local smith polished it up to ease the pull but
I just couldn't get used to the bulk. Sold it and bought a Model 100. I kept it
a shorter period than the 88. Would of made fancy tent pegs though.
Suits on gang.
 
captonion said:
Put two, or three deer ahead of dogs running through hardwoods in front of me , and I will show you where 88 shines. Keep in mind, I'm not a lever guy;)
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Now that's the guy who knows what he is talking about. Win mod 88 is the best thing under the sun since well....sliced bread. I have very accurate one in 358Win in Boyds high comb laminate stock shooting 225gr Barnes tsx at allmost 2500fps out of 10 shot Collier magazine if needed and nothing, absolutely nothing beats that gun in the bush and normal hunting ranges (say 300m). Ok, ok the Rem 760 in 35 Whelen comes close second....
 
Some like levers, some dont. I have a model 88 chambered in 284 win. the trigger is horrible but I dont care, I happen to like the rifle. I also have a savage 99, 308 win, the trigger is better than the 88. Lever guns are meant to be fast and handy and should be shot off hand, which most people including myself dont do enough of. 2" groups are good enough for most hunting with that type of action or any action for that matter. Regards Pete. PS; one mans junk is another mans treasure.
 
I got to shoot one quite a bit about 10 years ago. It was a 308, which I believe is the most common chambering. It would shoot under an inch, but that trigger is not great. It took a consicious effort to not draw off target with the pull. I have also used the BLR's a bit, not really into them either. Good for in close and dirty, but the under 30 yds stuff is best with irons and slow big rounds like a 38-55 or 44 mag, ie brush calibers. I know of one in a BLR 358 that is NIB for $600 and as tempted as I am to have a new toy to fool with its not my thing.

JT.
 
kamlooky said:
All I can say is junk is junk and some people like junk.
Had an 88 with a stiff trigger. Local smith polished it up to ease the pull but
I just couldn't get used to the bulk. Sold it and bought a Model 100. I kept it
a shorter period than the 88. Would of made fancy tent pegs though.
Suits on gang.
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Another guy and another...
 
How can I be so wrong to love the model 88? I am so glad that I joined the forum so I could be corrected on my misplaced appreciation for certain guns.

With over 80 rifles in my safes ranging from custom build hunting and target guns to high end commercial in all types and actions to choose from, an 88 still puts a smile on my face when I take it hunting.

Mr IMHO is not so "H". No one claims the trigger to work like a competition rifle. Of course we all love the perfect trigger that "breaks like a glass straw". Some of us actually own a few that work that well and some of us are still trying. The reality is that the design of the lever and traveling trigger cannot ever be made to work that delicately. I do not expect my 88's, 100's or Rem pumps to have triggers like my F Class rifles or 52D Target rifle or a model 70 done by Corlanes or the Jewell trigger in my 204 MG Arms rifle.

What kind of fool I must be? Thanks for steering me right after almost 40 years on the wrong track! Going to cut them up tonight. Although the 284 and 358 will hurt because they took so long to find nice ones. Won't miss the 308 and 243 at all.

To the guy whose 88 would not fire, the only time that happened to me was a gun I bought that the previous owner thought that a lot of grease in the bolt would help. Cleaned it out with Brake Cleaner and then lubed with G96 and it worked flawless.

Folks, I have learned a most valuable lesson on this thread. If my opinion does agree with yours, it is not meant to offend you, only offer an alternate point of view to consider. And if yours comes with a lot of experience, I will listen.

Yet i must love junk.....Long live the 88!
Being wrong can bring so much joy.
 
I just scored a beauty 88.
I asked my brother to keep his eye open for some specific older hunting rifles for me.

He picked it up at a yardsale in Florida this morning for $300. The best thing is it is a 284 in a carbine with original box. The amazing part about the rifle is that it has only had thee shots fired out of it:eek:. The original owner gave the only box of ammo he bought with the rifle, and it has tree missing cartriges.SCORE!

It is just too bad its a piece of crap!
 
H4831 said:
Getting used to a trigger, isn't quite the right idea. You won't do your best shooting with a creepy and or hard trigger pull, no matter how used to it you get. The best triggers have no perceptible movement, either before or after firing and a reasonable weight of pull.
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Exactly. I don't put up with foggy scopes, cracked stocks or crooked ammo. Why put up with a creepy trigger?

A lot of guys don't think their trigger is bad, then wonder why their offhand accuracy sucks.
 
captonion said:
I just scored a beauty 88.
I asked my brother to keep his eye open for some specific older hunting rifles for me.

He picked it up at a yardsale in Florida this morning for $300. The best thing is it is a 284 in a carbine with original box. The amazing part about the rifle is that it has only had thee shots fired out of it:eek:. The original owner gave the only box of ammo he bought with the rifle, and it has tree missing cartriges.SCORE!

It is just too bad its a piece of crap!
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You are so right! You don't want that kind of crap infecting your other guns. Just being in the same safe will cause them to rust, add 3" on their group size, add 4 pounds of weight and turn their stocks pink. It is your lucky day! $325 (a tidy $25 profit for you!) and I will take it off your hands and personally see it is cut up with mine. 1 less cut with the hacksaw since it is one of those pesky carbines.

Seriously though, a 284 carbine in any condition is a score! 3 shots and the box??? Wow. I now have "carbine envy".
 
noneck180 said:
I have shot some real good groups with a creepy trigger..I just was use to it..I would rather a have a trigger with creep that was light..rather than a trigger that is 8lbs with no creep. IMHO
I got an 88..hate it..will never sell it though.
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An how;) Mine breaks at 6lbs +/-oz and will put 3 165gr Rem CL into a clover leaf at 100yds, I will never get rid of her either!
 
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