BY JIM ROMANELLI Elegance SIMPLE My Uncle Joe was My Uncle Joe was a serious gun collector, owning many rifles made from the 1860s on. But only two served to feed his avid woodchuck hunting habitat. They were a Remington Model 700 in .22-250 with a Redfield 3X9 variable accu-range scope and a Remington Model 788 in .222 Remington with a Weaver K4 (4 power) on its deck. The latter gun especially was his " goto " woodchucking rifle when it came to taking us afield. Only years later did I ask why that was. He said it just seemed an easier teaching tool. taking us afield. Only years later did I He liked that it had a detachable magazine, little recoil and was quieter than the .22-250. It wasn't as fancy as the Model 700 either, so he didn't mind too much if it got knocked around a bit. Meanwhile, it seemed just as accurate out to around 250 yards. " It's a plain Jane, working-man's rifle of simple elegance, " he said. THE HARD-WORKING MODEL 788 FEBRUARY 2024 61