Fun shooter (Mini 14)

I'm guessing that the BPD stands for Boulder Police Department..?

Very cool. Congrats.

Shanghai McCoy said:

I'm guessing that the BPD stands for Boulder Police Department..?

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Bureau of Paranormal Defense?

Ya, Ive never had any issues with my Mini.

Do my ARs outclass it in every objective catagory- sure.

Would I feel undergunned taking it into a firefight- nope.

Is it fun to shoot- absolutely!

Thats one of the"GB" versions of the Mini. You dont see them all that often. At least around here anyway.

Hows it shoot?

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Bureau of Paranormal Defense?

Ya, Ive never had any issues with my Mini.
View attachment 872233
Do my ARs outclass it in every objective catagory- sure.

Would I feel undergunned taking it into a firefight- nope.

Is it fun to shoot- absolutely!

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Thats a sweet mini... what series, vintage?

Thanks, not one of the very first, but maybe early 80's? Not sure, never researched it.

This thread makes me want a stainless to go with mine.

mokin said:

I resisted until late in the afternoon when the A-Team music started to go through my head.

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Ha ha! Now try to get the music to ever stop when you head out with it.

JT

I didn't care for this rifle for many years. "Not as accurate as an AR", "Doesn't work well with aftermarket magazines", and all the rest. Then I finally got to shoot one and put several rounds downrange. I now own 3 of them. (An NRA Commemorative, and 2 Tactical Models. One blue and another in Stainless).

While these guns do not produce target grade accuracy, they were never meant to. What they do supply their owners with, is an all but unlimited amount of fun. I have guns that are more accurate. More powerful. Shoot further and flatter. But it's hard to find one that generates as much pure fun as the Ruger Mini 14. Not to mention they can be customized almost as much as a 10/22, if one cares to go that route.

Bill460 said:

While these guns do not produce target grade accuracy, they were never meant to. What they do supply their owners with, is an all but unlimited amount of fun.

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It's kind of funny at the same time when accuracy is always brought up whenever Ruger Minis are mentioned. Disregarding the fact that with minimal modifications they will outshoot most shooter's abilities, sometimes even off the bench, their real-life practicality as hunting carbines is off the scale. So far I've been able to guarantee that any deer in the open within a couple of hundred yards or running past me withing seventy is as good as venison when I'm carrying my Thirty and shootings sticks. And they get carried far more than heavier, longer hence clumsier rifles in my arsenal.

Chasing one ragged hole on concrete bench and sandbags in a calm sunny day may be a nice pasttime every now and then but woefully far from be-all, end-all of performance and practicality anywhere this side of The Best of The West. Different strokes for different folks, perhaps...

I think the era you came into contact with them and what you got out of them, will likely give different opinions.

I had three back in the early 80's, and compared to the AR's of the era (mine is an SP1), they were definitely not "shooters". And a bench and/or sandbags were nowhere around. I was shooting a lot of DCM matches back then, and usually shot either an M1, and on occasion, my AR, and tried one of my Mini's a couple of times, and it was very frustrating.

Having shot a couple of the newer Minis, some of that has changed. Not something Im going to rush out and buy, but they are better.

Now the one Mini of that earlier era, that was a lot of fun, was the select fire AC556 version. My buddy had one and it was a lot of fun.

AK103K said:

I think the era you came into contact with them and what you got out of them, will likely give different opinions.

I had three back in the early 80's, and compared to the AR's of the era (mine is an SP1), they were definitely not "shooters". And a bench and/or sandbags were nowhere around. I was shooting a lot of DCM matches back then, and usually shot either an M1, and on occasion, my AR, and tried one of my Mini's a couple of times, and it was very frustrating.

Having shot a couple of the newer Minis, some of that has changed. Not something Im going to rush out and buy, but they are better.

Now the one Mini of that earlier era, that was a lot of fun, was the select fire AC556 version. My buddy had one and it was a lot of fun.

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Mine shoots Minute-of-Enemy (or Venison), which is good enough for me.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Mine shoots Minute-of-Enemy (or Venison), which is good enough for me.

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Hey, if its producing the results youre looking for, youre golden.

I'm kind of attached to mine. Not a target gun,but all rounds (M193) hit within a 3" circle at 100 yards with iron sights. AE223G 50gr HP decreases the diameter..Good enough for my needs on the ranch.

AK103K said:

I was shooting a lot of DCM matches back then

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I haven't, really. Back in the 80's I was into IPSC, silhouette and benchrest, the latter meaning honing those last .001":s off already half an inch groups at 300 meters with rifles barely this side of modern day railguns. Then again, unless you count the .44 Deerfield that preceded it as my deer carbine I only bought my first Mini four years ago, a mint/LNIB early '87-vintage Thirty. A bit of a time machine, one could say. Not a particularly good example out of the box so I didn't get lucky, but after $0 in parts and a bit of tinkering it roughly duplicates the performance of my x39 Sako at the bench.

The only thing is that I don't shoot it off a bench and relatively rarely at any stationary target for that matter.

I have a Rock River AR-15 and an early Ruger Mini-14 and, because they each have very different configurations, like them both for the same and for different reasons. I use the "National Match" Rock River for service rifle competition and (when topped with a scope) for stationary varmint hunting duties. The Ruger is pretty much a "truck" gun and for hunting varmints when I'm walking from place to place.
Objectively, the AR-15 does some, if not most, things "better" (i.e., trigger pull, accuracy, flexibility, etc.) but, subjectively, the Ruger is a lot more fun to have, handle and to shoot. If I didn't compete in target shoots, I'd pick the Mini-14 over the AR-15 if I could only have one of them-thankfully, we live in America and my kids have shoes; so I can have both.

JohnB-40 said:

I'm kind of attached to mine. Not a target gun,but all rounds (M193) hit within a 3" circle at 100 yards with iron sights.

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I love the Walnut stock. I really wish they would have retained Walnut as an extra cost option. It looks so much richer. I have a hard time warming up to Beech.

mokin said:

I haven't tried it really for accuracy. I just loaded up a couple of magazines and went out to shoot a gong at the 100 yard line. Fifty-five grain factory ammunition. It shot as well as I could. I'll have to take it out when I have more time and see how it does. Try some of the 62 grain ammunition my .223 Wylde likes as well.

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My Mini-14 really likes Silver Bear 62 grain 223.

The 580-Series Mini-14.

Field accurate out to 300 yards with M193 ball and Aperture sights, hammer reliable, fun to shoot, and exercise equipment shaggin' brass.


Just shorten the stock an inch... what's not to like?




GR

Bill460 said:

I love the Walnut stock. I really wish they would have retained Walnut as an extra cost option. It looks so much richer. I have a hard time warming up to Beech.

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Agree, the walnut stock is pretty, as is the wooden hand guard shown.

I picked up a Tactical with the heavier barrel a couple 5 or 6 years ago. Shoots pretty good better than the one I had back in the 1990's.
Kind of wished I bought one w/out the flash hider as it would make a good gun to bring along road tripping to restricted states - California etc.

I have a 581 series Tactical model.....love it...I carry it in my truck for hogs and coyotes while checking cattle.Then again I am a Ruger person...

I don’t care what anyone says about mini’s. I think they’re cool rifles and lots of fun to shoot. JohnB yours is just what I’d want if I were to buy one. All of y’all have great examples of them too though. I sold mine several years ago and really wish that I hadn’t. Thanks for posting them for us all see.