Ruger Mini 14 and Mini 30 accuracy

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Well...

Can speak to both the 181 and 580 Series'.

Bought a 181 Series, new - minute of trash can lid at 100 yards.

So I didn't shoot it much.


After a few decades, sent it to the Mother Ship for a *** service.

Told'em to just send me the bill - new barrel, receiver, whatever.


They sent me new 582 Series instead, Gratis.

Field accurate, it shoots 2-3 MOA at 100 yards w/ ball ammo and aperture sights from a sling and rest.


Shoots under a Penny at 25 yards, which is 3 MOA.

Picture_004_1024.jpg
Shoot this one quite a bit.




GR
 
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trigger, ergonomics
I disagree a bit, but then i just dont like ARs for 90% of what i do.
The AR has the trigger advantage in that you can buy drop in, BUT the stock mil spec AR trigger has been inferior to pretty much all the minis Ive used. To take a stock AR or mini trigger to the same point in feel takes the same amount of work. If you DO buy an upgraded trigger add 100 bucks to the cost of your AR right off the bat.
Ergos, or perhaps "feel" is also a subjective thing. Personally i find ARs to be pretty atrocious for what i do most of the time.
I carry my ars by their optic 90% of the time when im actually hunting, where as i can carry the mini under its belly. The basic profile isnt as friendly to just grabbing in general.
I also dont carry a round in the chamber when walking in some areas, and when the rifles over my should on a sling, which ARs dont do very well with the standard slings i use. This also presents a problem when pulling it off, and chambering to fire. I can run all the controls on a mini with my right hand, but unless its a side charging AR i have to charge the gun THEN shoulder it.
Another issue I have with ARs.
I really dont care for pistol grips on rifles when hunting or generally carrying them.
Again this is MY personal preference, and i just highlight it that there isnt a hard and fast when it comes to what folks like in the way a gun handles. The more i shoot and hunt the more this maters to me personally, and the less i care about cost vs performance.

Other than that, I agree with all points above.
 
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I'm lovin all the input. Summarizing:
Pros: Agile, reliable system, tough, cool looking, fun to shoot, good for a truck gun, will kill, best if used with peep/ghost sight
Cons: Not match accurate as a bolt or quality AR, not good with a scope
Unknowns: can be temper mental, need to formulate the right loads. Accu-strut might be the answer
 
I currently have 3. A beautiful one in ghost gray with a flash hider I bought in the mid 90's. A Mini 14 tactical with a 16" barrel I bought a few a years ago that I put a folding stock on. Finally, a ranch rifle, with a low power scope, from the mid 90's that I inherited. I agree the AR is a better platform all around but that does not mean a Mini is useless. It is extremely handy and reliable. It fires a potent cartridge and you can hit hit a man or deer size target at 100 yards relatively easily with open sites. I view it as an upgraded M-1 Carbine.
 
Does an Accu-strut really help the newer ones with the tapered barrel? Is there enough improvement to justify the cost?
They do or did make the accustrut for the new ones and I heard people say it is still an improvement. As to whether it justifies the cost, that is a subjective call. Generally the tapered barrels are more accurate to begin with.
 
I'm lovin all the input. Summarizing:
Pros: Agile, reliable system, tough, cool looking, fun to shoot, good for a truck gun, will kill, best if used with peep/ghost sight
Cons: Not match accurate as a bolt or quality AR, not good with a scope
Unknowns: can be temper mental, need to formulate the right loads. Accu-strut might be the answer
For cons you might add that magazines are expensive and only reliable when sourced from Ruger and one other maker.
pros are the magazines are steel and pretty durable.
 
For cons you might add that magazines are expensive and only reliable when sourced from Ruger and one other maker.
pros are the magazines are steel and pretty durable.
I've had a few of the Midway house brand 10 rounders and those were all really good haven't tried any of the larger magazines besides the tapco and that was just hilarious.
 
The AR is unquestionably the superior battle rifle, and my S&W M&P Sport II costs less than a Mini-14. That being said, the AR gets left in the gun cabinet if I have to choose between the two. I just prefer the trigger, traditionally shaped wood stock, and the ergonomics of the mini. Either one is “good enough” for my uses, so at that point I choose whichever one I am most attracted to, which is the mini.
 
Can’t speak of the 14 the 30 however is a reliable if slightly inaccurate piece. It boils down to what your using it for. Me, I carried it for a number of years my last 10 as it turned out, deer hunting in Maine. In Maine’s thick woods it was an ideal carbine. Quick to point short and handy. As light, I thought. as the 94 I carried for the previous 15 years.
 
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I had a Mini-14 Ranch Rifle in the mid 90s, no idea what the serial number was. Best I could get from it was 3-4 MOA. Sold it to buy my first AR. I actually like the Mini's form factor better than the AR, but not at that level of accuracy. I might buy another Mini if I knew I was getting one that could hold under 2 MOA.

I assume one can get good magazines now? Back then, factory Ruger and Masen mags were about all I could get to run reliably.
 
I might buy another Mini if I knew I was getting one that could hold under 2 MOA.
Buying one that can is a crapshoot. Gunsmithing one to manage that is cheap and easy. Then again, a simple carbine that's best shot offhand is quite a bit more accurate than most shooters, as-is.

I like mine (as well as the Deerfield Carbine) because of their classic appearance and quick handling. Tinkering with it, resulting in rather decent supported/scoped accuracy was just a nice, unexpected bonus. Ruger's fit and finish were sub par from the factory and ridiculously easy to improve upon.
 
It always makes me laugh when I read about the complaints of the cost of a factory Mini-14 magazine. Yes a 20 round mag will cost you around $30. And yes its steel and should last a lifetime. They are far better mags than the several AR mags I own that are thin aluminum. And I have had great success with the Pro-Mag 20 round mags I have bought. They work just as well as the Ruger mags and cost $20 each at Academy. And if you think a Ruger 20 round mag is expensive look up the price of a 5 round mag for a CZ 22 bolt action or a Browning X-Bolt or A-Bolt 4 round magazine. The price will take your breath away.
 
And if you think a Ruger 20 round mag is expensive look up the price of a 5 round mag for a CZ 22 bolt action or a Browning X-Bolt or A-Bolt 4 round magazine. The price will take your breath away.
I've never really understood the desire to have several magazines for every gun. Currently I have five (1 x 30rd, 2 x 20, 1 x 10, 1 x 5) for my Mini 30 and that's plenty for a hunting/plinking rifle. Of course I have a crate of AR and AK/Valmet mags, a few drums, Surefire 60rd coffins and a bunch of belts for the MG:s, but they're the battle rifles should S ever actually hit the F.

OTOH, as a vintage rimfire collector, Colt Woodsman and Armi Jäger AP-series mags have conditioned me to gladly pay $50 or (far) more for each serviceable OEM magazine so $20-30 for one isn't a dealbreaker for any gun.
 
I found a DIY trigger video that greatly improved the reset, feel of the trigger. I’ll see if I can find it.
 
Yes Mini's can be very accurate. I own three. One Mini 14, one Mini 6.8, and one Mini 30. Why three, why not. The Mini 6.8 is the accurate one in the group, but then again, its been worked over from end to end to make it so by Accuracy Systems. I wanted a custom rifle and the Mini got the nod. Can't say enough about their work.

You either like Mini's or you don't. I do. Nothing wrong with an AR. See perfectunion.com for anything Mini related. They are the experts there.

Had issues with my Mini 30 shooting steel cased ammo. The firing pin did not protrude enough. I had it fixed by Accuracy Systems. Still have the old firing pin. The participants at the above site helped me figure it out. Not it shoots it just fine.
 
I bought mine back when they were half the price of an AR. The second reason was mini was on the approved list for duty use and the chief at the time would not approve either an AR or 1911 because he didn't want to present the image militarizing the department. I did manage to qualify with it.
 
Yes Mini's can be very accurate. I own three. One Mini 14, one Mini 6.8, and one Mini 30. Why three, why not. The Mini 6.8 is the accurate one in the group, but then again, its been worked over from end to end to make it so by Accuracy Systems. I wanted a custom rifle and the Mini got the nod. Can't say enough about their work.

You either like Mini's or you don't. I do. Nothing wrong with an AR. See perfectunion.com for anything Mini related. They are the experts there.

Had issues with my Mini 30 shooting steel cased ammo. The firing pin did not protrude enough. I had it fixed by Accuracy Systems. Still have the old firing pin. The participants at the above site helped me figure it out. Not it shoots it just fine.
I think it was Gun Doc, or someone on perfectunion where I watched the trigger job videos, great Mini site!
 
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