Mini 14: Bench Shooting Woes

[dubious]

Hi guys, I've got a nice 3lb trigger on my new model mini 14 and have been trying to get the best bench rest accuracy. I still struggle to get 3-4 inch groups at 50 yards. I've noticed that when I dryfire the scope picture bounces randomly left or right. I'm starting to think that maybe the bolt slamming home too hard causing inacuraccy? I've tried every part of my trigger finger, be it fingertip, distal joint. I've tried pulling straight back, pulling the left side of the trigger, and the right side. I've even tried different amounts of pressure resting my body on the rifle. Has anyone else encountered this?

 

[ford8nr]

I've noticed that when I dryfire the scope picture bounces randomly left or right.

Is the scope mounted correctly? Everything tight? Could be the shooter, how well do you shoot other rifles? Find someone else to shoot it.

Was doing range duty one day and two guys were cussing a cheap POS rifle. Actually it was a pretty nice Rem 700. They had about 10 shots in a 6 inch circle. Asked if I could try, put three shots touching each other couple inches low right. Handed them back the gun and said "it ain't the rifle". Spent the next hour working through a pile of bad shooting habits with them.

 

[ford8nr]

Second thought, what type of ammo are you using?

 

[orionengnr]

I'm starting to think that maybe the bolt slamming home too hard causing inacuraccy?

Not sure what you mean by this. The bolt is locked throughout the time the bullet travels down the barrel. It only "slams home" when chambering a fresh round, and that is long before (or long after) the trigger is pulled.

Did you mean the hammer "slamming home too hard"? I don't think the Mini's hammer is much different (weight/impact-wise) than any other semi-auto rifle's hammer...

 

[illinoisburt]

Not too sure what part of dry firing involves the bolt closing? It fires from a closed bolt. Before blaming the gun or scope, the best thing to figure out why your dryfiring is moving so much is to get an observer to watch you. If that isn't feasible try video recording your dryfiring session. Aside from the classic flinching, there are plenty of variables possible in the rifle and your form. First check is fit. Given the platform and common scope setups, my suspicion would be the scope is mounted too high and you have a poor cheek to stock weld which is inducing movement into your dry firing practice. From there work on form. If you are seated at a bench poor form and posture could be at play as well. Try using front and rear bags and elevate the rifle enough (or lower you seat) so you can stay relatively upright when shooting seated instead of hunched over as is so commonly encountered. Your neck should not be straining to keep looking through the glass. Closing your eyes and taking a few breathes should not move substantially off target. If it does, then you need to change position until natural zero hold is acheived. There are some very good position shooting books and target instruction videos on the web that explain this in detail.

 

[Averageman]

I would first take the scope off. You wont need it for this and you can later take ot to reputable gunsmith to have it checked out and boresighted.
Now lets start here:
Dry fire your rifle with a dime balanced on your barrel.
Do that a couple of dozen times until throughout the trigger squeeze the dime stays on the barrel. Once you have that down now repeat it about 500 times.
Once you feel very competant at that place a small sticker on the wall do the same dry fire exersize while carefully aiming your rifle. If you have a lazer boresight device in the muzzle and turned on, this will show you how steady you are through the trigger squeeze.
When the dime stays on the barrel and the lazer stays in the bull you should go to the range and see some vast improvement in your groups.
Most of this stuff is software, not hardware.

 

[Hardtarget]

Fifty yards? Try without the scope. The magnification of the scope can " get in your head" and have you thinking things that will not help your shooting.

Scopes have their place but its good to learn with peep sights too.

Make sure you're shooting quality ammo. Can you try another rifle to see if you get different/better groups?

Don't give up or get frustrated. Analyze everything you're doing and consider how to improve. You'll find your answer!

Mark

 

[HankB]

The Mini-14 isn't known as tackdriver, but 3"-4" groups at 50 yards are pretty bad; that's on the high side of what my almost 40 year old Mini-14 delivers at 100, with the factory iron sights. And with my eyes, I'm not that great with irons.

Sounds like it could be a 'scope or 'scope mount issue to me . . . unless its shooter error. How well do you shoot with other rifles? (Hmmm - you're not touching the operating rod on the side of the rifle with your forward hand when you shoot, are you?)

 

[carbine85]

Which series Mini 14?
What type of scope and mount?
Do you have a buffer in the receiver? If it's a Ranch Rifle you shouldn't need one.
Depending on the series you can have 3 different twists for the rifling.

 

[rule303]

What type of scope? Mini's are notorious for eating cheap scopes, buffer or not. I have seen Tasco, Simmons, etc scopes that didn't last one box of shells through a Mini 14. You need an air rifle rated scope to counter the dual recoil impulse.

 

[readyeddy]

Sight picture should not be bouncing when dry firing. Not sure of your procedures, but try to isolate the variables to solve the problem.

Make sure you are resting both the fore end and stock on bags, or use a shooting sled. Use the pinch to squeeze the trigger, placing your index finger on the front of the trigger guard and your thumb on the trigger and squeeze slowly until you get a surprise break. Basically take yourself out of the equation since you're testing your gun, not your shooting ability.

If your groups are still large, then try different ammo. The last thing I would do is to spend money on accurizing the gun, although that may be needed in the end.

 

[HankB]

Use the pinch to squeeze the trigger, placing your index finger on the front of the trigger guard and your thumb on the trigger and squeeze slowly until you get a surprise break.

If your index finger is on the front of the trigger guard, "pinching" with the thumb will pull the trigger forward . . . benchresters using the pinch technique still pull the trigger with their index finger, but put their thumb on the back of the trigger guard for the pinch.

Pinching the Trigger

Doesn't work so well unless your rifle has very mild recoil.

 

[WardenWolf]

Sounds like the problem is definitely your scope. If you'd said 3-4 inch groups at 100 yards out of a Mini-14, I wouldn't have been surprised. But assuming your scope isn't loose, there's something wrong with it.

 

[au_prospector]

exercise in frustration

I tried to mount a scope to my Mini 14. It is a 182 series so required to mount off the side plate. After several hours of frustration trying to hold a group, I gave up on that nonsense. Factory peep is the best bet. You will get better than 4 inch groups at 50 yards. At 100 yards, 4 inches is great and all I expect for what I have. If you want precision, you will need a different rifle.

 

[kwg020]

I think he means that when he pulls the trigger the bolt moves. My Mini's all do the same, there is a small amount of movement in the bolt when the hammer drops on an empty chamber. MY bolt appears tight when there is a round in the chamber and I have never tried to look when I was shooting live rounds but I see his point. Is the movement of the bolt when the hammer drops causing the in-accuracy? I have wondered about this myself but I don't know of anyway to really study it.
kwg

 

[JDGray]

Heck, my 184 series with a pencil barrel shoots 3/4" -1 1/2" groups at 50yards with irons! And with Tulammo! Ditch the scope, sound like the culprit