Ruger Mini 14 and Mini 30 accuracy

[TonyAngel]

I find Mini-14s to be offensive on many levels.

The only good reason to own one is if you like the looks of it over an AR. By every other measurable parameter, they are inferior; price, accuracy, availability of parts, trigger, ergonomics, etc, etc.

I'd imagine that you find the AK-47 offensive as well. Who wants a piece of junk that has very few moving parts and will run after you take a crap in it.

If you're on a mission to over throw a government, the AR is in the running for tool of choice, but if you need a handy rifle to throw over your shoulder while you're hiking, is super light and is capable of hitting anything that you can clearly see with your naked eye, then the Mini is the way to go. With the flush fitting magazine, it's as handy as a lever gun and easy to manage. My gripe with them is that they're so darned expensive. I much prefer the AR for what it's built for, but for a general purpose rifle? Slick and handy wins.

Of course, the AR is the superior range toy.

I think where Ruger screwed up with the Minis was coming out with the Ranch Rifle. With the original, all you had was a good set of open sights and no way to put a scope on it. This left you shooting at what you could get a bead on and not too many people shooting groups with them at 100 yards. When the Ranch Rifle came out, everyone ran out and put a high power scope on it expecting to turn it into a sniper rifle. Most Minis shooting good ammo are about as accurate as an AR shooting M193 or the like, but you don't hear too many complaining about the the 2 or 3 MOA that an AR will shoot.

Eh, I still think the AR is the better buy, but hey, if you want a Mini and the price doesn't bother you, go for it. Shooting a Mini is a kick in the butt.

 

[spazzy]

I really wanted the stainless/synthetic stock mini 30, I figured it would make an awesome rainy day deer rifle but the $800 price turned me off and I couldn't find one locally used. I put together an AR in 7.62x39 for about 1/2 the cost after shopping some sales.

 

[dh1633pm]

The prices for the Mini's have gone up in recent years. Then after a few mods like springs and gas bushings and it creeps up again. There is no winner in an AR versus Mini war of words. Each to his own. I like both. Qualified on the AR series in the Air Force. The early ones I shot sure said AR on the receivers and no forward assist. Mini's are certainly easier to own in NY.

 

[Speedo66]

You have no idea what expensive magazines are until you price one for a first gen Browning BLR. That's if you can find one to even price.

I found some Mini-14 mags on CDNN made by "OE" company, supposedly made by the same company that makes mags for Ruger. They are straight 20 rounders, no curve. They look like M-14 mags when in a Mini, and they work well. Unfortunately, they only have them from time to time.

I'm not that concerned that my tapered barrel Mini will not compete with an accurized AR, it's more than adequate for hunting, plinking, or personal defense. The fact that mine has no evil features may eventually wind up to be a plus.

 

[Garandimal]

My only "con" was the stock bein' a little long for a handy carbine, especially as a camp rifle with heavy clothing, and the butt not bein' square.

So I chopped an inch off and squared the butt, and then reground the pad.

​

Also upgraded the rear aperture to a TechSights - but that was more for convenience than marksmanship.

The OEM aperture, dialed in and locked down, shoots just as precisely.

As for mags?

Ruger OEM Ten-round is all I ever use unless I'm hunting and need the Five-round.

Have a legacy Twenty-round loaded in the freezer for contingencies, but it really screws up the handling of the carbine and gets in the way.

The Ten-round handles like a bolt rifle.

And added 1-1/4" Q.D. swivels and a Garand sling.




GR

​

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

being an old grunt and fan of the M14 I love Mini 14s. I've had several. Currently only a Mini 14 Tactical series 581 and it aint a tack driver but with a scope very good. I love my M1A but the mini is so much fun to shoot too.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I really wanted to like the Mini but never could. Not that light (with the wood stock), not that handy, not that accurate. And now they are crazy expensive to boot. Them and AKs, man... it's the best buyer's market for guns in decades and they just haven't gotten the memo.

To be honest, I think the gun that Mini fans really want is the SKS. Traditional wood stock, iron sights, anvil-esque durability, and accuracy best described as combat-level. Best of all, they cost half of what a new Ruger does. I get that half the appeal of the Mini is the all-American Garand heritage and dirty commie milsurps won't scratch that itch, but as far as functionality, they're really not so different.

I did get a 180 series Mini for $450, and it shoots about as well as you'd expect. I just got because A. I wanted to scratch my Mini itch and say I had one, and B. because the previous owner had dressed it up almost like a sniper rifle. An aftermarket synthetic stock, faux suppressor, 20rd mag, little 2x7 scope... the irony tickled me a bit. Still does every time I see it in the safe. Sometimes you just have to buy a gun that speaks to you and that Bubba sniper does.

 

[hq]

To be honest, I think the gun that Mini fans really want is the SKS.

IMO, not really. Not having been a Mini fan at all until I actually bought one (because I wanted one - who knows why, I just did), I see their fascination as traditional "old fashioned" semiauto rifles. Much like Remingtons from Model 8 all the way to 750 and some others. Quality-wise they can be hit and miss and mine was mostly miss initially, but part of the fascination was having to use old school gunsmithing techniques to iron out the issues, instead of just throwing an aftermarket catalog's worth of modular bolt-ons at it.

If guns were just a utilitarian necessity, few rifles would make any sense whatsoever. Fortunately they're much more and niches like this thrive.

 

[dh1633pm]

My custom 6.8 before I added a scope to the mix. Note the custom barrel, Bell and Carlson stock, and gas system. There are other things unseen like a trigger job and bedding. I added a 1-5 CMR scope and it works for me.

 

[mokin]

I really wanted to like the Mini but never could. Not that light (with the wood stock), not that handy, not that accurate. And now they are crazy expensive to boot. Them and AKs, man... it's the best buyer's market for guns in decades and they just haven't gotten the memo.

To be honest, I think the gun that Mini fans really want is the SKS. Traditional wood stock, iron sights, anvil-esque durability, and accuracy best described as combat-level. Best of all, they cost half of what a new Ruger does. I get that half the appeal of the Mini is the all-American Garand heritage and dirty commie milsurps won't scratch that itch, but as far as functionality, they're really not so different.

I did get a 180 series Mini for $450, and it shoots about as well as you'd expect. I just got because A. I wanted to scratch my Mini itch and say I had one, and B. because the previous owner had dressed it up almost like a sniper rifle. An aftermarket synthetic stock, faux suppressor, 20rd mag, little 2x7 scope... the irony tickled me a bit. Still does every time I see it in the safe. Sometimes you just have to buy a gun that speaks to you and that Bubba sniper does.

The comparison of the Mini-14 to the SKS is interesting and I think appropriate. I hadn't thought of it like that. I have two SKSs as well as a Mini-14. I like shooting them all. It would be fun to take them out and do a torture test.

Talk about itches....

 

[JDGray]

Mini 14s and AKs, you can keep your sks! Lol

 

[Speedo66]

My custom 6.8 before I added a scope to the mix. Note the custom barrel, Bell and Carlson stock, and gas system. There are other things unseen like a trigger job and bedding. I added a 1-5 CMR scope and it works for me.

View attachment 904265

Looks great, how does it shoot?

 

[dh1633pm]

The 6.8 Mini shoots like a dream. Throws brass into the next county and is an MOA rifle.

 

[LoonWulf]

To be honest, I think the gun that Mini fans really want is the SKS. Traditional wood stock, iron sights, anvil-esque durability, and accuracy best described as combat-level. Best of all, they cost half of what a new Ruger does. I get that half the appeal of the Mini is the all-American Garand heritage and dirty commie milsurps won't scratch that itch, but as far as functionality, they're really not so different.

Iike the SKS, and I had a pretty nice one. It was reasonably accurate also. But it handles like a rifle, and weights 2lbs more than a mini. Poor options for mounting a scope, and even less precise sights. It also does even weirder stuff with brass than the mini does.
I ended up trading mine for a nice air rifle, after having traded an AR to get it lol....Anyway If someone balks at cost of the mini, but wants something SIMILAR, I agree the SKS is a great option...

IMO/E Theres ALWAYS a better option for a mini, unless what you really WANT is a Mini...and well.....Im beginning to get that mini itch again.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Never got better than about 2.5 inches in 5 shot groups, nothing heavier than 55 gr ammo.