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Mini 14

4K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  Larry Isaacs 
#1 ·
Bought a Mini 14 SS in 5.56, first Mini I have had and the first in 5.56, have some questions.

Reloading for a short while just reloaded my first bottleneck round a few weeks ago,22-250 with a 55 grain Hornady varmint bullet, seems to work well. The Mini has a 1:9 RH twist and I will be using this for Coyotes and paper. I have access to many loading manuals, but what I looking for is a real-world experience.

200 yards will be as far as I am willing to shoot at a Coyote, due to land restraints.
I will be open to opinions. The Mini may not be the most accurate, but for banging around in the tractor or on the ATV I can live with 2 minutes of Coyote.

Larry
 
#4 ·
Thank you, for the answer. I have used CFE for some time now, seems to be a clean burning powder. I realize my short time as a reloader, therefore, all advice
is good.
Larry
 
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#7 ·
I haven't seen a Mini-14 that was two minutes of anything. I've had two of them over the years, and the most accurate of the two would only do about 5" at 100 yards, the other one was a 7-8" gun. Other people I know have had them and reported the same results that I got. A friend of mine had one that he glass-bedded, put a harmonic stabilizer on it and a high powered scope and couldn't get it to do better that 6" at 100 yards.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Bought my first mini in 82. A SS beauty with the wood guard. Couldn't consistently hit an oil can @ 100 yards with a scope. Reliable as the morning sun but abysmal accuracy. Eventually it found its way to someone else's gun safe but I did kinda miss it. A couple years ago I picked up a Tactical in 300 blackout, it'll keepem in a couple inches at 100 yards with decent ammo.....if I do my part. The newer ones, while not tack drivers, are way more accurate. At least in my experience.
 
#9 ·
I think you will be fine with that Mini. It was never meant to be a 'Match' rifle, but it sounds like you will use it for what it is meant to be - a reliable coyote rifle at about 100 yards on the farm.

Curious thing, though: I've never understood why those Minis were not more accurate. The caliber is capable of fine accuracy. The basic design is a time proven one. The barrels are not too 'whippy'. The sights are adequate, and Ruger is a company that doesn't produce 'cheap' firearms. They are a pretty close representation of the M-14/M1A.

Maybe this is a waste of time, but as I've only bought one Mini in my life (as a thank-you present for my retired Police Officer brother), I think that I might try two things with one of those rifles: change out the flash suppressor and front sight for a more solid type based on the original M-14 style. That is about the only real difference I can see - and MAYBE that is why the minis don't live up to their potential as-is? I'm only guessing here, but I've always suspected the problem is at the end of the barrels with them.
 
#12 ·
Gun Rifle Firearm Wood Air gun
I bought a Mini 30 and sent it off to have accuracy work
Aftermarket glass bedded stock, heavy barrel chambered in 6mmppc, trigger work etc.
just to piss off the AR guys. Fun gun but make darn sure I pick up that expensive brass!
The bottom mini on the left is one of the 1980s meant for export chambered in 222
 
#19 ·
Jim, thank you for your answer and for the questions that were raised by it.

I am interested in your statement about the end of the barrel problem, can I ask what is the meaning of your statement. Going along with what the others have said I investigated Barrel Tuners, fancy name? I found a site www.varmintal.com that has some very interesting data.

A few other sites jumped up and from at least one site the improvement over a bare barrel was marked. At 50 yards (22cal. Tenex ammo) the difference was
.04 MOA. to me, the difference was not enough to spend the money for a tuner and $.50 per bullet.

Further investigation lead to a barrel brace for the Mini that was supposed to tame the barrel whip, no test data was given, at least on that site.

The bottom line I am interested in your thoughts.

Thanks

Larry
 
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#21 ·
Jim, thank you for your answer and for the questions that were raised by it.

I am interested in your statement about the end of the barrel problem, can I ask what is the meaning of your statement. Going along with what the others have said I investigated Barrel Tuners, fancy name? I found a site www.varmintal.com that has some very interesting data.

The bottom line I am interested in your thoughts.

Thanks

Larry
I am humbled by your reply. I am just a shooter - like you - and certainly not an expert in barrel harmonics. I am saying - just as a shooter - that having fired many M1A and M-14 rifles over the years - and having had outstanding accuracy with all of those that I have fired in training and competition - that I see no reason for not getting decent accuracy from the Ruger Mini series.

As I stated above, the basic design of the rifle should ensure that 'decent accuracy'. Where Ruger strayed from the original concept (for the most part) is concentrated on the forward end of the rifle, mainly with the flash suppressor and the front sighting system, and the mounting of the barrel support to the end of the stock. There are those here much more qualified to speak of the Ruger system than I am - this is just my best estimate of this rifle.
 
#22 · (Edited)
My reply prolly won't be much help as I don't own a Mini, although if I found one at a good price, I'd prolly buy it. Normally, when I start reloading for a new to me gun, I'll start with the listed starting loads from my manual(s), and for a semi-auto I'll start with just a few rounds to make sure the load will cycle the action 100% of the time (My Garand didn't like low loads of one powder and had to go up 1 grain for reliable functioning). Also I like to look into forums dedicated to a specific topic (for my casting stuff I like castboolits. com, and my Garand stuff, CMP forum is great) so I googled Mini 14 forums and got this; .attachThumb142146https://www.google.com/search?q=Mini+14+owner+forum&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS776US776&oq=Mini+14+owner+forum&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.12367j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
 
#24 ·
I want to take the time to thank all of the people for their responses, in this day and time no one needs to spend good money on poor or mediocre products. Ruger has supplied good products at fair prices, but I am not in the position to spend almost $1,000.00 for a weapon just to say I own it. After careful review, I will pass on the Mini 14. I have other guns that can take out a coyote at the ranges I need and for the most part, paid less money.
While I enjoy reloading and shooting I don't "need" another caliber. I can cover most anything from .17HMR thru .45.
So again thanks for the comments and the interest shown to my question, without a doubt I will be asking many more.

Larry
 
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