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Posted: 9/25/2002 8:32:05 PM EDT
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Just wanting to know your experiences. What is the best group that you have ever shot with a "factory" unmodified Mini 14? My brother has one and we have never been able to get groups less than 6" at 100yds. I know you can get new barrels and other things to help this out but by the time you figure the cost of the gun new, then a barrel, and a new stock, heck my dad has a buddy that would build him a AR with a 20" SS Bull Barrel for that much. Thanks For your input and please include the ammo that you were using. Diesel |
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If enough Mini-14 shooters fire enough ammo eventually one will shoot a group of 1/4". The rifle is not very accurate as you mention but mine is good for about half of what you're shooting. Shooting prone over sandbags, slow fire, using a Simmon scope mine will do 3-4 inches. The first shots of the day are better then the rest as my rifle tends to be very heat sensitive - the hotter it gets the wider the groups open up to. |
| My 188 series (1in 7 twist?) will consistently shoot 3 shot groups of less than an inch from a cold barrel, but only with a special handload. The 55 grain FMJ bullets shoot patterns, not groups. The load I use is 25 grains of Accurate 2460, Rem 7 1/2 primers, LC cases and the 64 gr Winchester PP bullet. |
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I never measured the group sizes that I fired with my Mini, but I would guess them to be around 2-4 inches at 100 yards. It's got a 3x-9x scope, and I cut the barrel down to just over 16". I had no problem shooting wood chips, clay pigeon pieces, small rocks, on the 100 yard berm from the bench. Chris |
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I have a target, signed by witnesses, that I fired a few years back when I was in college with my stainless mini. The barrel had been cut to 16", a Choate birdcage FS added, and a Chief AJ scout mount with a Bushnell pistol scope. And, it sat in a Butler Creek folding stock. I fired a three-shot group from prone supported at 100 yards at a cardboard IPSC target using standard Winchester ball ammo. The resulting group could fairly be described as a cloverleaf. It could pretty much do this on demand. That gun was the most damned accurate Mini-14 I've ever seen, and that includes the custom jobs. |
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The real secret to accuracy with Mini-14's is to toss that crappy way-too-loose wood stock in the garbage, and replace it with a tight fitting synthetic. I like the Choate Pistol Grip stock, but the Butler Creek folder does as well. With the Choate stock, 4X scope, and Fed Am Eagle, my Mini shoots 1.5" groups at 100 yds. Swapping stocks back and forth, wood to synth, testing, will prove this to you. |
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Great! Now I'm gonna have to take mine to the range to see what it shoots on paper, oh no! (sarcasm) All I know for sure is that a lot of coyoties and a few grouse lost their heads over my ranch rifle. ___________________________________________ "If guns are owtlawed, only outlaws will have guns." |
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I had always heard horror stories about Mini-14 and how inaccurate they were. Well, I came accross a deal on a slightly used 181 series, picked it up and cleaned it.Took it to the range with S/A surplus ammo, and it will easily do 1- 1/2" @50 yards and about 2 1/2-3" @100 yards. Both of these groups were fired offhand, not from a bench. Maybe I got a fluke, but I'm keepin' this one! |
| Mine's a 1994 vintage with a 1-10 twist. With a 2.5x scope and sandbags, I was able to get a 5 shot 1" group with handloads. At that time, I never did any hardcore accuracy tests with it before, and was feeling like selling it and getting an AR. It must have heard me and shaped up! Other than that try, the average groups are no more than 2". |
| I had two Ruger Mini-14 rifles before the '94 ban, one blued, one stainless. Both had wood stocks and scopes. Honestly, I couldn't get either of them to shoot very good groups. I also had two 10/22 rifles in the same configurations as the Mini-14 rifles above, and couldn't get them to group well either. I'm sure that all of them could have been reworked and made into fine shooters, but I didn't mess with them. I no longer own them. |
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I had one of the early stainless models. It would 7or8" with 69gr fed match,and was lucky to hit the paper with 55gr. stuff . HERE IS MY SECRET FOR 1.5" @ 100yd !! I walked into my local gun store dumped the POS on the counter with a pile of mags and Said- "I want that flatop Bushmaster,How much will you give me in trade?" Best move I ever made.I put a jewell trigger and a $99 simonds scope on it and I am haveing the time of my life Some of my target shooting buddies claim that some ruger barells are ok,and some suck.I don't know what was not right with my gun but I could not get it to shoot.It went bang every time but where the bullets went half the time I do not know . |
1) How many shots? 2) Are you firing 10 shots and throwing out 7 as "flyers"? 3) What is your Highpower classification? Because if you can *really* do that, you will easily clean the 2 & 300 yard targets. We can check your classification on NRA.org. |
| About 4" with Rem greenbox sp's...5-6" with SA surplus. The first time I shot it, I thought my scope was screwed up, but it wasn't the scope. I contemplated getting a heavy barrel installed but by the time I would have done that, I could have bought an AR. So, I sold it and bought an AR... I think it would have shot much better if I let the barrel cool between shots, but that seems kind pointless on a semi-auto. Ruger could and should improve that rifle. It would be a sweet little gun if it were more accurate. |
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I'm not going to get into all the hassle with the others on this post. I will tell you this: Last year I fired a 5 shot group with a pre-ban Mini 14 with fairly impressive results. The rifle was: Mini 14 (stainless) with Eagle H-K type front sight with flash suppressor, aftermarket sights, high QD scope mount, original stock with buttstock pad for eye alignment, magazine was plastic 10 round by Eagle; aside from some parts replacement, no major gunsmithing done. Conditions: 68 F; humidity not measured; no wind measureable; using a 4X scope on the high QD mount; from a benchrest, forend rested on sandbags under the stock; barrel was not allowed to cool, but shot placement was checked between each shot. Ammo: Federal Gold Medal Match (69 grain HPBT). Distance: 100 yards. Other: The intent was to establish a baseline for the Mini 14 under optimum conditions; a constant point of aim was maintained. Results: 1.5 inches center to center for all five shots. Point of impact was 3 inches low and 1 inch left of POA (note: gun sighted in using different ammo). If I designated 1 shot as a flyer, it would have been 1 inch center to center. Yes, it was extremely good for a Mini 14, but I believe it shows that this carbine has been much maligned to no good purpose. Observations: This Mini 14 has always shot better than the norm. Mini 14s have rather thin barrels with inconsistent QC due to rapid cooling after tempering (at least, that is the story). Mini 14s tend to be very ammunition sensitive, and (in the case of this rifle) BT bullets will shrink groups by about 50%. |
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I thought I had a good one. It shoots 4-5" groups at 100 yds. Tommy GPSS www.georgiaprecision.com |
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A few additional notes to my report above: Accuracy Rifle Systems of Odessa, TX, used heavier barrels to stabilize the barrel during the initial ballistics. They also used a weight on the end of the barrel for their "special" project accurizing (you cannot free float a Mini 14). Perhaps the addition of a flash suppressor helped to stabilize the barrel in this test. I neglected to add that the rifle had a butt pad addition that added 1 inch to the LOP. I believe the rifle had a 1 in 9 inch RH twist. This rifle generally achieved 3-5 inch groups with military or inexpensive (i.e., Remington UMC) ammunition. More expensive BT ammunition would shrink the groups to 2 to 3 inches. Most decent heavy barrel ARs (e.g., HBARs or [even better] DCM/CMP specialty rifles) will outshoot this light carbine in a heartbeat, but at a cost of about 3-4 pounds (give or take, including scope and mount). I believe this carbine faces something of the same problem as the M1 carbine did: no one understands what it is for. It is a light carbine, with lousy commercial iron sights, that will more than adequately substitute for a pistol, with an effective range of about 100-150 yards. After that, you need to be lucky in your purchase or get some gunsmith work done. The point is, if you want a battle rifle, buy something in .308. If you want a battle carbine, buy an AR or something like it. If you want the modern version of an M1 carbine from WWII, buy a Mini 14. |
No flame intended, I own 3 M1 carbines & they all outshoot my Mini 14 & Mini 30 by a wide margin, The problem with the Minis is the $10 barrel that Ruger put on a $500 + gun,For the extra $400 or so that the aftermarket guys charge to put a new barrel on the gun it better shoot good (You can rebarrel a Garand for half that) As for the crap sights, Even with a 10X scope on my Ranch rifle it still shoots Like crap, The difference is I can watch the bullets go all over the place through the scope! If there is a way to fit a Chrome lined AK or AR barrel to the Mini with out too much trouble & Expense I will give it a try, Who can do such a project? As for the Hbars out shooting the Mini, Shure, But as I stated before My less than 6 pound, 1/14 twist retro AR shoots better than My Mini! |
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Choate Machine & Tool: www.riflestock.com #070112 Ruger Mini 14/30 Pistol Grip Stock Black #070204 Ventilated Handguard for above Black #070113 Ruger Mini 14/30 Pistol Grip Stock Camo #070205 Vent Handguard for above Camo They also make a conventional synthetic stock and other acc for the Mini-14/30. |
1.I am talking about several groups of 3-4 rounds with the best groups being in the stated group size. Others opened up a little, but not much. 2.No, this is not 10 rounds and throwing out 7. 3.I have never shot in an Highpower Match. Maybe someday when I get some time. 4.Ask yourself A question....Do you really think I care about what you think? I am just stating what MY particular weapon did on a given day. Don't really care whether you choose to belive it or not. 5.BTW, ANY rifle that will shoot a 6" group at 100yds.will work just fine in a real life situation, that's why it is called Center of Mass. |
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I have a Mini-14 Ranch with an ATN scope attached. I can get an average 2.5" group off a bench at 100yrds using commerical 55gr .223. I personaly think the Ruger flip up sights don't work well as I could never get the rear sight properly positioned to shoot consistent groups so I added a scope that seems to work well. There are some customized peep sights available for the Mini-14. I wonder if they work better. ArmaLiter |
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I have a crispy $100 bill for anyone that can come out to my range with a factory Mini-14 or 30 and shoot 5, 5 shot groups at 200 yards that average under 5 inches. No throwing out flyers, human error included. Minis are crap guns no Ifs, Ands or Butts! I'll even let you use a scope! |
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