Mini 14 Accuracy Troubleshooting, please help

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Frost Cracked

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Hey folks.

I have owned my Mini 14 Ranch Rifle (stainless) for about four, five years now. In the time I have owned it, I have had consistant trouble with accurizing the rifle to what some people say that it's capable of.

Having read through the sticky article already on the forum, I've added a barrel strut, and adjustable gas block and op-rod recoil buffer pad, otherwise it's stock rifle.

With a 12 power scope (Leupold AR) the best I (and others) have been able to consistently make is about a 4 inch group. Largely the wide spread seems to have been caused by some rather unpredictable fliers. I've tried about a half dozen varieties of ammunition in different weights and makes, but this seems to have been about the best I can do. The barrel end seems to only have the most minute of crowning on it, is that normal for the Ranch to be that flat-ended?

The other options I could think of, were, scoping the barrel to check for problems with it, putting on a muzzle brake, recrowning, or doing a barrel replacement. I understand that this rifle is not a tack driver, but, with everyone reporting (with pictures too) such good performance, I wonder what it is, I'm doing wrong.
 
I would suggest start hand loading this may help some and don't believe 99% of accuracy reports here on CGN....its mostly BS or one lucky group a person posts. 3-4 MOA is norm with any semi auto "miltaryish" rifle.
 
What model series is it Sir?
The new 58x series with the beefed up barrel at the ferrule are normally quite accurate.
Mine likes 55gr FMJ projectiles the best. I can get 2-4" groups with irons (upgraded tech sights not the ####ty stock ones) at 100 meters shooting prone off a bag.
So with a scope it should be doing a bit better especially with quality ammo IF it's the newer 58x series rifles.
Before you go chopping hacking and dropping cash, how is the fit in the stock? Put the stock in a vice and push pull on the barrel and see if the receiver and trigger group are clamped right tight or if there is slop etc That alone is usually the biggest problem with the M1/M14/Mini14 style rifles.
 
Went through the same thing. Always wanted one, finally got one, and found out the safest place for a coyote was in front of the gun. Given, mine was one of the older ones with the pencil barrel, but the best I could get was 3-4" consitantly. When a first got it, it shot patterns, not groups. Got rid of it, and got the target version. Now, it would shoot! Once you found ammo it liked, and dicked around with the "harmonic tuner." No instructions with it, or to be found, for the tuner, so sighting in was a 100 round ordeal. Shoot 5, loosen Allen keys, turn 1/2 turn, try again. DO NOT change ammo, or you start all over again. In the end, with the longer heavier barrel, it just lost all of the advantages that the mini-14 has.....short, light, handy

There are the odd ones out there that shoot great. I've watched the videos, and read the articles. I think Scott_r above is the closest to the truth, they are what they are, and usually a 3-4 MOA rifle.
 
Do you have a torq wrench/driver? Gas block torq is the biggest issue my friend has seen with his, a heavy barreled one from asi.
I was getting 4 inside 1.5", with a wild flyer opening them to 3-4"
That was with 62gr green tip pmcs.

I was hoping more consistent reloaded ammo would eliminate the flyer but I've been hesitate to put my precious brass throw a rifle that throws em a mile.
55gr SP 50rd packs of hornady was a more consistent 2" iirc.

My mini is stock besides a small gas bushing, and a 1-4x nikon scope.
 
Travis Bickle said:
What model series is it Sir?
The new 58x series with the beefed up barrel at the ferrule are normally quite accurate.
Mine likes 55gr FMJ projectiles the best. I can get 2-4" groups with irons (upgraded tech sights not the ####ty stock ones) at 100 meters shooting prone off a bag.
So with a scope it should be doing a bit better especially with quality ammo IF it's the newer 58x series rifles.
Before you go chopping hacking and dropping cash, how is the fit in the stock? Put the stock in a vice and push pull on the barrel and see if the receiver and trigger group are clamped right tight or if there is slop etc That alone is usually the biggest problem with the M1/M14/Mini14 style rifles.
Click to expand...

It's the newer 580 + Series, with the beefier barrel.

I shall examine the bedding, and, look into checking the torque of the gas block.

As for the torque on the accustrut, any advice on that one KePet?
 
Sell it and get something decent, or lower your expectations, no point sinking more 💰 into it then you already have. It's the gas system/op rod design mostly, just an idiotic concept all around. They have designed it to be everything BUT accurate. Reliable, durable, but loose and sloppy, over gassed, d/i to an op-rod that is only guided by the stock...retarded set up for accuracy.
I'd take an accurate single shot rifle over a shotgun pattern auto loader any day.
 
Frost Cracked said:
Hey folks.

I have owned my Mini 14 Ranch Rifle (stainless) for about four, five years now. In the time I have owned it, I have had consistant trouble with accurizing the rifle to what some people say that it's capable of.

Having read through the sticky article already on the forum, I've added a barrel strut, and adjustable gas block and op-rod recoil buffer pad, otherwise it's stock rifle.

With a 12 power scope (Leupold AR) the best I (and others) have been able to consistently make is about a 4 inch group. Largely the wide spread seems to have been caused by some rather unpredictable fliers. I've tried about a half dozen varieties of ammunition in different weights and makes, but this seems to have been about the best I can do. The barrel end seems to only have the most minute of crowning on it, is that normal for the Ranch to be that flat-ended?

The other options I could think of, were, scoping the barrel to check for problems with it, putting on a muzzle brake, recrowning, or doing a barrel replacement. I understand that this rifle is not a tack driver, but, with everyone reporting (with pictures too) such good performance, I wonder what it is, I'm doing wrong.
Click to expand...

I had an old one I bought new back in the '80s Stainless too. That is about the best I could get with it too regardless of what ammo I ran with it.

scott_r said:
I would suggest start hand loading this may help some and don't believe 99% of accuracy reports here on CGN....its mostly BS or one lucky group a person posts. 3-4 MOA is norm with any semi auto "miltaryish" rifle.
Click to expand...

Tried all kinds of loads with all kinds of different bullets and bullet weights; no joy. Some loads I was lucky to print in 12".

I fixed mine; traded it for a really nice SKB OU shotgun less than 1 year after I bought it.

Don't get me wrong, it was fun and fed everthing, even with a 30 round banana clip right full; it just patterned like a shot-gun.
 
I used the Wheeler driver, and from memory, went about 20 in-lbs. Increase in accuracy is debatable. The accustrut basically is supposed to act like a barrel tuner, but it's not necessarily the barrel that's inaccurate. It's the design itself. It's a scaled down version of the M-14/M1A. They were built to be rugged and dependable. They can be accurate, but the cost involved, and time and tweaking may not be worth it. There are a couple places down in the states that specialize in accurizing the mini's, but they are pricey, and I don't know how you get the gun there and back.

To be honest, the expense started to outweigh the rewards. Finally found a good deal on an SL-8, sold the mini, and never looked back. Now, MOA is easy with decent ammo.
 
KePet said:
I used the Wheeler driver, and from memory, went about 20 in-lbs. Increase in accuracy is debatable. The accustrut basically is supposed to act like a barrel tuner, but it's not necessarily the barrel that's inaccurate. It's the design itself. It's a scaled down version of the M-14/M1A. They were built to be rugged and dependable. They can be accurate, but the cost involved, and time and tweaking may not be worth it. There are a couple places down in the states that specialize in accurizing the mini's, but they are pricey, and I don't know how you get the gun there and back.

To be honest, the expense started to outweigh the rewards. Finally found a good deal on an SL-8, sold the mini, and never looked back. Now, MOA is easy with decent ammo.
Click to expand...

Pretty fair assessment.
Mine shoots about 3-4" consistently at 100 meters prone shooting off my Job Mate range bag with 55gr FMJ with an upgraded set of Tech Sights (irons) No strut, no mods, just stock config.
More than happy with it. It's light, balanced and dead reliable.
To me as a gun owner, that's of the utmost importance. I will gladly trade 1/2 MOA for 2-3 even 4 MOA in a semi auto .223 as long as it functions every single time I pull the trigger which the Mini14 does easily with any ammo at any temperature whether I cleaned it or not.
You have to take them for what they are. I paid $800 shipped for a like new condition one off the EE. It shoots as accurate as my AR's and as well if not better than both my old AR180 and my XCR-L for literally fractions of the price tags. So for me it was a rifle that cost 1/3 the price of other NR semi auto .223 and still shot about the the same for accuracy but reliability unsurpassed.
It's a love it or hate it gun depending on your expectations. If I want to shoot the head off a match at 100 meters, I use a Rem 700 with glass which can do it all day long. Me I love the mini-14 personally. Fits my needs bang on :rockOn:
Of course if this country wasn't a socialist slump the only semi auto .223 in my locker would be my M16A1 clone but I digress....
 
Hitzy said:
Sell it and get something decent, or lower your expectations, no point sinking more �� into it then you already have. It's the gas system/op rod design mostly, just an idiotic concept all around. They have designed it to be everything BUT accurate. Reliable, durable, but loose and sloppy, over gassed, d/i to an op-rod that is only guided by the stock...retarded set up for accuracy.
I'd take an accurate single shot rifle over a shotgun pattern auto loader any day.
Click to expand...

This . I've owned two .
 
My experience with them is that 'Mini 14' and 'accuracy' shouldn't be used in the same sentence. I could get about the same pattern/accuracy by throwing a handful of bullets at the target (read: barn). Really though, they are fun, reliable and eat everything they're fed, so for that they are good. I started setting up two targets, one down range, and one over my shoulder - the brass was getting just as good groups than the bullets, so I see that as a plus! :D

In any case, have fun with it - and keep it away from tires and radiators! Lol
 
Just putting in my two cents: I just got one of the new series and sighted it in at 100m. I was getting consistent 2" groups with Federal 55gr AE223. Only ran a couple boxes through it but I didn't get one 5 shot group over 2 1/2". I was shooting prone off a bag and the trigger was a really nice two stage affair. Maybe the one I have is an outlier, as it is a sample of one.
 
the heavy barrel target version is accurate. I can attest to that. the light barrel not so much, more hit or miss. its the heavy operation rod and over gassed like said above.
 
What I did exactly. The design was so wrong in so many different levels. It is not worth my time and effort so I sold it at a loss.
Hitzy said:
Sell it and get something decent, or lower your expectations, no point sinking more 💰 into it then you already have. It's the gas system/op rod design mostly, just an idiotic concept all around. They have designed it to be everything BUT accurate. Reliable, durable, but loose and sloppy, over gassed, d/i to an op-rod that is only guided by the stock...retarded set up for accuracy.
I'd take an accurate single shot rifle over a shotgun pattern auto loader any day.
Click to expand...
 
The mini is the reason Why I avoid us made semis. Again. Don't buy rifles for their look or hype, only battle proven designs will last you long.
 
well I wanted an accurate semi auto that was accurate. I bought a laminate version of the mini 14 target. had it bedded, accuracy systems adjustable gas block installed, trigger job, and a after market scope rail to keep emptys from hitting the windage turret. loaded a stiff load of h4895 into Winchester brass with a 55 gr blitzking and started playing with the tuner as mentioned above. got a setting that will put 9 out of 10 into 1 inch or less for a 10 shot group. good enough for me. I took 3ed place and won the next year at the last 2 wholesale sports precision rifle matchs they ever had. was never beaten by another semi auto even though a good 50% of rifles at those 2 matches were ar 15s. the gun is one heavy thing though. if someone offers me a decent amount for it one day they can have it.
 
Canada tail said:
only battle proven designs will last you long.
Click to expand...

Richard "Demo ####" Marcinko relates in his autobiography about his service, "Rouge Warrior" that he equipped the original Seal Team Six with commercial stainless steel Ruger Mini-14s (among other arms). The simple fact was that the M16 didn't come in stainless at the time, and SEALS spend a lot of time in what could be called a high-rust environment.
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Well, if it's good enough for seal team six :p
 
Accuracy? Why is everyone still whining about the Mini 14 when the new ones are dead on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVZ1jlG3kj4

Randy Wakeman's response at the bottom of the comments section on 100 yds out:

"Slow Motion2 years ago
looks like a 1 1/2 - 2 inch group. Isn't that 3-4 @ 100 yds with good ammo. 

Randy Wakeman
Randy Wakeman2 years ago
+Slow Motion That was just the preliminary, plinking sight-in. It shoots 1 in. to 1-1/4 in. @ 100 yards. Some shooters have had better than that, with current production Mini-14s."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG2FQiCzCV0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSihf_ZuAxw

Maybe it has more to do with the shooters?

* Granted a few Minis will be rotten apples but every make has those in the manufacturing barrel.
 
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