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CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Windsor, Ontario
accuracy of mini14
- Thread starter freezer filler
- Start date
Minii 14 in 6.8 SPC
I have a mini 14 in 6.8 SPC. I have been working on a number of different loads. I took it to the range last weekend and set up a life size deer target, the one that shows the location of the heart and spine. Using a Bushnell 2 x 7 scope I put 9 out of 9 shots into the circle around the heart at 100 yards with a Speer 100 gr. HP. Hornady 110 gr. in HP's and V-Maxi's will do the same or better.
When I bought the 6.8 I wanted a reliable bush gun for the quad and truck. I didn't imagine any shots would be over 100 yards so, while not a tack driver , it fills the bill for my needs. My other mini (.223) will shoot 5 shot groups at 100 yards with open sights between 2-2.5 inches. And it's an older one.
I think it is a good alternative to the Mini 30 for deer. I would use it on coyotes as well.
I have a mini 14 in 6.8 SPC. I have been working on a number of different loads. I took it to the range last weekend and set up a life size deer target, the one that shows the location of the heart and spine. Using a Bushnell 2 x 7 scope I put 9 out of 9 shots into the circle around the heart at 100 yards with a Speer 100 gr. HP. Hornady 110 gr. in HP's and V-Maxi's will do the same or better.
When I bought the 6.8 I wanted a reliable bush gun for the quad and truck. I didn't imagine any shots would be over 100 yards so, while not a tack driver , it fills the bill for my needs. My other mini (.223) will shoot 5 shot groups at 100 yards with open sights between 2-2.5 inches. And it's an older one.
I think it is a good alternative to the Mini 30 for deer. I would use it on coyotes as well.
freezer filler;
With the understanding that my experience was with late '80's vintage Mini's I'll relate the following.
A couple decades back, a good friend ended up with a Mini-14 and one of the very first Mini-30's to come up here into BC.
Our initial testing involved mounting decent scopes on both rifles, if faulty memory serves, they were Leupold 2-7's on both rifles. We began using factory ammo and bench tested the rifles with the same equipment that we used when we were competing in hunter rifle class matches we shot back then.
The triggers on both rifles were pretty tough to work with, but manageable to some degree. The Mini-14 refused to keep 5 shots inside my hat at 100 yds, which is to say 6"-8" patterns. The Mini-30 showed promise in that some groups ran under 3" for 5 shots and were pretty uniform in shape.
I did a bunch of research on what others were doing on Minis, no mean feat in those pre-Interweb days - and decided to try to bed both of them and do some trigger work as well.
The trigger work was simply to disassemble and stone the surfaces. We never did order up a spring kit, but in retrospect I believe it surely couldn't have hurt matters any.
The bedding process was a 3 step one, where the first step was to glue the stainless sleeve in the barrel channel into the stock to stiffen the fore end up.
The next step was to bed in the gas block at the front of the fore end for a perfect and snug fit.
The final step was to bed in the lugs and the flats of the receiver so it didn't rattle about in the stock quite as enthusiastically as it did from the factory.
The results were mixed in that the Mini-14 was only able to produce about 3"-4" groups when all was said and done. I always thought that Ruger made the barrels a wee bit on the light side with them, but can't say for sure if that was the heart of the problem.
The Mini-30 however was another story. Using handloads and some of the early Barnes X 110g and 130gr bullets, it would deliver 1½" groups - for the first 3 shots - on command. That actually impressed me, as I've played with a few other rifles such as Savage 99's that refused to do that well.
As a by the way and again as foggy memory serves, the speeds we were getting in the little 7.62 Russian were quite comparable to what we were getting out of a 20" barrel .30-30 with 130gr. Speers.
Anyway, from what I read, Ruger retooled their Mini-14 production a couple years back and tightened up on the tolerances considerably. If I'm not mistaken, the target model has a heavier contour barrel as well, which likely can't hurt anything.
Based upon that admittedly limited experience, if I were in the market for a Mini-14, it would be a recent production model or none at all. That said, I would give another Mini-30 a whirl in a heartbeat.
Hopefully that was some use to you. Good luck whichever way you decide.
All the best to you and yours this Easter.
Regards,
Dwayne
With the understanding that my experience was with late '80's vintage Mini's I'll relate the following.
A couple decades back, a good friend ended up with a Mini-14 and one of the very first Mini-30's to come up here into BC.
Our initial testing involved mounting decent scopes on both rifles, if faulty memory serves, they were Leupold 2-7's on both rifles. We began using factory ammo and bench tested the rifles with the same equipment that we used when we were competing in hunter rifle class matches we shot back then.
The triggers on both rifles were pretty tough to work with, but manageable to some degree. The Mini-14 refused to keep 5 shots inside my hat at 100 yds, which is to say 6"-8" patterns. The Mini-30 showed promise in that some groups ran under 3" for 5 shots and were pretty uniform in shape.
I did a bunch of research on what others were doing on Minis, no mean feat in those pre-Interweb days - and decided to try to bed both of them and do some trigger work as well.
The trigger work was simply to disassemble and stone the surfaces. We never did order up a spring kit, but in retrospect I believe it surely couldn't have hurt matters any.
The bedding process was a 3 step one, where the first step was to glue the stainless sleeve in the barrel channel into the stock to stiffen the fore end up.
The next step was to bed in the gas block at the front of the fore end for a perfect and snug fit.
The final step was to bed in the lugs and the flats of the receiver so it didn't rattle about in the stock quite as enthusiastically as it did from the factory.
The results were mixed in that the Mini-14 was only able to produce about 3"-4" groups when all was said and done. I always thought that Ruger made the barrels a wee bit on the light side with them, but can't say for sure if that was the heart of the problem.
The Mini-30 however was another story. Using handloads and some of the early Barnes X 110g and 130gr bullets, it would deliver 1½" groups - for the first 3 shots - on command. That actually impressed me, as I've played with a few other rifles such as Savage 99's that refused to do that well.
As a by the way and again as foggy memory serves, the speeds we were getting in the little 7.62 Russian were quite comparable to what we were getting out of a 20" barrel .30-30 with 130gr. Speers.
Anyway, from what I read, Ruger retooled their Mini-14 production a couple years back and tightened up on the tolerances considerably. If I'm not mistaken, the target model has a heavier contour barrel as well, which likely can't hurt anything.
Based upon that admittedly limited experience, if I were in the market for a Mini-14, it would be a recent production model or none at all. That said, I would give another Mini-30 a whirl in a heartbeat.
Hopefully that was some use to you. Good luck whichever way you decide.
All the best to you and yours this Easter.
Regards,
Dwayne
Mine shoots inside 2" at 100 yards all day long. The Mini-14 is not the most accurate but give the "minute of barn door" BS a rest. If those are your best results, maybe you should take some shooting lessons from my 12 year old son.
Mini-14 is not a good deer gun.
Mini-14 is not a good deer gun.
I just gotta chime in on this one! I own 580 series Ranch. It is without a doubt, next to my M14 in terms of the reliability department. It shoots 1-1/2" to 2", depending on the load. It's twist is 1:9 so it sorta likes the longer/heavier bullets. It loves noslers (50 gr) and will shoot 'yotes all day. On a couple of occasions, I wasn't resting/holding rifle as steady as I should have been, and needed a second...(once a third - long ways out there 325 yards or so). They were all done like dinner.
Here's mine.
Maybe you have trouble shooting or rifle has a quirk in it, but don't label them all like that, because sir, it is quite obvious that you have no clue as what you are talking about. Actually, in reading other forums, it seems like you have just blindly copied from another's bad experience.
The mini found their niche, they will never be a target rifle, i had one ,i sold it , accuracy is really what make me tic... If i could at least have found a load for it. Hopefully the new one are more accurate, i know for a fact that Ruger change the twist in the Deerfield from 1 in 38 to 1 in 20 in my new 77 44 Ruger carbine in 44 mag and having both i can tell what a improvement... Just my 0.02 cents. Cheers. JP.
Halger280HVMag
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- B.C. XMU Local .454
I own and live on a farm. I own and use a Mini-14 to dispatch coyotes where applicable.
This rifle was never intended for bench-rest accuracy. it was designed as a farm/ranch tool.
I purchased my rifle in the '70s, with the ammo of the day, it would give me 3" at 100 yards...for the first three rounds. After that the groups would open right up.
That IMHO, is mostly the thin barrel's fault.
The thing is though, I use it as a livestock protection gun. Because of the fact that I must be extremely careful with my line of fire. there is seldom time for more than one or maybe two, aimed shots.
I'm an old dude. By the time I grab the gun and loaded magazine, and run (well OK, move as fast as I can) to a spot where I can find a safe, clear shot.
I'm out of breath, and the gun is way more accurate than I am.
I would not use it on deer unless I had nothing more suitable on hand.
A Mini-30, or a more affordable SKS, would be more suitable in my opinion.
Good hunting Eh!
This rifle was never intended for bench-rest accuracy. it was designed as a farm/ranch tool.
I purchased my rifle in the '70s, with the ammo of the day, it would give me 3" at 100 yards...for the first three rounds. After that the groups would open right up.
That IMHO, is mostly the thin barrel's fault.
The thing is though, I use it as a livestock protection gun. Because of the fact that I must be extremely careful with my line of fire. there is seldom time for more than one or maybe two, aimed shots.
I'm an old dude. By the time I grab the gun and loaded magazine, and run (well OK, move as fast as I can) to a spot where I can find a safe, clear shot.
I'm out of breath, and the gun is way more accurate than I am.
I would not use it on deer unless I had nothing more suitable on hand.
A Mini-30, or a more affordable SKS, would be more suitable in my opinion.
Good hunting Eh!
Wow, the internet is full of experts! Not.
I'm flabergasted by the number of people with such strong opinions with so little experience, if any, with this gun. I have a 183 series in a choate stock that shoots as well as my ar's if I do my job.
Don't chime in unless you : A. own such a gun or have owned one. B. can shoot worth a damn. C. had a competent gunsmith look at it if it didn't shoot well.
If you saw a car that ran off the road, with bald tires, and a drunk driver, would you tell everyone that those cars veer off the road? If your own car that veered of the road, wouldn't you take it to a mechanic and ask them to see if it could be fixed?
I hear remington 700's shoot by themselves. It's probably a huge cover up because of govt. purchases, and they've been doing this for years. Dangerous gun to own! You hear about them shooting when you close the bolt, I don't know why those guns are even sold... wait a sec... I don't own a rem700, and have never spoken to anyone that does that had this happen, nor have I verified that any that had this happen weren't modified... do you think it may have been blown out of preportion, seeing as millions have been sold? Hmmm.
I'm flabergasted by the number of people with such strong opinions with so little experience, if any, with this gun. I have a 183 series in a choate stock that shoots as well as my ar's if I do my job.
Don't chime in unless you : A. own such a gun or have owned one. B. can shoot worth a damn. C. had a competent gunsmith look at it if it didn't shoot well.
If you saw a car that ran off the road, with bald tires, and a drunk driver, would you tell everyone that those cars veer off the road? If your own car that veered of the road, wouldn't you take it to a mechanic and ask them to see if it could be fixed?
I hear remington 700's shoot by themselves. It's probably a huge cover up because of govt. purchases, and they've been doing this for years. Dangerous gun to own! You hear about them shooting when you close the bolt, I don't know why those guns are even sold... wait a sec... I don't own a rem700, and have never spoken to anyone that does that had this happen, nor have I verified that any that had this happen weren't modified... do you think it may have been blown out of preportion, seeing as millions have been sold? Hmmm.
I realize this is from 2009, but it's too funny to not point out.....
gitrdun goes on a rant about the mini 14's shortcomings.....
]
Then goes on to say he wants to buy one.....
Now,,,,,, having said that, I've tried to get one on the EE forum myself, but strictly to shoot paper and see what these autoloaders could do. By all acounts, it seems minute of barn door is all you can expect.[/QUOTE]
And then he admits to having no experience with one!
Gotta love the intraweb....
"I've got no experience with it, but it's shcit"
gitrdun goes on a rant about the mini 14's shortcomings.....
]
Then goes on to say he wants to buy one.....
Now,,,,,, having said that, I've tried to get one on the EE forum myself, but strictly to shoot paper and see what these autoloaders could do. By all acounts, it seems minute of barn door is all you can expect.[/QUOTE]
And then he admits to having no experience with one!
Gotta love the intraweb....
"I've got no experience with it, but it's shcit"
Got an older accurate (3 shots slightly under 1"@100) mini 14 Ranch - in 222Rem. Made originally for export to Oz where the evil 223 is not permitted to the general population in that rifle. It's my current varmint rifle. Pretty sweet except empty brass lands in the next county.
Well they make a 60gr Partition .224 and Barnes X bullets nowadays.Only poked a couple deer with mine and none made it more than a couple body lengths shot with standard Hornady 55gr handloads.Beer cans at 100 yards no problem 6X scoped older 180 series......no longer have it but it worked fine.............Harold
Homesteader
CGN Regular
- Location
- In a Wallow West of Edmonton.
Sounds like a simple change out of the gas bushing to a smaller one, and your brass won't be nearly as hard to find.
I've had 3 older minis,one shot better than 1.5moa, the other two about 4-6 inches and rarely on the sme side of the target. Probably better to use open sights than a scope with those. No malfunctions but tossed brass all over the place and deformed them. Have a new scoped target mini with the hogue stock. Love it. Shoots 5 into 1 1/4 inch all day using the Federal premium with 68gr Sierra factory loads.
