Input for Mini 14 Ranch Loads

Henry Nierychlo

Henry Nierychlo

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I picked up a Mini 14 Ranch a little while ago. I have lots of Hornady 55gr FMJBT bullets, H335 powder & CCI 400 Small Rifle primers.
I'm looking for some recipes using these components.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
I know the Mini doesn't shoot very well but I wanted to try it out anyhow.
Regards, Henry
 
Hodgdon site has a great load section. Hornady may also be a good site to check out. As you probably know every rifle is different so you really have to work up your loads for your rifle. Personally I don't use anybody elses loads without checking against published loads.
 
Sounds like a good and appropriate choice of components.

Load them to magazine length (2.26") or wherever they need to be in order to line up the case mouth with the bullet's cannelure. Either don't crimp, or if you do, use a modest crimp.

Start low of course, but don't be shy to work up the load to the max published by Hodgdon, though you'll not necessarily see any difference in accuracy nor in trajectory at 100 or 200 with min vs. max charges.

Keep a good eye out for your empties, Mini-14s are most ambitious when it comes to ejecting brass!

Make extra sure (as with loading for all semis) that all of your primers are fully seated and that they are below-flush.
 
know the Mini doesn't shoot very well

Load for it (or feed it good quality ammo, in any case) as you would for a bolt action and you might be surprised. I suspect that "doesn't shoot" story was started by guys who used the cheapest possible crap ammo to 'play soldier' and listen to the sound of their own rapid fire as they hastened to lengthen the throats in their barrels.

I've had very good luck with 55 gr. bullets and IMR-4064 - around 26 grains - and increasing by tenths. 26 grains isn't much powder, and increasing by even half grain increments can cause you to bypass an accuracy node without even knowing it was there. In the past I've also used WW748 with good results - if memory serves me, 748 is about the same as H335 - but it would take some digging to find my old recipes.

My pet load is WW brass, 55 gr. Nosler Solid Base jsp (cannelured and modestly crimped as mentioned above) with CCI-400 primers and 26.1 gr. of IMR-4064. One of my stainless (non-ranch) Minis gives me an average 1 MOA with that load; my worst worn out beater of a wood/blued mini does about 2.5 MOA. I'm getting low on those now-discontinued Noslers, but I find that plain old WW bulk 55 gr cannelured jsp works pretty well too.

The ranch versions do throw brass pretty bad - there's the old joke about defending your own right flank - but you can get a smaller gas orfice to throttle that back some. A friend of mine did it, and now the brass makes a nice neat pile about 3' to his right.

I find them to be finicky about their ammo, but rest assured if you feed them right most of them will shoot pretty damn good.
 
You will probably want to change out the gas port bushing to one with a smaller orifice. This will make the rifle cycle more gently, so it won't fling brass as far and it might improve accuracy.
 
Y'know ... once I picked up an AR, I stopped shooting my Mini-14 Ranch Rifle for all intents and purposes, 'cause it had a hard time throwing rounds onto a sheet of paper at 100yds.

Turns out that Ruger manufactured the Mini-14's in .223 with three different barrel twists, depending on year of manufacture (I always thought it was just one - the 1x10); 1974-86 was 1x10, 1986-97 was 1x7 and since 1997 1x9. Mine was made in 1988 ... no wonder 55 gr bullets spray out the end!

Had some decent 100yd groups (-10C and sunny, mostly calm) with some 62 gr flat base Berger & 25-25.8 gr of Varget in military casings, but a little light on the powder (won't hold the bolt open on empty mag and rounds thrown forward, not back) - still hit 5" higher than the 55 gr & W748 loads that would hold the bolt open (and hit a person 10 yards away to the right and forward of the firing point with the empty brass). Still trying to find a 1 MOA load.

So ... roundabout way of saying you need to know your barrel twist.
 
"...three different barrel twists..." Did it accomodate heavier bullets as they came along.
"..."doesn't shoot" story..." Standard Mini-14's are well known to be reliable but inaccurate. Ruger did nothing until relatively recently because they sold every one they made.
 
mini 14 accuracy

there is a web site called perfect union that has a great section on the mini's.

my last mini 14 ranch would shoot 1 1/2" 3 shot groups and then open up to about 2 1/2" when the barrel heated. if you rip off 2 5 round mags in a row you will do well if it will shoot 6" groups. the thin barrel heats up fast...

good hand loads, a bedding job, and a bit of trigger work and the mini shoots fine for a light semi auto sporter.

have fun with it.

ramhunter
 
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