Mini 14 range report-from 4-5"groups to 2"!!

[snipz]

Hey all....I've had my Mini-14 for 4 months now...It's a 181 series...with Choate EM2 stock...M-14 style flash hider...Bushnell red dot...and vertical foregrip.....Anyways since I got it I've only shot Winchester 55 grain FMJ and accuracy was not that great...I guess 4-5" groups......I bought some 45 grain JHP rounds and shot them today...WOW...What a difference!!!....My groups are now about 2".....I'm wondering if its because the twist rate is 1 in 10" and the lighter bullet stabilizes better or if its the JHP bullet that gives it better accuracy??....If i use 45 grain FMJ will I get the same accuracy??...Mini owners please inform me... Thanks...Wes PS...Yes..thats the mini-14 in my avatar

 

[cancer]

Bullet weight is very important in fine tuning the accuracy of your rifle. While there are ballpark conventions as to what weight does well in what barrel twist-rate and calibre, usually people have to fine tune that weight on a rifle by rifle basis.

There was a guy who posted a graph for his reloading experiences with his M14 in the MBR forum a while back. The graph had MOA on the y-axis and weight on the x-axis. The plot looked almost sinusodal. It was pretty neat.

 

[senior]

I have never gotten the accuracy from FMJ that I have from any kind of SP bullets, maybe just me! It's also much safer to be slinging SP bullets around than FMJs.

 

[hoochie]

Ive never understood the problem with mini-14's. Mine is a 182 series, and I paid $400 for it ( with a scope, and 500 or so rounds of ammo). It shoots almost as well as my $1500 naked Stag.
usually use 55gr fmj, but have gone through a few boxes of 45gr JHP with little difference, other than POI.

 

[Luckyorwhat]

That's wierd, I'd imagine that lighter bullets would be over-stabilized with 1:10? 55gr is good for 1:12 aiui. Then 62gr 1:9, 77gr 1:7. Hell, if it works! Pity the critter you shoot, they probably fragment quite violently!

(I've heard of some over-stabilized bullets fragmenting in mid-air!)

 

[snipz]

Well I've heard that every Mini is different and that seems to be true....I was shooting at a target at 50 yards... it is probably a little smaller than a dinner plate...and every round hit in a nice little group ....I was really impressed.......I did have a few flyers but thats when I tried to shoot to rapidly....All the carefully aimed shots grouped great...

 

[Suputin]

You shot a 2" group at 50 yards with an $800 rifle and think that is GOOD?

You impress WAAAAY too easily my friend.

 

[snipz]

No.. I shot a 2" group at 50 yards with a $400 rifle.....thats what I paid for it.....Anyways going from 4-5" to 2" by just changing ammo is a big difference.....i think anyways........my friend.....

 

[Suputin]

No disrespect but a $25 Lee Enfield will shoot considerably better than 4 MOA with WWII ammunition.

I once met a guy who had invested more than $1000 into his brand new $800 Mini-14. He had the target barrel and every accuracy tidbit available installed. At the end he had turned a 4-6 MOA rifle into a 2-3 MOA rifle. Accuracy which is pitiful compared to a cheapo bolt action or even a real M14.

My point being the Mini-14 is a piece of garbage wrt accuracy. It is fine to own it as a gravel pit blaster or for chasing pop cans around but the act of measuring a group shot out of a Mini-14 is just a waste of time.

 

[snipz]

Alright point taken.....But my point here is that with NO modification ...my mini improved accuracy by 2" by just using different ammo....Thats all....I know it will NEVER...EVER be even close to a tack driver....but seeing that kind of improvement with NO mods put a smile on my face and I now enjoy shooting it ALOT more....I just wanted to share that with everyone.....Gimme a break man....

 

[markl]

hey enjoy your rifle. i personally could give a flyin f**k what the guy shooting next to me thinks of what i'm shooting or my groups. i'm there for myself. if there's a smile on your face, then your shooting well.

 

[freddyfour]

Hey Snipz, nice rig! I will have to give the JHP a try with my mini, I've only been using 55gr fmj. Not that I find mine that bad but every bit helps. I just got a sage stock for mine today, absolutly love this stock!

Hey Suputin, just relax, if you don't like the mini then just stay way from mini forms and stop pissing in this guys cornflakes!

 

[Jeff/1911]

snipz,

I found that the lighter bullets shot better in my Mini-14 as well. Glad to hear you found a load it likes. Enjoy that Mini, they're a great liitle rifle!

Jeff/1911.

 

[snipz]

Hey thanks guys.....Here is a better pic of it...along with my M-14...Defender 12g and SKS-D....Hey Freddyfour...let me know if the JHP improves your Mini's accuracy.....