Mini6.8
- Thread starter Mebsta
- Start date
there are a few that pop up from time to time, you just have to look around awhile....
they are very accurate and a definite candidate for reloading, new ammo is $$.
not sure what the ruger functions like in that caliber, i have shot a Barrett AR in that caliber,,,,very nice.
they are very accurate and a definite candidate for reloading, new ammo is $$.
not sure what the ruger functions like in that caliber, i have shot a Barrett AR in that caliber,,,,very nice.
My hunting partner has a SS Ruger mini chambered in 6.8 SPC. He bought it at Ellwood Epps a couple of years ago. Factory ammo is scarce as hens teeth. Brass is scarce but not impossible to find. The 6.8 SPC uses .277 diameter bullets that are readily available. My friend really likes his mini, but accuracy has always been lacking in this rifle. After he had it for about 3 months he sent it back to Ruger for service because of it's wandering POI. They had the gun for about 6 months, & when he got it back it still shot the same. He has since gotten the rifle bedded, & had a trigger job done by a competent smith. It still has a wandering POI, & groups are NOT consistent. I have seen him shoot a 1" group with his mini, but usual group size in around 2". Good enough for most hunting situations. IMHO the barrel is just too thin & whips around too much to be accurate. I have suggested he try one of the barrel stiffening products like the Har-bar.
Mini 6.8 Accuracy
I have one of these puppies. With several different kinds of 130 grain bullets, it shoots lovely "patterns". With 90 or 100 grain bullets, the groups tighten up dramatically. I have a box of 115 grain Matchkings that are waiting to be loaded and tested next. The factory load is 115 grain bullets, so I suspect the twist rate is too slow for anything much heavier.
So, it would seem my gun is allergic to heavier bullets, aka, common weights for a .270 winchester of 130 grains or more.
The experiment with the lighter bullet weights was this gun's saviour. If I'd have only tried the 130 grainers, I'd have likely declared the gun "junk" and have dumped it under a large pile of stinkin' manure. The fact that it actually shoots quite well has made me hang on to it. It is light, short, handy, well balanced, and reliable. I have seen no malfunctions with it at all. It is also stainless and synthetic, so it has the potential of being a lovely little eastern whitetail gun - assuming I can feed it suitable deer capable 115 grain bullets and get reasonable accuracy.
130 grain bullets can be kept on a large pie plate at 50 yards. The 100 grainers drop into a circle the size of a toonie at 50 yards.
The guns are not terribly common. Epps very occasionally has one for sale. The mini 30 seems easier to find, with many folk intending to use the ultra cheap military surplus 7.62 x 39 ammo in them. Only issue is that the Ruger bore is intended for .308 bullets, whereas the military surplus ammo runs .311 - not a healthy thing to feed a mini 30. Using suitable commercial hunting ammo levels the playing field somewhat in the cost of ammo dept, but the mini 30 brass is very common whereas the mini 6.8 brass is not for those with a propensity to handload.
Spare magazines are very scarce (non existant). I'm told the .223 mags will work in a mini 6.8, albeit with reduced carrying capacity - reduced to 4 rounds instead of the regular 5 - I've not tried this yet (haven't found any spare .233 mags for sale)
One last thought: The mini 30s don't tend to like the heavier .30 cal bullets i.e., 150 grainers - they seem to generally function best with lighter bullets as well. (ntd: I have had 2 mini 30s pass through my hands, and have settled on the mini 6.8 now that I'm figuring out the bullet weight equation)
I have one of these puppies. With several different kinds of 130 grain bullets, it shoots lovely "patterns". With 90 or 100 grain bullets, the groups tighten up dramatically. I have a box of 115 grain Matchkings that are waiting to be loaded and tested next. The factory load is 115 grain bullets, so I suspect the twist rate is too slow for anything much heavier.
So, it would seem my gun is allergic to heavier bullets, aka, common weights for a .270 winchester of 130 grains or more.
The experiment with the lighter bullet weights was this gun's saviour. If I'd have only tried the 130 grainers, I'd have likely declared the gun "junk" and have dumped it under a large pile of stinkin' manure. The fact that it actually shoots quite well has made me hang on to it. It is light, short, handy, well balanced, and reliable. I have seen no malfunctions with it at all. It is also stainless and synthetic, so it has the potential of being a lovely little eastern whitetail gun - assuming I can feed it suitable deer capable 115 grain bullets and get reasonable accuracy.
130 grain bullets can be kept on a large pie plate at 50 yards. The 100 grainers drop into a circle the size of a toonie at 50 yards.
The guns are not terribly common. Epps very occasionally has one for sale. The mini 30 seems easier to find, with many folk intending to use the ultra cheap military surplus 7.62 x 39 ammo in them. Only issue is that the Ruger bore is intended for .308 bullets, whereas the military surplus ammo runs .311 - not a healthy thing to feed a mini 30. Using suitable commercial hunting ammo levels the playing field somewhat in the cost of ammo dept, but the mini 30 brass is very common whereas the mini 6.8 brass is not for those with a propensity to handload.
Spare magazines are very scarce (non existant). I'm told the .223 mags will work in a mini 6.8, albeit with reduced carrying capacity - reduced to 4 rounds instead of the regular 5 - I've not tried this yet (haven't found any spare .233 mags for sale)
One last thought: The mini 30s don't tend to like the heavier .30 cal bullets i.e., 150 grainers - they seem to generally function best with lighter bullets as well. (ntd: I have had 2 mini 30s pass through my hands, and have settled on the mini 6.8 now that I'm figuring out the bullet weight equation)
