Ruger mini 14 target thumb hole stock: is it a worthy purchase???

Matt_dal123

Matt_dal123

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So I'm lookin at the what I believe to be the rather ###y mini 14 target with the wood finish stock with thumb hole. I think it looks great and have heard good things. But I'm putting it to the floor for you guys, any opinions on this rifle? Accuracy? Reliability?

Thanks guys/gals!!
 
I had one for a short time. The target version with a laminate thumb hole stock. It would shoot 4" to 5" groups at 100 yards all day long. It was a beautiful gun but shot like garbage. It never had a feeding or ejection issue. It ran like a champ all the time. I would pick up a ranch version for fun if they took AR mags.

Buy a bolt gun if you want to shoot targets.
 
I know mystic put one together with a shilen barrel and an adjustable gas block, I have a ranch version waiting for a barrel swap/range report before I go ahead and do the same.
 
I can't recall if I read it or was told by someone, but they claimed 1.5" with factory FMJ when the barrel was tuned with the weight. I had considered one but at about $1000 I decided to get a bolt.
 
redshooter said:
I can't recall if I read it or was told by someone, but they claimed 1.5" with factory FMJ when the barrel was tuned with the weight. I had considered one but at about $1000 I decided to get a bolt.
Click to expand...

I spent a lot of time and tons of Winchester 55gr FMJ spinning the harmonic balancer. It might have helped. But I’m not sure that it did much of anything.

Cheap ammo shoots big groups no matter what you do.
 
Hmmmm interesting. Now I'm lost as to what to buy haha! I'll figure something out. So you all think don't buy if you want relatively good accuracy?
 
I shoot a lot of matches from 300 yards to 1000 yards, never seen a Mini 14 at any of them. Buy a bolt gun if you are looking for accuracy.
 
K0na_stinky said:
I spent a lot of time and tons of Winchester 55gr FMJ spinning the harmonic balancer. It might have helped. But I’m not sure that it did much of anything.

Cheap ammo shoots big groups no matter what you do.
Click to expand...

No truer words were spoken.

I've never really been happy with the accuracy of any semi I've owned and never been dissapointed by a bolt once I've found its happy place.
 
A buddy of mine has the laminate version, and I have the Hogue. His gun is consistently MOA with Winchester white-box...I hate him! Mine will do about 1.25MOA with handloads, but there is no way in hell I am handloading for a semiauto plinker. Several factory loads, all 55gr bullets, will go about 1.5MOA.

They are minis...they are stone-axe reliable. As stated above, if you want a target gun, look elsewhere. If you already have one or more accurate bolt gun and just want a fun plinker/coyote gun/varminter/utility gun you're golden. Triggers are not exactly Jewels, but they are shootable.

The laminate gun is much heavier than the Hogue, and I find the stock design and grip very uncomfortable. The Hogue is exceptionally pleasant to hold and shoot. Even the Hogue-stocked gun is on the heavy side, so after playing with the muzzle weight a bit, I took the bull by the horns and had the barrel lopped off at 18.5 inches and recrowned. This just barely removes the coarse threads, but leaves the concentric reference marks. The gun is now much handier and nicer to carry, and shoots the same as before. I'm playing with a Limbsaver rubber-donut-dampener thingie, which seems to have about the same effect as the original weight, looks no goofier, weighs just about nothing. Nope, no pics...too lazy and computer-illiterate.:)

In hindsight, I maybe should have just purchased the new generation Ranch Rifle. Lighter, and with the Limbsaver it might have shot close to this one...there are good reports on the newer guns. Plus, that would have given me iron sights.

Check the PerfectUnion.com site for lots of mini info.

Edited to add: I just remembered that this is in Precision Rifles. You either need to move it to the Hunting/Sporting section, or at least make your expectations more realistic!
 
i have a mini 14 target and it will shoot three rounds touching at 100 yards all day long. Takes a lot of playing with hand loads. I've fired several hundred round though it and never had a stoppage. I'm keeping mine.
 
Pretty fair to say from my expereince, they shoot no better or no worse than just about any other 223 semi you can find for under a grand. Some shoot well, most are adequate. Really... what do you need? I don't think they are a particularly great value, but they are unrestricted and semis can be lots of fun. If they appeal to your taste, get one and to heck with what others think.
 
K0na_stinky said:
I spent a lot of time and tons of Winchester 55gr FMJ spinning the harmonic balancer. It might have helped. But I’m not sure that it did much of anything.

Cheap ammo shoots big groups no matter what you do.
Click to expand...

No kidding that Winchester ammo is crap. I use it only for getting on paper and even then it sucks. Sub moa with 55 PMC, Use good ammo and it will shoot fairly well. Not as accurate as a bolt gun or an accurized AR but still pretty good for a piston system semi auto. With the right ammo it can shoot with a Swiss PE90.
 
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