Prior to owning my current Mini, I bought the target version, brand new right out of the box. Four weeks later, I got rid of it. About two months later, I missed the action so I bought a "plain-jane" ranch, as pictured above. The only modifications were to add the scope and replace the hand guard with one from accuracy systems. It was a cosmetic thing.
The reason I got rid of the target was for the following reasons:
1) The rifle barrel is NOT consistently heavy. From the chamber to the gas port, the barrel dimensions are identical to the ranch rifle. After the gas port, the barrel then gets heavy.
2) The tuner on the end, does work. Just don't switch out ammo. Mine show DRAMATIC differences between 40 gr vmax, 50 gr vmax, 55 gr bulk, 55 noslers, 50 gr noslers, win white box 45 gr and rem umc 45 gr. I'm talking about opposite ends of the target between the between the bullets.
3) The tuner is quite picky. A half turn would shift my grouping as much as 6" in 100 yards. Never mind switching ammo.
4) It took a while to heat up the bull barrel portion. When that got hot, the portion from the thinner part of the barrel from the chamber to the gas port was smokin' hot. The result, wandering groups - just like my mini and m14 when they get hot.
5) The rifle itself weighed considerably more. Shooting gophers got to be a little tiring to carry. A bipod could have solved.
6) My frustration with the dampener was the main reason. If anyone were to ask me, I would, in all honesty report that my experience with it convinced me that it was a complete waste of money.
Mine mini, with the 4x scope shoots all kinds of ammo. no matter what kind, I am consistently hitting 12" gongs at 300 yards. In coyote terms, that's a hit. At 100 yards, depending on the ammo, 2.5" to 1.5" is the norm. I can fluke smaller groups with a benchrest and 55 noslers or varmint grenades, but all-in-all the rifle is a keeper.
