Ruger mini 14

Mark6005 · Oct 4, 2013

Always wanted a ruger mini14 range rifle saw a couple today good price brand new. Anyone use one? Seems like a good one to carry in the gator out and around. Coyotes are beginning to come around as deer are moving

D beatty · Oct 4, 2013

If you get one make sure it shoot 223 and 5.56 NATO ammo. They do make one in 223 only. They also make a Mini Thirty that shoots 7.62X39.For what your talking about useing it for it will do the job.

buickanddeere · Oct 4, 2013

Check the serial number to ensure purchasing a later accurized model. Early Mini-14s will shoot around corners.

Ronald Anderson · Oct 4, 2013

I bought one and it was inaccurate not satisfied at all. Truly a "spray and pray" gun. I liked the looks of it but possibly the most inaccurate rifle I ever owned or shot Shells used to be cheap for it but not anymore.
The dealer took it back and after shooting it agreed it wasn't any good. I ended up buying a Savage bolt action which is real accurate and cheaper then that Mini 14.

JWWnGA · Oct 4, 2013

They are plenty accurate enough to be minute of coyote at 200 yds or more. old style or new.The only way you will be able to tell if one is more accurate than another is off a shooting bench.Most of the time the coyotes wont walk in front of a shooting bench

Nick m · Oct 4, 2013

I thought I wanted one too, then heard some crappy reviews. Bought a bushmaster. Really like it.

JWWnGA · Oct 4, 2013

They are plenty accurate enough to be minute of coyote at 200 yds or more. old style or new.The only way you will be able to tell if one is more accurate than another is off a shooting bench.Most of the time the coyotes wont walk in front of a shooting bench

BushogPapa · Oct 4, 2013

The Mini is ( in my opinion) better than the "Ranch Rifle"..

You can trim the tabs off a Colt .45 ACP Buffer and put it behind the operating Rod on the Mini only..
Then, the Brass will drop just a couple feet from you.
The Ranch Rifle launches the Brass and it is gone forever..!!
My experience with Ruger rifles is that it takes about 100 rounds for the accuracy to come in..
Also, the scope mount if on one side only and as the rifle heats up, the zero will progressively change ( not a lot)..
Load 40 gr Ballistic-Tip bullets with Match grade Primers, over what amounts to a Full Case of IMR 3031 and it will be deadly on groundhogs.!
At 200 yds, my eye catches the Groundhog starting to flip, BEFORE to gun jumps..!!
I love my Mini in .223..!!
Mine is stainless and I have re-worked the trigger and polished the Sear..
One word of caution..put a GOOD scope on it..NO Tasco junk..Leupold is awesome..
Ron.

BushogPapa · Oct 4, 2013

One more thing.. the Mini-14 in .223 requires the Tighter Case-sizing Die because it is semi-auto..

Ron..

Anonymous-0 · Oct 5, 2013

They used to be cheaper than a AR, but now not so much. At one time I thought I wanted one but bought the Olympic Arms AR 15 A1 style carbine, cheaper and much more accurate. After that one I bought two more - one Colt and one DPMS.

oldtanker · Oct 5, 2013

I have a Mini in 6.8 SPC, love it. Pretty accurate.

Rick

MarkB_MI · Oct 5, 2013

BP, I haven't loaded for Mini-14, but my in my experience the "small base" sizing dies aren't needed for rifles with military chamber dimensions. SB dies will significantly reduce case life. If I was using once-fired military brass, I suppose I'd use them for initial sizing, but I prefer to start with new brass.

A few years ago, RCBS introduced its "X-die", which significantly reduces case stretch; it eliminates the need for frequent trimming and gives much better case life than standard sizing dies.

Fawteen · Oct 5, 2013

Another solution to the "throws brass all over 40 acres" problem is an adjustable gas block. I put one on mine and it plays MUCH nicer now. Drops the brass in a nice pile about 8 feet out and a little forward.

Accuracy-wise, they do tend to be more variable than the AR, but a good one is still more accurate than the average shooter.

Traditional Farmer · Oct 5, 2013

I have a Mini 14 5.56 Ranch Rifle very good rifle and its had a hard life riding in the truck have busted a couple scopes on it from banging around but the gun still shoots good

C.R. · Oct 5, 2013

I have a Mini 14 ranch rifle in stainless,with a wood stock i like it just fineI put a 1 1/2 to 4 power scope on it I havent used it a lot but Im glad I have it.I bought mine before the "assault rifle" ban thought about an AR but they had gotten too pricy. same caliber semi auto,big magizines are available and its a ruger! whats not to like? now,my friend had a mini 30 that was NOT an accurate gun at all,couldnt hit a bull in the ask with it we got to looking at it and could see on the trigger guard where the previous owner had one of those hellfire systems on it so we figuerd they burned up the barell

JDemaris · Oct 5, 2013

I've got three Mini-14s in .223. I love them. None are as accurate as my bolt-actions, but they certainly are handier. I've fired a lot of cheap Russian steel-cased ammo with no mis-fires.

I recently took all mine out of NY and into Michigan. The new abundant NY gun laws seem to make Mini-14s illegal and calls them "assault weapons." Not 100% sure since the new law is so poorly written. Funny though that all my SKS rifles are still legal because the do not have conventional clips.

JRSutton · Oct 5, 2013

I love my mini 14. One of my favorite "all around" guns - for plinking and shoothing things up.

I don't hunt, but if I did, I'd use something else, but I've fired thousands and thousands of rounds through the mini 14. It's a fun gun.

OH - 961 · Oct 5, 2013

If anyone wants to read discussions on Mini-14s, There is a gun forum that has a section of the forum just for them.

www.perfectunion.com

Myron

Bill in IL · Oct 5, 2013

I have 2 mini 14s and an ar15. I prefer the mini 14 for carrying and shooting. It's been plenty accurate for the peep sights on it. The action is a better design than an ar in my opinion.

tg in VA · Oct 5, 2013

Look at the Mini 30, the 7.62 X 39 is readily available and much cheaper than .223 and I've got no complaints with the Russian ammo (after all, they've been killing people for years with the AK-47 in that caliber.

Ruger mini 14

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