Mini 30?

[JKump]

I have always heard that Ruger Mini 14 lack a little in the Accuracy department. How does the Mini 30 compare?
Any comments on the Ruger Mini 30 would be welcome,whether good, bad or indifferent. The rifle would be used for just basic shooting and possibly deer/hog hunter. Thanks in advance.

 

[Unregistered]

It is as accurate as an AK, and costs twice as much and has hard to find magazines.

 

[Jason_G]

If I came across a good deal on a used one, I wouldn't hesitate to use it for what you intend to do with it. That said, you can buy a Yugo SKS for less than $200, and spend another $50 or so to put some tech sights on it and have a rifle that is chambered for the same round, is able to shoot cheap steel cased ammo without worry about the extractor, and is probably just as accurate, for a lot less $$$.

Jason

 

[JKump]

Thanks for the replies on AK and SkS. But I already have an AK. Just thinking about a Mini 30. I have plenty of ammo for it, if you know what I mean.

 

[Jason_G]

Thanks for the replies on AK and SkS. But I already have an AK. Just thinking about a Mini 30. I have plenty of ammo for it, if you know what I mean.

Well, in that case I would try to find a used one for $350-$400 or so. They are fun plinkers and could make a good 100 yd deer and hog gun, but they're not worth the sticker price of $600-700 that you see them going for IMO.

Jason

 

[HOGGHEAD]

Mini-30

I owned one once. The rifle was reliable as far as functioning, but was not very accurate. We hunted one season with one. Shot a couple of deer with it. The rifle handled very well. No need for a scope. Mine shot a four inch group(with a scope) at 100 yards. Tom.

 

[blume357]

Buy one, what you will find is that it is a totally different

weapon than an AK or SKS.

I'd look for a stainless steel Ranch Model. Put a scope on it and try different ammo. Just be aware of one little secret, most 7.62x39 ammo is crap and won't come out of a mini 30 worth a darn... most aftermarket high cap. mags for the mini-30 are also junk but you can tweek them... and only load to 75% full and they will work.

After you figure out how well it shoots with the scope... do the right thing and remove the scope and shoot it with the Iron sights... Inside 200 yards it, like anyother good rifle will shoot better over all, with out the glass.....

 

[k in AR]

Had a SS Mini 30, accuracy??? best I could get, even with handloads, was about 3" 5 shot groups at 100. US ammo 3 to 4", and most imports were all over the place. One caution, the Mini 30 does not have a real strong firing system and FTF were very common with some of the really hard primer eastern block import stuff. Positive side, really fun to shoot!

 

[Jager78]

I have owned mine now for about seven years. It shoots 3 1/2 inch groups at a hundred yards with no scope and 2 1/2 - 3 inch groups with my scope.
It is a fine little rifle, not the most most accurate, but very rugged and all American (+).


"This is my rifle there are many like it but this one is mine, my rifle is my best friend"

 

[TPAW]

I have the Mini 30 in stainless, I bought it years ago and mounted a 3x9x40 Bushnell scope on it for deer. At 100 yards using Corbon 150 grain soft point ammo, I can consistently hold 3 shot groups inside of 1 1/2 to 2 inches. It's a fine little rifle with the ballistics of a 30-30. Just to see what it could do, at 200 yards I had no problem hitting the bottom half of bowling pins. For hunting, I'd keep it under 150 yards.

 

[john in jax]

I own two (2) Mini-30's - an old style and a new style - and they make great little brush guns. Both of mine are topped with 3x9 scopes and shoot +/-2" groups at 100 yards from a bench using expensive Winchester or Remington hunting ammo. The groups open up to +/-4" with the cheap FMJ chinese ammo.

The slower you shoot (so the bbl doesn't heat up) the more consistent your groups will be.

 

[MHbushmaster]

Had a Ranch Rifle version for 2-3 years. Mags were finicky, the sights were rough and the accuracy was bunk.

I traded it for a WASR-10 with 2 30rd mags in a deal. I felt like I got a hell of a deal. I've never looked back.

My Yugo SKS could shoot circles around my mini-30 and I got the Yugo for under a $100 at AIM a few years ago...

 

[45Marlin carbine]

I've got a M30, had to do a little tweaking to tighten up groups and put a 'tactical' scope on it. 'American' 10 round mags (gunclips.net) are the best.
don't shoot steel case ammo in it, the fireing pin doesn't like the hard primers. besides it doesn't shoot well. I use it to fill my doe tags and 'yotes and hogs. I like it. 'PerfectUnion' has a mini page that has a wealth of knowledge about Mini's. they for sure have detractors but they are handy rifles for the intended purpose.

 

[Logs]

I have had two mini 14's and one mini 30. My first Mini 14 shot about 4-5 inch groups at 100 yards. The mini 30 was more like 7-8 inch groups at 100 yards. Good mags are a little harder to find for the mini 30. Both of the guns mentioned above I had about five years ago. Two years ago I picked up another Mini 14 and it will shoot 2-3 inch groups.

I would look into the new redesigned models if I were you.

Good Luck

 

[Dezynco]

I have an older (blued) Mini 30. Like everyone else here has said, it's not especially accurate with ANY factory ammo, imported or domestic. However, mine responds really well to handloads. The rifle actually has a .308 bore, not .310 or .311 like the SKS and AK's. If you handload for the Mini30, use regular .308 diameter bullets. Most die sets for the 7.62x39 actually come with both sized expander balls.

My Mini30 has a Nikon 2-7x scope on it and will shoot 1", 5-shot groups with 110 grain JSP's and Reloader7. If I load 130 grain bullets, the first 3 shots will be under 1", but the next 2 will rise about 2". With 150 grain bullets, the first shot is "spot on", but then next 4 bullets will gradually climb, resulting in a group (if you can call it a group) that strings about 4-5" from center. That's because the little skinny barrel heats up faster with the heavier bullets.

The rifle is capable of pretty good accuracy, but accuracy is not inherant. You have to coax the accuracy out of it! But that's what makes it a fun rifle for me, I love to experiment!

 

[beardenbc]

Mine shoots just fine

I'd just keep it under 150 yds for hunting.
I get about 2.5" groups at 100.

The only thing to keep in mind is that the mini's suffer from stringing shots when the barrel heats up.
If you need a brush gun, it's great since it's so short and reliable. People love lever guns for the brush, but this does everything those lever guns will do without the need to cock the damn thing.
Good magazines are hard to find. It you want more than 5 rounds that'll still feed dependably, go for the pro-mag steel 10 rounders. Most everything else out there is crap. I've got a couple 30 rd mags, but had to file them to feed right.

Oh, and you can get a wood stock from Brownells. I don't know about you, but I hate black plastic.

 

[chris in va]

I'd get a Saiga long before a Mini 30.

 

[Ignition Override]

K in AR:

A stronger firing pin spring can be ordered from Brownells. I saw them on their website, but have no idea whether they are 100% effective.
My Mini 30 has used only Wolf ammo, and has had between six and nine fail-to-fire (until rechambered) out of 400+ total rounds since I bought it.

Style seems to be a serious factor with so many of us, and the classic US looks of the Rugers, as with the M-1 carbine, are hard to resist.

But that Saiga also appeals to me, even with the plastic.
Somehow it is more attractive than the basic Kalashnikov AKs.
Russian-designed guns always look as if they are built only for serious business. No 'beating around the bush'.

Used Mini 14, 30, SKS and now two MN 44s.

 

[Death from Afar]

HAd one for about a year. Shot a load of goats with it. Hoot to fire, but an AR15 (oh yes, yes, yes, yes) is a far better shooter in every way imaginable. If there are legal impediments to you getting an Ar, a mini 30 is OK, but you can do better.