Ruger Mini-14 Questions

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'75Scout

New member
Has anyone sent you Mini-14 to Accuracy Systems Inc? I have an opporunity to buy a Ruger Mini-14 for $300 and it is in great shape. I have wanted a good rifle and this looks like a good deal. Plus I can borrow it for a while to see how I like it.

But I want to send it to ASI to turn it into a gun that can be used as a short to mid range varmit hunter and a SHTF rifle and also take turns with my Rem 870 as my HD long gun. I just wanted to know if ASIs work it top notch like it seems and accuracy is really improved that much.
 
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BUSTER51

Moderator
what with the cost of the mods you may consider an AR15 . the mods needed to the mini are pricey and IMHO not worth it .you shoud buy it at that price give a good cleaning and experiment with diff typs of ammo to see what preforms best .:D
 
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hodaka

New member
I agree with Buster. Good price on the mini, but if you want to use it as a varmit rifle, you'd better look for a BIG varmit. I like mine, but for the money to rebarrel the mini you would be close to an AR, a much more accurate rifle. For 100 yd pie plates the mini is fine, at least mine is minute of pie plate or so.
 
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'75Scout

New member
Forgot to mention that I don't like AR-15s. I have shot a few and I know that many people believe them to be perfection, but they don't stike my fancy at all. Also I only plan to buy a few rifles. Those include the Mini-14, M1A, M1 Garand and M1 Carbine. For a long while the Mini-14 will be my only rifle and I want it to serve several purposes. I don't hunt much but where I'm moving I'll be able to develop my interest in varmit hunting and hog hunting. That won't be the minis only duty. Tactical carbine courses, SHTF, HD and general plinking are all the other uses. So I feel investing money in the mini is worth it if it meets all my needs vs buying seperate dedicated guns for several roles.
 
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blume357

New member
I've used ASI and yes their work is top knotch....

they guy there can tune the trigger better than you can ever want. As for improving the accuracy of the mini-14.... well to be honest I think in the long run if you want a 'tack' driver then you will have to change out the barrel...

I've got a $1000+ mini that has been tuned by ASI and I like it but it is not a tack driver and never will be. It was in some ways an experiment and in others a loss, but in the end I'm happy. I'm not really sure bedding the stock is that much of an improvement and the way they do it makes breaking the gun down an extra pain... they actually pin the reciever to the stock in three places.

What I had them do was was cut the barrel down to 16.25" with muzzel break... this did not so much improve the accuracy as it stopped the walking shots when the barrel heats up... I can shoot 3" groups at 50 yards all day with mine now using iron sights.... I don't usually do 100 yards... too far to walk for the target.

they also tuned the trigger to about 2.5lbs... she is sweet.



I'm not impressed with Millet sights either ... something is wrong with them... you have to raize the front sight up to make them work.


here's a picture of her:

1KMini14.jpg


if you have any more questions about ASI, ask or send me a private email.
 
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jlmurphy

New member
I have a heavy barreled Mini similar to what ASI offers, it easily shoots sub MOA with no POI shift, very reliable, eats anything. It was a lot of work, but I live in Ca., so the AR was not an option. I usually use a 4x14 scope, but recently mounted an Aimpoint 2 MOA red dot, WOW! so easy to use! now I can switch back and forth, I just can't decide what to leave on!
 
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JR47

Moderator
The accurized Mini-14 will end up costing about the same as a high quality AR. It will be allowed into many political areas that ban the AR. The accurized Mini-14 will also tend to be more reliable in poor conditions.
 
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skinnygun

New member
I just got the Target Mini-14 a lot cheaper then ASI and for accuracy you can fine tune it to different weight ammo .
No iron sights around 9lbs but with a BC folding stock and a good sling easy to carry.
 
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newerguy

New member
A word on hog hunting. Depending on where you are, wild hogs grow to different sizes. (Not even talking about those mini-hogs out west [javelina]). I've heard people talking about hunting hogs with knives and .22's, and whatever, but I don't consider a .223 enough for wild pigs. I once put a .44 magnum carbine round into a one. It was running and I took an angled shot at its broad side. The bullet went through the rear part of its sholder, and through both lungs. It had I run to catch up with this thing, and found it standing by a tree.

I've had much better luck with .12 ga. slugs (and, of course, a .30-06).
 
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WhyteP38

New member
For the Mini-14, you may want to buy an Accu-Strut (www.accu-strut.com) instead of spending $$$ on ASI. You can check out posts about the Accu-Strut on the Perfect Union BBS (http://perfectunion.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86). I installed a homemade version on my Mini-30, and it improved the accuracy enough that I can consistently hit target clays at 100 yards using iron sights and Wolf ammo (122 grain HP, polymer-coated). One shot, one clay. I suspect a real Accu-Strut would work even better, but my homemade version does a good enough job for me.
 
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Pecos21

New member
you might try shooting the mini first. They are typically plenty accurate for mid-range hunting and combat situations. They are not bulls eye guns, but if you were looking for a bulls eye gun, you wouldnt buy a semi-auto carbine anyway.

My friend's mini shoots about 4" groups at 100 yards. When the barrel gets really hot, it becomes more like 6" groups. I dont think he has ever shot over 60 yards with it while hunting and because it is for hunting, barel heat isnt a concern.

It blows my mind how you cant even ask a question about a mini-14 without somone saying that an AR is better. They are two totaly different guns intended for totaly different things. It is like AR owners are scared someone might find out how good the mini-14 really is.
 
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Art Eatman

Staff in Memoriam
If the purpose is hunting, anything beyond three shots for group-size is a waste of time and ammo. What's more important is that the first shot from a cold barrel go to the same point of impact today as it did yesterday.

You don't shoot groups on jackrabbits or coyotes. If you miss the first shot on a coyote, you have 99.99% odds that the next umpteen shots, you're just playing.

Only once have I had a chance to test sustained fire on varmints with a Mini. Jackrabbit population explosion in northern Nevada and SW Idaho, back around 1981. A buddy of mine and I stayed right by where we'd parked the truck and shot over a hundred in not much over an hour. Ranges to 200 yards. Few misses by either of us; none that I'd blame on the rifle.

On my four Minis, I always used the scope mount that replaces the rear sight and has the tension screw up front. I always used a Weaver K4. I always got three shot groups no worse, ever, than two MOA; often, 1.5 MOA.

Coyotes didn't like me. Jackrabbits weren't pleased, either. :D

I'm not into spray and pray, so the factory ten-round magazines are the most useful. I can carry at the balance point, and ten rounds is plenty...

Art
 
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Trapp

New member
Tell you what, Just send that Mini my way and you won't have to make any decisions. $300 is a great price for a good gun.
 
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lee n. field

New member
I have an opporunity to buy a Ruger Mini-14 for $300 and it is in great shape.
Click to expand...

That is a good price for a Mini. Be mindful that good magazines are harder to find than for some other rifles.

Mine just got traded on an AK.

I'm not impressed with Millet sights either ... something is wrong with them... you have to raize the front sight up to make them work.
Click to expand...

You need the Millet from sight to raise it up high enough. It fits over the existing sight and adds enough height (and a very thin blade) to work right.

My problem with the Millet peep sight was that the fixing screw would loosen up, meaning the nice precision peep would wobble back and forth.
 
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Art Eatman

Staff in Memoriam
"My problem with the Millet peep sight was that the fixing screw would loosen up..."

Which is why God invented LocTite.

Art
 
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skinnygun

New member
Target Mini-14

My new Target Mini-14 in wood stock I changed out the laminated stock as the check rest is set for a scope only.Scope on see-thru mount.
IMG_0007-1.jpg
 
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Bigfatts

New member
One of the first things you can do if you aren't going to scope it is to get a narrower front sight. It is a very wide factory sight and covers several MOA at 100 yds. That and the barrel strut will vastly improve accuracy. You can make your own strut for much less than buying one if you're handy. 2 clamp on bbl flashlight mounts and a length of aluminum bar stock, try to get the aluminum flashlight mounts. In addition to providing stiffness to the bbl the struts also dissipate heat, and aluminum works much better for that. The recoil buffers are another cheap and easy improvement.

Overall you will be happy with the Mini, as long as you don't try to make it something it isn't. I love mine, for what it is.
 
7

'75Scout

New member
I put 80 rounds through it today. It was a blast and I can now honestly say I like Mini-14s way more than any AR I have ever shot. And I've logged some range time with some quality ARs from Rock River.

Accuracy was good. It needed to be sighted in but we only had about 25 yards to play with and no rest so I didn't bother. Unsighted irons and about 25 yards gave me about 1.5 to 2" groups with the cheapest ammo I could buy. But its definatly coming home to stay with my and I think a Sage SCAR-CQB stock is in the near future with some form of red dot on top. Also at the very least I'm going to have ASI do some trigger work as this would benifit the Mini quite a bit.

I'll buy a couple of Ruger 20 rounders and maybe some John Mason 30 rounders. I've heard good things about the JM mags.
 
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