Mini-14 Target Rifle (Hogue'd @ Factory). Opinions?

[gunrun45]

You will soon be reading an article in a gun magazine about this model (although there have been a few already that were favorable).

I know one gun writter personally who tested one and was impressed. He tested one when the initial prices were still over $1000 (now you can find them for around $800 if you look) and thought the price was a bit high considering it was a Ruger. Evidently he didn't really mess with the adjustable harmonic barrel thing but tried different brands/ weights of loads. He was impressed. Personally I bought a Clark barrel stabaliser when they still made them and used it on my 195 series "beater" mini (I'll tell you now that I own several mini's). The Clark device was based on teh same principle but was not adjustable. The Clark device made my mini groups shrink to MOA or better at 100 yards with 55 grain TAP loads. It made the rifle VERY barrel heavy though so I eventually took it off.

Barrel harmonics is everything with a mini along with a few other small tricks that you can do in an afternoon.

Check out perfectunion.com for more mini rifle tips and tricks.

Different strokes for different folks.

[C.G.]

You will soon be reading an article in a gun magazine about this model (although there have been a few already that were favorable).

LOL, how many gun articles (about any gun) have you read that are unfavorable?

[metalhead357]

LOL, how many gun articles (about any gun) have you read that are unfavorable?

there IS some truth to that...even unfavorable guns are given an UNFAIR play at press time in that the sponsors do NOT want bad things printed...and it IS SPONSORSHIP (read advertising) that drives gun rags...NOT subscriptions.

[ar15barrels]

I'll admit that I have owned a Mini14 for a long time.
It's OLD, like 180 series if you even know what that means.
It functions ok.
Mag changes suck.
Accuracy sucks.
I let people shoot it when they just want to blast stuff like fruit at relatively (for a rifle cartridge) short range.
It works fine for that type of work.

We have seen new people coming into 3gun competetion for YEARS try to use Mini14's.
The recent availability of AR-15 lowers has made the occurrances of Mini14's in 3gun drastically lower.
All those poor Mini14 owning 3gun shooters went and built AR's and they are happier for it.

If it was the end of the world and I had to choose between a Mini14 and a handgun (or maybe rocks), I would take the Mini14.
If a shotgun with slugs was an option, I would go with that instead.