mini 14 FUN

[drdanno84]

mini 14 stainless

I bought this mini in 1991, always has been a great shooter, is my go to rifle for office and home defense!!

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Mini-14 didn't get the Ranch Rifle name until they came out with the scope mounts and side eject, before that it was just the Mini-14

[Air]

There are a few things you can't escape in life

Taxes
Death
ChuckDizzle in a Mini-14 thread

I gotta hand it to Chuck for showing up in every Mini-14 thread and writing lengthy posts.

LOL.

I have a Mini 14, good little rifle.

[ChuckDizzle]

There are a few things you can't escape in life

Taxes
Death
ChuckDizzle in a Mini-14 thread

I gotta hand it to Chuck for showing up in every Mini-14 thread and writing lengthy posts.

Just dispelling myths and legends

[Air]

It isn't accurate enough to be used on the game often found in or around a ranch.

Well, I'm sure there are plenty of Rancher that use them to dispatch predators getting into their Chicken Coup.

I'm curious, with you vast expertise in firearms, how accurate does a rifle need to be in your opinion?

[ChuckDizzle]

Well, I'm sure there are plenty of Rancher that use them to dispatch predators getting into their Chicken Coup.

I'm curious, with you vast expertise in firearms, how accurate does a rifle need to be in your opinion?

Depends on the target or game. But keep in mind the mechanical accuracy of any rifle is compounded by the inaccuracy of the shooter. It is never absorbed or cancelled out by it as a lot of people believe. Therefore, it behooves any shooter to have the most accurate rifle possible.

And I don't doubt some Mini 14s have been used on ranches, but the vast vast majority of them never have been and never will be.

[jyo]

Personally, my Minis seem to hit everything I aim at, within the limitations of no scopes and old eyes---and they are not ammo sensitive at all---I am very happy with them---the first rifle I grabbed during the "Rodney King Riots of 92" was a folding stock stainless Mini 14 GB model---still have it and shoot it often...

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Mini-14 is kind of a cross between M14 and M1 Carbine. The receiver is a mini M14 and the gas system operates like M1 Carbine but isn't the same.

[russ69]

...I would like to see a good shooter shoot a new mini against a basic production AR and see how they compare...

Maybe I can give you a little hint of information. I'm one of the few guys that shoot a Mini with handloads and good bullets. I'll just ramble off a few opinions as I see it:

-The older Minis (with open sights) could hold the black at 100 yards with the right ammo. Some are better than that.

-The Mini has a short sight radius and that hurts sighting and accuracy.

-The new Mini is a much better rifle and it shoots as well as most M4 type AR15s. I'm calling it a tie.

-The very best AR15s can shoot better than the Mini due to a longer sight radius, better sights and a floating heavier barrel.

...I'm curious, with you vast expertise in firearms, how accurate does a rifle need to be in your opinion?

It was asked how accurate does a rifle HAVE to be? For me that is accurate enough to be interesting. I demand a lot. I want the rifle to shoot where the sights are aiming. Given the shortcomings of the Mini's sights, it shoots as good as one can expect and is probably better than most shooters.
I know I have presented this without any supporting data but the fact is, I don't have any data worth sharing for the Mini. I shoot that gun for fun and given the sighting issues I never worked on getting bragging size groups nor have I ever mounted a scope on a Mini.


.

[ChuckDizzle]

Russ, while I may agree with you on the accuracy of what we would consider rack grade service rifles or "average AR 15" in comparison to the Mini, I'd like to point out that my biggest issue with the accuracy of the Mini 14 wasn't necessarily the absolute group size of any 5 shot group, but the fact the zero wandered often from day to day. In addition a big thing that killed it for me was the first round flier problem. I could never get it to consistently seat rounds from manual to auto cycling. And considering my first shot was usually the most important since I was shooting at rabbits and ground squirrels.

Again this isn't much of an issue plinking, but every time I've been on a ranch shooting varmints I've needed the first shot to count, and needed to trust that my zero from the range trip last weekend was still true.

[Mitch]

Like I said, the intended purpose was to shoot the snot out of trash at 15-25 yards aka "plinking." Which I will agree it is exceptionally fun at, more fun and an AR 15.

Who the hell shoots a rifle at 15-25 yards?

[ChuckDizzle]

Who the hell shoots a rifle at 15-25 yards?

Mini 14 owners.

[Mitch]

Mini 14 owners.

Proof you don't know what you are talking about. That's all we needed.

[Air]

It was asked how accurate does a rifle HAVE to be? For me that is accurate enough to be interesting. I demand a lot. I want the rifle to shoot where the sights are aiming. Given the shortcomings of the Mini's sights, it shoots as good as one can expect and is probably better than most shooters.
I know I have presented this without any supporting data but the fact is, I don't have any data worth sharing for the Mini. I shoot that gun for fun and given the sighting issues I never worked on getting bragging size groups nor have I ever mounted a scope on a Mini.


.

I have a 580 Series Mini with the Pencil Barrel (early 580 I guess)...I can hit a 4 inch gong at 100 yards every time with it. Good enough for me. If I want to put them through the same hole, I've got bolt rifles for that.

I'm actually prepping some brass right now for mine for kicks and giggles. I'm even going as far as Primer Pocket and Flash Hole Uniforming and Neck Turning. I've got a variety of pills from 52 grain Sierras to 68 and 69 grain Hornady and Sierra Match Kings, I've never honestly papered the rifle, I just plink with it. We will see what happens. I'm not going to go overboard with any sort of major load development, but for fun why the hell not.

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Proof you don't know what you are talking about. That's all we needed.

So far there are 7 post that are proof.