Mini-14 / AR-15 range report

Curt Barrett

New member

Well, I finally had the time and good weather to test the new mini 14 I got at the beginning of winter. I had bore sighted it and shot the gong in the pasture previously but that's about it. I rung the gong a bit with the iron sights too. It has a "craptacular" Simmons master series scope on it. The fit and finish of this rifle was good. It felt like a handy carbine. Light and pleasant to carry. Trigger broke at 6 lbs and is rough as a cob. A definite handicap.

I bought some 1 inch grid sight-in targets. Today the wind was about as calm as it gets here. An occasional mild breeze but mostly calm to dead calm and about 70 degrees.

I also bought a used Bushmaster 16" M4 looking AR last week. After a good cleaning and replacement of the dead Trijicon front sight, I thought today would be a good day to sight it in too. The trigger on this rifle was heavier than the mini and broke at 7 1/2 lbs. It was surprisingly smooth for an stock AR and actually felt lighter than the mini because of this.

Before I start I want to say I have no ax to grind with the mini -14 or it's fans. I truly wanted this thing to be a shooter and really want to come back with a positive report. I'm not expecting AR-accuracy and would be totally happy with2 1/2" to 3' groups. I have had at least 5 minis in the past. I really like the rifles but the accuracy was never there. I had heard rumors of improvements being made so I thought I'd try another.

After cleaning the mini I took it and the AR to my "shooting range" in the sheep pasture. This high tech shooting range consists of dump truck load of gravel dumped a little over 100 yards from the feedlot gate. lol! I took a couple shots at the gong first to clear out any remaining cleaning fluid. Both hit the gong. Hopes were high.

Mini14AR-15rangetest003.jpg


Mini14AR-15rangetest021.jpg


Then I started shooting at the paper. I was using some surplus 55 gr FMJ to start. I sighted in on the lower right target and shot five times. I couldn't see the hits while shooting and I just shot all 5 and walked down to look. The results were rather disappointing to say the least. They strung across the target to the upper right corner making a 7" group. I made a circle with the pen to indicate where I was aiming. I hoped the the poor trigger and low quality ammo were the cause of this less than stellar performance. Here is a pic of the first group.

Mini14AR-15rangetest036.jpg


Next I tried some Black Hills 52 gr match HPs. All my .223s like this stuff. This time I made an effort to sight it in a bit. First shot was high but centered. Second shot was about right for elevation but a couple inches right. I made an X across these two shots. I adjusted the scope and shot 6 shots for group. Disregard what the target says for a measurement. After looking at it again I see it was 6 1/2" not 7 1/2". Good news is, that still makes this the least accurate mini I've owned....and that is saying something. LOL! Here is a pic of the second group. I was aiming at the very center of the target. Two of the lowest right shots drifted into the first group. Sorry for the sloppy graphics.
Mini14AR-15rangetest045.jpg


Here is a pic with everything outlined with a black marker. Dotted line indicates the first group. Two of the three lowest shots are part of the second group though. The shots with a 1 and 2 next to them with an X are sighting shots. Hope it's not too confusing.

Mini14AR-15rangetest090.jpg


Next I tried the AR. I don't know the history of this gun. Saw an ad in the classifieds and bought it. It was very dirty. Had to scrape quite a bit of carbon off the bolt and carrier. I doubt the bolt had ever been stripped. Gas ring slots were all lined up. Looked good once it was cleaned up.

Mini14AR-15rangetest048.jpg


Mini14AR-15rangetest068.jpg


The iron sights were laser bore sighted in the living room. I used the surplus 55 gr FMJ again. Norinco I believe. For a target I used plain white butcher paper with an oversized orange targ-dot in the middle. Again, no optics on this rifle. I don't wear glasses but would probably benefit from a pair. Things were a bit fuzzy looking through that peep sight with these old eyes. I slightly raised and lowered the muzzle so I could see the orange dot appear and disappear to better see where it was.

First shot was high. Adjusted a bit and the second shot was still a little high. Adjusted again a little too much and was a little low. Adjusted up a little and just shot for group. I shot 5 shots. Group measured 3". Here is a pic.

Mini14AR-15rangetest079.jpg


Anyway, not sure what to think of the mini. I guess I try a different scope to rule out that. If that isn't the problem I think I'll send it to Ruger first. I really don't see how they can hold their head up selling a product like that. I hope it is the scope. Much easier to deal with.

Good hunting, Curt
 
I was hoping for something better also Curt...Rifle looks good though.

I have 20 years with these rifles/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif. Trigger first, then ammo, then scope.

I'd be screaming at Ruger if they can't make that thing shoot under 2" at 100... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

What are these new rifles going for???????

Good luck, keep us posted. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I have to agree CW. I don't think it is the the scope either. I couldn't get that lucky.

Ken, I paid $650 for the mini. Plus another $100+ for the scope. Only paid $600 for the AR. lol!

Take care
 
I too had heard that the new Mini's were supposed to be better shooters. Sorry you didnt get better results. My Mini is about 5 years old, I have a Bushnell 3200 Elite on it, and first shot is usually always where you point it. After that I get the same results as you. Its hard to hit a 10" paper plate at 100 yds... lol I hope Ruger will make it right for you. Good luck, and good report.
 
That mini-group, looks like an aerial graph. Of a coyote's territory /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif. I had/used one for 1-season. I see not much has changed.
 
Im really suprised that the mini's are still selling when their accuracy is worse than just about anything you can buy. For $600.00 you can save a bit longer and get an AR. Ive never seen an AR that didnt have decent accuracy, at least better than that mini.
 
Hey guys, looks like I screwed up. After looking at that target again I see I messed up on measuring that second group. My caliper didn't open big enough to measure it and I miscounted the 1" lines. I just opened the caliper all the way and laid it on the target to show it wouldn't open far enough to measure the groups. It looks like the second group was somewhere around 6 1/2". Sorry about that. My bad.
 
The Mini 14 that I used to have would have been lucky to print a 6 1/2" group. I think that you may have purchased a match grade Mini. It's a keeper. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif MI VHNTR
 
Quote:
Hey guys, looks like I screwed up. After looking at that target again I see I messed up on measuring that second group. My caliper didn't open big enough to measure it and I miscounted the 1" lines. I just opened the caliper all the way and laid it on the target to show it wouldn't open far enough to measure the groups. It looks like the second group was somewhere around 6 1/2". Sorry about that. My bad.



/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif LMAO Granted I have only shot 2 mini's ever they both really were terrible. But looks like you have a keeper there with some 6.5 inch groups.

Best advice I can give you Curt is to buy up 60 more of them cause when the ban comes on from billary or Obama the price might go up on the mini's. They are going to be a very hot comodity. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif That is the most expensive beating club I have ever seen, the way I see it it is more likely to kill something that way.

HOPEFULLY Ruger will make it right. Hidalgo is a good friend and he loves Ruger bolt rifles but I have to say this is the major reason I do no own one I am a little afraid of what I will get.
 
I bought my first mini ranch back in '93 (?) because my state was passing a law that said you couldn't have a mini with a Ruger folding stock - so I bought one and bought the Ruger folding stock, a week before the law took effect.

I couldn't sight it in - at 100 yds, with all the adjustments available, I was still off by 2 feet down and right /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Not a good thing.

So I took it back to the dealer, but he didn't carry them any more, so I got a refund, and kept the folding stock.

About three years ago, a neighbor wanted to sell his Mini Ranch stainless for $350. It looked like he never fired it.

So I said three Hail Marys, and bought it.

It was one of the last with the 7" twist, which didn't thrill me, cuz I had no expectation of shooting 75 and 80 grain bullets, but...

When I took it to the range, with a 1x red dot sight - the largest group I shot with 55 gr Lake City was 2.5".

Most were around 2" to 2-1/4".

So I kept it.


.
 
My mini was a stringer. All that I've seen have been stringers. Walking away from the poa at every subsequent shot. They're reliable, and fun to shoot, but they're best suited for big objective red dot sights and fast (loud home defense) action inside 30 yards. Very typical, unfortunately.

Thanks Curt, well done post.
 
I had one for about a week. I brought it home from the gun shop on a saturday morning. I went out to my buddies house to shoot it that afternoon. I set a wood block 8"x12" at 55 yards out into the corn field. All I had for ammo was some crappie wolf surplus stuff. Anyway I shot at that target with open sites 40 times and never hit it once. I simply couldnt beleive it! I sold that gun to my buddy. He saw how bad it shot but didnt care. He was more than sure he could get it to shoot. He sold it 2 weeks later. It is a shame that these rifles dont shoot any better than they do. I really like the way a mini feels in my hands. I would love to have another if i new it would shoot at least a 2" group. Thants my experience with a mini. Lee
 
I have just purchased a Mini 14 target barrel. With Rem. 55 gr. FMJ, it shot about 1 1/4" groups. I then tried my reloads, narrowed it down to 23.5 Gr. of H335 with a 60 Gr. Vmax and it shot 3/4" groups @ 100 Yds. With other mini 14's, I have been able to shot about 1 1/4" group with reloads. I never had much luck with factory ammo because I believe the slugs are too light for the fast twist. I am not saying they are great shooting rifles. There are better out of the box automatic rifles out there, but they can shoot with some work.
 
You would think in 30 + years of production Ruger would have fixed this handy little rifle to the point that it would have respectable accuracy out of the box.

I had one of the early ones, we set it up with a scope and like someone else said you could hit with that first round but things went to crap in the ensuing rounds as it would string the shots. At least it was consistent, this was something it always did, I ended up trading it off and didn’t own another semi auto until I purchased an AR.

If you are looking for a more traditional looking semi auto rifle I’d buy the Saiga in 233 or even 308, they aren’t as accurate as an AR but out of the box they certainly will outshoot most Mini 14 rifles I’ve seen and they will probably be a little less money as you’ll have to do some work to the Ruger to get it too shoot as well.

Too bad the Mini isn’t better, I’d like to have one, they are a nice looking and handling little rifle.
 
that mini would be a good gun for the guy with the accurate sighted in rifle that always misses, that way a would be miss may be a hit... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
Curt,

You simply used the wrong type of target for your groups.

Here's the correct one to try.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

targetha5.jpg
 
dont want to start anything and this is ones mans opinion. i have had very bad luck with ruger period. i have owned a 10-22 and a m77 30-06. i have a blackhawk 357 mag currently. my dad has a ruger .44mag carbine and a super blackhawk. the super blackhawk and the blackhawk are good shooters the rest were junk. i would never buy another ruger product ever.
 
Thanks for a good and fair test Curt.
Its sorta funny, I love 10-22s, Ruger 77s are OK, Blackhawks are super(with a trigger job) Redlabels are great. the 101s and redhawks are great (with a trigger job)
How come they cant make the mini more accurate??

I dunno
Carl
 


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