MINI-14 OR AR-15???

B

BOOMADDICT

New member
OK fellas, hears the deal. I decided today that I wanted a semi-auto for predater hunting. Went to the shop with the intention of bying an AR-15. when I got there I noticed a real nice mini-14. I looked at the prices of both, and decided to save a couple hundred dollars and go with the mini. It real sharp. Its the all weather version in stainless steel, and has a 30rd clip. I really like this gun, but have not shot it yet do to the fact I had to go to work shortly after bying it. Anyhow, I have spent all night thinking about the darn AR. Should I have gone with the AR-15? If anyone who has used these guns could tell me their opinions on the subject. Tell me. Which would you guys choose, and why? Thans alot, and take care. BOOMADDICT
 
Some Pros of the AR: Accurate out of the box, accessories readily availble, cheap >10 round magazines.

A couple Cons would be the cost and legality is some locations (Kalifornia)

For the Mini, a some Pros are: A smaller profile w/o the magwell, legal in places that ARs aint (Kalifornia), lower purchase price.

A couple cons: Expensive > 10 round magazines, typically less accurate out of the box and can be costly to accurize.

If the mini you got turns out to be a good shooter, then you may be best to hang on to it and save the money over the AR. If it isn't much of a shooter it would probably be cheaper to get an AR that it would be to get the mini to shoot like an average AR.
 
Yea Glenn was real pollitically correct in his statement. :rolleyes:

Getting an accurate mini-14 is the exception to the rule.

Personally I'd never sacrafice a few dollars or even a couple hundred for accuracy in a rifle.

But if you bought an accurate mini, don't get rid of it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
BOOM', Welcome to the board! Might I politely suggest you check out the search feature on this particular topic. This dead horse has been flogged a few times on this board, not that you'd know that, being new to the board. Not trying to be smart, just an FYI. The search feature is a truly awesome feature on this site. Lots of good info to be had.
 
I've heard stories about the fabled "accurate Mini" but I've never seen one. I think its more or less the Holy Grail among those with kind feelings for Ruger rifles. I dont mean to be an A-hole, but I not gonna whitewash it either, you asked a question and you deserve a straight answer. In My Humble Opinion, you messed up. With a decent AR you'll get sub-MOA groups just by sticking a scope on the rifle. With a Mini, you'll be lucky if you can cover a 100 yard 3 shot group with a large dinner plate. Use the search function and read the past threads on this very subject. I read somewhere that a person would have a hard time committing suicide with a mini and I think that pretty well sums it up.
 
I’ve owned both. I currently own an AR.

When I had the Mini 14 I had it scoped and it would always shoot the first round to point of aim after that everything went to crap. Following rounds would be here there and everywhere, more of a pattern than a group. With that in mind I traded it for a bolt gun with the thought that if I wasn't going to be able to do accurate follow up shots the Mini 14 wasn't going to be very useful to me.

When I finally purchased another semi auto last year it was an AR15. The question I asked myself after my first trip out shooting was, "why didn't I do this sooner"; Accurate, light, easy to handle the AR is just a nice rifle to shoot.

Take your Mini 14 out and see how it shoots a group because that's the only way you'll be able to tell what you've got. If it throws a pattern rather than a group, well, then you have a decision to make.

Good luck
 
I had two Mini 14 rifles and they both were really bad. They were the older model, serial number 181 series, or 180?? Don't know if that would matter, though I would have guessed that their quality was better in the older rifles. And if it wasn't bad enough to own those two pieces of s---, I went out and bought a brand new Mini 30. No better accuracy. Like someone said above, groups looked like I was patterning a shotgun.

I hope you got a good one, but I doubt there is such a thing as an accurate Mini 14.

Brent
 
I own a mini-14 and have spent close to $400 trying to get to shoot straight(adjustable brake, trigger and pillar bedding). My shotgun with buckshot shoots better groups!!(not really,but close)Go with the AR. if your going to go semi-auto. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
DJ
 
I say stick with the mini If you put less than 1/2 the money you saved in that mini itll shoot just as good as an AR and is a lot more reliable Im not gonna argue with anybody But mine shoot under an inch and I know a couple other guys that will tell you the same,And Im no Ruger Fan. From what I see around ,most of these weekend windbags cant come close to there rifles accuracy any way. This will pick up the pace on this thread.
 
I could not even guess how many Mini-14's I have fired since they were introduced in 1976 or the thousands of rounds fired in them. Willy, if you guys have some that will shoot under an 1 1/2, you are truly blessed! Glad to see there really are some that shoot.

Boom,
AR and would never look back!
 
My advice is to run fast back to the gunshop and trade that puppy in. Just trying to sight most mini's in is an exercise in frustration and disappointment. Save yourself the headache. The chances of getting a good shooting mini are right up there with winning the lottery. 1 1/2" groups are great for a mini but still not the kind of accuracy I find acceptable in a varmint/predator rifle. Not trying to start anything but after owning several and being very disappointed, that's just my opinion.

Good hunting.
 
I tried a Mini 14 Ranch Rifle early in the '90s. It shot like, well, a shotgun. I had a trigger job done and changed ammo, scopes, no scope, shooters, stocks and even put on the much vaunted pin-on muzzle brake. It still shot like crap, so it lasted one month before I dumped it. I got an AR-15 and it flat out shoots. Save yourself the aggravation and get rid of it. The last two Minis that I shot, which was last spring, were the same poor shooting excuses for rifles. YMMV MI VHNTR
 
Oh Willy, alot of us are not weekend windbags believe it or not. Some of us actually know how to shoot too!!!!!!!! And we know what were talking about!!!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I've been carrying a Mini-14 and shooting one for 18 years with my current employer. The rifle is just not that great, and is so unpredictable in it's shooting patterns it's not worth the effort.

TexasRiflman has a point but only if you could shoot several mini's and find one that has potential and then maybe do the modifications.

Besides the mini-14, I owned a Ruger 77 in 22 Hornet. I spent loads of money trying to get that to shoot under an 1". No luck there either. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

So would I buy a Ruger rifle over the counter. Not a chance. If someone had one for sale and I could shoot it at the range first, I might buy it then.

By all means there are exceptions to all this, but I'd have to see it to believe it first. If your one of those that has a tackdriver, by God don't sell it........... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
If money was not the issue I would have purchased the AR, but the Mini will kill coyotes just as dead as any AR, if you can hit'em. Gee I wonder why that is?? :rolleyes:

The Mini will give you a big smile when blasting away with that 30 round mag and seldom do they suffer a hickup with good mags and proper ammo. But if you want a versatile gun that can handle a vast number of caliber changes then the AR is the only way to go in a semi auto. It's kind of like a T.C. with a magazine. I still have a mini 14 in the safe but it never gets used. I still like the lightweight and compactness of the Mini but the accuracy sucks for anything beyond 100 yards. If you like the Mini and it feels good to you then you made the right decision, I say shoot it and enjoy it. There will be a ton of AR's out there for you to make a decision on later, just don't wait for ever to make that decision the way the gun laws are changing.

What it is though, is a reliable weapon that will continue to function, even after taking a beating in dirt and filth that would make an AR choke up.
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That's a strong statement! Maybe the military overlooked the Mini 14. :rolleyes:
 
Texas rifles,That fellow that says hes no weekend guy,is one narrow minded$%%$% I Wont even reply to a guy who is that negative.Kinda like cars and any thing else Im sure what he has is the best.I hunt with guys here that get out and fumble around with AR 15s That shoot
 


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