mini 14 vs. ar-15

aylor70

aylor70

New member
The choice I have is a DPMS, 16" barrel, fixed carry handle or a mini 14. Which of these woudl you prefer for predator hunting. This would turn into more of a truck gun than anything, as I know both of these wouldn't be great for long distance shooting. Which would would you prefer for reliabitlity, expense, accuracy, etc...
 
I have owned 6 mini's, i don't own any now. With a mini you will Always have flyers no matter what you do. The ar will work well to 300yds or more if the placement/bullet is right. blue
 
I'm one of the "Old School" that prefers the feel and operation of the Mini-14 and feel that it is possibly more reliable due to the lack of critical parts and specs for operation...Expense will probably be a little less on the Mini, as far as initial purchase price...

However, I prefer the AR for accuracy....and adaptability and the M4 configuration is much easier to handle in tight quarters...I have three for different purposes..

I've had some ARs that were not accurate, regardless of what ammo I've fed them and I've had a couple of Minis that I could not get to shoot accurately without spending a bunch (what a new AR would cost) on them for accuracy modifications...
 
Get the AR, then trade off the carry-handle upper for a flat top with a good free-floated barrel. There won't be any reason you can't kill coyotes out to 300 yards with that easily.

And yeah, I own a couple of older Minis. Turning them into something as accurate as a decent AR requires an application of money and time that doesn't really make sense.

If you had that kind of money, you could just buy an accurate AR to begin with, anyway.
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Quote:Which would would you prefer for reliabitlity, expense, accuracy

The AR for anything other than reliability, and if you keep the AR clean and lubed, it will be very close to the Mini there, too.

If you're talking the new Target model Mini with the heavy barrel and .223 Remington chamber, it's a tougher decision. They are turning in some very decent groups, but they're also heavy (9 1/2 pounds).
 
Originally Posted By: yotehunter57 Ruger says they are working on accuracy in the minis. If they do they could be OK. Traded my mini for a squirrel dog.

For a gun thats been around for 30 plus years thats a joke. I figure Bill Ruger still owes me for the POS Mini 14 I bought.
I sold mine for a loss ...it took a while to find someone stupid enough to buy. I bet the guy who sold it to me probably felt the same way.
 
I went with the Mini 14. Make sure it is a 580 series and you will do fine. It will shoot 1 1/2 to 2 inch groups at 100 yards if the barrel is relatively cool. Once it heats way up p.o.i climbs as in nearly all guns, and the groups open up. I purchased this to use for walking ditches and shooting coyotes on the run. I am confident to 200 yards with this gun. I topped it with a non-magnifying tactical red-dot scope. Target acquisition is very fast and the ability to shoot with both eyes open is great for moving targets. The mini is very reliable, and solid. I do not typically take this gun when calling, I take a bolt gun then. There are pros and cons to both the Mini and AR. ARs are typically way over priced, especially these days. You can pick up a new Mini now for between $475 and $600 depending on which model you opt for.
 
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The mini I had would shoot and feed anything you put in it. It was however "barn accurate" not "darn accurate". Meaning you could hit the side of a barn with it....if you stood inside said barn.
Nothing like picking up a $475 rifle that you couldn't sell off for half that in a week. Or better a $475 rifle that you need to put another $500 in to get it on paper at coyote distance. May as well buy an overpriced AR and be done with it.
 
FWIW you can get an aero stripped flat-top for $60, good reviews from what I've read. You can also get an upper w/parts for $85, but I'd have to find the link.

And I'm not sure if you can still get in on it, but SI defense was selling uppers for $50. I've heard good things but have no experience, other than mine shipped out today
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I've got a NEF in .223 and decided to use my AR just for follow up shots. I know I'll go back and do some single shot once I get a few under my belt.

I was planning on a bolt .223 for dogs, but for $50 being able to put optics on my AR I don't actualy plan on it anymore. My Ar is the most reliable semi-rifle I've ever shot. Been beat to [beeep] and back. If it doesn't fire a round and load the next, there was something wrong with the ammo.
 
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I have both. Killed coyotes with both. I like the handling better of the mini. My Dad will not touch an AR because of Veitnam. The mini never let him down there and the had a ton of trouble with the AR platform.
 
Thirty years ago you could not have gave me two AR-15 rifles for a Mini-14. I believed all the hype about them being Mattel toys and all and all worthless junk. I don't know why I did as I never owned one or even shot one, but all the big name gun writers hated them back then so I did too.

Now, different story. Oh, I have lots of Rugers. Love them all. 22 caliber all the way to .458 Magnum but no Mini-14. A few years ago I saw how an accurized AR-15 would work on 500+ yard praire dogs and it worked well. Next year I had my own. So much so that if I had to take only one rifle with me on a pasture poodle shoot it would be my AR. Mini 14 rifles will work for dog shooting if you spend A Lot of money on them. And then limit your shots to 250 yards or so and even then be prepared to lose a few.

So, the question is, why bother with a Mini? Sure they are pretty durable, and I even like the way they look, but my AR is dead nuts reliable, and shoots 5 into a dime a 100 yards. What more do you need?
 
One thing to think about is.. How many posts do you see here on PM with people asking about Feed problems, ejection problems and things of this nature with a Mini 14 ? I havent seen any. Now look at AR questions, and what do you see? The Mini is what it is. reliable, accurate to about 2" on a good day. I got one, It doesent get used much.. But I know it will always fire. Good Luck.
 
If you're looking for a truck gun, you won't find a better gun than a AR with a 16" barrel and collapsible stock. Put a red dot on it and handling and target acquisition is super fast and easy.

And as far as the reliability issue goes, once you get familiar with how it functions and keep it clean and lubed, you'll have no problems. I haven't had any ftf or fte problems with any of my AR's and accuracy is simply amazing. You will probably want to get the trigger worked though.
 


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