[Navigator]

I think I only paid about $200 for mine so perhaps getting a heavy barrel fitted is an option. I just found out that as military retiree, I can use the military range at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It's apparently controlled but not on the main base and has a range out to 300 yards. A couple of local ranges have 100yd ranges, to include my club at Gig Harbor. I'll start there and see how I do and what kind of accuracy I get from a bench rest. Will be interesting.

Not to change the subject to another rifle but I am absolutely amazed at the accuracy of my SKS. I am just a casual shooter but the SKS performed above my expectations when we set up clay pigeons at 100 yards on an earthen bank up in the Olympic National Forrest. With a 4x scope and an aftermarket stock on my SKS I was hitting them at will. I wish I'd taken my Mini on that outing to compare.

 

[RJF22553]

Danoobie, all of my weapons have a primary or secondary duty of SD/HD/FD. While accurizing beyond that role is fun and challenging, my focus is on "combat accuracy" for that role: everything else is gravy. The FD part (farm defense) includes out to normally 200 yards: I'd like my Minis to work out that far (and would for a man-sized target) should that horrible need arise. For rabid 'yotes, I have a bolt gun that will work okay to humanely dispatch them out to 300 yards. That is the limit of a clear shot on my farm.

In short, each of us has particular interests, needs, and requirements. I don't hunt, for example, but love plinking. But I want the skills and means to protect my home and farm should that horrible event ever require it. My Minis and bolt gun do that for me and I am happy. I don't care about 2 versus 1 MOA; as long as I can take down a threat reliably should that need arise. I'm good!

"Minute of Man" and "combat accuracy" is most relevant, but as a minimum requirement. That is what I aim for, and I consider myself a very practical shooter (practical for where I live and my concerns/needs/interests.

Every single one of us has different needs/interests, so a blanket statement about the point to accurizing a Mini is only about accurizing for varmint hunting is a bit off, IMHO...

 

[hawkguy]

https://www.firearmstalk.com/threads/riverrat68s-mini-shooting-challenge.66313/page-3

lotsa mini shooters, no problems shooting right around 2moa @ 100 yards. plenty accurate for SD and most hunting endeavors. trolls, again...please just leave and let this go. I have made just a few posts here lately, the first in months, and the first I make ends up in a "buy an AR" mode. perhaps a reminder of why this forum is so stagnant. please....go....away.

you don't like the mini....great....leave the mini forum, sell your mini...and "well...bye." again I state....troll behavior, posters coming to bash with nothing to add or contribute. you have every right to dislike the mini....you have made whatever point you wanted....if you have nothing else...please go away.

this is stupid....please leave. quit pretending you have any interest here other than bothering people who have a legitimate interest in the firearm of this forum.

please...contribute...or...go away to a forum of a firearm you are willing to have a legitimate investment in.

 

[hawkguy]

Accuracy Systems offers an accuracy guarantee, too. Only drawback is, it doubles the cost
of your rifle.

deleted. useless post.

 

[hawkguy]

This topic reminds of the times I’ve been asked to remodel a building without the budget to go it right. Phrases like “polishing a turd” and “putting lipstick on a pig” come to mind.

trolling. simple and clear. but, its really not even in question at this point is it? just trying to piss people off who like the mini. jerk move.

take a look at accu-struts results on the newer minis. very reflective of what mini owners here are telling you. legitimate test results from the maker of the accu-strut on the newer minis. newer minis are near or at 2MOA shooters, better (1.5) with minimal work ($80 strut). they shoot as well or better than AKs, SKS, M-14, M1 carbines, lever actions, budget ARs, and military surplus rifles.

http://accu-strut.com/pages/tests_IIa.htm

go to another forum and polish a turd there. you add nothing here.

 

[Danoobie]

Hawkguy, no offense, but you've gone on for three massive posts, bashing me, with
ABSOLUTELY NO HELPFUL INFORMATION AT ALL about accurizing the Mini-14.
Now, Dallas53, who DOESN'T EVEN OWN a Mini has already done this, and he has no
suggestions about the platform, or constructive advice either. I need to apologize,
you guys seem to think the Mini-14 is superior to the AR, for whatever reason.
Should have never brought up that old carcass.

But I've been using the Accu-strut, followed the OP's directions, made gas block adjustments, and still have problems with the rifle. Now I asked specific questions
which were ignored, while everybody was busy getting their bashes in.

Now, I'm waiting for some specific technical questions to be answered. YOU and
Dallas53 are having a fine time beating the Troll Drum, while providing absolutely
no help at all. We get it, Hawkguy, you're butt-hurt. Now, butt out, and let somebody
who knows what they are talking about answer the questions.

 

[sheriffjohn]

BACK ON TOPIC ! MY MINI SHOOTS "STRINGS" ( WALKS ) AS THE BARREL HEATS UP.
What causes this ? It was one of the first ones out, purchased by a group of Deputies for our beloved old Sheriff. I'll not sell it, ever, as it has "memories". BUT ..I'd just like to know what causes this problem. Thanks for any help !

If I shoot a 20-round clip, the target starts to look like one of those old "Indian" targets Annie Oakley did to demonstrate her skill with a .22 !

 

[Danoobie]

The earlier designs had a thinner barrel. As it starts to heat up, accuracy suffers,
and POI starts going off POA. Amongst other things, there is a simple
retrofit called Accu-strut which can tighten up those groups.

 

[hawkguy]

deleted. useless post.

Hawkguy, no offense, but you've gone on for three massive posts, bashing me, with
ABSOLUTELY NO HELPFUL INFORMATION AT ALL about accurizing the Mini-14.
Now, Dallas53, who DOESN'T EVEN OWN a Mini has already done this, and he has no
suggestions about the platform, or constructive advice either. I need to apologize,
you guys seem to think the Mini-14 is superior to the AR, for whatever reason.
Should have never brought up that old carcass.

But I've been using the Accu-strut, followed the OP's directions, made gas block adjustments, and still have problems with the rifle. Now I asked specific questions
which were ignored, while everybody was busy getting their bashes in.

Now, I'm waiting for some specific technical questions to be answered. YOU and
Dallas53 are having a fine time beating the Troll Drum, while providing absolutely
no help at all. We get it, Hawkguy, you're butt-hurt. Now, butt out, and let somebody
who knows what they are talking about answer the questions.

 

[hawkguy]

Hawkguy, no offense, but you've gone on for three massive posts, bashing me, with
ABSOLUTELY NO HELPFUL INFORMATION AT ALL .

again, try your questions as a polite and thoughtful person,...and I have no problems doing my best (I admit I am no expert) to try and help you. FIRST...information on your part is helpful.

1) when you were unable to zero your rifle, and you shot shotgun patterns at 50 yards...did you try and contact ruger regarding your issues? what did they tell you?
2) due to the design, the mini is known for recoil that will shake loose both the open sights and scope rings. one time my groups were all over the place (as bad as yours) and I noticed one of my rings shook completely loose. I thought my optic was effed, I just overlooked something simple. were you using an optic or irons? have you tested both optics and irons for accuracy? were all locked down completely? Loctite is your friend.
3) what ammo did you test? tula, wolf, or premium match/hand loads? hate to be obvious, but even the factory ammo I have tested has as much as a 2" difference at 100 yards. the mini is ammo finicky, more so than some other rifles, most admit it. what brands? what bullet weights? are you trying to match bullet weight to twist and running various premium ammo to get the best results? if not, what hand loading data can you provide?
4) how many magazines did you test during your shooting? what type?
5) have you inspected the front sight for potential canting in the manufacturing? the inability to zero is more likely something to do with sights or optics the vast majority of the time.
6) your inability to zero the rifle has often been fixed by properly torqueing and evening the gas block. have you inspected the gas block? does it appear to be uneven or "wrong."
many feel that if it was put on sloppily at the factory, this will help improve several issues with zero and accuracy. my first mini's gas block was WACKED. just even it up and torque it properly.
7) when you added your strut, did you notice any improvement in groups at all?
8) what stock do you have? have you changed it at all? the factory stock is known to be a sloppy fit. as you know, a stock change can and will improve or worsen accuracy. mini shooters have gotten awesome results by bedding their factory stock (a common practice for accuracy improvement in many rifles). when I went to a wood stock, it locked up so tight, I passed on bedding the stock.

top 3 most effective accuracy mods among most mini owners: quality ammo or hand loads, bedded stock, strut (mostly for thin barrels), change of bushing (this is more for settling it down than accuracy imo), torque and even gas block.

feel free to respond. as I said, I am no expert or gun smith. if you have considered all the possibilities here that might be obvious to most relatively experienced shooters....then my personal diagnosis is YOUR MINI IS A LEMON. IT HAPPENS. no way it should shoot this bad out of the box, much less modified in any way. TALK TO RUGER.

every firearm company has made has its share of lemons. go to you tube and watch exploding AR's and malfunctioning guns of every type, including mini 14s.
sucks you got one.

I have personally sent 2 brand new firearms back to factory for malfunctions/defects (neither a mini), and was very happy to find they were DEFECTIVE and were easily repaired.

good luck. if you have nothing further to add other than the glories of other rifles compared to your defective mini, then please seek help elsewhere. my advice again, is a technician at RUGER will be happy to talk to you..

 

[hawkguy]

https://www.firearmstalk.com/threads/riverrat68s-mini-shooting-challenge.66313/page-3

and happy to post a thread of normal shooting minis again for your pleasure.

 

[Dallas53]

Hawkguy, no offense, but you've gone on for three massive posts, bashing me, with
ABSOLUTELY NO HELPFUL INFORMATION AT ALL about accurizing the Mini-14.
Now, Dallas53, who DOESN'T EVEN OWN a Mini has already done this, and he has no
suggestions about the platform, or constructive advice either. I need to apologize,
you guys seem to think the Mini-14 is superior to the AR, for whatever reason.
Should have never brought up that old carcass.

But I've been using the Accu-strut, followed the OP's directions, made gas block adjustments, and still have problems with the rifle. Now I asked specific questions
which were ignored, while everybody was busy getting their bashes in.

Now, I'm waiting for some specific technical questions to be answered. YOU and
Dallas53 are having a fine time beating the Troll Drum, while providing absolutely
no help at all. We get it, Hawkguy, you're butt-hurt. Now, butt out, and let somebody
who knows what they are talking about answer the questions.

wow, just wow. i hope you got all of that anger out of your system. might check your meds before you end up having a heart attack or stroke from all that stress you seem to be under!

and several times, i have tried to offer some advice. send it back to Ruger, or just sell it outright if you are so unhappy with it. i don't see how that could be any plainer. and others have suggested the same.

any rifle, and i mean ANY rifle that shoots a 6 MOA is defective. either send it back for repairs or sell it some chump that doesn't know any better. 6 MOA is not acceptable. nothing you do is going to be able to correct it. send it back to Ruger for repairs.

and i don't see Hawkguy being butt-hurt as you put it. and neither am i for that matter. and beings you want to call me out personally, well, i have tried to be civil and respectful towards you, and have tried to respond to you in polite manner. seems to be a failure on your part to respond in like manner. personally, i see you are doing more in trying to start an argument, and bring up the old Mini vs. AR debate that has no place in this thread, and also simply trying to derail the thread in general for your own personal amusement.

i can't stop you from posting your negative comments, or some of your hateful ones directed at myself or others, but if we keep reporting your hateful and argumentative posts, i'm sure the Mods can. personally, from here on out, i won't reply or even acknowledge your posts any further.

 

[hawkguy]

wow! a legitimate questions asked politely without a condescending tone! thanks, sheriff john. I am always happy to answer such questions to the best of my knowledge.

sounds like an older, a thin barreled pre-580 mini? those barrels were too weak to handle repeated fire, and are well-known to wonder once they heat up. although ANY semi-auto under repeated fire will likely string to some extent.....early minis, for the most part, were worse than most. these older minis certainly damaged the reputation of mini accuracy, with good reason.

even my 580 mini walked a bit when the barrel was red hot. always high and right it seemed.

pay $80 and get an accu-strut and you will likely see a new rifle. it acts as both a heat sink and improves rigidity, decreasing the old minis dreaded "barrel whip." my mini was an thicker barreled 580...so for me, little accuracy increase, but the benefits cooling the barrel were evident. older thin barrel, you should reduce stringing and cut groups damn near half.

barrel whip in action:

start there. the gentleman who runs accu-strut is top notch. a great product to support imo.

*NOTE*----only the 2 clamp version is PROVEN to get results.

http://accu-strut.com/pages/tests_Ia.htm

BACK ON TOPIC ! MY MINI SHOOTS "STRINGS" ( WALKS ) AS THE BARREL HEATS UP.
What causes this ? It was one of the first ones out, purchased by a group of Deputies for our beloved old Sheriff. I'll not sell it, ever, as it has "memories". BUT ..I'd just like to know what causes this problem. Thanks for any help !

If I shoot a 20-round clip, the target starts to look like one of those old "Indian" targets Annie Oakley did to demonstrate her skill with a .22 !

 

[Danoobie]

Reading isn't my thing? It's not MY thing? What I said was "a rifle that shoots 6MOA"
NOT "my rifle shoots 6MOA". But you latched onto "6MOA", and you've been beating it to death, ever since. Read this: I was trying to MAKE THE POINT that 6MOA would be
PREFERABLE to a rifle which patterns the shots, laterally, at 50 yards.

You guys are relentless, though. You're like a fat kid walking into a room with
starving, malnourished Ethiopians, waving a juicy, hot cheese-steak around,
and going "MMMMM! THIS TASTES GREAT". Your Mini-14 shoots 2MOA,
you can't stop bragging about it to folks who are struggling with Mini-14
problems, and when we say things which don't match what YOU want to hear,
WE'RE the trolls! HOKAY...

I don't even know how to address the condescending rudeness of
MR. Forums Etiquette, who can't stop making nasty comments about other
peoples health issues, and insinuations about their mental health. Maybe
the Mods will have some idea about what to do about that.

 

[hawkguy]

once again..i provided some "technical info/questions" you requested, and no bother AT ALL to address a single question as a starting point?

post examples of your groups, if possible. answer the legitimate questions I asked in post #91.

answer the questions in post 91, and we can stop the drama and talk about your "not 6MOA", yet terrible shooting mini.

(most deleted)

Reading isn't my thing? It's not MY thing? What I said was "a rifle that shoots 6MOA"
NOT "my rifle shoots 6MOA". But you latched onto "6MOA", and you've been beating it to death, ever since. Read this: I was trying to MAKE THE POINT that 6MOA would be
PREFERABLE to a rifle which patterns the shots, laterally, at 50 yards.

You guys are relentless, though. You're like a fat kid walking into a room with
starving, malnourished Ethiopians, waving a juicy, hot cheese-steak around,
and going "MMMMM! THIS TASTES GREAT". Your Mini-14 shoots 2MOA,
you can't stop bragging about it to folks who are struggling with Mini-14
problems, and when we say things which don't match what YOU want to hear,
WE'RE the trolls! HOKAY...

I don't even know how to address the condescending rudeness of
MR. Forums Etiquette, who can't stop making nasty comments about other
peoples health issues, and insinuations about their mental health. Maybe
the Mods will have some idea about what to do about that.

 

[hawkguy]

all right, danoobie.....I will apologize. not cause you weren't mini bashing, pointlessly argumentative, and baiting.....you certainly were....but because I should be better than the crap I am spewing in response. so I sincerely apologize for the personal attacks. my first instinct was to get outta this thread and I should have listened to my god given instincts.

if you had ANY idea...over the years....how many "buy an AR instead" snide posts I have endured on multiple mini boards since I became a mini enthusiast....you would understand my overreaction to hearing YET more "get an AR, they cost a less and shoot better" posts. it...gets...so...freaking...old. and despite whatever conclusion you may have come to, I REALLY like the AR, maybe just as much as the mini. but I don't want to hear AR BS on mini forums. so...freaking....done with that.

again, post #91, if you are really interested in the little help I may be able to provide. start there. report my other posts if you wish, or I can remove them...doesn't matter. if the mods ban me, I could truly care less. apology stands nonetheless and I will take part in no future personal attacks. please try to drop the AR crap and mini bashing and lets focus on your poorly performing mini. I do understand the frustration of a firearm that is not performing as it should. shall we try approaching this as adults?

the ball's in your court now.

 

[RJF22553]

Danoobie, I think (hope) you're missing the point.

We Mini-14 owners are understandably somewhat sensitive about the BS remarks about their accuracy. Internet BS lore aside, they are fine machines - particularly with a little tweaking for the early models (of which I own one). 2 MOA is easily achievable for the older ones and expected for the newer ones out of the box. I own both an early (181) and the latest (583). Either - unmodified - will eliminate a 2-legged threat out to 300 meters. Reliably. Doesn't matter which button one hits...

That is all we reasonably ask for.

Personal attacks among fellow members serves no purpose in our strive for perfection (or at least expectations).

Am real tired of the AR-vs-Mini BS. If you really like the AR platform, then move over to that forum and leave your AR BS there. We don't need - or want it -here...

 

[hawkguy]

1-8 on post 91 remain unanswered. are you still seeking info as you stated? we need some information to start with. I again state that I am no expert, but the questions I posted have merit in relation to the mini 14's accuracy potential. if you still require information, start with the basics. answer the questions and we can go from there.

Reading isn't my thing? It's not MY thing? What I said was "a rifle that shoots 6MOA"
NOT "my rifle shoots 6MOA". But you latched onto "6MOA", and you've been beating it to death, ever since. Read this: I was trying to MAKE THE POINT that 6MOA would be
PREFERABLE to a rifle which patterns the shots, laterally, at 50 yards.

You guys are relentless, though. You're like a fat kid walking into a room with
starving, malnourished Ethiopians, waving a juicy, hot cheese-steak around,
and going "MMMMM! THIS TASTES GREAT". Your Mini-14 shoots 2MOA,
you can't stop bragging about it to folks who are struggling with Mini-14
problems, and when we say things which don't match what YOU want to hear,
WE'RE the trolls! HOKAY...

I don't even know how to address the condescending rudeness of
MR. Forums Etiquette, who can't stop making nasty comments about other
peoples health issues, and insinuations about their mental health. Maybe
the Mods will have some idea about what to do about that.

 

[Viking]

I guess I'm in the middle, I like Mini's and now that I put two AR-15 80% together, I like AR's as well, as to one being better than the other, that remains to be seen.

 

[hawkguy]

apologies for beating the AR/mini drum again, but I think almost all of us on this board are in the middle as well. we just really like the mini also, and have heard our fill of internet myths and bashing.

imo, and I won't mention them together in this thread again, the mini and the AR are both "better" in different ways....which is exactly why I like both and am glad to own both. its easy for me to understand why someone might like the AR better, or vice versa. I feel they actually have very little in common, other than being semi autos chambered in 5.56. the differences are what I LIKE about them both. just my opinion.

no more from me on this subject. I am waiting on some answers to a few questions.

I guess I'm in the middle, I like Mini's and now that I put two AR-15 80% together, I like AR's as well, as to one being better than the other, that remains to be seen.