Mini 14 is VERY accurate

[Homerboy]

Have a new Mini 14 with the ghost ring sight. Stapled an empty Walmart 9MM box of ammo (maybe 3"X6") to a target and fired away at 50 yards. Shredded the thing. I think every shot hit. 50 rounds later, I changed out the box. Same result. 100 rounds of cheap Wolf ammo at 50 yards at such a small target, and I bet every shot hit. I have an AR also, and I cannot see it doing any better than the Mini did. For less than $700 new for a Mini, they are a great buy. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to someone looking for a carbine, and that includes over an AR.

[thesheepdog]

sweet, i am wanting to add one to my collection of AR's

[Idempotent]

Hitting a target with an average size of, let's call it 4.5", at 50 yards, is 9 MOA accuracy.

A lot of people consider their match rifles crap if they're not getting 0.5 MOA accuracy.

[thesheepdog]

Hitting a target with an average size of, let's call it 4.5", at 50 yards, is 9 MOA accuracy.

A lot of people consider their match rifles crap if they're not getting 0.5 MOA accuracy.

True, you need to take it out to 100 yards. From what i have heard, the newer mini's have better accuracy now. Give it a try.

[Idempotent]

Hitting that same target at 100 yards would only demonstrate 4.5 MOA accuracy. That's still not good.

A good AR-15 can easily hit 1 MOA accuracy, for comparison.

[thesheepdog]

It shouldn't be hard for you to get 1.5-2 MOA out of a newer mini. Heck, i took a deer out at 185 yards using 1, yes one shot with a 55gr round. I put the crosshairs a little bit over it's spine, squeezed the trigger, and boom, deer went down. That was with an old mini-14 too.

Anyway, getting off subject.

[azredhawk44]

A lot of people consider their match rifles crap if they're not getting 0.5 MOA accuracy.

A lot of people need to get off the bench, and actually shoot their "match" rifles in a match, to even 1MOA accuracy, and show me a 500-50x score. Or to 3MOA accuracy, and show me a 450-25x score.

Most of those people tend to stop mini-bashing at that point.

[Dobe]

Well, if your Mini has a capability of only 4" at 100 yards, and your area-of-wobble is 4" at 100 yards, your actual group is 8". A 1 MOA rifle can make a difference. If not, shooters wouldn't strive for that extra accuracy.

[P-990]

A lot of people need to get off the bench, and actually shoot their "match" rifles in a match, to even 1MOA accuracy, and show me a 500-50x score. Or to 3MOA accuracy, and show me a 450-25x score.

How about a 469-11x out of 500 out to 600 yards with an AR Service match rifle? Won me a silver (8-point) leg on Memorial Day! Because 2-MOA accuracy will get you a 500-score, and some are bound to be Xs.

As for using a WWB 9mm box as a 50 yard target, I use a 3" Shoot-and-C for 50-yards, with an open sighted Marlin 336 in .30-30. And use something where you KNOW where every round went, not just think...

And I still want a Mini-14 for my collection. Along with some more match rifles to keep the AR company too!

[azredhawk44]

Why, P-990: Do you mean that you can't shoot your 2MOA rifle to a 2MOA standard? I'd expect a 500 score if you can hold a 2MOA group.

After all, the 10 ring is about 2MOA in size.

Well, if your Mini has a capability of only 4" at 100 yards, and your area-of-wobble is 4" at 100 yards, your actual group is 8". A 1 MOA rifle can make a difference. If not, shooters wouldn't strive for that extra accuracy.

Doesn't quite work like that.

Sometimes your wobble, wobbles in the opposite direction as the bullet's inherent inaccuracy takes it. The net result of those shots is perfect accuracy.

A 4MOA machine-rest rifle and a 4MOA field position shooter will probably shoot about 6MOA for total accuracy, when combined.

[Dobe]

Doesn't quite work like that

I believe it does. A 4" grouping at 100 yards from your favorite Mini won't always group 4" either. Yet if you average a 4" wobble, and if your rifle averages a 4" group, your total will average 8".

Nevertheless, there is a reason we strive for more accurate rifles.

[Lavid2002]

Hitting an ammo box at 50 yards isnt something to brag about with a rifle IMHO. Not hitting the box would be embarrassing.

Everyone has different standards and if the mini meets yours then good


4" at 50 yards or better is meh to me

[mp25ds4]

my m24/47 gets under 2 MOA and it was made, well rearsenaled appox. 60 years ago. shoot your mini 14 from a benchrest at 100 yds. and see what kind of accuracy you get, If you do your part it will be fairly accurate

[Darren007]

Heres an even better test.

Find a target about the size of a torso. Place it at 100 yards. Shoot as many rounds a you want at it. If they all hit target, regardless of group size even if it looks like buckshot, then your Mini-14 is accurate enough.

[Crosshair]

A good AR-15 can easily hit 1 MOA accuracy, for comparison.

1. A "Good" AR is going to run you a LOT more than $700 for a Mini. Your Average AR with average ammo will probably only be as accurate as a new style Mini. In the field, you won't be able tot tell the Mini from the AR.
2. No AR will do 1 MOA with Animal ammo.
3. Few will do even 1 MOA with any factory ammo. Handloads are most often required for that.

They test this in detail to dispel those myths over at the Box-O-Truth. Follow the link for photos.

Educational Zone #8 - 5.56 Military Ammo Accuracy

I used my DPMS Sweet Sixteen, with a 16 inch stainless heavy barrel, chrome bolt, Accuwedge, Leupold 6.5 X 20 X 50 scope, etc.

#1 - Israeli IMI, 2002 1 1/4 group

#2 - South African M1A3, 1988 1 1/8 group
5.56 Military Ammo Accuracy

#3 - Federal Cartridge USGI, 1970 2 1/4 group

#4 - Federal XM193, Lot 23 2 3/4 group

#5 - Malaysian 4-85, M193, Lot 15 2 3/4 group

#6 - Winchester Q3131 3 3/8 group (1 1/2 w/o flyer)

#7 - Remington 55Gr SP, R223RI 1 7/8 group

#8 - Handloads, Sierra 52 gr HPBT, Between 1/4 & 3/8 group, 25.0 gr, AA-2460.

I am glad I shot the handloads last, as it seemed that the groups were getting larger as I shot.

I feared fouling was the problem, but the last group is what the rifle will usually do with these handloads.

Conclusions:
1. Military ammo isn't as accurate as many believe.

2. Anyone that says they routinely shoot sub-MOA groups with iron sights and military ammo has a problem with truthfulness.

3. Some military ammo shoots better than others.

4. Military ammo is not "more accurate" when shot from a bench-rest quality rifle.

5. Nothing will match well-developed handloads.

Part 2

[Come and take it.]

I once was able to get 1 and half inch groups consistently with a stainless steel mini back in the 90s using 69 grain boat tail hollowpoints. I could get 2 and half inchs with ss109.

If however I went down into the 55 grain ball the groups were lucky to be under 5 or 6 inches.

On the AR i had a colt delta elite that could put factory USA 45 grain bullets into 3/4 inch on average and never shot a group larger than 1.2 inches. 1 in 9 twist rate.

[Homerboy]

Hitting a target consistently the size of a matchbox at 50 yards with iron sights is more than enough. My AR (either of them), doesn't do any better. Am I out there with a ruler measuring groups? No. 50 rounds hitting in a 3X5 inch square shot after shot is better than most shooters, shooting ****ty Wolf ammo is fine. Imagine what I would have accomplished with quality ammo off a bench.

AR snobs just won't admit that the Mini isn't the ****box they like to paint it as (and I have 2 AR's).

[P-990]

azredhawk44, you know I just keep waiting for one of those guys who can shoot clay birds offhand at 200 yards all day long to come by and show us Highpower guys HOW to shoot.

Ironically enough, I am confident I can hit things farther away with my 2-MOA AR than most shooters could with a 1-MOA rifle. But I'll bow out when the Palma/belly shooters show up and get serious...

<-- Still wanting a Mini.

[the rifleer]

They are reasonably accurate. people just dont like the fact that it isn't a match grade rifle, then blow the actual accuracy way out of proportion... Its a well made rifle that is fun to shoot, it just isn't made for anything outside of 300 yards or so. You can actually nail a dinner plate at 300 yards with it every single time, you just ahve to know how to do it.

[Crosshair]

They are reasonably accurate. people just dont like the fact that it isn't a match grade rifle, then blow the actual accuracy way out of proportion... Its a well made rifle that is fun to shoot, it just isn't made for anything outside of 300 yards or so. You can actually nail a dinner plate at 300 yards with it every single time, you just ahve to know how to do it.

Exactly, nothing that shoots the 223 is really intended to be used past 300 yards, even though they often are.

[blume357]

At least for me there is a BIG difference between shooting ANY rifle while sitting at a bench with the rifle resting on a good shooting pad and shooting the same rifle standing or even sitting or kneeling...

[natman]

Go out to 100 yards, shoot some 5 shot groups and THEN let us know how it shoots.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Your gun is functionally accurate not very accurate.

Scope it up--and try some bench rested groups(3 to 5 shots) at 100yds--and then come back to us with the results.

[Come and take it.]

Off the bags a lot of guns like that do not do very well. You should always keep your offhand underneath the foreend when shooting from the sandbags with a gun that does not have a floated barrel.

Many guns that are pitiful on the bench come out nicely in offhand shooting.

[rduckwor]

Don't let all the HiPo shooters discourage you. Your Mini 14 was never intended to be a match or sub MOA gun.

Just enjoy it for what it is, a great plinker/hunter/field/truck gun.

I love shooting mine more than any of my other rifles. Its just PLAIN FUN to shoot.

Enjoy yours,