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Old March 25, 2020, 03:20 PM   #26
mk70ss
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COSteve.....no, I was using quality, factory ammo by Federal, Hornady, and handloads with quality components. My rifle was just not shooting nearly as well as it should. I understand Mini 14/30’s are not precision, target type rifles, but they should group better than mine did for sure.
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Old March 25, 2020, 05:08 PM   #27
timgd
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wow!

COSteve
You just had to post the second set of pictures. I was doing all right until then. Like you I fell in love with my M14 in basic [1966] and carried 1 during my 1st tour in VN.After your pictures I might need to sell something and buy a mini 14!
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Old March 25, 2020, 06:05 PM   #28
rickyrick
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I have no problems with accuracy with my Mini14. I used to come on and challenge every “Mini14 is inaccurate” post.
I’ve since seen enough anecdotal evidence for me to believe that a significant number of people do have issues with them
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Old March 25, 2020, 07:06 PM   #29
SHR970
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I've got a 195 series R.R. that will cold shot hit within 0.5" of zreo with spec 1990 era Wolf and Barnual most of the time against the Simmons 3x9 x 40 Scope mounted. Yes the groups will open when you keep firing on a hot bore but how tight do you need? YES I've still got 1500+ rounds of that ammo in stock not including personally loaded.
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Old March 26, 2020, 02:52 PM   #30
COSteve
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timgd View Post
COSteve
You just had to post the second set of pictures. I was doing all right until then. Like you I fell in love with my M14 in basic [1966] and carried 1 during my 1st tour in VN.After your pictures I might need to sell something and buy a mini 14!
My work here is done.
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Old March 26, 2020, 02:55 PM   #31
COSteve
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mk70ss View Post
COSteve.....no, I was using quality, factory ammo by Federal, Hornady, and handloads with quality components. My rifle was just not shooting nearly as well as it should. I understand Mini 14/30’s are not precision, target type rifles, but they should group better than mine did for sure.
I was responding to Greguw's post about his Mini-30. You've indicated that you have a 'pencil barrel' style Mini and yes, without tweaks, it will string when hot and not group as well as the 58X series with the thicker barrels.
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Old April 2, 2020, 03:24 PM   #32
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I'd like to know if there is generally better accuracy with the wood stocked rifles over the synthetic stock guns . One of the things I noticed on my synthetic model is there really isn't any support up front even though there is a recess at the rear of the gas block. Yes, there is space there. Unlike M1 carbines with a barrel band and some action screws, there is nothing but the trigger guard to keep a mini 14 held in the stock. I think those of you ragging on me for complaining about the Mini 14 accuracy are fighting with a best case argument using specific lots of ammo, handloads or match ammo, high powered scopes, struts, bedding etc compared with average out of the box accuracy, cold barrel to hot barrel, open sights and using a variety of ammo. While there probably was an improvement in the out of box accuracy of mini 14s, if you pull the handguard off you'd see the barrel is thinner there under the handguard than in front of the gas block. The slides are also not machined or cast consistently in one piece but made of pieces welded together so there is plenty of variation from gun to gun in the bead. I would love to see a stock gun fire 10 consecutive, slow fire, 10 shot 100 yard groups with 62 grain Federal Green tip that could hold 2 minute of angle at 100 yards. I don't believe any mini 14 under such conditions could hold anywhere close to 1 moa groups consistently without throwing shots.
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Old April 2, 2020, 04:22 PM   #33
COSteve
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rc View Post
I'd like to know if there is generally better accuracy with the wood stocked rifles over the synthetic stock guns . One of the things I noticed on my synthetic model is there really isn't any support up front even though there is a recess at the rear of the gas block. Yes, there is space there. Unlike M1 carbines with a barrel band and some action screws, there is nothing but the trigger guard to keep a mini 14 held in the stock. I think those of you ragging on me for complaining about the Mini 14 accuracy are fighting with a best case argument using specific lots of ammo, handloads or match ammo, high powered scopes, struts, bedding etc compared with average out of the box accuracy, cold barrel to hot barrel, open sights and using a variety of ammo. While there probably was an improvement in the out of box accuracy of mini 14s, if you pull the handguard off you'd see the barrel is thinner there under the handguard than in front of the gas block. The slides are also not machined or cast consistently in one piece but made of pieces welded together so there is plenty of variation from gun to gun in the bead. I would love to see a stock gun fire 10 consecutive, slow fire, 10 shot 100 yard groups with 62 grain Federal Green tip that could hold 2 minute of angle at 100 yards. I don't believe any mini 14 under such conditions could hold anywhere close to 1 moa groups consistently without throwing shots.
I'd love to see any rifle shoot sub 2 MOA groups with 62grn penetrator bullets. By their very design, they are not accurate because the steel penetrator would have to be perfectly centered dynamically to avoid causing the bullet to wobble from it being out of balance. As they aren't due to manufacturing variances, they all wobble which degrades accuracy. So, if you're using them for precision, you're chasing a dream. If you're claiming you have a rifle that will do that with 62grn penetrator bullets I'm calling BS because it simply isn't true.

Truth is that every rifle will heat up firing 100rds, even at slowfire, such that the poi will not stay perfectly stable. What I can tell you is that over the course of shooting 200 - 400 rds of Hornady 62grn HPBT bullets out of my 'Mini M14' over the course of a shooting outing, I can hit my bowling pins and clay pigeons at 200yrds just as easily at the end as at the begining.

Sorry to burst your bubble but your claim is bogus, your challenge is flawed, and your agenda against the Mini is exposed.
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Old April 2, 2020, 04:41 PM   #34
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I have a 580 series Mini with the tapered barrel. With cheap Academy 55gr steel cased ammo it will shoot 2-2.5" groups with open sights. Someone with younger eyes may be able to do better but thats about as well as I can shoot any open sighted gun a 100 yards. Some of my handloads might tighten that up but probably not that much without adding a scope.

I have an AR. A DPMS Panther Lite. I like it but I don't shoot it. Matter of fact I have only fired 80 rounds through it since it was bought new. If there is another run on ARs and the prices get crazy I will sell it. But not the Mini. I have 8 of the Pro-Mag 20 round mags made from steel I bought at Academy for $20 each and they work just as well as the one 20 round Ruger mag I own.

I wish all the posters crapping on the Mini for accuracy would list which version they are talking about. If its an old model then yes, they weren't that accurate. Everybody knows that. My buds old Mini was at best a 5" gun. But if you don't have any experience with the newer 580 and up series of guns then your opinion is pretty much worthless.
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Old April 2, 2020, 05:34 PM   #35
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I've got a pencil barrel 195 Series Ranch that's 2.5 MOA with Wolf and Barnaul 62 gr. The main thing I did to help the groups was to unscrew the gas block set and retorque it in a pattern until all 4 corners gauged the same. Adding the compensator helped with harmonics a little bit but the gas block was key.

Several friends with thin barrel AR's couldn't believe that it shot as good or better than their guns with like ammo. Yes every gun has its preferances. The only one that would consistently outshoot mine is my friends Colt HBAR.

Quote:
I'd love to see any rifle shoot sub 2 MOA groups with 62grn penetrator bullets.
So would I. And I would want to see at least 5 10 shot groups. Too many people show off a 3 shot group; show me 10 and we'll see what happens when your barrel starts to heat up.
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Old April 2, 2020, 05:52 PM   #36
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Now to the OPs question.......the mutidiameter barrel is the same thing several other outfits did to help Mini14 accuracy. Accuracy International guaranteed 1.5 MOA with certain factory ammo but their barrel also included a thicker area under the gas block, a widened gas block, and a few other tweaks. With tuned ammo MOA or better was possible. The current crop of Minis are capable rifles out of the box.
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Old April 2, 2020, 07:27 PM   #37
rickyrick
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Mine loves Hornaday vmax 50gr. Grouped very well.
If you’re dumping loads of cheap fmj through it, you’re really not target shooting anyway.

If you zero it cold fouled bore, it will hit there every time when hunting. Took lots of coyotes that way.
But like always, if someone had a bad experience with one, I no longer doubt it. Just hasn’t been my experience.
Works good as named, -Ranch Rifle
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Old April 3, 2020, 01:30 AM   #38
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The Ranch Rifle I bought back in the early '90s would do 2-3" at 100 yards with whatever factory ammo I shot through it--can't remember now what that would have been.

It had the gray laminated stock from Ruger. I cleaned up the trigger a bit, relieved the fit of the stock to the gas block area at the front so it didn't bind. Pretty sure I also recrowned the barrel. I didn't do those things because I had problems with it, I was just fiddling with it for fun. Anyway, I wouldn't call it an amazingly accurate rifle or anything, but it was good enough for me. It left me as part of a trade for another gun--which I have no memory of now. Wish I had kept the Mini instead.
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Old April 3, 2020, 02:33 AM   #39
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I got broke around ‘88 or ‘89 and put my first Mini14 up for pawn and was never able to get it back out, I always regretted that action. That’s why I finally broke down and bought one in ‘09 been a great rifle.
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