7.62x39 ruger mini 30

[tdoyka]

late this summer, i plan to buy a new ruger mini 30(wood stock) in 7.62x39. when it comes time i can't shoot my big bores, it will be my close-in(100 yards and less) deer gun. now i don't want the mini 30 to be an "ammo dump". i'll reload everything, cast or jacketed bullets, never a fmj, i don't like them. i think i'll buy a 150gr sst and/or a 150+gr fn gc cast boolit. it will be scoped with a 2-7x or 3-9x leupold. i'm planning on going 2 - 3" at 100 yards, 3 - 5 shots.

what do you all think?



i don't like the ar's and ak's and the sks. i've shot them(US Army) and to be frank, they aren't a hunting rifle. i know most of you like the ar, ak and sks and you use them well. thats good, but in my mind, they aren't.

[Wishoot]

Just my personal opinion...

The Mini 30 is a fun rifle. The only advantages it has over other 7.62x39 semiautos is that it's probably easier to scope and it doesn't have that evil black rifle look.

I don't think it would make a better hunting rifle than the other options either.

If I were in the market for a 7.62x39 rifle strictly for hunting, I'd take a closer look at a bolt action rifle from CZ, Ruger American or a Howa 1500.

[hagar]

I could get my Mini-14 to shoot with the 64gr WW PP bullet handloads, got some surprisingly good groups out of it.

The Mini-30 I had was a bullet hose, never reloaded for it but I tried some good brass cased factory loads for it, with a known good scope. It shot marginally better than an AK47 at 100 yards, in other words no better than pie plate accuracy. I would not own another.

[tdoyka]

i'm a little tired of bolt actions

[Sharkbite]

I know 5 or 6 guys with Mini 30’s. None consider them very accurate.
A way to shoot 7.62x39...yes. A way to hunt with a semi...nope

[T. O'Heir]

150's are really too heavy for the 7.62 x 39. Even though there's data. Especially as the 7.62 x 39 doesn't use a jacketed .312" bullet. The Hodgdon 150 grain data shows an OAL that's 20 thou over SAAMI max OAL(2.200") too.
Anyway, if it'll shoot 2 or 3 inches consistently, a Mini-30 will do. However, a .311" 125 SP will be better than a wee tiny bit over sized 150. Not seeing any 150 grain energy levels anywhere either. Max velocities are under 2200 FPS.

[Nevmavrick]

My Ruger is a black-stocked 7.62, and I like it. It has a 2-7x variable on it, and after I ran a couple boxes of mixed factory ammo through it to compare with, I've run a bunch of handloads through it with about everything I can imagine to see what it's actual limits are.
All my shooting is done at 100 yards, off the bench, and over the chronograph.
I have the 20 round mag that came with it, but have yet to put the first round into it. All my tests are 5-round groups. I don't "make noise," but try to find out what the firearm will do.
I don't look down on those that shoot rapidly. If you are using a gun, and enjoying it, and not hurting anyone....I am happy!
I have shot 150gr cast, like the flat nosed RCBS, so that they fit the magazine. and the Silhouette 150gr bullet, that barely fits.
I have used 110gr Hollow-point, 125gr, 130gr and 150gr spitzer, in .308", .311" and .312", along with .311" 125gr FMJs just to see what they will do.
They will shoot down to a bit under 2" so are plenty accurate for deer hunting, as in woods-rifle. Out to something over 200yards, you'll "eat meat" as long as you do your part, which you owe to your quarry.
Contrary to the opinion of many 7.62x39 shooters, it is NOT a .30/30, but is still a pretty-nice little rifle for culling and "eating" deer.
You can enjoy your rifle and have a lot of fun with it,
Gene

[ligonierbill]

tdoyka,
Where are you hunting? PA approved rimfire semiautos last year, but as yet no semiautos allowed for big game.

[tdoyka]

i have a disability permit(stroke) that lets me use semi, 5 rounds

[rickyrick]

Never heard a bad thing about them really. I own a min14 and it’s been great

[turkeestalker]

Mine is the later larger profile barrel 'tactical' version.
It's a great 'plinker' that is a lot of fun, with probably 'dessert plate' accuracy at 100 yards regardless of what you feed it.
Being particular about what you feed it on the lighter side of 150 grain, I could see it performing better.
Though certainly no tack driver, I imagine that it'll do what you want it to no worries.

[bamaranger]

I've shot a Mini 30 for years, back to the Clinton era. My deer load for that rifle and a Ruger bolt 77-MkII as well, was the .308" dia 135 gr Sierra SSP bullet, now discontinued. I've recently switched to the 125 SST .310" slug from Hornady and see a useful increase in accuracy likely due to more proper bore diameter. I've experimented with .308 dia 150 gr (30-30) slugs, but have not hunted them.

I'm with O-Heir on this one, I like a tad more velocity than the 150's can provide. Plus, they are all .308 dia, and my rifles are doing better with .310/.311. The Mini is not really an accuracy platform, but 3" groups or so are plenty good enough for woods deer. My rifle wears a Leupold 1-4x with a German #1 reticle, and is a dandy treestand/woods combo. I'll add, my Mini 30 has been rock solid reliable, feeding and firing everything I've put in it, as long as I use Ruger mags.

[Drm50]

I had a Mini 30 for awhile when they were first out. I shot Speer 130gr HPs a
.308" bullet. Had a 6x Burris Compact scope on it. I could squeeze 21/2" 5
shot groups out of it regular. Never carried it deer hunting but shot a good many
ground hogs with it at 100-150yds. Never got good accuracy with the foreign
FMJ ammo. I'm not big on auto loading hunting rifles and even less interested
In Milsurp type rifles.

[the possum]

Plus, they (150 grainers) are all .308 dia, and my rifles are doing better with .310/.311.

Speer does make a .311" 150 grain soft pointed spitzer, if ya ever wanna give 'em another shot.
https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/prod...0-gr-sptz-100/
I believe Prvi does also.

I bought some Sierra 125 grain .311" soft points to try in my CZ carbine, but haven't made the time to work up a hand load yet.

[tdoyka]

i might just use 125gr hornady sst(.310"). if i'm going to a cast boolit, it will be a 130gr fn gc ( http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...=31-130T-D.png ) or a 150gr fn gc ( http://www.mountainmolds.com/ or LEE 309-150-F 150 Gr GC FP ).

[jetinteriorguy]

I bought the very first one I found when they first came out back in the 80's. On my first trip to the range with a 3x9 Weaver scope I was lucky to get a 5" group at 100 yds. I was so disappointed I felt like running the gun over with my truck. This was with factory ammo, although after all these years I don't recall the particulars of what ammo it was. This is one of the reasons I started handloading for rifles. I polished the sear, removed 1 1/2 coils from the disconnect spring, and went to work on my load. Within a week I was consistently shooting a 1 3/4" group at a hundred yards no problem. I believe it was a Sierra soft point bullet, 123gr with Blc-2 and CCI LRP's. These were .308 bullets since that's what the bore was on these first rifles. I didn't know that the 7.62x39 was even a .311 bore until I shot some Russian ammo through it, man that sure made a bang and ran the action pretty hard. I found out why the next time I went to Scheels and talked to my guy about it. This was back in Nodak when Scheels was still a hardware store that also had a good selection of hunting and fishing supplies. I shot a lot of deer over the next dozen years or so with that rifle and the furthest any ran was less than 100 yds before dropping.

[Baba Louie]

If you plan to hunt with it, just learn where it consistently places the first cold round.

It'll be fine in that regard.

[bamaranger]

I shoot that bullet in my 7.62x54r rifle. Pretty sure it's certainly intended for higher velocity than the x39mm can offer.......but it may group well. However, I am not going to experiment to find out. I have experimented with 150 gr Match Kings in the x39.....without any really outstanding jump in accuracy from the Mini......just another .308 slug.

The HOrnady .310/125 SST is another matter. Groups from both my rifles tightened considerably when fed this slug. From the Ruger bolt rifle, it is outstanding, rivaling (or exceeding) any other .30 sporter I own.

[Fishbed77]

i don't like the ar's and ak's and the sks. i've shot them(US Army) and to be frank, they aren't a hunting rifle. i know most of you like the ar, ak and sks and you use them well. thats good, but in my mind, they aren't.

Unfortunately, that close-minded attitude benefits no one.

An AR with the proper caliber/bullet construction and at the right range will make for a very good deer hunting rifle. It will likely be more accurate, have cheaper magazines, and be easier to accessorize/maintain than a Mini-30.

But to each his own.

[tdoyka]

Unfortunately, that close-minded attitude benefits no one.

An AR with the proper caliber/bullet construction and at the right range will make for a very good deer hunting rifle. It will likely be more accurate, have cheaper magazines, and be easier to accessorize/maintain than a Mini-30.

But to each his own.

and this "close minded attitude" had already trained with m16a2 and a3, m60e3 and e4, m-14, ak-47 and -74 and akm, rpd and rpk and many others(op-4). i owned a sks but i gotten rid of it. so i have shot them and i know their capabilities/defienties.

a new scope might be all i need to "accessorized" a mini 30. i don't care if it is a subminute group. 2 - 3" at 100 yards(3 or 5 shots) is good enuff for me and the deer. iit doesn't need a flashlight, nite lite, 30 round magazine, laser pointer, suppressor, and God knows what else.

all i am going for is a close range deer rifle. fortunately for me, i don't care about your ar's and their "accessories".

[Erno86]

I usually don't mind getting rained on with empty shell casings from semi autos at the range --- but whew --- the Ruger Mini 30's, at least in 223, have a right angle ejection path that might be bothersome to others.

Though my 7.62x54R Romanian PSL tops the list in that category.

[Henneman]

I used a Mini 30 about twenty years ago for deer hunting. The first deer I shot with it the bullet exploded on contact leaving a large hole in the rib cage. This deer died right away. The last deer I shot with it the bullet struck the rib cage at a forty-five degree angle and rather than penetrating into the vitals, it traveled along the ribs and into the gut area. I recovered this deer after trailing it. This deer was not very big, as a result I retired the rifle as insufficient for deer. I also wounded another deer with the rifle, and from the evidence in a snowy bed, it looked like the bullet hit the front of the deer at an angle and instead of penetrating the vitals, just deflected off the front of the chest leaving a gash. This deer was not recovered and I do not believe it died as it quit bleeding.

Unless the bullets and loads have changed significantly, I would not recommend this rifle for deer, particularly northern deer with thick winter hides and a layer of fat under their skin. I would also encourage any hunter to use a rifle that has a good chance of leaving an exit wound if hunting in thick cover. I have shot at least thirty deer over the years and cut up these too. I have observed the wound channels and recovered bullets too and see no purpose in using a minimally performing cartridge and rifle combo.

[tdoyka]

I usually don't mind getting rained on with empty shell casings from semi autos at the range --- but whew --- the Ruger Mini 30's, at least in 223, have a right angle ejection path that might be bothersome to others.

Though my 7.62x54R Romanian PSL tops the list in that category.

well i won't be going to a public range. it will be on my own property. i have my own range, 50 yards, 100 yards, 300 yards.

[Fishbed77]

all i am going for is a close range deer rifle. fortunately for me, i don't care about your ar's and their "accessories".

No one says you have to care about them or want one.

But when you make statements like this:

i don't like the ar's and ak's and the sks. i've shot them(US Army) and to be frank, they aren't a hunting rifle.

...you are spreading information that is both factually incorrect and plays right into the hands of those that wish to ban such firearms from private ownership.

A properly-configured AR is every bit as much of a hunting arm as a Mini-30, which is essentially a scaled-down Garand (a military rifle) action using a cartridge originally developed for a military rifle. Ruger Minis have even been used as service rifles (by Bermuda, for example).

By your reasoning, to be frank, they aren't hunting rifles.

[tdoyka]

yeeaahhh, right.........