I've been trying to work up a decent load for my Mini 14, just can't seem to get anything very accurate. All seem to be 3" at best at 100 yds. I'm starting to think this is the best I'm going to accomplish with this rifle. I've been working with 50 grain bullets so far, anyone have better luck with lighter or heavier bullets?
I know I can have the rifle accurized, etc. but don't really want to spend the money.

Any good loads that anyone has come up with out there for a mini 14?

RMH,

I don't think your accuracy problems are ammo-related. Probably won't be solved that way either.

The Mini has so many accuracy-killing design features that many consider it not cost-effective to accurize them. There are folks who manage to get them to shoot well, but I'd rather start with a different platform personally.

During the 80's I tried many of the standard M14 tricks on Mini's - to little avail, as most shot the same before and after no matter what I fed them. The most accurate one I owned was a factory Class III (an AC-556)!

To answer your question, H335 worked as well as anything, better'n most. 25 grains under a 50, 52, 53 grain bullet is what I remember worked best.

Cheers!

Redial

I have heard of people having good luck with the Winchester 64 grain bullets. I don't know what powder they were using. Mine shoots tiny groups but I had it re-barreled. Of course the barrel cost more than the original gun.

It's-a notta you ammo! It's-a you gun! There ARE no accurate loads for an unmodified (by a new barrel, etc.!!) Mini-14!! (or Mini-30, either)

[ 08-02-2003, 18:11: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

I've had good luck in a couple of Minis with the 63 gr Sierra and WW 748 powder . That load has cut the groups down considerably from the usual 50 to 55 gr weight bullets.......

Factory specs call for 2 inch groups at 50 yds. You are already better.
There are some cheap, easy tweaks that can be done to them. See a gunsmith who is familar with them. But, anything in the 2.5 MOA range is about all you can expect.
I would still try. Different powders with a well matched bullet. You might get something in the 1.5 MOA range. E

Rocky Mt. Your rifle has either a 9 or 9.5 twist which would indicate that it will handle something around a 70 grain bullet better than a 50 grain. A 55 or 60 grain will work OK depending on how you run the bullet. You might try AA2230 powder it works well in my AR15. Good Luck

I have had three of the darned things. first was a 181 series that shot into 1 1/2 inches with GI ball ammo. It led me to believe that others would shoot well. No such luck, the other two rifles wouldn't hit your hat if you propped it on the muzzle. Best I got was with 748 and 69 Matchkings, and it was nothing to shout about. Some other feller said it best on another site, you would be hard-pressed to commit suicide with a Mini-14. Sorry, but that is how they seem to be, no damned good.

Try looking Link... .

Thanks for all the feedback. Pretty much confirmed what I've heard about the mini-14.

I'll give it a try with heavier for caliber bullets to see if we can shrink the groups a little, not hoping for miracles.

Hello RMH,

I agree with you, I didnt want to put out those big dollars for having my mini accurized. Barrel shortening et al. Those dollars combined with the initial price of the MINI = A Bushmaster AR.

However I found several (with the help of other Mini enthusiasts) inexpensive things you can DIY to your mini to get it to shoot 1.5 probably even better at 100yards, plus eliminate those pesky flyers.

#1 Trigger job 2.5 to 3 lbs
#2 Replace original stock w/a Houge overmolded stock. A great stock plus youll gain an inch in length.
#3 Bed the action
#4 add a lighter action buffer
#5 Install a "Black Widow" double Muzzle break

#1 $50.00 Send out
#2 $60.00 Midway (DIY)
#3 $25.00 Accra Glass Midway Brownells etc. (DIY)
#4 $10.00 Several places to purchase kit from (DIY
#5 $20.00 Cheaper than Dirt (DIY)
$175.00 outlay

#6 Handloads some of the fellas are getting great performance with 40-45 grainers.

If your were to try just one of my suggestions to see for yourself start with #5 the Double Muzzle Break, $20.00 and 5 minutes of time to install it yourself with no specialized tools or knowledge needed. Tap the front sight roll pin out, slide on the DMB replace roll pin with the provided longer roll pin.

I'm confident that you will see consistent 2/2.5 in. groups at 100yds for a simple $20.00 investment.

All The Best
Steel

Consider youself lucky if you're able to get 3" groups with your mini 14. No offense but I have found them to be useless pieces of s&%t. My department issued them for years before I took over. They functioned reliably, but you were lucky to hit the target at 100 yds. Moreover, no two rifles liked the same ammo. It's pretty expensive buying different ammo for each rifle. As a result, I sold them to a neighboring department and bought all AR 15s.

Hello;
It seems to me, when these things first came out, they were advertised as the world's most expensive plinker. Having owned one, I would concur with that.
Grizz

I don't know about cost but these folks do accuracy work on Minis:
accuracysystemsinc.com/ruger_mini_14_30.html

We had some LE guns come in the store so I went out to see if all of this was true.
1. All were very, very fouled
2. most of the screws on the clamp were loose or non exsistant.
3. Beddind in the stock was not great but passable.
4. our first 25 yd rough zero group was a three shot ragged hole with 50 grs Blitz kings loaded by HSM
On Sunday we will go to 100yds

Aleko