I am thinking of purchasing a Ruger Mini Thirty due to the availability of very cheap ammo here in Canada. Would like to hear from anyone who has one and what they think of it?
Thanks :thup:
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I am thinking of purchasing a Ruger Mini Thirty due to the availability of very cheap ammo here in Canada. Would like to hear from anyone who has one and what they think of it?
Thanks :thup:
How about- Aside from looks there's less to commend it than any other 7.62x39. Less accurate than your average AK. Mags are generally poo, except the factory 5 rd. Iron sights not so good.
Even w/ proper sized .308 bullets (which defeats the cheap ammo concept), the long throat incorporated to accomodate the 0.310" bullets safely keeps things from working towards good groups.
On the good side- Garand type safety, "sporty" looks.
I keep wanting another "mini-something", but they always disappoint at the range. Too bad really.
Oh, and the gas block gets really, really hot. Ask me how I know....
X2 JM that's exactly why I got rid of the one I had very soon after buying it. I didn't much care for the 223 model either.
Thanks to both for the comments, there goes that thought and glad I asked before I bought. Bearhunter I should have known I could have asked you the question before posting. You have owned almost everything else, why wouldn't you have owned a 30........DUH.
I have a question as Mini-30 owner, if I may.....
What exactly is the bullet size issue? I remember buying some good South African 7.62X39 some while back and being told it was good for the Mini-30 where some of the others weren't.
Thanks in advance to someone who can clarify this problem. I just needed some clarification for use of other types of ammo or if there are certain types that work better or worse. I don't want to damage the rifle or myself in the process of shooting it.
Apparently, Ruger made the Mini 30 with a .308 bore until 1992. Any guns made after that will be .311 bore.Quote:
Originally Posted by mack
To the OP, don't waste your money on the Mini 30. Buy a CZ 858. They're just as accurate, cheaper, come with 4 mags, and easier to clean.
Thanks for asking the question. There are many times I've been tempted to buy a Mini-14 or Mini-30. Now I'm glad I didn't!Quote:
Originally Posted by enfield303t
The bore size wasn't the real issue. The main issue was the gas port. That thing would give me a lot of grief. It would plug up frequently. It was also one of the most inaccurate firearms I have ever owned. The 223 was OK but 2-3 moa was the best I could get out of it. The 30, was lucky to get 4-5 on a good day.
Your accuracy results are fairly good, actually!
I wonder if anyone has had better luck with the newer, composite stocks than with the older wooden ones? The people at Ruger seem to have revamped the entire line in composite and I thought the new stocks may have been an attempt to produce better accuracy.
The stocks aren't the problem. Even the new "accurized" Mini-14 only shoots as well as your average AR carbine, and has lost its lightweight charm.
I owned a mini-30 for a couple of years, reliable cheap to shoot, not cheap to buy and and not accurate. I got rid of it.
BudT
I have been using the Mini 30 for over 20 years and have only used Federal, Winchester and Hornady ammo. Never had a jam, misfire or accuracy problem. The first thing I did was remove the front blade and peep and mount a scope. It is my 100 yd deer rifle and I have had great success with it. My wife has now commandeered it as the recoil is next to zero so she loves to shoot it. She has only been hunting for 2 years and has had 2 one shot deer kills. Will buy another for my daughter when she starts hunting next year.
It's strange, I'm with Sharkey here. I've had a couple of mini 14s, maybe three of them, and had nothing but good results. Never had jams, my gas system never gave me trouble and they shot more accurately at 200 than my AR. At least as well...They aren't cheaper than anything nor is the ammo. Here in Canada, ammo isn't cheap anyway. The mag thing is a moot point because we can only have 5 rd mags so the factory mags are fine. They work perfectly. I never owned a new one, just the older models in blue and wood. I'm not really a novice at this either, and I hardly spared the ammo when shooting. This observation is spaced over 25 or 30 years too. I've watched this post since it first came out and never understood the grief expressed about minis...
I found the solution tho the accuracy issue. If you cant hit it stick it. The accuracy on my mini 14 is not great but no reliability issues ever. I have ordered some of the new gen 2 Tapco mags based on reviews. I will be interested to see how they preform.
At the groin / point and remain...With a shout, on guard!
:lol:Made my afternoon.Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
My 2 cents gentlemen. I have 2 mini 14's. One I have in an ATI Strike Force stock system and the other is in the wood factory stock.
Accuracy in either with iron sights is 3 to 4 " with the iron sights at 100 yard with my old aging eyes. If I put the quick detach scope on I can shrink that to 2" at 100 yards.
Factory mags are the best but be prepared for the sticker price. After markets mags are hit and miss. Some are very reliable and others are pure junk. Some work in both rifles and with some they work in one and not the other. You might go through 50 mags to find 5 to 10 good ones
Some people seem to be missing the point about the mini 30. Everyone knows that, ballistically speaking, the 7.62x39 is very similar to the .30-30 WCF. 4 or 5 MOA is perfectly adequate for a cartidge that is intended for deer sized critters (or their two legged analogs) at 100 to 150 yards. The mini platforms were intended (as were their ancestor the M1Carbine) as quick, handy,light CLOSE RANGE carbines that are magazine fed to allow for lots of firepower. I've owned a few over the years and I have NEVER had one malfunction, even under rapid fire conditions.... Sadly, I can't say the same thing for ARs.... Are the minis tack drivers? Nope.... Were they designed as such? Nope.... Are they reliable? Heck yeah! Sounds to me like they do exactly what they were intended to do.