Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Are Newer Mini 14s more accurate ?

To be fair the one I shot was an old one. It was strange shooting it. I was shooting off a good rest and could see the hits on paper in the scope as I was shooting. And it was all over the place on paper and reticle was still on the 1" square. Never have shot anything that bad.

It’s possible the rifle wasn’t totally at fault. Mine bounced a 2-7 Hawke around pretty badly, enough that it lost zero in very short order and a set of Leupold QRWs, properly torqued, shook loose in about 10 rounds, maybe less. The SWFA on mine is in Burris Sig rings with everything gooped up good and snugged up to spec or maybe a scootch over. Time will tell…

My mini is minute of milk jug at 7 yards

I've had an older one, pre 90s .223 and have a newer one .223 serial prefix 584 which I don't believe is all that old. I don't see much difference in accuracy or lack of it in the old and new of the two I've owned. To me the 100 yard accuracy isn't good enough with a scope to give up the way it handles without it, .

It might be improved with bedding, etc but from what I've read don't know if it would be enough to make it worth the effort..Despite the not great accuracy I still like it. It goes bang every time and will keep ten shots inside a 12" circle at 100 yards using the receiver sights with some kind of rest.

Mine has a factory peep sight and I wouldn’t bother scoping it either

Forgot to add that the new prices are out to lunch. Mini 14 is a 569 to 689 dollar rig max for what you get. IMO.

I’ve been trying scopes to evaluate ammo choices, but problems keeping them together have pretty much thwarted that. When I first got it I mounted a SWFA 6x for a bit, but I’m definitely not toting that around. The 1-4 is a good fit, though still not light and handy. I may go back to the Cyclops eventually, which is only about 9oz and rock solid, plus I can shoot it without glasses, which ain’t happening with irons at 70.

I've only owned two newer ones and they were both about 2 moa, which was good enough for me.

I think it is just inherent to that garand style of stock/action interface. Most of them flop around in the stock pretty good before you tighten the trigger guard down and the tension on the middle of the barrel changes as the action moves in the stock. The three M1A's I owned didn't shoot any better than my minis... in fact two of them shot much worse (3-4 moa) until they were bedded. Bedding in a stiff stock got one of my M1A's down to 3/4 moa, the other down to about 1.25 moa. But even the more accurate one would sometimes throw a weird flier.

Replacing the gas port really helps, maybe not for accuracy, but for general shoot-ability. If you want more accuracy, bed it with some tension on the barrel.

Also they are hell on scopes, like everyone says.

I bought several of the old models trying to find accurate one for a Coyote calling rig in the 1980’s. The “accuracy” of all of them was abysmal.
Killed a lot of coyotes with them at the Ranch though. Most were good for a 3” group from the first two shots. After that, you were damn lucky to get an 8” To 12” 5 shot group.
The only one that I owned that was actually accurate was a Mini-30 version. And of course, it’s the same rifle, but in the 7.62x39 caliber.

Finally gave up on them and bought a my first AR-15 about 1990. It was a Colt 6920 M-4 Carbine.
Even with open sights, it was much more accurate than a damn Mini-14.
Ordered the first Les Baer AR-15 I could get in the 1990’s.
By far the most accurate rifle I’ve ever owned. Bar none.
It would put 5 shots in one ragged hole at 100 yards damn near every time if I did my part.
Personally, you couldn’t give me another Mini-14. At any price.

Well that is some good experience ! 243 shooters comment about what is gained by the scope is not worth the handling disadvantage ! Something about a rifle without a scope that makes it come to life ! Thanks to all and Blessings too verns

If you still want one, your best bet is buying a recent model used one that someone has tuned up a little. You won't lose money if you decide to sell it. There's a mini-14 forum with a weird name, maybe keep an eye on the classifieds there.

Bought one in 1992. This ^^^^^ was my experience as well. Will never own another.

Got to thinking about this thread and in light of the almost unanimous experiences here and elsewhere re Mini 14 "accuracy" why try to spend a lot of time, effort and money trying to make it something it's not. I ordered a Burris FastFire III red dot. Since I like the rifle and most of my Mini 14 shooting is not much further than 100 yards what the hell.

43 Shooter ,thanks and that is a good option ,I have never used one .I will probably just use the sighs it comes with . My use would be in the timber and usually under 100 yds. I have several very accurate bolt rifles . I think the mini would fill a gap in my stable !

They are easy to like, for what they are., which to me is a tough, handy, reasonably powerful carbine, sort of a levergun alternative. If I decide to go back to the Cyclops, I’ll put that nifty SWFA1-4 on my 10/22. Got it on sale for only $300, which was a real steal.

I have a 300 blackout Mini 14
Factory Barrel
Cheap Cabelas Scope

I had it 3-point bedded, trigger job, accu strut, recoil buffer
It is picky w ammo, tried several

Shoots 1.5” 10 shot groups all day long with Western Ammo 220g subsonic
And same w a couple other factory loads, 1.5”

As for hand loads:
It sat in the safe for a while, I took it out w some 110g super sonic hand loads I perfected, shot a 3shot cloverleaf on the first 3 shots right on bull, that target hung on my wall in the office for a while



Shoots better than my m1a that I keep dumping money into

Yeah, the Mini isn’t exactly a prairie dog’n rig. A quick, easy to get into action carbine it is. And no need for a charging handle ( Kyle testimony)…

Two months with the red dot. Never shot one before but so far glad I got it. After reading reviews on the Bushnell TRS 25 and seeing one at the range I ended up returning the unopened Burris Fastfire and getting the Bushnell TRS 25 for a whole lot less money. The TRS 25 is mounted on the OEM Ruger rail on the front of the receiver and is just high enough that I can use it without removing the receiver Tech Sight or front sight. I'm not shooting groups with it but I can hit a 12" metal plate at 100 yards ten out of ten shots faster than I could with the receiver sight and under 25 yards I can hit stuff with both eyes open. If something goes wrong with it I can remove it and the receiver Tech Sight is still usable without having to take off the rail.