Mini-30 scope buster. Anybody else lose a scope on the Mini-30?
The scope on my Mini-30 let go today . I knew this 7.62x39 was a bruiser (compared to all my smaller caliber rifles) but it showed this scope who was boss today. The crosshairs went cockeyed and them finally broke. It was a good scope - a Weaver Classic that has served me well on other rifles - but 600 rounds of the Mini-30 was more than it could handle. I'll be contacting Weaver as this scope should not have done this and comes with a lifetime warranty.
I'm curious if others have lost scopes on the Mini-30?
Every cheap one I have put on a Mini 14 has gone bye bye. I have an old school Weaver K2.5x on it right now and it has held up for over a year. My rifle gets used hard around the ranch and bounced around quite a bit, I have a couple of really nice Leupold's but I just can't bring myself to mount them on this particular rifle.
The Mini-14's recoil is as soft as a baby's fart compared to the rude belch of the Mini-30
I don't think its the recoil that breaks the scope. Its the foward impulse of the rifle going into battery. I put a fairly high dollar rifle scope on an RWS spring piston air rifle and it took a crap after a couple months. My buddy has the same scope on his .338 Win mag and it has lived for a few years. I will say he only shoots about 40 rounds a year out of his .338.
The scope on my Mini-30 let go today . I knew this 7.62x39 was a bruiser (compared to all my smaller caliber rifles) but it showed this scope who was boss today. The crosshairs went cockeyed and them finally broke. It was a good scope - a Weaver Classic that has served me well on other rifles - but 600 rounds of the Mini-30 was more than it could handle. I'll be contacting Weaver as this scope should not have done this and comes with a lifetime warranty.
I'm curious if others have lost scopes on the Mini-30?
I only buy Leupold scopes and I have never had one let go...
I used to buy Redfield scopes and I have had many glitches from them. Particulary with their RM6400, which was their premium target scope in the 1970's.
Having 36 years of Mini-14 ownership of all and current types yes Mini-14's kill scopes. Recoil buffers help. I have found the Bushnell Shotgun scopes work really well. On my Mini-30 hog slayer I use a Bushell Trophy 1.5-4X shotgun scope. Great eye relief and field of view and the heavy duplex cross hairs make for quick shots even in low light. If you are going to put a scope on a Mini-14/30 you need to spend the money on quality built scopes. I also use UltraDot red dot scopes made in Japan.
Which type of Weaver Classic scope did you kill? Just curious as I have a new Weaver Classic V 1-3x on mine. Haven't had any issues so far, and holding zero good, but then again mine is a 14 and I'm only about 250 rounds through it.
I have always heard air rifle scopes were pretty tough. With the mini, it's the op-rod movement that gets the scopes, that's why buffers became so popular. A cheap scope might work for a while with buffers but it may have a wandering zero at times. I have been using Leupold and Nikon lately. I bought my target mini with a Simmons 4x12, I am waiting to see how long it will last before I have to replace. I use buffers on all my minis, the piece of vacuum cleaner belt, stamped hole with a 9mm case. I think for best results you need a scope that's worth about $200 or more.
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I lost one on a mini-14, leupold 2x-7x vari-x2,of course about 5k rounds and 25 years of use.It did'nt destroy it so I took it to leupold and they rebuilt it good as new for about$40.00!I have now been making some changes to "leapers" (UTG)air rifle scopes as they are made to handle the "slide hammer" actions of the minis.They have some pretty well made scopes too-without being a share holder in leupold.
I'm with Jeff F on his comment. i think its more the slamming of the action than the recoil. Sorry, guys, but the 762X39 recoil is pretty wimpy.
I'll also agree with Tri70. Air rifle scopes, or those meant for the spring-piston type, have to be able to withstand recoil going both ways; that of the piston launching itself and then stopping abruptly.
I've had several Leupolds let go on me, mainly on Contender single shots, so over time I've become a dedicated Burris fan. No problems.
I was using the term recoil loosely. Doesn't matter if it is "recoil" or "slamming of the action" - still the gun causing it from the effects of firing it.
I was using the term recoil loosely. Doesn't matter if it is "recoil" or "slamming of the action" - still the gun causing it from the effects of firing it.
No problem, didn't mean to antagonize. I guess I meant to infer that the slamming of the action is probably more damaging than the recoil, as far as the scope goes.
Do you mean when the bolt moves forward and seats the cartridge? Or maybe when the op rod hits the gas block on the return stroke? Either way I would think the rearward strike of the op rod hitting the action would be the most resounding shock to the optics.
In my thinking I would say the forward action does the damage, but the rearward mechanical jar can't help. Most scopes are built for rearward recoil. Only piston type air rifle scopes are built both ways, though I would think that any high-end scope should be able to handle it just because of the higher safety factors that these guys put into their product.
Using a buffer can't hurt, but I think the sizing of the gas orifice is key. I bought the largest orifice bushing for the Mini14 and it wouldn't cycle the action, so some experimentation needs to be done. I bought an Adjustable Gas Block from ASI but I could get it adjusted correctly and then stripped a bolt hole in the aluminum block, resulting in one more paper weight on my desk. So I'm back to square one also.
I bought an Adjustable Gas Block from ASI but I could get it adjusted correctly and then stripped a bolt hole in the aluminum block, resulting in one more paper weight on my desk. So I'm back to square one also.
Wil
RE: The stripped bolt hole.
Have a machine shop helicoil it and continue on your way...!
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" If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would send an entertainer..... our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent a Savior."
Looking at the high speed video of the mini 14 from the other thread, you can clearly see the initial recoil from the round, followed by a sharper 'recoil' from the op rod hitting the receiver. The forward motion of going into battery is significant, but not as much as when it cycles the spent casing out. Almost like a thud-TAP...tap.
had a BSA catseye 1.5-4.5x on my mini30, no problem in over 1500rds. (now upgrated to a Nikon Monarch).
used to have a bsa 6-24x target on my mini14, no problem in 500rds. Took it off only because I didn't want to use the mini for bench shoot anymore. (now the mini14 has a red-dot on it, in a folding stock, light and fast)
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-- mini's are great rifles, the firing pin is the only weak link.
-- So, to be safe, never buy a used mini (you can never really tell how many rounds had been fired by the firing pin)
. I knew this 7.62x39 was a bruiser (compared to all my smaller caliber rifles) but it showed this scope who was boss today. The crosshairs went cockeyed and them finally broke. It was a good scope - a Weaver Classic that has served me well on other rifles - but 600 rounds of the Mini-30 was more than it could handle. I'll be contacting Weaver as this scope should not have done this and comes with a lifetime warranty.
I lost one on a mini-14, leupold 2x-7x vari-x2,of course about 5k rounds and 25 years of use.It did'nt destroy it so I took it to leupold and they rebuilt it good as new for about$40.00!I have now been making some changes to "leapers" (UTG)air rifle scopes as they are made to handle the "slide hammer" actions of the minis.They have some pretty well made scopes too-without being a share holder in leupold.
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