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First serious trip to range with 582 series

6410 Views 27 Replies 14 Participants Last post by  Alaskafe, 
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I bought a 582 series mini 14 Tactical a couple of weeks ago and have put 30 rounds through it so far. It wasn't a serious sighting in session but was just a chance for me to check the rifle out using various 55gr reloads. Today however, I have some loads that I worked up specifically for this rifle over the weekend and it is time to do some serious shooting. The one conclusion I came to was that when I am at the range I want to be at the far right table. I apologized to the guy next to me for all the hot brass zinging at him and he was nice enough about it.

When I went to the range last week, the rifle was shooting minute of basketball which is sort of what I expected. I am hoping for tighter groups today because this rifle is meant to replace my AR 15 which is a long story that I'll get into later. I've been doing a lot of reading here and now I know I might want to retorque the gas block and that an Accu Strut or Mo Rod might help but because of the shorter barrel, but it's doubtful. Bedding the action is something that will also happen and I'm fairly certain I will replace the iron sights with something else. Williams WGRS series maybe?

Anyhow, I'm off to the range and will file a range report later.
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J
A look at a set of Tech rear Sights won't hurt either.
Put a set on my 581 and it was night and day.
If you get some buy the adj. tool also. Makes thing so much easier.
Richard
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40nascar
Alaskafe said:
I bought a 582 series mini 14 Tactical a couple of weeks ago and have put 30 rounds through it so far. It wasn't a serious sighting in session but was just a chance for me to check the rifle out using various 55gr reloads. Today however, I have some loads that I worked up specifically for this rifle over the weekend and it is time to do some serious shooting. The one conclusion I came to was that when I am at the range I want to be at the far right table. I apologized to the guy next to me for all the hot brass zinging at him and he was nice enough about it.

When I went to the range last week, the rifle was shooting minute of basketball which is sort of what I expected. I am hoping for tighter groups today because this rifle is meant to replace my AR 15 which is a long story that I'll get into later. I've been doing a lot of reading here and now I know I might want to retorque the gas block and that an Accu Strut or Mo Rod might help but because of the shorter barrel, but it's doubtful. Bedding the action is something that will also happen and I'm fairly certain I will replace the iron sights with something else. Williams WGRS series maybe?

Anyhow, I'm off to the range and will file a range report later.
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Your mini needs a minimum of about 200 rnds of break-in before trying to accurize your loads. I would recommend that you not shoot any steel cased ammo during your break-in shooting. Good luck.
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G
Alaskafe said:
I bought a 582 series mini 14 Tactical a couple of weeks ago and have put 30 rounds through it so far. It wasn't a serious sighting in session but was just a chance for me to check the rifle out using various 55gr reloads. Today however, I have some loads that I worked up specifically for this rifle over the weekend and it is time to do some serious shooting. The one conclusion I came to was that when I am at the range I want to be at the far right table. I apologized to the guy next to me for all the hot brass zinging at him and he was nice enough about it.

When I went to the range last week, the rifle was shooting minute of basketball which is sort of what I expected. I am hoping for tighter groups today because this rifle is meant to replace my AR 15 which is a long story that I'll get into later. I've been doing a lot of reading here and now I know I might want to retorque the gas block and that an Accu Strut or Mo Rod might help but because of the shorter barrel, but it's doubtful. Bedding the action is something that will also happen and I'm fairly certain I will replace the iron sights with something else. Williams WGRS series maybe?

Anyhow, I'm off to the range and will file a range report later.
Click to expand...
Hi Alaskafe;

The mini is somewhat more sensitive to variations in shooting technique than some other rifles. Here's an interesting read: Accu-strut for Mini-14

I thought I had my technique down pretty well before the ammo drought. Last time I had it out, I proved that good marksmanship skills can be perishable.

Good luck and all the best,
Grumpy
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T
I've come to believe that 582 Minis can vary wildly when it comes to accuracy. I clearly got lucky as I got a fairly accurate one that has had zero problems.

My 582 shot about 3 to 4 moa at 100yds with irons the first time I took it to the range. I was using PMC Bronze 55gr. A lot of that lack of grouping was due to me getting used to a new rifle. Now, with the Aimpoint, I can usually keep it closer to 2 moa. Still, I think my aim is the limiting factor.

Suprisingly (to me), the by far most accurate ammo I've put through it is some frangible stuff. I was on the 50yd range with an Aimpoint red dot shooting Intl. Cartrdidge Corp. PNT 45gr polymer copper frangibles. Out of a 10 round mag of these, all but one ended up in a very ragged hole. I couldn't believe it at first, but I had someone on the spotting scope that was verifying every shot. I later read that the manufacturing process used for these allows them to make extremely uniform, symmetrical bullets when compared to jacketed ones, hence the accuracy.

Best of luck getting that thing dialed in.
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A
I've been back for several hours but I'm just now getting around to the range report.

Well, this Mini 14 is going to take some getting used to. When I went to the range last week I eventually moved the target out to 100 yards and was getting 4 round groups of about 7 inches using Hornady 55gr VMax. Today I shot 5 rounds of 52 grain HPBT at the first target and it wasn't pretty. I took a picture of the target which is 7 3/4 in diameter but I needed a wide angle lens because, well you be the judge.


After firing 20 rounds at four targets my smallest group was 14 inches! I guess my rifle doesn't like the lighter bullets. I finally moved the target in to 50 yards just so I could get some sort of idea and this was the result.


If you look closely, there are 4 pasters on this target. Those rounds were actually fired at the target that was above this one when I still had it out at 100 yards. And the aimpoint for those shots was 15 inches above the bullseye in this target. I guess I'll just have to be patient and spend the breakin time practicing my gun handling technique and not care too much about the groups. I'm sure my 62 year old eyes aren't helping things much either.

Also, I have some Hornady 60 grain and some Sierra 63 grain bullets that I think I'll load up and give those a try later on.

This is frustrating and fun at the same time. Does that make any sense to anyone besides me? :wacko:
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jgodwin2 said:
A look at a set of Tech rear Sights won't hurt either.
Put a set on my 581 and it was night and day.
If you get some buy the adj. tool also. Makes thing so much easier.
Richard
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Thanks, I'll go take a look at their site.

40nascar said:
Your mini needs a minimum of about 200 rnds of break-in before trying to accurize your loads. I would recommend that you not shoot any steel cased ammo during your break-in shooting. Good luck.
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I have a bunch of 55 grain reloads that I can put through it so I guess I have some shooting to do. Darn :)

grumpy_old_man said:
Hi Alaskafe;
The mini is somewhat more sensitive to variations in shooting technique than some other rifles. Here's an interesting read: Accu-strut for Mini-14

I thought I had my technique down pretty well before the ammo drought. Last time I had it out, I proved that good marksmanship skills can be perishable.

Good luck and all the best,
Grumpy
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Thanks Grumpy, I'll read that article tonight.
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KingANuthin
Bedding is going to be a huge factor. If you take out the trigger group and hold the stock upside down, and the action falls right out, it needs to be bedded badly.
You will also need a trigger job.

These two things, I promise you, will be huge... HUGE!

Oh.. And the gas block if its way outta wack.
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KingANuthin said:
Bedding is going to be a huge factor. If you take out the trigger group and hold the stock upside down, and the action falls right out, it needs to be bedded badly.
You will also need a trigger job.

These two things, I promise you, will be huge... HUGE!

Oh.. And the gas block if its way outta wack.
Click to expand...
Good points, both.

Gundoc's got some great videos on those topics: Gunsmithing Videos by Great West Gunsmithing

To the OP, for right now I'd stick with a simple polish job on the sear and notch surfaces. Use something like MAAS metal polish and be careful not to round any surfaces.

Check your sights for tightness. The stock rear sight assembly on the new series minis is notorious for loosening. Mine very nearly fell off after a couple hundred rounds (didn't notice because I was using a scope). Blue loctite on all three of the screws is essential once you get 'er sighted in. Or replace the rear sight unit with the appropriate model from Tech Sights. Highly recommended.

On the question of technique, are you using a sling wrap? I would not, unless you float the forearm and anchor a stud to it. Reason is that the stock mini has its front sling swivel mounted on the gas block and that can cause issues with vertical stringing and changes of vertical POI based on the tension applied. If you're using a bipod, be careful of "bouncing", which also can cause vertical stringing and changes in vertical POI.

With the ammo drought on, if you can get snap caps that can help with trigger control, but recoil handling has to be done live. Your mini can be made to shoot better than that, so don't despair. Here was one of the 50 yd groups I shot a while back before the ammo drought. That was an unbedded action and I was having a lot of trouble with scope parallax at the time. Figures I'd get my new scope in (Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40 w/side focus) just in time for the whole "no bullets for you" thing to hit.

So hang in there! Your rifle can be made to shoot well.

Good luck and all the best,
Grumpy
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Some good info there guys, thanks. I have already taped a piece of paper to the wall above my reloading bench with the different ideas you've given me. I am going to clean the rifle today so I'll check to see if the action drops out or not. I think the trigger job and bedding will be the first item on the list, or maybe the new rear sight. Availability of funds is the driving factor right now. Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention and, while it didn't cause yesterday's results in itself, it's also a big part of my problem. I discovered that my safety glasses were blurring my view of the front sight a bit so I will be replacing them also. I wonder if they make safety glasses with bifocals? :cool:

One other minor chore I have now is to build myself another target stand on a slightly smaller scale and put it next to the shooting bench. I'm tired of flinging brass into the next area code. When you live in Alaska, that is a very long distance. :sniper:
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B
You might consider getting yourself a brass catcher for the Mini from Brownells. Makes friends at ranges. :D

Slips over top with no screws to worry about. Dump the brass on a regular basis so the weight doesn't throw your aim off.
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C
One thing that will help police your brass...use a fishing net of around 10" dia. on a pole. It catches your brass and then you do not need to chase it. I worked at the air force base back in the 60's (Anchorage) and still miss the State. You are blessed to be there in my humble opinion.

CLF
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K
These guys are giving good information. I assume your rifle is new. I like to brush my barrels with Brasso or JB Bore bright to clean out any loose filings and to smooth up the barrel. Since you have shot your rifle I would use the Brasso. It has ammonia in it and that helps to dissolve copper from the barrel that might have built up on any machining marks that strip copper off the bullets as they go down the tube. Use a nylon brush and not a metal brush to clean out the barrel.

Consider a 45 caliber buffer for the receiver end but NOT on the gas bushing end. At some point in the futrue you can consider a new gas bushing to tame down the recoil. But, not until your rifle is well broken in.

If you reload, consider the 50 grain bullets for your rifle. All my Mini's with 1/9 and 1/10 twist barrels seem to like them well. 24 to 25 grains of AA2230 or RL 10 make good intro loads. I don't go under 24 for reliable function. Have fun. kwg
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Footloose
"The one conclusion I came to was that when I am at the range I want to be at the far right table. I apologized to the guy next to me for all the hot brass zinging at him and he was nice enough about it."

Alaskafe,
I purchased and installed an adjustable gas port on my ranch rifle to tame the secondary projectile out of the receiver. I was able to reduce the landing of the brass from about 45 feet to about 5. I purchased it on line and it only took a few min. to install. I did not find it difficult and I can be a klutz

Footloose.
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Footloose
"The one conclusion I came to was that when I am at the range I want to be at the far right table. I apologized to the guy next to me for all the hot brass zinging at him and he was nice enough about it."

Alaskafe,
I purchased and installed an adjustable gas port on my ranch rifle to tame the secondary projectile out of the receiver. I was able to reduce the landing of the brass from about 45 feet to about 5. I purchased it on line and it only took a few min. to install. I did not find it difficult and I can be a klutz
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J
I sent both of my 582s to Great Western for Package B treatment plus installation of morods and Choate suppressor. They are both now 1.5 - 1.75 moa. The sub orbital brass problem was fixed by him by installing a smaller gas bushing. If it were me and I had $350 I wouldn't twiddle around with minor fixes but send the gun to John and get it done right in the first place. He's a pleasure to work with.

BTW, he bedded one of the minis in an ATI Strike Force ultimate stock (drop tube, adjustable cheek rest, front grip etc.) and that's the one that shoots 1.5 moa. Unfortunately, it's a bit heavy for the wife so is for sale if anyone is interested.

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KingANuthin
jandg said:
I sent both of my 582s to Great Western for Package B treatment plus installation of morods and Choate suppressor. They are both now 1.5 - 1.75 moa. The sub orbital brass problem was fixed by him by installing a smaller gas bushing. If it were me and I had $350 I wouldn't twiddle around with minor fixes but send the gun to John and get it done right in the first place. He's a pleasure to work with.

BTW, he bedded one of the minis in an ATI Strike Force ultimate stock (drop tube, adjustable cheek rest, front grip etc.) and that's the one that shoots 1.5 moa. Unfortunately, it's a bit heavy for the wife so is for sale if anyone is interested.
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The stock or entire rifle for sale?
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J
Prefer selling the entire weapon but would be willing to sell the stock and all hardware.
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CLF, This is the best place for me to live, no question.

kwg020, Yes, it is a brand new rifle and I have some Sweets 7.62 solvent that I will be using. Hopefully that will improve things a bit and I have some 50 grain Nosler ballistic tips buried somewhere on my bench that I'll be loading up next also. I'll have to go with the powder I have on hand though since finding some of any type in the stores around here is an exercise in futility. Thanks for the tips.

Footloose & jandg, A part of the fun is doing as much as I can myself. I do know my limitations though and with all the good things I've heard and seen (his videos) I will be sending it off to him to get the rest of the work done. I don't know if the Mo Rod/Accu Strut option will help with my 16" barrel but I do know that IMHO it improves the looks of the rifle a bunch. Thanks
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KingANuthin
jandg said:
Prefer selling the entire weapon but would be willing to sell the stock and all hardware.
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You could easily get over $100 for that stock. With it bedded and it being the scorpion recoil. You will get more if it came from ruger and has the ruger symbol on the buttstock.
Replace it with the factory synthetic. It's very lightweight.
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