[mrgaf]

Been reading all of the info on this thread and I got me a Mini-14 headache. Hate AR's, love Mini's! I need some simple, sound advice to get my Mini shooting halfway decent. It's a Stainless ranch, 3 x 9 Tasco World Class scope. I would like to get 1-1.5" groups @ 100. Rite now I gete 3" average with Blackhills 55 grainers. All moy groups seem to string vertically. I've talked with Clark Custom about thier "works" for $725.00 and Accuracy Systems about their $560.00 package as well as their barrel stabilizer. I'm not a rich person and my 5.1" Japanese wife will use the Mini-14 to do me in if I spend any more money on my toys (LOL). Accuracy Systems will put a stabilizer on the barrel and do a trigger job for 299.99 and they guarantee 1.5" groups with factory ammo. Realistic? They said it will do better with a heavier bullet (60-62 grains) due to the 1-in-14 twist of the factory barrel. Evidentally, they machine the stabilizer rite onto the existing barrel, target crown it and do a trigger job to 3.5 pounds with an overtravel screw installed. They do not glass-bed the action and I don't feel too comfortable doing it myself. Anyone have any experience with Accuracy Systems? I don't hunt with the Mini and mainly use if for punching holes in paper and would like to keep it simple. I also have 2 triple-k 10 round mags and have not tried them yet but have heard horror stories about them. I have another 10 rounder that I cannot ID but it fails to chamber after each firing and will not hold the bolt open after the last round is fired. Any suggestions about mags? Any help and advice you can give me would be appreciated.

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"Keep your powder dry, Primers hot and your aim steady and true"

 

[Skunkhunter]

Try the new Hogue overmolded stock. Does not seem to need to be bedded. Midway has for $70-80, I think. Bedding causes your problem. Try Mini-14 World for some tips on tuning the gas block, bedding, sights, etc. If the stock don't work, you can try the RAnch Products scout scope mount. That is, if you like a scout configiration, some don't. Midway has those too. The twist is 1 in 10 not 1 in 14. Mine Mini-14 likes 45 sp pushed by starting charge of AA 2015 BR. Also, any Sierra bullet should bring out the best. 69 grains works good in mine. Again, do not load to max for best accuracy. At least one grain down. Also, Mike Knifong sells a set of smaller bushings to reduce the amount of op rod slam. This is a big reason for problems. He can be reached a [email protected]. Good luck and let me know if can help further.

 

[gutpile]

mrgaf, the ruger catalogue says the twist is 1-9. i bet the ARS muzzle break will improve accuracy but it is pricey at 200 bucks, i put a slip-on flash suppressor on my mini, (from Choate, 45 bucks) and it shrank groups from 5 inches @ 50 yards to 1 inch @ 50 yards, made me a believer, not sure how it did that, must have affected the way the skinnyassed barrel vibrated. the tip on damping the operating rod is an interesting one, i didnt realize it could affect accuracy but i am willing to try anything. i have found out that the mini is alot more fun to shoot when you use it for a plinker, and shoot milk jugs and bricks and such at 100 yards, i get uptight every time i put it on paper, im used to 3/4 inch groups from my 700 rem. and the mini is dissapointing to shoot on paper, but a 3-4" group is just the ticket on a milk jug fulla water, as long as you see the jug blow up, yer happy! let us know what ya do.....gut

 

[Ace]

I have heard very mixed reviews of accuracy systems (odessa tx I think). They were either very good or very bad. If you are getting 3" 100yd groups from a stock mini you are doing well! Some people have had good luck shortning the bbl to 16" and adding a flash supressor (the popular one is by Choate). Flat base bullets are also popular for improving accuracy. You should consider having the rifle beded (unless the hogue stock really works). Just some thoughts. Thx-Ace

 

[Flak 2]

mrgaf everyone makes good points. The cheapest route is to try bedding the action to the stock. You can find info on this in books or the net. You might want to order a BROWNELLS catalog I,ll try and post their http://www.brownells.com Lots of good stuff in their catalog. I,ve always thought the barrel was the most important part of accuracy. My brother has an older mini bedded in a laminate stock that he handloads hornady 52gr. HPBT,s(I don,t know the powder or charge) that will stay at 2moa wich is pretty good. You might want to check your area for a good gunsmith and see if he can fit a Brownells SHILIN barrel#787-014-223 $199.25. Thats if with the other options ya can,t get the accuracy your lookin for. I like the MASEN 10rnd mags myself

 

[Grinch]

Hey guys, this might sound dumb but I dont know anything about it really.....what exactly is bedding?

 

[Flak 2]

Glass bedding keeps the action and trigger group from shifting in the stock. This gives you a rifle thats shot to shot zero won,t change. Probably the most common rifles to be bedded are bolt guns and service match rifles(M1 GARANDS, ,M14,s) It,s a little to complicated for me to describe here but there are books or infomation on the web to describe bedding the action of a rifle. Most any gunsmith can bed a rifle for you. Or you can do it yourself with a dremel and some minor tools. The last rifle I had bedded was a mauser 98 (22-250) in a fajen stock. The gunsmith built the the rifle from a 1909 Argi. action he did a lot of work(mount and finish chamberbarrel, forged bolt,drill and tap and install scope mnt. ,williams trigger,glassbed,andoil finish the stock) If I remember correct it was $25.00 in 1993. Check your local smith I would think it,d cost about the same as a service rile.My brother had the same gunsmith bed his mini but I don,t know what he paid. I,m not sure weather bedding would help the mini the way it does for a garand or M14 but can,t hurt.