Ok I finally did it. I tried Z-man's method of accurizing to see for myself what kind of results I could get. 1st off I wasn't nearly as technical or careful with my testing or with my gunsmithing. To me this is just a plinking rifle and I don't want to mess up the handling of it by mounting a a scope on it. I started with a well used 186 series stainless mini 14 standard model. This thing look like it was never cleaned when i got it at a local gun shop. It did function 100% even crudded up and bone dry without any lube so i bought it. I shot using mil surplus 55 FMJ SA I think it was South African. I got a bunch about 4 months ago in 300 round battle packs. I know its not the most accurate stuff in the world but it will hold 1-1.5" at 100 yards out of a Rem 700 pss. It does about 3" out of my AR15.
1st I cleaned the mini very well and shot it for groups. I did fire a fouling shot first. Groups were 5 shot at 50 yards slow fire not letting the barrel get hot. I did not use a scope. I know there is human error but I shoot very well and consistant with iron sights. So i was getting groups from 3.5-5" at 50 yards. They were inconsitant in pattern. Sometimes in a verticle line, sometimes just blown paterns with wild flyers. I put on a muzzle break (blackwarrior) on then shot some more groups. Groups did get smaller on average but were still very inconsistant. Had some good 2" and some 4.5". Nearly the same size as groups without the brake. The 2' group was a good round patern and the larger groups were some times a horizontal line and some times just blown paterns. Groups were about 2.5" lower with the brake on. I guess it works? I took the rifle out of the stock. The rifle was very loose showing a lot of lateral play in the stock. Although it did fit tight when the trigger group was in. I did a half ass bedding job. I got Mike video but must admit I wasn't very good with the dremel tool and missed bedding some areas and put too much in around the recoil lugs and where the trigger guard locks in. I almost couldn't get the rifle out of the stock even though i used plenty of release agent. The rifle fit tight so i guess it was good enough. I shot again after 3 days to let the bedding fully set. groups ran 1.75-2" very round groups no flyers no funny patterns. I also got the barel so hot i could touch it and shot again groups opened to 3" but still very round. All groups were now 4" high. I had to rezero the rifle. This was all with the same lot of ball ammo and no scope. I use a makeshift sand bag as a rest and lighty cleaned the rifle after 30-40 rounds. No doubt I could do better if I made some tailored loads and scoped it but I don't want to go through all that trouble when Im blastin 150 rounds in an afternoon and rocks and cans. Also I don't think there are any really good rock solid mounts for a plain mini. I've found that I could shoot military rifles better with iron sights compared to the same rifles with cheap adapted scope mounts. They just shifted to much for me, and yes I used lock tite. So I didn't take as much time or do it as carefully as I could have but I think most people are like me and would rather spend there time shooting rather than fixin and shoot what ever ammo is the cheapest. I plan to fire lap the barrel just becuase i got some bulletd with the video and some day will shoot some match ammo at 100 yards just to see what it can really do.
BTW this gun is for my girlfirend and she can barely hit a mansize target at 100 yards so I don't think she needs a 1 MOA rifle and I ain't spending big $$$ on ammo for her to miss with. All in all im please because it was shootin close 8 MOA. I didn't know if it was her or the gun.
1st I cleaned the mini very well and shot it for groups. I did fire a fouling shot first. Groups were 5 shot at 50 yards slow fire not letting the barrel get hot. I did not use a scope. I know there is human error but I shoot very well and consistant with iron sights. So i was getting groups from 3.5-5" at 50 yards. They were inconsitant in pattern. Sometimes in a verticle line, sometimes just blown paterns with wild flyers. I put on a muzzle break (blackwarrior) on then shot some more groups. Groups did get smaller on average but were still very inconsistant. Had some good 2" and some 4.5". Nearly the same size as groups without the brake. The 2' group was a good round patern and the larger groups were some times a horizontal line and some times just blown paterns. Groups were about 2.5" lower with the brake on. I guess it works? I took the rifle out of the stock. The rifle was very loose showing a lot of lateral play in the stock. Although it did fit tight when the trigger group was in. I did a half ass bedding job. I got Mike video but must admit I wasn't very good with the dremel tool and missed bedding some areas and put too much in around the recoil lugs and where the trigger guard locks in. I almost couldn't get the rifle out of the stock even though i used plenty of release agent. The rifle fit tight so i guess it was good enough. I shot again after 3 days to let the bedding fully set. groups ran 1.75-2" very round groups no flyers no funny patterns. I also got the barel so hot i could touch it and shot again groups opened to 3" but still very round. All groups were now 4" high. I had to rezero the rifle. This was all with the same lot of ball ammo and no scope. I use a makeshift sand bag as a rest and lighty cleaned the rifle after 30-40 rounds. No doubt I could do better if I made some tailored loads and scoped it but I don't want to go through all that trouble when Im blastin 150 rounds in an afternoon and rocks and cans. Also I don't think there are any really good rock solid mounts for a plain mini. I've found that I could shoot military rifles better with iron sights compared to the same rifles with cheap adapted scope mounts. They just shifted to much for me, and yes I used lock tite. So I didn't take as much time or do it as carefully as I could have but I think most people are like me and would rather spend there time shooting rather than fixin and shoot what ever ammo is the cheapest. I plan to fire lap the barrel just becuase i got some bulletd with the video and some day will shoot some match ammo at 100 yards just to see what it can really do.
BTW this gun is for my girlfirend and she can barely hit a mansize target at 100 yards so I don't think she needs a 1 MOA rifle and I ain't spending big $$$ on ammo for her to miss with. All in all im please because it was shootin close 8 MOA. I didn't know if it was her or the gun.
