Mini-30 Mini-14 Accuracy Tune Up
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- My experience improving the accuracy of a Ruger rifle. This IS NOT advice on how to do that, just an experience.
Ruger, Mini-30, Mini-14, accuracy, trigger, barrel vibration, Wolf ammunition, Wolff ammunition,
The “wolf” spring you installed is NOT the same company that makes wolf ammo. The spring you installed is by Wolff…. A spring only company.
Yeah thanks, that's already been pointed out.
Its ironic they both have the same wolf name!
@@turtletruth Spelled differently though.
🤣🤣🤣 he has not a clue!
@@edherlik6816 Sorry, nobody has time to scroll through all of the comments. As long as the video still shows that error, expect more comments like mine in the future. Welcome to RUclips.
My Mini-30 was purchased back in the late 70's. It was the older model that was not very accurate. I was averaging about a 4" group at 100 yds. I only did 2 things to make it better. I added an Accu Strut for around $55. I cannot remember where I bought it. The only other thing I did was to test various brands of ammo. The brand that won out above the rest was the Hornady SST. Now, with only those two things, I consistently get 2" or less groups at 100 yds. No, it's not a tack driver and definitely not a long range rifle. But for my use, it definitely suits my purpose. I occasionally use it deer hunting in areas where anything over 100 yds. is not possible, and home defense. It's dependable and a whole lot of fun to shoot.
I agree. The Mini will never be a target rifle but works well for close in needs.
Accuracy Systems makes a nice Barrel Strut Stabilizer but to to be honest if those are 100 yrd groups, i just don't think i'd mess with it anymore.
Yes, 100 yard indoor benchrest. I suspect the tape bedding helped with vibrations. I don't know what effect the muzzle brake had because I didn't shoot it with bedding but without the brake.
I put the strut stabilizer on my mini-30 & saw no appreciable difference in consistent accuracy. But it looks nice fwiw.
Yep, once it's not "broken" anymore STOP FIXING it!
seems my experience with these rifles is in the stock. running rounds through the barrel attached to a wood stock delivers tighter accuracy compared to the poly or composite option.....in my experience.....love your channel!!
I've only had this one stock so I don't have your experience. Thanks
My mini-30 was accurate right out of the box after replacing the spring with a wolf spring for shooting steel ammo!
Which Mini-30 do you have?
I have found that adding Skinner Peep sights will improve most rifles. A mini 30 is a Brush gun. Use it as such.
They are now $1,000+- new, so it is worth glass bedding.
I don’t know where you found silver bear but it was the best .223 ammo I ever shot at one time long ago
I got 1000 silver bear with a saga .233 rifle and used it in a few other AR platform guns I owned. Talk about accuracy!!!
An excellent, straight to the point video. I easily related to your methods. Thank you! Much appreciated!
Let us know here if any of it helps.
I have a mini-30 ranch rifle. It’s very well maintained I can it 6 inch steel plate every time at 100 yards with wolf steel cased ammo and you have to understand that’s what it is. It’s not a rifle you’re going to get amazing accuracy at 300 yards. Partially because of the 7.62x39 and partially because the barrel is a very light for the 7.62 and it wobbles because of how thin it is
I expect everyone here understands those facts. But this video concerns getting better accuracy from your rifle.
I never said anything about 300 yards or about being inherently accurate. It's not. I just made it better than it was.
So, what's your point?
I Just bought a Mini 14 stainless steel 183- 1982 model. Maybe had 30 or 40 rounds thru it. Mint condition.. I shot 225 rounds thru it.. fun gun
Glad you like it. I'm happy with the 30 cal version.
There is a strut rod they make for the mini barrels and they do help
You really need to sight-in your gun with the ammunition you intend to use for hunting before you go hunting. Also, sight in with a cold barrel, because when you go hunting, the first shot you take will likely be the one you intend to take game with.
Agreed. The last shots were with hunting ammo. As to cold, that will always be more consistent than hot. I don't yet know how cold groups with that hunting ammo.
" it's almost 5 inches!"
Hey! Don't call me out like that man!
You mentioned it was an indoor range. How many yards was your one inch group shot at?
Sorry, I just noticed your question. My bad.
Those targets were 100 yards from the benchrest.
Thanks for this video.
Very accurate with a scopr and a ak74 muzzle brake. Hot shot
Nice. Please show us the muzzle brake and your targets.
Hi, don’t know if you’ve watched them but Gunblue490 just did a video series on tuning up his new mini 14. Excellent videos. He has a new model mini with the tapered barrel but still his trigger video and glass bedding videos are very good. I have a new model mini thirty that shoots fairly well. I found it likes Tula 154 grain soft points ($11 a box ) better than expensive American Winchester power points ($38 a box). I use mine for deer hunting and have found it to be accurate enough for the taking white tails.
Cool. If you try a muzzle brake, please show us a group before and a group after.
If you watch the follow up video by Gunblue490 his glass bedding job worsened his groups. He purchased a wood stock and the gun now shoots better.
That is a Wolff spring and has nothing to do with Wolf brand ammo as you said.
Yeah, that's already been pointed out.
Ed, I like your couple of replies, ".... still waiting", very good
I'm afraid some guys are all hat and no cattle, if you know what I mean.
OK. My 10 yr old SS Mini 30 won't chamber (FTF) brass live rounds from a 20 round Ruger magazine. IF I send the magazines (that are NEW) back to Ruger they can only replace them with two 10 round Ruger magazines. Thanks to my POS Governors ban of sale and shipping of magazines over 10 rounds. The Mini is cleaned and lubed. I'm stumped. Can I get some PRO advice? Thank you
I have the Ruger 20-round and they work well. So, sorry, no pro advice. I have, however, had 3rd party mags fail and it was always because some tiny bit of their metal stamping wasn't right. I suggest you place a good and a bad mag side by side and study their small differences.
@@edherlik6816 damn good advice. Thank you
So ... tell us how it worked out.
@@SEPTEMBERMAN Hope it helps. Tell us how it went.
I replaced the magazine release. I took my Dremel to the front of the magazine and ground a U (on the flat side) shape into it. The part of the magazine that rocks into the mag well first. AND finally, purchased WOLFF( I also polished to feed ramps) extra power 30 round AR magazine springs and replaced the stock ones with them. THAT follower has no choice but to be forced up, hard. FTF no more. Those springs will never fatigue. SO far...so good. @@edherlik6816
The synthetic stocks do not shoot well. Invest in a Ruger wood stock, and glass bed.
Just..........wow.......
That is a small sample size for accuracy numbers. At least throw 20 rounds down range if your are going to cheap out of a good sample size.
It would be hard to tune better than 1.5" group @ 100 yards with stock iron sights out of the box.
Mini-14 all day, every day...
To be fair, I mount a 3-9X scope.
I have owned my Mini-30 since 1994 when Bill Clinton enacted a gun ban. It's the worst rifle I own in terms of accuracy. I also bought two cheap junk Chinese SKS's at the same time that shoot the same ammo. My SKS's from Day 1 have shot circles around my Mini-30 and the further the shot, the greater the difference. My SKS's will fire anything. My Mini-30 will jam with FMJ's. I'm not touting the SKS, I'm using it as a benchmark for exactly how bad my Mini-30 is. I haven't shot it in 20 years. It's just a frustrating affair.
I'm really surprised at the interest in such an obscure topic. So, please post what you did to your rifle and the results.
My Mini-14?
Try a .875" 3-shot group @ 100 yds with its favorite ammo (Hornady Superformance Match 5.56 75 gr. BTHP) & routinely (50% - 75%?) hitting a PENNY at 100 yds. with the the cold shot using M193 (NOT its favorite ammo).
Last 7-shot group w/M193 was: Cold shot hit a penny (spotted & marked), then six more shots (unknown sequence) with one more hitting a penny, two more hitting a quarter, and the other three all within the edge of the 2-inch target dot. Shooting prone w/bipod & LPVO @ 6x (max. magnification), but still... _can't_ use irons, since I'm blind as a bat due to welding burns 25 years ago.
It's a Model 5888 with a heavy Cobray "megaphone" on the muzzle (wish I'd weighed it before "permanently" attaching, but it's machined from solid steel... maybe 6-8 oz.?), and about halfway done with the trigger (stoned, lighter secondary sear spring, trigger shoe), which was the worst factory trigger I ever felt.
Not worth the cost to glass bed your action but a custom handmade muzzle break is cost effective? Not sure if your reasoning. You can glass bed it yourself for less that $30.
I wanted the barrel threaded anyway. The muzzle brake was a very cheap add on with that job.
Does anyone make aftermarket barrels?
Accuracy System Inc.
The old pre-580 series are the only ones to replace.The newer 5804 are heavier and tapered. Good out of the box at 100.
"Not worth a glass bedding job?" Really?
Nope
My mini 30 with a wood stock is sub 1” groups
I don't know what you all are shooting,,. I've had good luck with Remington express 125gr also ppu 123gr round nose and Hornady 123 sst steel case. I think the key is, as with all rifles, DON'T shoot round after round like a military rifle if your shooting for groups... Let the barrel cool between shots and you may have better results. Remember SS barrels heat and cool faster. Just my experience with most rifles.. ~Best
Please show us your targets.
Still waiting ...
@@edherlik6816 🎯🎯🎯
I’ve never seen that kind of accuracy in a Mini30 ever. I think the brake may cancel out some of the error caused by the reciprocating mass of that giant ass action slamming to the rear. Nice job. I’m still very hesitant purchasing one though.
I admit I didn't expect that result either. It fired several 1" groups and finished with that one in the bull. Admittedly, I've been a competitive rifle shooter so I perhaps minimized that variable. But the rifle delivered.
@@edherlik6816 the vast majority of rifles are more capable than their owners. You’re just a hell of a shot.
Great work
The Ruger Mini-30 and the Mini-14 are the most over-priced production rifles made in the US. For what Ruger over-charges for these two rifles you would expect better groups out of the box. There are much better shooters out there…at much more affordable prices.
That's true today, not so much when they came out decades ago. I hear their 7.62 ranch rifle is very accurate.
There is some very low hanging fruit when it comes to accurizing the Mini. With 58 year old eyes, I can put round after round in a 2 inch space at 100 yards and it hits a coyote in the head every time. The factory rear sight is garbage. A $65 Tech Sight and some careful work on the trigger really improve it's accuracy. Most guys can't shoot worth a damn, other than on a bench. I do most of my shooting, on purpose, while I'm winded, as I'm on my morning dog walk. Try a quick 700 ft rise in elevation, then see if you can hit something with a standing offhand shot at 100 yards? The Mini is very
capable for this purpose. When a coyote hassles my dog, he loses, everytime. That's a gun that just works in real situations. That you can shoot a tighter group than me off a bench with an AR is irrelevant.
@@ranchodeluxe1 I such situations, I also like shooting sticks. Sitting with the rifle on sticks is pretty accurate.
@@edherlik6816 Yes, but I don't like to carry much at higher altitudes, so I practice my military shooting positions and using my sling.
It will always be the worst rifle I've ever owned, unless I can trick someone to buy it..
The older mini 14 I use to own didn't like the steel cased ammo that I bought in the 90's. In fact they jammed in the rifle twice before I stopped using steel cased ammo.
Wolf power springs is a Pennsylvania company not Russian made.
Also the ammo you are using is well know to be crap for accuracy, get some reloaded using like 150 grain 311" bullets .
Why change bullets when they shot 1"?
@@edherlik6816 Because trying other loads maybe find better accuracy that's why.
It really amazes me they kind of people that make these videos have at times zero experiences with reloading - ammo - bullets and hunting or know only from what they read on RUclips gun comments then believe that is absolute truth then try to pass them self-off as a world expert on everything firearms and hunting.
@@Lure-Benson I've reloaded thousands of rounds/shells and only use reloads in my .204. I also held a national record in rifle. So I get how this works. Bottom line - I posted my Mini-30 targets, now post yours.
Hmmm, still waiting ...
Hmmm ...
Wolff springs not wolf
-5 for spelling.
@@edherlik6816
His spelling is correct for the brand of the spring. And no, they are not the same company.
Why would anyone expect enough accuracy out of cheap ammo to hunt any animal? If you aren't willing to buy quality ammo, don't point any rifle at any animal.
The quality American ammo was equally bad. That's what drove me to improve the rifle.
@Ed Herlik that makes sense, not to mention any ammo was hard to come by at least I'm seeing some on shelves. I have enough to hunt with but not a lot for practice. Ammo prices are high.
Sending my mini-30, but that will be the last $ I spend on it. I hope I get the same results because mine shoots just like yours.
Sending it where?
It could also be that trimming off the end of the barrel to thread it, and necessarily re-machining the crown, helped too. I can't know because I didn't fire it between each modification.
@@edherlik6816 High Tech Customs
@@petediaz9310 I dropped by there a few hours ago and showed Rich the targets that 'his' Mini-30 fired. I think he should sell the whole package of bedding, trigger and muzzle brake.
@@edherlik6816 I spoke with him as well, & I like his approach. He does an analysis & determines what your rifle needs, but cautions there's no guarantees you'll get 1" groups.
Well you can always glass bed you rifle. It helps a LOT! Add a Mo-Rod or an Acu-Strut
5", 2.5", 1" group at what range? 10ft? 50yrds?
All of the testing was fired at 100 yards on an indoor, benchrest range.
@@edherlik6816 Thx 4 ur reply. At 100 yd distance, 5" pattern is pretty gd for
a carbine. But perhaps, not kosher to wound a deer. Even
w the semi-auto, may not want to shoot try it again? And just don't use
a cheapo ammo for hunting...
@@schutendohkji548 I agree on the difference between plinking and hunting accuracy. Besides, this tune up was very easy and cheap (except for the optional muzzle brake). As for cheap ammo, it turns out the Russian soft points are about as effective as it gets on hogs.
@@edherlik6816 Thx 4 ur reply. I'm happy
that ur enjoying ur Mini-30 and even
for the ham harvests!
@@schutendohkji548 You're welcome
What was the distance at which these groups were fired?
100 yard indoor benchrest. 9X power on the scope.
So, a factory $1K rifle shooting 5 MOA is now shooting 1 MOA with $.01 worth of electrical tape ? Ruger engineers are this goofy ?
I suspect market forces delivered cheap plastic stocks. They proved poor, so a bit of cheap bedding helped.
More reasons why I do not like ruger products they have to know how these things are when they leave the factory. They must feel that their customers are really stupid. Reminds me of Chrysler products. I.e. you would not know what quality is even if it walked up and bit you in your ass.
Yeah, they certainly know how to make accurate rifles. Ruger could have put more effort into this model.
The only interesting guns are the accurate guns!
Tell us you don't know what you're doing without saying it...
I have both a 580-series Mini-14 and Mini-30. Tried the Accu Strut thingy. No detectable difference and it added weight and looked weird. Since removed. Some report 1-2 MOA performance with a bit of work. I have not seen that and the general consensus seems to be that that is very rare. These rifles were designed as 100 yard tools (say 3-5 MOA) - not even worth a magnified optic IMO (I use mini red dots). Quick, light, reliable (w/Ruger mags), durable, clean and no gas in the face. I chose the Mini over the AR and AK. Any sort of remotely serious rifle work has to be bolt action as far as I'm concerned!
I got decent results, as you'll see in the last target.
Was about to pull the trigger,no pun intended, on anew Mini 30.
I really hate guns that dont shoot worth a shit.
I bought a new Baretta 21 a, .22. Not luch more thqn a noise maker. Same w a Ruger SR 9. POS.
A Beretta 92fs.....up yo 50 yards, 1.5 inch group....out of the box.
SIg Saur P238....bought from a pawn shop....acurrate to 20 yards (not feet) over and over again with any type ammo.
Windem AR 10, .308.....off hand, over and over again, shoots a 2" froup at 100 yards....an i said offhand!
So, some guns are badass and some are nouse makers.
I have had 3 mini’s. I love the platform but all mini was terribly inaccurate. Two of which were the new and improved mini’s.
I did all of the upgrades including sending trigger off to a gunsmith. My mini’s were never constantly accurate. At times it they would shot 3 in a 1” group only for the fourth to be a random flyer. 4 inches away. Unfortunately I had to let them go due to the inaccuracies
With the short barrel I would recommend using 62-64 grain American made ammo. It might tighten up your shot groups.
Supposed to use quality ammo .not mil surplus
As I noted at the start of the video, quality American ammo didn't shoot any better.
Too bad Ruger won’t fix this. Quit buying them.
Won't fix what?
Lack of accuracy
What a bunch of hoopla for todays videos, mini 14 are still meh compared to the AR, and the mini 30 is still a gem
Mini 14 in 300 blackout is the gem my friend !!!
@@burtonkephart6239 300 blackout is trash as a supersonic cartridge. It was always meant to be subsonic and suppressed. 7.62x39 outperforms it by far.
@@codyworley5623 if by far you mean 2% lol!!!! Very little difference ! I have many 300 blackout with 200 yard zero from box and also many going faster that measly 2300 like Russian commbloc trash . Also I’m getting 125 grain 300 blackout for .55 cents so why would I shoot an obsolete caliber that is major bottleneck and doesn’t fit AR style well!! Unless you want AK junk. I grew with SKS my Dad brought back from Nam and it shot like a Cadillac but 10 round stripper clip is out dated! So I went with 300 blackout because you don’t have a silly arched mag that causes jams in AR rifles !!! No brainer
@@burtonkephart6239 7.62x39 is getting 200 fps more for same bullet weight. You are not getting 7.62 power out of .300 blackout. And in your subsonic bullets you are getting 45 acp power. Sorry you picked a shit caliber for your rifle and are having buyers remorse. You really need to stop projecting your inferiority. You're making yourself look foolish
Own one pure junk…
You can sell it today for $1,100.
Please get better advice before attempting any work on your mini. There are much better options available. Also that is not the spring that needs modification. Last, spend the money on a fine stone, they are cheep
Please create that better advice video and post the link here.
We'd still like to see your video.