Mini-14: Ultimak/Eotech review

[dave3006]

I installed the Ultimak scout rail on my standard Mini-14. Awesome addition. Looks good and I noticed my group size shrank. I think it stiffens the barrel. It was easy to install.

I mounted the Eotech 552 Holographic sight on the rail. It seemed cool at first. It certainly is well made. But, my cheek weld is too high. It actually slows me down when I mount the gun fast. I have to adjust my cheek weld to find the reticle (it is habit to mount the gun and look for the iron sights). It is also big and heavy. It was kind of like having a big screen TV mounted on the end of your gun. I also did not like fiddling with the brightness up/down switches as the day went from light to pitch dark. It would be nice to have a sight that self adjusted.

The Eotech is going back. It did make it easy to shoot at night. However, it just is not for me. I think the AR15 platform is a much better way to go since it allows you to cowitness the sight.

 

[BamBam-31]

You gonna keep the Ultimak setup, then, w/ maybe another scope? Or is it going back to plain irons completely?

 

[dave3006]

I am definately going to keep the Ultimak. The smaller group size alone is worth it to me. I am thinking about the Aimpoint Comp M2. I understand it sits much lower. No one seems to have them in stock due to the war situation though.

Ideally, I would like something that was as low to the bore as possible, did not take batteries, and cowitnessed to the existing iron sites.

Dave
- living in occupied Kali.

 

[mrcr0603]

dave3006 - I tried my M2 mounted in an ARMS #22M68 on my Ultimak and the height is just right when aiming, although it's just barely too high to cowitness the irons.

I think using the Aimpoint ring will bring it down enough that you'll be able to cowitness the irons through the sight, and make the stockweld that much more better.

BTW, I've got a Choate fixed pistol grip stock on my Mini.


Chris

 

[4v50 Gary]

dave - can you shoot a string rapid fire and warm up that thin barrel. You say the unit stiffened it? I'd love to hear if it helped to shrink the groups too.

 

[dave3006]

The Ultimak shrunk the group sizes considerably. I was shooting Black Hills 52gr ammo into some clover leaf groups at 25yds.

I had previously had my barrel shortened to 14.5" (a muzzlebrake was added to reach 16"). This completely eliminated the POI shift as the barrel heated up. The gun had a serious problems before I did this with the groups shifting prior to the shortening.

 

[dave3006]

Unfortunately, I should mention that the short barrel causes the muzzleflash at night to be HUGE.

Wolf ammo is beach ball sized. The Black Hills was basketball sized. Winchester white box Q3131A was a little larger than a softball.

This fact alone kind of rules this gun out for any night fighting role.

 

[dave3006]

Here is a picture for anyone considering a similar thing.