Ruger Mini 30 Newbie

[TFin04]

I currently shoot a Romanian AK for plinking as well as 3 gun matches.

The Ruger Mini 30 looks like a fun rifle, I'm wondering what you guys think of making the switch? I like the 7.62 round and this would be a hard use rifle just as an AK or AR is.

I'd like the option to have a nice wood stock and scope on it for target practice and then a synthetic, 'tactical' stock for competition.

What do you guys think? How are the ergonomics? Reliability? Ease of use? Cost? Accessories?

Any good resources to Ruger Mini info would be great, thanks!

 

[Outlaws]

If you really like it, go buy it before anyone else posts. Don't check back in this thread.

Its not the most accurate gun ever made, that is just a fact, but since it is made by Ruger, you are about to get all the biased posts too.

 

[TFin04]

I've never even held one. I was curious if they would fit this category of use before I start looking more into them.

Everyone has a bias, AR's are unreliable, AK's inaccurate, Glocks aren't safe, 1911's are gods gift to the gun community.

Just looking for some real world opinions on the Mini 30 or 14. My friends dad has one and raved about it today, which got me thinking about one.

Thanks!

 

[Cannonball888]

Had a Mini-14 once. I thought it inaccurate. I would never buy another one.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I've had 2 mini 14's. None would group. I'm talking 4 to 6" at 75 yds. Cold bbl, hot bbl. didn't matter. Sold the first one thinking I just got a bad one and got another. It did the same thing. I think the slender bbl. combined with a lousey trigger was probably the biggest offender. I'd like to see a slow motion of the bbl. whipping when fired.

 

[66912]

I bought one just to be different. finding reliable high cap mags was the biggest issue. I put a Hogue overmolded stock on it and I will tell you what, That rifle could hold its own in any weather it came across. Eventually I wanted something more reliable so I traded it towards an Arsenal AK at my local shop. I still think that it is a great rifle for hunting coyote or white tail in thick brush (At relatively close ranges of course).

 

[Sunray]

Mini-30's aren't known for accuracy. Certainly not accurate enough for any kind of competitive shooting. They are known for reliability though.
The Mini-30, while chambering the same 7.62 x 39 as your AK, has a .308" bore as opposed to the .311" in your AK. This means any milsurp ammo you have won't shoot well out of it. Most American made ammo uses a .308" bullet though.
MSRP is $835, but you'll likely pay less than that retail. Still too much money for poor accuracy.

 

[TFin04]

The Mini-30, while chambering the same 7.62 x 39 as your AK, has a .308" bore as opposed to the .311" in your AK. This means any milsurp ammo you have won't shoot well out of it. Most American made ammo uses a .308" bullet though.
MSRP is $835, but you'll likely pay less than that retail. Still too much money for poor accuracy.

This was exactly the type of info I was looking for. I shoot strictly mil surp ammo, if I wanted brass cased I would shoot 223.

Doesn't sound like the Mini is cut out for the tasks I want.

I just really like the 7.62 mil surp round and was looking for a bit better gun accuracy wise to shoot it out of, and I like to be different. Everyone has an AR with a red dot around here and as I saw again today, at least 50% of them have problems at our 3 gun matches. My AK, Glock and Mossberg 500? No issues.

Thanks for the input fella's, I think I'll stick with the AK for now.

 

[TFin04]

The Mini-30, while chambering the same 7.62 x 39 as your AK, has a .308" bore as opposed to the .311" in your AK. This means any milsurp ammo you have won't shoot well out of it. Most American made ammo uses a .308" bullet though.
MSRP is $835, but you'll likely pay less than that retail. Still too much money for poor accuracy.

This was exactly the type of info I was looking for. I shoot strictly mil surp ammo, if I wanted brass cased I would shoot 223.

Doesn't sound like the Mini is cut out for the tasks I want.

I just really like the 7.62 mil surp round and was looking for a bit better gun accuracy wise to shoot it out of, and I like to be different. Everyone has an AR with a red dot around here and as I saw again today, at least 50% of them have problems at our 3 gun matches. My AK, Glock and Mossberg 500? No issues.

Thanks for the input fella's, I think I'll stick with the AK for now.

 

[VA27]

I borrowed one to try out to see if I really wanted one. It'll shoot fist-sized groups at a hundred yards with Wolf ammo.

The Mini30 never claimed to be a target rifle. Neither is the AK. Few will admit it, but the little Ruger will shoot just as good as a run-of-the-mill AK and look better doing it.

It's a tough, reliable gun, 100% made in America and the later model barrels are bored to shoot milsurp, so no worries there.

The Mini30 is next on my list.

 

[gbran]

I had an SKS and currently do have a mini 30. The mini 30 is a fun rifle, but I'm not sure it is any better than my old SKS.

 

[benEzra]

IMHO, investing in an optic for the Romanian AK (such as a Kobra, $180) would be a better investment than a Mini Thirty.

My Kobra thread: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=249285

I used to have both a mini-14 and a Romanian AK (SAR-1). Sold the mini-14 because it wouldn't shoot consistently enough to zero a shotgun scope. Best group ever, with premium match ammunition, was ~6" at 100 yards, from a rest and rear bag. Good magazines were hard to find, and pricey.

A Romanian AK will do anything a Mini Thirty will do, costs less, and (IMO) looks better.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Biggest problem about the Mini series of rifles is their cost. That alone would give me ample reasons to choose an AK over the Mini.