mini 14 as a starter varmint rifle

Status
Not open for further replies.
X-Rap, just how many shots do you need for a varmint?

Sure, the Mini would not be a good choice at a prairie dog town, but group size isn't the issue for something like a coyote where it's the first shot that does the deed.
Click to expand...

Art, PT just about summed it up in his last post. I have plenty of bolt guns that cost me less than a mini 14 that will shoot circles around it. As far as a semi auto cf .22, why would I want to have a gun that as you and many others claim won't hold zero much past 4 rds. without cooling down especially when I have already invested in the AR platform with multiple guns and magazines. Group size is always the issue, aim small miss small.
The OP wanted opinions on a mini for varmints, to me that includes coyotes, sod poodles, ground squirrels, whistle pigs and any other critters that may need dispatched in small or large quantities. The mini 14 is just not what I would recomend for that task as a starter or primary gun.
 
I have had 2. The second (which I still have) is the Target model, which specifically addresses the market that wants an accurate version. There is no provisioning for iron sights on the Target version. I wish I still had the first rifle I bought. Whoever mentioned that they shot good cold-barrel was spot on. That's exactly my findings. For what you'd be doing with IRON sights, it's a great rifle. Keeping it zeroed with a scope is a problem if you are going to put optics on it. It's THE ranch rifle for varmint such as coyotes. It's not a tack driver but it eats whatever you feed it. The ONE person I have seen that was having problems with feeding his was shooting bad reloads. About half way through the conversation he mentioned that primers were whatever he could find cheap at a gun show. 'Nuff said.
 
The OP said:
Im looking to buy a 223, preferably an autoloader. I have shot a buddy's mini 14, I really like they way it shoots, but i have heard they have some accuracy issues, have these problems been resolved with the new ones?

Is this a decent hunting rifle for varmints and such, maybe small deer too?

I really don't want an AR, I'm just prejudice against them, don't ask why.
Is there something else out there that is in the same category i should look at?
Click to expand...
This rules out the AR rifles(doesn't want one) and bolt guns(not the same category). The users of the Mini-14 rifles agree they are suitable for varmints. So either a Mini or a Saiga or another semi-auto in .223,or .204 should serve the OP well in his varminting ventures.
 
Here is how I see the debate breaking down. If you are taking coyotes at 100 yards or so, then a rifle that shoots 4-6 moa at that distance will be satisfactory most of the time if you do your part. That being the case, if you stretch that distance to 200 yards, you're looking at 8-12 inch groups. In either case, the relatively poor accuracy of the Mini14 is a liability. The reality is that nobody's hold is perfect everytime and that means a shot that breaks at the upper margin of a 'hit' as far as the cross hair on the scope is concerned, will have a 50 percent chance of a miss if the rifle will group outside of that mark half the time. In other words, it's ALWAYS better to have a more accurate rifle. If my rifle shoots 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards then a marginal shot on the very upper portion of the back of a coyote will still be a hit. Again, the mini 14, printing 4-6 inch groups, will miss half the time given the same circumstances. In other words, half the shots would go high, over the back of the hotel. If you can manage to aim perfectly everytime, right in the boiler, then fine, the mini will do just fine at 100 yards or so. Reality dictates otherwise. I'll take a bolt action, almost any manufacturer of hunting rifle, over a mini 14 everytime. Now, if you have to have a semi auto, look into an AR platform. Most will print 1 1/2 inch groups or better at 100 yards, far better than a mini14. Not much more money either for a good AR.
 
Last edited:
Every Mini-14 I have owned or have been issued would put the first TWO shots into an inch at 100 yards, and then kick the third out to make the group 3-4 inches, even with match grade ammo or handloads. Very nerveracking, I like an AR better.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
Other than doping the wind and holdover out around 300 yards on prairie dogs, I never in my multitudinous years of hunting have ever needed more than a second shot on anything, and rarely even that.

So, speaking as a hunter, my only gripe about the Mini is today's pricing. But, I get sticker shock every where I go, so I guess I just have to deal with it. There aren't any more $65 1911s or $300 Weatherbys. Or nickle coffee, either, for that matter. A serious shortage of gasoline at 25¢ a gallon.

As long as the first shot from a cold barrel goes to where it's aimed, repeating past performance, I'm happy as a little old bug. For that, my Minis were just as good as any of my tight-group bolt actions.

Mostly, I shoot critters, not paper. It's a habit I got into, pushing seventy years ago. :D:D:D
 
Again: For hunting, it's the reliability of the first shot going where intended. Group size is irrelevant to the use. For a hunter, worrying about group size as compared to the reliability of the first shot is about as useful as giving a bicycle to a fish.

My four early-model Minis were always reliable for that first shot. Bad news for a fair number of coyotes and jackrabbits.
 
I finally saw one of the accurate mini's with the big weight on the end of the barrel. What a joke that thing is, if I were Ruger I would discontinue that abomination and focus on building a top notch AR for a decent price.
 
The fact remains that while a Mini14 does have a tendency to print groups progressively larger as it heats up, the fact is that while serviceably accurate for 100 yards on a coyote sized game, the first shot is still far less accurate than a typical AR platform. The disparity is even more drastic between a mini14 and almost any bolt action varmint rifle. Even if you were to take 5 cold bore shots, each spaced enough apart to allow complete cooling, the
Mini14 is still inferior in it's ability to hit the point of aim compared to either a bolt gun or AR platform.
 
"...the first shot is still far less accurate than a typical AR platform."

Not in my experience, from four Minis and I'm now on my fifth AR.

For argument's sake, I'd give the AR one inch at 100 yards, just for the heck of it, but that's a long way from "far less accurate".

All I can go by is results. I never missed a coyote, for maybe a half-dozen. And in the 1980 jackrabbit population explosion in northern Nevada/SW Idaho, two outings netted over a hundred jacks.

Now, for sure a Mini would not travel along with me on a prairie dog hunt...
 
I do think it's fair to say that a mini14 makes a decent 'truck gun' for shots on coyote sized varmints out to 100 yards or so. While not my ideal choice for the task from my perspective due to my own accuracy demands, I'm not saying it can't get the job done. After all, at the end of the day, were not talking about the difference between success and failure being if the hostage dies due to a bad shot. It's a coyote. Still, that being the case, I absolutely demand enough accuracy from my rifles to KNOW that a miss was my mistake and not due to the inherent inaccuracy of my rifle. Also, I rarely limit my shots to 100 or so yards on yotes.
While we're all aware of the propensity of the mini14 to print poor groups due to heating, I'd be curious to see what a typical mini14, with it's 4'ish MOA group size, would do if you allowed complete cooling between shots. This would simulate cold bore shots. My guess is that while better than the groups shot hot, they would still be far worse than a typical bolt varmint rifle or AR platform. And that, in my world, makes for missed shots.
 
Meta, have you ever used a Mini as a truck gun? The reason I'm so adamant in my previous posts is that for around 15 years a Mini was indeed my truck gun. And I figure that killing jackrabbits to 150 yards or so is plenty good...

I figure some years' worth of happy results in the field beats a bunch of Internet opinions...
 
mine generally resides behind the driver's seat. I'll let you folks know if I ever miss anything with it. not everyone loves AR's.
 
.223 Autoloader

I have a couple of Kel-Tec SU16A rifles. They're .223 (actually, it's 5.56 NATO, but they eat both) and they accept standard AR magazines.

I have not tested them for groups.

They seem to hold minute of bottle within 100 yards or so.

They shoot damn near anything -- bad reloads, good reloads, any factory ammo, and I've never had a single jam. I've had a couple of failures to fire on bad reloads, and I had a failure to feed from that same batch. I ran both rounds through the next magazine and they both fed and fired. Happily, I've just about used all of those up and won't be buying from that source again.

Depending on your needs, you may find the SU16 series suitable for truck gun use. These rifles fold in half and will carry in a backpack or other bag.

The rifle is very light and not particularly pretty, but shoulders well and has a good trigger. Has rail for optic mount. The 'A' version has the long barrel with red plastic front sight insert. The 'B' version has a shorter barrel and iron front sight. The 'C' version is like the 'B', but has a variation on the folding stock that allows it to fire while folded (not CA legal).

These are not heavy duty mil-grade rifles, and I imagine that if you beat on them enough you can do some damage to the stock, but they're certainly robust enough for normal use.

 
I had always heard about the Mini's shifting POI blamed on the 18X-series having thinner barrels. Do the thicker-barreled 58X series Ranch Rifles have the same problem?
 
SpaceFrank, that seems to be the consensus. I'll add that any rifle with clamps forward on the barrel will have similar problems to some degree. As far as the skinny-barrel deal, the Mini is not alone with that. It happens with the skinny-tube Weatherby Mark Vs as well--among others.

A tight barrel band results in differential pressure on the barrel with heating, since the dimensional change in steel is greater than for wood or plastic.
 
The Mini isn't nearly as poor accuracy wise as it is reputed to be and the newer ones are even more accurate(according to reports). If you can't hit a coyote sized animal with a Mini, chances are you won't hit it with much else.
Click to expand...

Sorry for not getting back to this thread. My comment earlier is about the size of the "varmint", not the bullet choice. I consider them gallon jug kind of accurate at 100 yds on average with factory sights. So, as someone mentioned, I wouldn't choose one to shoot prairie dogs. The Mini is good enough for me and for what I would ever use them for. They are very reliable rifles and work every time.

I had a Mossberg 243 with a pretty thin barrel. It heated up very quickly. I shot great until the barrel was hot. As Art said, the barrel is a problem or limitation on a number of rifles.

I also like the CZ 527.
 
When varmint rifle is thrown out there it is obvious that it means different things to different folks, to me I want a head shot on a sleeping fox out to 100 yds. I may not do it every time but I want the gun to be capable.
I see no point in having a "truck gun" for the close shots and a tackdriver for the tough ones same for a gun leaning in the corner of the porch or in the shop. If I'm going to take a shot at an animal I want the best I can get for what I can afford.
 
Again: For hunting, it's the reliability of the first shot going where intended. Group size is irrelevant to the use. For a hunter, worrying about group size as compared to the reliability of the first shot is about as useful as giving a bicycle to a fish.
Click to expand...

If this is the only consideration I'm left wondering why in the world you'd bother carrying an expensive repeater instead of a nice simple CHEAP single shot. Especially given the absolute RAPE that mini's sell for new or used, earlier in the week I was looking a half a dozen on a rack all used and NOT one priced under $700, In the past 10 years of trolling every gunshop and show within 100 miles I've not seen a mini priced under $550

After all "only the first shot matters"

That's like buying a really really uncomfortable car and telling folks it's OK to ride in for the first mile.


To the OP, an SKS does EVERYTHING everyone here is claiming the mini will do but at only a quarter the cost.
 
Last edited:
After all "only the first shot matters"
Click to expand...
This is true of any hunting rifle. If I already have a Mini-14 and want to start shooting varmints,I wouldn't spend extra to buy a bolt gun when my Mini will suffice. A Mini is also a multi-purpose gun as it makes a fine SD/HD weapon.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

B
  • Locked
Mini 14 Target Rifle
Replies
24
Views
2K
M1key
M1key
W
  • Locked
Pimping a Mini-14 with a Boyd's stock
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
BigBlue 94
BigBlue 94
S
  • Locked
Mini-14 and Redhead Red dot scope
Replies
1
Views
822
benEzra
benEzra
B
  • Locked
Mini 14
Replies
19
Views
1K
jeff-10
J
G
  • Locked
Ruger Mini 30 vs Mini 14
Replies
14
Views
2K
JTH
J
Back
Top