Mini 14 or Saiga (acuracy)

[The Mighty Beagle]

Andrew, thanks for responding.

Byron - loosening the screws eh? Now that's one thing I never thought to do. Thanks for the idea. I don't currently have a Mini, but as frustrating as they were I really would like to have another to experiment with.

 

[benEzra]

My mini-14 Ranch averages 6-inch groups at 100 yards off a bench. The trigger isn't bad, but the SAR-1's is smoother in my experience.

 

[Art Eatman]

When I'm shooting groups from a bench, I rarely bother with more than three shots. I've had four Minis through the years; two blued and two stainless. I put a Weaver K4 on as my scope of choice. I always got groups ranging from 1-1/2" to at worst 2-1/2" at a hundred yards. Mostly, just under 2".

The longest string of shooting I ever did with one was during the great jackrabbit population explosion in northern Nevada/southwestern Idaho in 1980 or 1981--disremember. A buddy of mine and I sat in one spot for over half an hour and killed some 120 jacks. Neither of our Minis ever seemed to be the cause of any missed rabbit...

A Mini's barrel is thin and whippy. If the front barrel band is too tight, it's gonna walk around on you when it heats up after the fourth or fifth shot--particularly if you shoot fast. If the gas block isn't "just so", that'll maybe give you problems. IOW, they sometimes need tuneups. No big deal.

Art

 

[benEzra]

For mine, that 6" @ 100 yd was shooting slow enough that the barrel stays cool. Let it get hot, and I see vertical stringing opening up the groups even more.