Ruger Mini 30 accuracy

[CTPistol]

Mini 14 was the only gun I ever sold. 12 inch groups at 100yds

Unless you are looking for a huge challenge to try and get some sort of accuracy - skip it. Its just frustrating.

There are far better choices, I went into ARs and am much happier.

good luck!

 

[Ranger J]

I owned a mini 30, a SKS and a Saiga 30. The Saiga is th most accurate, with the SKS a close second and the M 30 was all over the place. I traded the M 30 away.

RJ

 

[AgentOrange]

i know this is an old thread, but i had to reply.

id bet the farm that all of you guys who got "terrible" groups were most likely shooting comblock ammunition. ive owned several mini 30s over the years, including one right now, and i learned a long time ago that they shoot absolutely terrible with the el-cheapo wolf or other comblock crap. i handload for my mini 30, and get absolutely fantastic groups. 1/2" 100 yard groups are about the norm from the bench, but on a good day it will shoot 1 hole 5 shot cloverleafs at 100 yards no problem with 125gr nosler ballitic tips and 31 grains of BL(C)2 powder and CCI magnum primers. if i load with the 100gr ballistic tip hornadays, the groups open up, but not much.i noticed early on that the mini 30 prefers bullets in the 120 to 130 range, with 125 being the best for accuracy

remeber that the mini 30's barrel IS NOT .311 , but .308 . ruger designed the mini 30 with a .311 forcing cone to force the .311 bullets down to .308 when fired, but in doing so, accuracy suffers big time.

i know alot of guys have that "7.62X39MM is so cheap, why bother to handload?" additude and mentality , but accuracy is why. that comblock ammo is good if your shooting a SKS or AK series rifle, or a saiga (remeber, there russian made and designed for the .311 ammunition) but you wont get good accuracy out of a mini 30 with it. i know this might sound like a tall statment, but id shoot against any one of those rifles with my mini 30 without hesitation. they can shoot what they feel is the best ammo for there gun, and ill shoot my handloads anyday anyway. i own a remington 799, a CZ527 and a couple of other 7.62 bolt action rifles, including a custom made , and my mini 30 will shoot as good if not better than any of them (including the custom)


im in northern california, and would be happy to shoot side by side against any AK,saiga or SKS with my mini

its also the same almost with the mini 14. ruger manufactered the mini 14 in a couple of different twist rates, and alot of guys shoot the surplus 5.56 ball ammo in them, which is OK for plinking, but accuracywise, it sucks. i load hornaday match 60gr hollowpoints for my mini 14, and it loves them. granted, after about 10 shots fired, my goups open up, but it will also shoot cloverleafs from a cold clean barrel

 

[Groucho_]

It sure is possible but don't rush it. In my opinion the Mini-30 can be a finnicky system. When it comes to hunting your shot has to count, and since the 7.62x39 is relatively intermediate in power, accuracy is important. Make sure yours is shooting around 3-4 MOA. Make sure your optics are snugged down and you're using quality ammo (the Mini can choke on some of the cheaper lacquer coated steel ammo).

 

[Wolfgang2000]

I've never owned a Mini 30, but I have several SKS's. All are the short barrel Chi-Com version. Once I got a decent mount for my SKS it shoots 1 to 1 1/2 inch groups. Those receiver cover mounts are OK but they are not very stable. You will always get fliers. My mount fits over the receiver cover and the receiver is drilled and tapped. The mount is then screwed to the receiver.

Another thing to consider is that most cheap Russian ammo is not the most accurate ammo out there. But it is cheap and fun to blast. Just don't shoot matches with it.

 

[che_70b]

I like my Mini30. i bought it becouse I wanted a gun that fired the 7.62X39 round was not ugly as sin (SKS and AK). The mini's looks remind me of an M1 Carbine (which I really like the looks of) and it is very pleasant handling little gun. My groups wit it were so so, but I did not buy it to be a target gun.

All this said, I bought it used with scope rings for far less than the new price, For what I have seen new minis going for I doubt I would consider one.

 

[AgentOrange]

and id bet money that if you reloaded some .308 bullets for your mini 30 youd find right away that your mini 30 will go from "so-so" groups to MOA groups that quick.

tell you what i will do. its snowing here right now, but when it lets up i will go out and shoot a few groups at 100 yards with MY mini 30 and post scans of the targets.


what i find funny is some of these places that "accurize" the mini 30 only gaurantee 1.0 MOA with there high $$ overhauls,new barrels,bedding and pillar blocking,etc...'


i get one hole clovers out of mine, and have done nothing to it but pull it put of the box and slap a scope on it, and of course feed it right.

 

[superbee]

agent orange, i would like to know the specifics of your hand loads i bought 1o boxes of winchester ammo for my mini 3o which shoots ok but i would like to start reloading when i burn through it

 

[AgentOrange]

SURE

My main pet load is winchester brass loaded with CCI magnum primers,nosler 125 grain spitzer ballistic tips (15.00 per 50 thru midway) and 30gr of BL(C)2 powder. VERY accurate load. BL(C)2 is absolutely outstaning in the mini 30. burns clean, and very accurate.thru my late 2007 model stainless/synthetic mini 30 it will shoot cloverleafs all day long.

one only other thing i plan on doing to it is purchase ( or drill mine and tap it for a screw) an adjustable gas block from accuracy systems. i had one of there blocks on a mini 14 u ised to own, and you can adjust those suckers to literally drop the brass at your feet. most every mini 14 and mini 30 ive ever owned will sling brass 20 to 30 feet . this is fine of your just plinkin with that comblock crap, but if you plan to reload for your mini, its alot nicer than having to pick up the brass and hunt it down like easter eggs, especially if you shoot in high mountain desert like i do. that brass gets lost in the ground cover really easy.

one other thing i did on my mini 30 is to purchase an extra set of medium rings.i mounted a 3x9x40 stainless scope in one set, and a ultra dot red dot sight in the other. the ruger rings are pretty good about keeping zero when you take them off and reattach them. i use the scope if im going to do any hunting with it,target shooting,etc. i use the red dot for just plinking, or want quich accurate snap shots.

one other thing is did is to mount an actual front sling swivel so i could mount a standard harris bipod. i really never liked the looks of the harris adapter myself, and the bipod is much more sturdy IMHO with the extra added swivel mount
when it warms up a bit outside, ill take some pix of my mini and post them.

 

[AgentOrange]

WELL HAS ANYONE TRIED RELOADING FOR THERE MINI 30 YET?


like i sad, i think youll find that thats the ticket when it comes to accuracy. im going to make a range trip in the AM tomorrow ( weather permitting) and ill try to remember to bring my targets back from my mini 30 and post them.

also, ive probably got 400+ rounds of the ballictic tipped amo loaded up, so if youd like to buy a couple of boxes and try it before reloading, let me know

 

[pbrktrt]

agent, i have a 197 series m-30 with a few mods that shoots 1"-11/2" groups at 100 yds. trigger job, Accu-Strut, smaller gas bushing, & a Leupy 3x9 with quality brass cased rounds. it really likes the Lapua a lot. i really enjoy the rifle & can't understand the bashing it gets some places. i'm glad to see another satisfied owner that understands the rifle & what it likes to eat. strangely enough the owners manual states it pretty clearly. i'd love to try some of your handloads, sound very accurate.

 

[AgentOrange]

yea, there pretty sweet. i went to the range today and shot about 40 rounds thru mine. i started out shooting 3 shot strings at 125 yards, 3 min ute cool down between strings. got an adverage of 1/2" to 1 hole groups. then i decided to do some "fast fire" play, and fired 10 round strings with a 5 minute cool down. these were offhand strings,no rests. my groups were about 1" +/-.....yea, the mini 30 has gotten a bad rap for awhile from alot of directions, but as i stated, the only real problem is most all of these guys who have bashed it havent caught onto the fact that comblock ammos generally .311-.312, while the mini was designed for AMERICAN ammo thats .308. my mini loves my loads. i think the allure of the "c heap" ammo gets alot of guys. heck, price difference can be substantial, your talkin 2 bucks a box vs. 25.00 a box + for us factory loaded 7.62x39, and the factory stuff is the .308!

heck, i tell you, theres only one thing ive found drawbackwise in my handloads. the nice pointed ballistic tip doesnt like being loaded in the high cap mags. ive aways got to "grind" ( actually, i use a air powered gasket cleaner as it trims and polishes) about 1/8" off of the tips of the ammo im going to load in my high caps, but accuracys not affected one single bit by it ( whats the part weigh im grinding off?...MAYBE 1/10th of a grain....lol) and shots absolutely identical to the non-ground ammo...lol

try that load out. i think youll fall in love with it. sofar that load ( with winchester brass) is the most accurate handload ive worked up for the mini 30 sofar, and i think that if i had a good rest and clamp setup and clamped the rifle down it would probably shoot single bullet diameter 3 shot groups...

im going to head back to the range tomorrow. im going to setup some 300 yard targets just for ****s and grins and see how it groups out there.

i also took a sweeeeeet winchester 357 lever ac tion carbine out today after mounting a 3x9 power scope on it and shot a few groups ( i had to, i want to work up some lilgun loads for it, and i ran out of freakin brass!)...that little sucker with my handloads ( 125gr XTP over 7gr titegroup) shot 1 holers at 100 yards. im also gonna work up some loads for that too. i saw a couple of loads for the 357 today loaded with H110 ,125gr XTP and winchester brass that break well over the 2000fps mark i wanna try. might be a great deer load out to 150+ yards.

ive got a 204 ruger im working up also.....lol

 

[DiN_BLiX]

Older model minis are a crap shoot out of the box, but alot the foul points get exagerated. the perfectunion IS required reading for any mini owner. Its too bad that ruger this now"fixes" the main problem, the barrel. Ive got my mini all fixed up, trigger job, cut and crowned the barrel, refinshed the stock and shimmed it. it gets looks at the range, exspecialy when its running toe to toe with the range neighbors m4clone.

 

[gbran]

Older model minis are a crap shoot out of the box,

Please define "older". My Mini-30 is about 3 years old and my dad gave it to me a few months ago. I've not had a chance to do any serious shooting with it, so I don't know how accurate or inaccurate it is.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

gbran you should go to 'perfectunion' they have a Mini board. anything you need/want to know. lots of M30 shooters there. with good ammo these rifles will shoot from 'fair' to 'excellent' - picky about the ammo you feed 'em.

 

[MCgunner]

While the mini 30 would work well as a close quarters rifle, neither the gun, the 7.63 X 39 cartridge, or the 4X scope is up to the task of deer hunting at 150 yards.

My scoped Norinco SKS shoots 3 MOA with the handload I used to hunt with which involved a 135 grain Sierra Pro Hunter spitzer, no boat tail. It laid down 1000 ft lbs at 200 yards and sighted 3" high at 100, hit on at 200. I consider it a 200 yard max rifle, however, at that range, it'd have to be a broadside shoulder shot. That bullet is no longer available and, when I can get around to it, I want to play with some Barnes bullets in around 125 grains.

I've taken one deer with the rifle, facing toward me at 80 yards. Don't hunt with it that much, have better rifles. It was a danged sight better deal than a Ruger Mini 30, though.

 

[Green Mountain Shooter]

My Experience With the Mini-Thirty

I have owned one for about a year now. I mounted a low magnification scope on it and do my own reloading. Prior to making the purchase I read as much as I could find about it. I came across the usual plus and minus comments and read a few reloading manuals.

The reply I received from the great folks at Ruger stated that my serial number was manufactured with a .308 barrel. I purchased a set of Lee dies, which are shipped with both a .308 and .310 (.311?) expander ball. I have been reloading the .308 version of the 7.62x39 (.308 short) with excellent results. 2-3 inch groups at 100 yards. For a .30 caliber semi-auto carbine I was pleased.

I would like to counter some of the negative comments with the following. First, when I shot some of my 7.26x39 Russian ammo the accuracy was abysmal at best, wrong fit for the bore diameter (.310/.311 diameter bullets in a .308 bore). The problem presently (June 2008) faced by those who own a .308 bore Mini-thirty is that there are very few sources of factory ammo loaded with .308 diameter bullets. The majors do not offer anything. I have measured some Winchester 7.62x39 and it was .310.

I have also run into problems with after market high cap mags. It seems that the majority that I tried did not feed reliably. So, I stick to the five and ten rounders.

For what the rifle was designed for, IMHO, it shoots great. My suggestion is, if you want a 7.62x39 battle rifle, purchase an SKS, the cost is far less. SKS high cap mags are available as is cheap imported ammo. But if you are looking for a nice brush carbine for hunting I recommend this rifle. As to the issue of the bore diameter, I would contact Ruger or slug the bore to make sure you are matching the bullet diameter to the bore.

Green Mountain Shooter

“All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.”

 

[striker578]

2008 Ruger Mini 30

I called Ruger yesterday and they did admit that they had accuracy problems with the older Mini 30s. I was told that they did some internal redesigns in late 2007. My Mini (march of 2008) shoots 1 moa @ 100 yards with some handloads and winchester ammo. the grouping opens up to a 1 1/2 to 2 inch spread with the wolf military classic ammo. I pulled a bullet from the wolf classic and it has a boat tail bullet at .311 and the black box wolf is a flat base and opens up to a 3 inch spread. I do like it for a brush gun and as far as hunting I would use handloaded soft points.I believe accuracy would improve if Ruger crowned the muzzle, I'm getting mine done and I will let you knoe the results.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

mine does 2.5 inch at a 100 with 123 hornady soft points and 1680. With crap ammo like wolf about 5 inch. Most of the horror storys you will here about them not hitting the target is because of cheap imported crap ammo. Spend some time on the bench and you will find a decent load. It didnt take long at all to find this load and id bet if i fooled with some more bullets and powder combos I could eaisly get it under 2 inches. My two minis are about the same. Find a load they like and there 2 inch guns feed them any crap you find and there 5 inch guns.

 

[jman74]

Buy a SKS instead. Cheaper, more realible, eats any and all ammo, etc.

 

[Ignition Override]

My 30 shoots M.O.G./Minute Of Grapefruit at 70 feet.
Iron sights, standing.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I know zombie thread

Agent Orange there's so much ill informed misinformation in your postings I'm at a loss as to where to start picking them to pieces, I'll just start with this

i get one hole clovers out of mine, and have done nothing to it but pull it put of the box and slap a scope on it, and of course feed it right.

5 shots at 100yds? WOW your MINI is more accurate than my $1000 bench rifle chambered for 7.62x39mm You should go out right now and buy a handful of lottery tickets, I'm sure they'll all pay out.

thru my late 2007 model stainless/synthetic mini 30 it will shoot cloverleafs all day long.

while the mini was designed for AMERICAN ammo thats .308. my mini loves my loads. i think the allure of the "c heap" ammo gets alot of guys. heck, price difference can be substantial, your talkin 2 bucks a box vs. 25.00 a box + for us factory loaded 7.62x39, and the factory stuff is the .308!

first off American 7.62x39 has NEVER been loaded with .308 diameter bullets, never has been never will be. And it sounds like you'll be shocked to learn that YOUR MINI has a .310 diameter bore as all minis made since 1992 have

like i sad, i think youll find that thats the ticket when it comes to accuracy. im going to make a range trip in the AM tomorrow ( weather permitting) and ill try to remember to bring my targets back from my mini 30 and post them.

a year now and we're still waiting, I'm sure we'd all love to see those targets

 

[waiotahi52]

Ruger mini 30

Have owned a mini 30 for about ten years, love it, but I wouldn't try to hit a bus at 150 yards. I use mine for shooting goats and limit it to anything under 100 yds. Have got hundreds of them, they are a plague in this country. For anything over that I have a CZ 223. Love that as well. The CZ has a certain finesse about it, the Ruger is just a brute of a thing, horses for courses I believe the expression is. However if you suddenly come across a mob, the Mini is perfect.In this country mods like bigger magazines cause too much hassle with the law so I just have two 5 shots, and depending on ammo sometimes I can fit six in the thing. Another disadvantage with them is , that if you wait till you see your target and decide to load it, you will scare everything within fifty yrds, so you really need to cock it before you set out. Not good 'standard practice', although they have a good safety, but if you are with a mate, you be in front.

 

[Evanb]

Mini 30 Accuracy

There is a great solution to the Mini-30 accuracy issue that evidently many do not know about. There is a product by the name of Accu-Bar that turns the Mini 30 into a more than acceptable rifle.

I bought an older Mini30 because the price was right. It is Stainless steel. I added the Accu-bar and it will shoot 2" - 3" groups at 100 yards with Wolf ammo. For real ammo, It likes the Remington 125 Grain PSP and gives me 1 1"2 groups at 100 yards. I use it for Dear, Coyote and Hog Hunting. I shoot the surplus stuff for fun.

An additional benefir, the Accu-Bar makes the rifle look a lot like the M-14. I get a lot of guys at the range that have mistaken it for a stainless Springfield SOCOM.

And yes, my previous experience with the Mini-30 and Mini-14 was the same as theirs. Paper Plate Accuracy. I also understand that the newer Mini-30 (now discontinued) shot better because Ruger gave attention to the harmonic dampening issue. That said, Id still us the Accu-Bar. It has been great for me and I suspect this Mini-30 will stay with me till my son inherits it.

 

[lencac]

And yet another wonderful thread about the wonderfully inaccurate mini's. Complete junk and with terrible triggers to boot.
At least some time ago you could at least say it was cheap ........ not anymore though. Might as well get an AR or a mil-spec M1 carbine.