You've got 25 acres to protect, Mini 14, or M1Carbine?

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twoblink

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No AR's.. please..

Basically, the question is, you've got a small plot of land, you want a ranch gun, and your two options are:

Mini-14
or
M1 Carbine.

Which and why..
 
I'd go with the M1 carbine. I've seen (firsthand) too many Minis have problems to feel very comfortable with one.
 
Simple choice. While the Mini 14 has significant negatives, the 5.56 cartridge is much more widely available, has more energy, and many more loads.

The M1 Carbine is mighty light and handy but the number of loads for it is pretty limited.

I know I'm paranoid - but am I paranoid enough?
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If those are your only two options - you need more options. In fact, for less than $150 in most places you can have better options, and for $250 your options become pretty broad. Your call.

But between the two presented choices, there is no immediate best answer. The Mini14 has the strength of its chambering and the availability of aftermarket hi-caps (if that's useful to you), while the M1 is far lighter and handier and cooler. If you're going to use it for keeping an active varmint/small predator population in check, the low cost and relative punch of the .223 chambering compared to the 30Carbine round probably would point you in the direction of the Mini.
 
I have owned and used both rifles in a rural setting.
I like the M1 Carbine but if you want an all around rifle and these are the choices you have settled on, then I would suggest getting a Mini 14 ranch Rifle, stainless or blued, but I would lean towards a blued version if you can get one, they seem to be more accurate right from the box.
Replace the wooden stock with a synthetic of your choice and replace the cheesy factory rear sight with a decent battle type apeture sight.
Scope the rifle if you want, I never saw the need, iron sights worked just fine with my rifles.
Keep the rifle clean and well greased and stick to 55 grain or lighter bullets since the Mini 14 barrels are 1 in 12 twist unless they changed that in recent production.
The rifles I owned wouldn't shoot 60 grain or heavier bullets well at all but 50-55 grain cartridges shot with acceptable accuracy.
If you want or need large capacity magazines then find genuine Ruger production, I have never found an off brand large capacity magazine that worked well in these rifles.
The factory Ruger magazines function flawlessly.
A good Mini 14 will serve your needs well.
 
Neither- M-1 Carbines are aproaching collector status, and Minis arnt my favotite, and neither rifle is chambered in a sutible caliber. In a semi-auto beater Id choose a SKS. Or mayby a old .30-30 or old bolt gun with optics. I used a Yugo Mauser in 8mm Mauser for my ranch gun when I was a caretaker for a 160 acre ranch, my main concern was the mnt lions that followed the deer herd thru the ranch on their bi-yearly migrations. Sorry, but IMHO the rifles you have chosen are more kind of getto punk, than get it done on the ranch.
 
25 acres and a truck...

Winchester Model 94 in .30-30, 150gr or 170gr Silvertips.
 
If you're stuck with those two, I'd go with the mini-14, on a caliber basis. Accuracy isn't stellar, but it is completely reliable. Just test your magazines well before relying on them.

If money were no object, an UltiMAK forward rail and red-dot or holosight would seem to be the cat's meow as far as sighting systems go.

(Personally, I'd go with a SAR-1 in that role, but that wasn't a choice.)
 
Neither ...

Saiga 7.62*39 (available for about $185 at the ranch supply store)

or

Winchester Model 94 30-30

or

Marlin 336 30-30



Actually, a scoped bolt-action 22-250 wouldn't be a bad idea either. That's actually what you are most likely to find leaning in the corner of the kitchen on a Montana ranch. (most of which are more like 2500 acres or more)
 
Nate, I just don't think I can do it, I can't get an AR.. It's against everything I believe!! I probably can't live with myself if I did.. The SU-16, looks a bit weak, and I am suspicious of everything but the barrel being polymer..

What are you protecting it from?
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I would assume, the usual varmints, and Wiley.. an occasional human or two might also be true..

Dude, we're Chinese. The Japanese, of course!
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Err, actually Skunk, we are Chinese, so I'll probably use it to illegally hunt sharks for their fins.. :neener: (Just Kidding you Greenpeace tree huggers)

The M1Carbine has the size advantage (something my gf can tote) but the mini has the cartridge advantage..
 
Given the choices presented the Mini 14.

My personal choices......
Lever Gun in (.30 30 or .357 Mag)
SKS


Both should be cheaper than either the M1 or the Mini 14, both shoot easy to find cheap ammo, both are reliable to a fault, both are short and light enough with the Lever getting the nod here. Both are legal just about everywhere, both have more than adequate ammunition supplies and are easily reloaded.

Zombies, Terrorists, Grizzly Bear Hoards and Ghengis Khan asside either of those should be just dandy for everyday utility varmint control, hunting, self defense firearms.

The Lever gun in .357 should be easy for anybody to shoot. No recoil to speak of and with modern ammo choices is likely to be more reliable and more potent than a .30 carbine, not to mention cheaper and easier to find.

My two cents.
 
I would go with the Mini-14 Ranch model. You can install a scope or red dot if you want and you can even upgrade the poor factory rear sight to the M1 Carbine sight. There is more of a variety of bullet weights and types for the .223 Remington cartridge compared to the .30 Carbine. Ammo cost would be a factor too. I have seen Wolf 55gr .223 for as low as $2.00/box of 20. You can get lots of target practice and fun plinking for that price.

A lot of people seem to give the Mini a bad rap when it comes to accuracy but with some inexpensive mods, you should be able to get down to 2-3" groups at 100 yds. Smaller gas port bushing, muzzle brake, and even cutting the barrel down to just over 16" will greatly improve accuracy out of the box. Add a bolt buffer and cheap scopes will survive the lessened recoil shock. A good trigger job will reduce the weight of pull and reduce trigger creep found in the factory setup. Bed the stock too.

Aftermarket hi-cap mags are available and with the exception of a couple of brands, they work well. Swap in a factory Ruger follower and any of them will work.
 
I'd go with a standard with a handguard railmount and an aimpoint or leupold scout scope.


provided the mini-14's magazine release is in spec, they'll work with basicaly any magazine, even the cheap ones.
 
If you are set on one of the two rifles you listed, you almost have to go with the mini-14. The 30 Carbine just doesn't enough power to really be counted on to do whatever you may need it to do. Neither does the mini-14 really, but it is still a little better. I have shot them and although they did work with the factory ten rounders, they didn't like most hi-caps. I also saw one get the bolt stuck back and we could not get it to go forward. I don't own one, so my experience is limited, but I wouldn't want one.
Others have listed the Saiga, SKS, or a lever action 30-30. I would also suggest one of those, along with maybe an old Mauser, Enfield, or Mosin Nagant. If it is gonna get handled rough and beat around anyway there is no sense in starting out with a pretty new gun or a collectible old one.
 
I'm a fan of both guns you selected, but I have to agree with those who suggested a lever gun. If I had to have one gun for all purposes on a small piece of land, I'd probably get a 12-gauge Remington 870 youth model. On 25 acres you're going to need a shotgun a lot more than a rifle. It can hunt anything you need killed at that range, will eliminate all unwanted critters from a squirrel to a grizzly bear, and as for self-defense, nothing beats it. If size is a consideration, the youth model is pretty manageable.
 
How bout an SKS? My Yugo shoots circles around my mini14! Plus you have money left over for ammo...
 
I WAS going to 2nd the lever gun in .357, but let's do some math...

25 acres = 121,000 sq. yds. Assuming a square plot of land, that's about 348 yards to a side. Your longest potential shot corner to corner would therefore be close to 500 yards (492). Assuming you're somewhere on the land when taking your shot, let's say you want to be able to cover at least 2/3 of that distance. So you're still talking potential shots of over 300 yds.

The M1 carbine ain't gonna git'r'done! Of your two choices, the only one would have to be the Mini.

I think I'd want a SKS, Saiga, or 30-30 lever, however. Maybe even a nice little .243 with a 4x scope. Browning BAR?!:cool:
 
.30 cal is always better than .22 cal. My choices would be the M1 Carbine, 30-30 Marlin or even a Mini30. BTW, my first choice (since nobody's mentioned it yet) would be an SKS.
 
The diameter of the bullet does not always mean it is going to be the more effective round. I am a .30 cal guy at heart as well but .223 has significantly more juice than .30 carbine and a whole lot more options as far as bullet design goes.
 
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