How accurate is the Ruger Mini 14?

In this video Port does some accuracy testing with his Ruger Mini 14! Make sure and keep your eye out for another video coming soon where we will test what the Mini 14s max distance is!
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[@robertmakowski7808]

For First Round Flyer.... lock bolt open, insert magazine, grab bolt handle, pull back but instead of just letting go, shove the handle forward as hard as you can... Worked for my Mini-30 and M1A. If you want tighter groups that won't walk when the barrel heats up, try a scout scope on a Ultimak scope mount. Replaces the front handguard and top of the gas block and U clamps to the barrel. My Mini-30 would always start walking toward 10:00 o'clock as the barrel heated up. Groups went from 3-5 moa to 1-1.5 moa. No more walking and when shot the next time goes right to center. Combined with a Burris Scout Scope with the Ballistic Drop Reticle will reach out as far a Mini is capable...

[@steven3379]

I almost bought one of these but decided to get a AR - 15, then sold it a year later, never shot it, that was 2 years ago. Maybe I should check the Ruger out more closely!

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

The Mini 14 is a great choice for a 556 rifle!

[@gvines]

I have several minis in different ages and calibers. They are great guns. The only hindering is the cost of ruger mags which if you want reliable feeding you are really stuck with them

[@Elguapo59]

The Mini 14 is pretty classy!

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Very classy!

[@nicks2581]

"Gas block bushing" is the term you were looking for. 👍 Nice video though. I used to have a scout scope on my Ruger Mini-14, then I switched to a red dot, then I finally just went back to using the iron sights (I have a tech sight mounted to my mini-14).

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

That's the term! Thanks. Minis are a lot of fun. We switch the optic pretty frequently as well.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

@nicks2581 yes they are plenty accurate for what they're made for. We have not tried that rail but having a rail would make things way easier to mount!

[@johnhill7585]

I had an early model with the skinny barrel. I glass bedded it like they do with the match Springfield A1's and I was able to get 1 1/2" groups with it at a hundred yards. It was lighter weight than the later versions, and fun to plink and hunt with. Too bad I sold it! You can do the same with the mini 30's and turn it into a nice deer rifle. I've been hankering to get another one of the old ones and glass bed it again.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

That's a great way to improve accuracy! They are really fun and very reliable guns!

[@jimhovater8755]

My ca. 1986 Ranch Rifle would group Hornady 55gr Spire Point Soft Points into 1.5-inches at 100yds with my best handload. That load performed fantastically on deer. Still does.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

They are great rifles!

[@Wildwestwrangler]

The bipod on the mini 14 can affect accuracy, because it touches the gas block which touches the barrel, and if you ever shoot without the bipod, which you probably would hunting your zero will shift. Also, an accustrut might shrink your groups a bit, but I'd go with the 2 clamp version.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Thanks for sharing!

[@BigHammerz]

Well prepared and precise acuuracy test!

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Thank you!

[@notsosilentmajority1]

I love the Mini more than my AR's but the Mini is not as accurate, especially considering that they cost a lot more than a starter AR. I prefer to shoot the Mini and think it looks awesome and I really like the Mini-30. If it were a SHTF scenario, I would choose the AR, if it's for plinking or small game shooting at 100 yards or so, I prefer the Mini. If you really want to have some fun, get the Mini and get the A-TM stock from Samson Manufacturing. That's a real good time and there's not an AR that looks better.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

All good points! We are actually going to do a comparison video on the Mini 14 vs an entry level AR of the same value and see how accuracy and functionality compare. It's should be a fun video!

[@notsosilentmajority1]

@@PearceBrothersGearGuide Sounds great. Looking forward to that video for sure. 👍

[@99yota30]

​@PearceBrothersGearGuide please consider getting an accu strut. Would be interesting to see the difference before after.

[@nicks2581]

Your 580 series mini-14s are just as accurate as most factory ARs in the same price point or lower, that being about 2moa. That said, most factory ARs in that mid price point or lower do not have cold hammer forged barrels with excellent triggers, decades of proven reliability, a bullet proof design, and stock all metal iron sights. The best apples to apples comparison of an AR to the mini would be a factory M16A2 clone. Do you happen to know how much those would cost you?

[@nicks2581]

​@@99yota30an accu-strut does not improve accuracy with the 580 series minis. 2moa is about right for the 580 series and is more than good enough unless you are ground hog hunting at 600yds.

[@bonnierose3377]

Nice video- interested if you've considered using ballistic gel blocks to do some comparisons?

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Yes, but they are expensive and we are broke haha! Someday in the near future we will have some ballistic dummies and gel to do some more extensive testing on specific load performance.

[@bonnierose3377]

@@PearceBrothersGearGuide 🤣

[@doranmaxwell1755]

Mine is a very early version in stainless.. probly the first one in SS.... First off the reliability has always been 100% The accuracy? spotty to say the least. I test guns and loads at 25 and 50 yards since I use almost always iron sights and 2" is about the best I can see at 50 yards. My mini would shoot about a 2" group at 25 yards which is horrible and worse than some of my handguns. My load is nothing special using 4895 and 55 grain bullets.. blems even. in every rifle I have tried tho it shoots right at factory ammo average. I used lead weights on the barrel and found it shot a lot better so I bought a 'strut' a good one but......the barrel is tapered so the strut would move. I had to mig weld a spacer to the front sight to keep it from moving forward. My 25 yard groups were pretty much one hole or could be easily covered with a quarter. 50 yard groups moved a bit but still... under 2" This is as good as I could want from open sights.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[@richbutler7828]

The Mini 14 is accurate enough for what it was designed to do. If your wanting it to be a sniper rifle or you have to hang gadgets and devises on it in order to hit what your shooting at. That's a good sign the Mini 14 may not be the rifle for you. It's over gassed for a reason. not sure why that is seen as a bad thing. If your worried about recoil use a 50 cent buffer. Problem Solved.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Agreed. Bolt rifles are where true accuracy is at. The Mini is not designed to be a long range gun. It does perform very well from a reliability point of view. This particular one had over 4000 rounds over a 15 year span with zero cleaning (not a recommended gun care technique, but Port is pretty anti having to clean his guns) and had 0 malfunctions during that time haha

[@williamryan9195]

@@PearceBrothersGearGuide If you knew all that then why are you and others always trying to answer that tired old theory that the Mini is NOT accurate or compare them to bolt guns or AR platform? It's like that nonsense about attachment to that lousy old T.V. series A-team. For some stupid reason people can't get over it or past it,

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

@williamryan9195 we did a gun review of the Mini 14. If you do a review without an accuracy test it's not a review.

[@richbutler7828]

@@PearceBrothersGearGuide Have had mine since 1990 Have never had any problem hitting what i aim at. I understand that it was designed as a light handy 250 yards and in utility carbine. It's not a sniper weapon and Never will be. no matter how many gadgets you put on it. The Mini 14's biggest problem is not the guns fault. They don't control who there owner is. It does Everything it was made to do and does it well.

[@williamryan9195]

@@PearceBrothersGearGuide Yes. But you still brought in a Savage 110 bolt to compare "groups" which is not a review but a comparison which I see as pointless as they are different platforms. Very few reviews of the Mini are actual reviews. They usually are done by people that are negative on the mini 14 in the first place. They always compare it to the AR or mention it doesn't group well, which the rifle is not really designed for, or bring in a modified 180 series with a pencil barrel for the review. TFB did a fairly good review as did Nine Hole and Old English outfitters. Level headed factual reviews that didn't include platform comparisons or stupid A-Team remarks or silly, dated modified weapons or talk of groupings.

[@bfgivmfith]

Without watching, I am going to say accurate enough. I am not a sniper, but I can hit, and I love the Mini-14! I am on some algorithm apparently. Because I own two of them. ;)

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Yes they are certainly accurate enough! We love the mini 14 they really are great rifles

[@WhitPearce]

What's the price nowadays on those gas checks you got?

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

About 1000 new. You can find them used for less

[@jpb1231000]

Harris Bi Pod adapter!

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

That's right!

[@nmelkhunter1]

I love my Mini, but coyotes and other small critters tend to disagree.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

👍

[@stevegodfrey44]

I have had mine for 20 years and it still can't hit the inside of a barn with the door closed !

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Haha ya they definitely aren't a bolt gun but for what they are they do pretty good. We will have a long range mini14 video out in the next few weeks so keep your eyes out for that!

[@stevegodfrey44]

@@PearceBrothersGearGuide will do 👊😁

[@bariwambach4947]

Maybe it's the shooter and not ALL the rifles fault. I don't have a huge accuracy problem with my Mini-14. It was never claimed to be a match grade rifle so you expect 2-3 MOA realistically.

[@stevegodfrey44]

@@bariwambach4947 you nailed it dude I can't hit the inside of a barn with the door closed with the most accurate rifle ever made 👊😁

[@stevegodfrey44]

@@bariwambach4947 its a pile of shit if it doesn't shoot moa, period, mines for sale if you think there so damn great !

[@keepinitsk8a516]

I need that bipod adapter

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

It's a good accessory!

[@bruceinoz8002]

The Min-14 is a pretty cute system, but it shares a "design defect" with its parentage. Shock! Horror! The action is held into the wooden stock by a 'hook" at the front and the upper arms of the trigger guard at the rear. To PROPERLY clean and service the rifle, the trigger mechanism must be removed. Thus the "bedding", such as it is gets a good workout at every cleaning and service. In military Ordnance systems, any component "not up to spec" usually goes in a scrap bin and is replaced by a new item. It doesn't matter if the worn / damaged item is s small pin, the trigger-guard, gas system or bolt or op-rod. Your taxes at work, keeping gear up to standard. That "first rounf Flyer" thing is likely related to the business of partial odr total stripping for thorough cleaning after a a day in the Everglades , Bayou or similar. Even "stainless-steel" rifles need proper cleaning. Stainless-steel springs will fail once a single rust-pit forms a stress-riser . I did a bit of work, decades ago, tweaking M-14 / M1A rifles up to M-21 standard. It is possible to get one of those beasties to deliver 6 inch groups at 500 yards. As mentioned before, the "conventional" action retention system is NOT a long-life setup.. There are all manner of engineering hacks to seriously stabilize the action and barrel into the furniture, whilst still being able to remove the trigger group for maintenance. A lot of these "hacks" for the M-1 and M-14 can be inspiration for similar "product improvement" on a Mini-14. If you only need "minute of feral hog" precision, "out of the box" will do for years, (unless you drop it out of the helicopter / air-boat). Gopher busting out on the wide open plains? Not so much

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

You bring up some valid points. This Mini has been ultra reliable. Over a 15 year span it has over 4000 rounds. During that span it did not get cleaned at all and had 0 malfunctions. The Mini 14 is not designed as a "long range" gun and is accurate enough for what it needs to do and can hold its own against most AR15s in the same price range. Our true long range guns are bolt guns as they will out perform in the accuracy department at any range.

[@jasonaffeldt7838]

👍👍👍.🇺🇲🔪🔥🌲

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@NoGoBu]

Not very accurate, 🤮

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

It's plenty accurate for what it is designed for

[@hyregeg9730]

Can't hit shit terrible 😢

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

It did pretty well at 100 yards. Those were below good loads. This gun would hold its own against any AR in the same price range. With the right ammo you can get pretty decent groups out of a Mini.

[@richbutler7828]

That's not the rifle. it's the operator.

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

It was the loads. Porter is more than capable of shooting accurately. He was testing a new hand load. We have had much better groupings with better loads as we specify in the video. If you want to see what port is capable of go watch our video on the PWS Mk218 at over 1000 yards.

[@hermanclarke283]

My rancher shoots nice of course mr ar 223 colt has better grouping. I like the 55g in both

[@PearceBrothersGearGuide]

Very nice! Colt makes some quality ARs