Ruger's New Mini 14 6.8 SPC

If I remember correctly Ruger sub-contracts their barrel manufacturing. So quality control is pretty large. I think the factory acceptable grouping for the Mini 14 is 4 inches at 50 yards.
There is a pretty nice aftermarket business for rebarreling the Mini-14. I think most of those guys guarantee you sub MOA after they work on your rifle. I almost got a Mini-14 and then started reading about the accuracy and decided to go with a AR15 platform.
The group you got the first day is not a fluke, something changed. A rifle should not start off shooting good and then go bad, something happened. Check all screws, fastners, scope rings, bases, etc. something changed. That is a great goup for a out of the box Mini-14.

All your page two are mine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
 
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I just picked up a Bushmaster Predator .223 in the Max 1 camo..I finally got it scoped and sighted in today. It is a tight shootin rifle.. but it was really [beeep] finicky. It failed to feed at least half a dozen times. I was using the factory mag, and switched to another aftermarket 5 rounder and it still failed to load completely. The bolt was about a 1/2 inch from closing. I was using factory ammo and noticed that all the rounds encountered this problem. I tried 45 gr Winchester...50 grain Hornrady.. Hell I even tried the 62 grain Wolf ammo that my M4 gobbles up.. This thing would not feed. Not to get off the subject it does shoot circles around my Mini 14. No wonder nobody ever died when going up against The "A-Team" they really are poor shooters. I was looking at the 450 Bushmaster but I need to solve this problem before I invest in another Bushmaster upper. Any Ideas????
 
I had the same problem in a bushmaster. Sent it back to the factory and the invoice said they polished the feed ramp, and it fed everything just fine after that.
 
Wow I better keep my mini forever then because it shoots under an inch at 100.I have 5 shot groups that are under an inch and 3 shot ones that are half an inch.Either I got lucky or I am ONE HECK of a shot.
 
Had a mini 14 in 223 , shot 8 inch groups at 50 yards , after i was done with the upchuck ,i went to the nearest gun store and got rid of that junk. Gun functions great but shoots like a shotgun shooting a pellet at a time.Use it for home defence and go get a ar, and you will have a reason to smile again! My buddies tried to warn me,so listen to yours!!
 
VE, never get rid of that one! I had one once that would do 2.5 at 300 yds. This was back when I was young and dumb. Just thought they all would do that and sold that one. What a stupid mistake that was!
 
My mini shoots 2 - 2 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards, plenty accurate for truck gun use. It has never, ever jammed when used with a variety of factory and aftermarket mags.
 
Interesting comments on the Mini-14. I have owned three. One was factory, and shot 2-3 inch groups when I found ammo it liked. One was a custom from ASI in SC. That gun shot around an inch with handloads. I now have the new Target model with the adjustable weight on the barrel. I will let you know how it shoots when I put some rounds through it. It is tough to compare a Mini and an AR, as most AR's will shoot well right out of the box with little or no tweaking.
The Hornady 6.8 ammo shoots under an inch through my Encore, so you may want to contact Ruger and ask [beeep]? Who knows, you may actually have something wrong with barrel or gun. You still won't shoot sub-MOA, but your groups won't look like a turkey choke pattern either.
 
Darn thats a shame. I have shotguns that pattern better than that. I must say though that I have a mini in 223 stainless with a composite stock that shoots 2-2 1/2 inch 5 shot groups at 100 as regular as clockwork.Probably just lucky in getting a good shooter but I sure love that little gun.
 
I was hoping after all these years Ruger would finally get the Mini to shoot consistently well but that seems to be the rare exception rather than the rule.

I owned one a long time ago when they first came out, we mounted a scope on it and that simply showed how crappy the accuracy was on that rifle. It was a shame because from a handling standpoint it was fine.
 
Can you give some info on the type of scope and mount you are using? My .223 mini-14 shot patterns also until I did away with the crappy side tension mount and went with an ultimak and 2X Burris pistol scope. I also cut the barrel to 16.5" which changed the harmonics and causes a lot of the issue IMO. Finally I did my own trigger job. It shoots 1.5" groups when I do my part but frankly paper punching bores me.

You don't need to pay a lot to 'accurize' a mini. I did all the work myself and no I don't have any specialized equipment. It's all quite easy.

Admittedly, the mini barrels don't seem to have the best steel. It would be a shame if this is still the case. BTW, my mini is over 15 years old and eats every kind of ammo in all conditions without a hiccup.
 
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Can you give some info on the type of scope and mount you are using? My .223 mini-14 shot patterns also until I did away with the crappy side tension mount and went with an ultimak and 2X Burris pistol scope. I also cut the barrel to 16.5" which changed the harmonics and causes a lot of the issue IMO. Finally I did my own trigger job. It shoots 1.5" groups when I do my part but frankly paper punching bores me.

You don't need to pay a lot to 'accurize' a mini. I did all the work myself and no I don't have any specialized equipment. It's all quite easy.

Admittedly, the mini barrels don't seem to have the best steel. It would be a shame if this is still the case. BTW, my mini is over 15 years old and eats every kind of ammo in all conditions without a hiccup.



Well I'd be glad to tell you if I could remember, this was a long time ago (mid to late 70s maybe). The Mini's hadn't been out that long. As I remember I had a local smith do it and we used a side mount of some type. It was accurate for about the first 2 rounds (2" or so), anymore than that and you had a pattern.

It was a good handling little rifle but I just couldn't get it to perform the way I wanted so I traded it after about 2 years for M700.

I have an AR now and am really pleased with it but I do think its disappointing that Ruger hasn't really figured out how to make an out of the box shooter out of the Mini. I'm sure that would sell.
 
My question was actually addressed to SteveM but I hear what your saying. I would get an AR too but I live in communist territory.
 
AA, welcome to the board. I was using a Leupold 6.5x20x50 target scope using Warne rings. Loads were shot off a bench. I just received some new loads from Rem but too wet to get to shoot them yet. Hope to see something better.
 
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