Pro's & con's Ruger mini 30 7.62x 39
Still looking for a play gun!!! The mini 14's I owned 10+ years ago were just pittiful in the accuracy dept. Don't want any AK SSK types. Any input on this rifle? THX HAWKSHAW
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Pros:
-Ruger warranty and customer service.
-High cap mags now readily available
-Recent re-design from Ruger improving accuracy.
-Widely available (you can literally but it at some Walmarts!).
-Good stock sights.
-Easy to scope.
Cons:
-May have problems running hard-primer Russian military-type steel case ammo out of the box (eg Wolf).
-Costs quite a bit more than an SKS that will basically do 80% of the same thing.
What's wrong with an SKS?
I think something like that is practically the definition of a "play" gun, namely a cheap, durable, reliable, relatively accurate beater that fires an inexpensive, yet relatively potent round. You can buy one of these, have a pro trigger job done, have a scope professionally side-mounted, and STILL have a good chunk of change left over from the cost of the Ruger.0 -
Back in the late 80's I was shooting Speed Challenge events with a modified SKS (para model, fixed 30 round mag, folding stock, muzzle break). I wanted something that was faster to reload, more accurate and more reliable than the SKS so I bought a then new Mini-30. Guess what, the Mini-30 was Slower to reload, Less accurate and Less reliable than the SKS. Yes it was fun to shoot, but not as fun as the SKS that I bought and modified for half the money of the new Mini-30. 0 -
If you want something that is cheap to shoot and perform you could always get an AR style rifle chambered in the 5.45x39. Personally i really enjoy plinking with my AK despite the fact that past 100yds i cant hit anything that is small 0 -
Mini-14 with poor accuracy? Mine is 30 years old, neglected for 27 of that, and still drives tacks at 300 yards. I'd take a .223 over a 7.62 any day of the week. 0 -
Salmo---Years back, I tried three different mini 14, all were 3"+ guns scoped, from a bench, at 100 yds. even with custom triggers. I allready have 4 .223's. 3 AR's, and a bolt gun. Looking for something different. THX Hawkshaw 0 -
If you have an AR, you can always get an AR upper and switch between that and the 223/5.56.
My Mini-14's would never do better that 4 - 6" at 100 yds and a 4" group was an exception.
I have a stock SKS with 10rd magazine and when I go plinking, this is the gun I grab. Just a bunch of fun to shoot.0 -
Other pros: The stocks can be easily switched to any that fit the .223 if you don't like the hardwood one, and the controls of the mini-14 and mini-.30 are all the same so familiarity is easy. Another decent thing is a .30 can be used for deer in States allowing semi-auto deer rifles, while the .223 (legal in some areas) is a marginal deer round. Genuine hunting ammo is available from the big makers in 7.62 with ballistics similar to the ol' .30-30. Ammo is again available in .223 and 7.62 in any amount you want, and prices are similar for cheapo plinkers. So far mine has gone bang with everything I've fed it.
cons: .30 Mags are a bit harder to come by that .223 ones, and just like the .223 anything other than factory and it's a real crapshoot whether they work... mostly crap. Accuracy seems similar, Ok for some, fair to poor for most. Both my 2 mini 14's (One work, one play) and my one .30 are in the fair accuracy dept.
I will say the fun factor for the .30 is a bit more than the .223 only because it seems to hit harder on the steel plates we use...other than that, pretty much the same ol' mini.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Hawkshaw
Salmo---Years back, I tried three different mini 14, all were 3"+ guns scoped, from a bench, at 100 yds. even with custom triggers. I allready have 4 .223's. 3 AR's, and a bolt gun. Looking for something different. THX Hawkshaw
Ever think of just getting a 7.62x39 upper to swap on and off you AR's? You'll need to get a set of magazines for that round though. Model 1 sales has them.
Another suggestion is to look at Model 1 sales' 6.5 Sporter. It's pretty much the Grendel except they use a different leade/throat. You can buy the expensive 6.5 loaded cartridges or you can get brass for the 6.5 G and reload. Or, the least expensive thing is to get a bunch of Winchester or Wolf Gold (boxer primed, reloadable) 7.62x39 brass and form/fire-form that to the 6.5 Sporter. To do that you just run the cases through the 6.5 G/Sporter Die to get the neck to 6.5. Then load 24 gr. of 4895/AA2495 behind a 140 gr. bullet and shoot it. I have one C-products 7.62x39 mag that I load these up with as they don't fit and feed from the C-products 6.5 G magazines. These will take anything from small varmint with the 85 gr. bullets and out to 1k with the 123's. Some say further, but I'll say not all that much. The round is great for a given distance but runs out of gas much beyond 1k. How's that for a play gun[;)][8D]??0 -
I have a mini thirty with a Hogue overmolded stock and a red dot sight installed. I think it is a great little rifle, more versatile than a lot of rifles out there. It is accurate enough to hit what you aim at offhand. Ammo is cheap to find,there are plenty of other optics easily mounted. It is one of my favorite play rifles and it is also very good for serious work if the need arises. 0 -
PROS: NOTHING ! WASTE OF MONEY !
CONS: Rather throw a rock than Own a RUGER ! I have been consistanly unhappy with every ruger I have ever owned. Terible triggers, over sized , overweight, horrible stampiong and excess nonsense. Poor and generally worse reproductions of original guns. Pure JOKE ! Ruger is 1 step above the bottom of the barrel, not as bad as davis or jenning or randal or the total junk guns, but inferior to anything made by smith , colt , HK, SIG, WALTHER, BROWNING, Winchester, Remington (mostly) Mossberg (mostly). Pure joke.0
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