Ruger Mini-30 as an all around field rifle

A good friend has one & likes it. While I have fired it & it worked 100%, accuracy was no better than an SKS I use to own. I've yet to see him do better than 3.5" to 4" at 100 yards. Acceptable accuracy for minute of man, but I can get the same out of a SKS for less money.
 
Hear ya, Halfneck. That's what I was wondering. Could pick up a nice .44 Marlin and Super Redhawk combo like Monster was talking about, for about the same $.
 
You know the more I think about it a nice carbine in .44 mag and some +P Buffalo Bore ammo along with my Ruger would really do the trick. Hell Buffalo Bore ammo makes some pretty wicked loads in big bore packages, I think I may can the Mini-30 idea for a Marlin lever action.
 
monster said:
I'd forgotten all about the new Mini-14 Target Model, now we're talking! I do believe I'll try to find a local shop that has one in stock for a look see.

Now here's another thing I thought about, matching pistol and rifle caliber? in which case a nice lever action .44 mag and my Ruger Super Blackhawk would work well. What carbines are out there that shoot handgun ammo?
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357
45
45 long colt
44
35 rem
22
and a few more I can't think of.
If you want some good info on these and what are good combos, do a search on Cowboy shooting, or Cowboy matches. there is a wealth of info out there on the various combos.
 
Can't think of a reason I'd buy a Mini30 over an SKS. One's a military weapon and the other is a Ruger. Both are reliable, but the Ruger is deemed fragile by the guys that run the combat rifle courses. Neither are particularly accurate, but both are good enough for 150-200 yards. So, tell me again why I'd pay twice as much to get a Mini30...
 
One good thing about Canada (as far as guns are concerned) is we are allowed to get these fantastic commie norinco M-14s for 400 bucks brand new. Lots floating around up here, and the quality is suprisingly good. People are getting sub inch groups at 100 yards, and a great project gun. Here's what it looks like.
M14.jpg


When the SHTF I will have this and my maverick 88 12 guage with me. Look out zombies!
 
Yeah, I like how everything else we buy is Chinese made-- there's almost no way to avoid it anymore-- yet we can't get a Norinco.
 
If I was forced to get a semi-auto Ruger it would be an old 44 Mag Carbine or a new Deer-Field Carbine. Accurate enough to take the head of grouse and I'd rather have a 44 if Mr. Bear came a calling. My old Mini 14 was dreadful accuracy wise (3-4MOA) and this bothered me enough that I got rid of it. In 44 the Rugers have a reputation for accuracy.

Limited mag capacity is your only draw back, but one 44 in the right place can do nasty things to a target.
 
My only objection to the Mini 30 is the accuracy. An inaccurate rifle is not worth having. Ask to bench test it at a measured 100 yards before you lay down money. If it won't shoot smaller than 2 or 3" groups at 100 yards, it is a liability. I think the Mini (14 or 30) is a neat idea, with a typically poor execution. That's nobody's fault, but Rugers. They could have remedied that at any time they chose.

A nice used Marlin .30-30 might be an even better solution? An SKS that does 2" or 3" hundred yard groups is a perfectly acceptable sub 200 yard weapon, for hunting. I know.

Anyway, good luck with this.
 
I'll try to find something to link to, but I read an article recently detailing how rugers latest Mini-14 is now MOA accurate. Apparently, Ruger saw what accurizers were doing to make the rifle shoot and integrated some of those ideas into the standard rifle. I'm thinking about getting one.
 
The mini-14 did have its problems with accuracy. Not that it wasn;t accurate, just that there were other rifles (M16 and M4 for starters) that were more accurate. I know because they were the standard longgun for the Border Patrol for many years before being replaced by the M16 and, eventually, the M4. We had to qualify with them out to 100 yards, and they were an acceptable deadly weapon....just not a sniper's rifle.

The mini-30 is a different beast. It's strange to hear so many tout the SKS in a way that makes it appear it's a "MUCH better" weapon than the mini-30. If that's your opinion, it's surely allright, but I would differ in a fevered way. For the SKS to be better than the mini-30, OK...maybe, depending on the opinion of the user, but even if so it doesn;t stand apart in a grand way. Again, both of Ruger's mini-hi powers (14 and 30) are essentially the same things as the Garand. For those who haven;t fired, disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled an M1, well, you might not appreciate the simplicity and reliability of that design. I'm not saying it was the best rifle ever made, it surely wasn;t, but Ruger picked it to copy from for a reason.

The mini-30 is a short, heavy, .30 cal cartridge. Anyone expecting good accuracy out of a "carbine" round, whether it's a mini-30 or an SKS, is kidding themselves. That rifle was never designed for sniper work...however well the barrel is contructed and with whatever rifling, the round just isn;t fit for the job. Hence the popularity of the 30.06, .308, and .50 caliber. Now THEY can reach out and touch someone (especially the .06 and .50 cal). The 7.62 x 39 is just a medium range killing rifle and the mini-30 is no exception.

Ruger took steps to improve the accuracy of the mini-14 (and maybe the mini-30, IF that could reasonably be done), but they didn;t do it so much because the rifle was inherently inaccurate, but more because they wanted to reach the competition market, I think.

Preference between the mini-30 and the SKS is just that, in my opinion....preference. I own and shoot them both and as I read the posts in this thread, I think there is no bias on my part toward one rifle or the other. They're both good guns and if one is slightly more accurate, I would think it's just that particular rifle, not the entire line.
 
Grab an old 98 Mauser or a No. 4 Mk I Enfield (make sure it was made in England and not Istanbul) that was converted to .308 win and use it. big aftermarket for the mauser, but the enfield like the AK47 you can open the bolt throw in a handful of sand and it'll still function flawlessly. and you get the long-range accuracy of a bolt action. if your heart is set on a Auto though. go with a FN FAL
 
raindog101 said:
While we're on the subject of survival rifles, anyone have any experience with the Kel-tec SU-16? Equipped.org did a write up on it a while back, and had good things to say. Been curious about whether picking one up would be worth the cost ($800 and up, as much as a stripped-down AR).
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I had one for a short while, it was cool, but the price was so close to an AR that I upgraded. Gene
 
Has anyone heard or tried the new Marlin Lever-lution (I think?) in the new .308 configuration?
 
It seems like we've decided to stick with a medium caliber rifle so that is what I'll address. I have a Marlin .30-30 that is damn near indestructable. It would be a fine SHTF rifle with adequate magazine capacity, ammo available everywhere, and enough oomph. I tried the new Leverevolution ammo this season and it was very, very accurate in my Marlin. Didn't get a deer so I can't speak of performance, but I trust Hornady.

As for the .308 Marlin Express, it is too new, ammo and components are not yet common. Although I want to add one to my battery is will not be an utility gun for quite a few years to come.
 
If capacity isn't a concern, you might want to look at a saiga.
http://www.raacfirearms.com/Saiga.htm
I don't have one, but I have been thinking about it. Made in russia, and from what I understand are basically a sporterized version of an ak. On several sites I've seen them sell for under $300. If you want a 30rd mag a speical one is made, but it isn't cheap. Also regarding the mags, I'm not sure about the legalities of using hi-caps in an imported rifle, so you would definately want to check up on that if you want a hi-cap mag for your saiga. The saiga might not be for you, but I thought it does give you another option.
 
I know this is off the subject a bit, but has anyone contemplated the Carbon-15? I picked one up at the gun show recently. The thing weighs 4 pounds unloaded! The stock is quick release, so it's pretty packable.
As for levers, I saw today that Browning has developed a takedown BLR.
 
i hate to say this because i really like Ruger products but I'd have to stay away from the mini thirty. among the problems: dismal accuracy, you've pretty much got to use ruger mags unless you want a single shot auto, and the cost. Pick up a good clean user sks and spend the extra on ammunition and go for it, if you like the 7.62x39 round. if you're not stuck on an semi auto you might look at a good used 30-30, either a marlin or a winchester. the ballistics are pretty much the same and ammunition is easier to find and often cheaper. but the bottom line is whichever one you prefer then go for it, if you don't like it you can always trade it off. good luck,ahgar
 
Have you looked at the scout rifle from savage? Bolt .308 and a forward mounted scope. Look at the specs but I think the barrel is only 16 or 18 inches. Read the ballistic charts on both the 7.62 X 39 and the 7.62 NATO (.308)... no comparison. Also there is a reason the .308 has been used to win more benchrest matches than any other caliber. And the last I knew it held the world record group at 200 yards. Something like a .310 which is not bad cause the bullet itself is .308! One caliber was developed in the USA for use by NATO, one was developed in the Soviet Union with technology from ...where????
Sorry, my bets are with the .308 anytime.
Look, everyone on here has so far admitted the sks set up shoots into a 3 inch circle at 100 yards. So lets take it out to 300 or 400 yards. Remeber the circle increases diameter with each 100 yards. 3 @ 100, 6 @ 200, where are we going to be at at 400 yards???? I know where I will be! with a .30 caliber weapon capable of sub MOA groups!!!!
Look no offense to the SKS lovers, they fun guns to shoot, but they were designed for MASS warefare, were large squads would be firing them at the target.
 
Saigas are also fairly easily converted to use AK47 or AK74 mags. I've seen a report of someone converting a 223 one to use a Galil adapter and feeding it with AR15 mags.
 
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