Ruger Mini 30 Tips?

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Howdy all,

Bought Katie a Ruger Mini 30, and am starting from Scratch to reload for it. Looking for recommendations for it, keeping in mimd I have never loaded a necked down case. I have a set of Lee dies and plenty of Remington Brass that use SRP and some sample boolits coming sized to .311" 311576 (120 Gr. RNGC) and 311414 (150 Gr. SPGC). I haven't got any rifle powders on hand so have to buy that and the primers. This is the older model mini 30 DOM 1987.

Any help with what to check and mistakes to avoid would be most helpful, This is pretty much my first modern style rifle. Military Rifle training was with the M1, and that was quite a while back.

Thanks in advance,

Sam

[spqrzilla]

The earliest Mini 30's had .308 bores. I looked up the date when they changed to a .311 bore but do not recall the date currently. Your Mini 30 may be one of the ones with a .308 bore.

[frank_1947]

I do reload 308 a bunch, mini 30 being a semi auto sometimes you can have feeding problems with some brass if you do just buy a small base die by RCBS that will solve the problem, I use Varget, primers is WLP, i don't shoot lead so cant help to much, but 42 grs varget is 2600 fps

[Uncle R.]

I had a Mini-30 for a few years. It functioned OK, I had no problems there - but the accuracy was poor. I'm talking really poor - like 4-6 MOA poor. I spent a lot of time experimenting with loads and bullet types. After dozens of different loads and hundreds of test rounds at the bench I finally found the answer - I finally solved the accuracy problems.
<
<
<
<
I traded the ding-blasted thing away and put the proceeds toward a rifle that shoots.
<
There have been a few guns over the years that I've let go only to later regret that decision. That Mini-30 isn't on the list. I don't regret losing THAT one at all.
<
My gunschmidt buddy tells me that some Rugers are actually accurate, and even some Minis. I've never actually held one in my hands, actually shot one that proved to be accurate - but I believe he's telling the truth. Good luck with yours - may you be one of the fortunate ones!

[NickSS]

I never owned a mini 30 but I have owned at least a dozen Mini 14s and sold them all due to poor accuracy. They seamed to like to shoot groups of around 3 to 4 inches and nothing I or a gunsmith could do got it to shoot much better. I actually found one that would shoot an honest 1.5 moa group but not with any regularity. They are all gone and they have been replaced by bolt action CZ 527 rifles. I have one in 223 and one in 7.62X39. They both shoot sub moa groups with most loads except FMJ. My CZ in 7.62X39 has been shot with cast. I used a Lee 160 gr bullet over 20 gr of AA 5744 in remington cases. My groups were around 1 moa. That is the only load I have tried so far but it was so good why change and screw something up?

[Lloyd Smale]

My mini 30 will do about 3 inch at a 100 with hornady vmaxs and about twice that with cast. Never had a relialblity problem with it other then it wanted to misfire sometimes with wolf ammo till i went with an extra power wolf firing pin spring. Another problem i had was with magazines. the ones i had wouldnt allways feed reliably and were to short for wolf ammo. I had to run all my wolf through the press and seat the bullets deeper. Shouldnt be a problem now though as ruger is making good high capasiity mags for them. I ended up selling mine when i got the bushmaster ar in 762x39. Dont own any more minis and doubt i ever will. Cant see spending the money they cost when i can get an ar for a couple bucks more that shoots 5 times better.

[jmsj]

Muddy Creek Sam,
reloading bottle neck cases is not all that difficult. I bet with your experience it'll be a real quick learning curve.
Mini-14's and mini-30's really throw the brass when they eject, like 30 feet or more. I fired a mini-14 from the drivers seat of a pick up at a coyote, the ejected brass broke the windshield.
I have re-worked the gas port on the minis that I have. You can buy an adjustable gas port or buy or make gas ports with a smaller orifice . I have only loaded J-word bullets, I am not sure if this will be necessary w/ cast boolit loads.
As for accuracy, bone stock minis seem to shoot 3"-7" @ 100 yds., but they can be made to shoot. I have one that has had barrel, trigger and bedding work that will shoot 1/2" MOA. I have another one that I have shortened the barrel to 16 1/4", built a Miculek style muzzle break, did a trigger job w/ overtravel screw and bedded the action, that will shoot 2" @ 100 yds. My wife has claimed that one and wont give it back, I have to ask her to borrow it to use it for shooting called coyotes. I'm really glad she likes to shoot.
I don't know what your expectations for Katie's mini-30 are, but like AR-15's they can be made to do just about anything. It just depends on how much you want to put in to them. jmsj

[JIMinPHX]

Aftermarket magazines for them vary in quality. Some of the curved ones don't work so well. Most of the straight ones are OK. The factory mags are the best, but they ain't cheap.

I would suggest slugging your bore to find out what barrel you actually have, especially on a used gun.

[mike in co]

sell it, buy an ar in 7.62x39, buy cp mags and forget you ever owned or thought about owning a mini30.

if you do research, you will see companies offering services to make the gun shoot like a real rifle. my question is why ?? why spend good money trying to make a rifle shoot when there are oprions that shoot correctly to begin wiht.

i built an ar15 in 7.62x39( an ar/ak...lol) it easily shoots moa with a 16" bbl.

sell it before you drive yourself crazy.....its not a good choice to learn bottle neck cases on.


mike in co

[Tony65x55]

I confess to being a little surprised at the vitriol the Mini-30 is subject to. I've owned a stainless one for over a decade and have found it to be an adequately accurate, delightful little rifle. Mine is extremely reliable and I don't think I've ever experienced a malfunction. I can't say the same for my AR.

Like most 7.62x39's, ammunition is a big issue and factory ammo just plain sucks. With a handload of 26 gr RL-7 under the Hornady 123 gr j-bullet, I get 1.5" groups at 100 yards and a little over 2300 fps at the muzzle. With the cast Saeco 150 .30-30 bullets (WQWW) over 25 gr RL-7, I get 2150 fps and 3" groups at 100 yards. Not benchrest accuracy by a long way but certainly adequate for short range hunting. These loads produce mild pressures and VIGOROUS ejection (you could defend your right flank with the empty brass.) Reloader 7 is a great powder for this cartridge.

Over the years it has accounted for several nice whitetails and the rifle is wonderful to spend a day in the woods with. Light fast and accurate enough.

While mine has a .311 barrel I have reloaded for my buddy who has a .308 barrel and have learned some interesting lessons. Filling the chamber is more important to good accuracy than the correct barrel size. The .313 bullet gives better accuracy in the .308 bore than a .309/.310/.311 and the soft lead boolit swages down to the correct size with no difficulties.

[felix]

"Filling the chamber is more important to good accuracy" is well stated. Pneumatics 101. ... felix

[Me not you]

I have a 189 series Mini-30 with a 0.310 bore. It shoots pretty well and is very reliable. I wouldn't hesitate to get another (if I had the cash). It also does very well with cast bullets.

There's a lot of Mini-bashers out there who tell you that the AR series is the only type that's any good. I don't agree with them.

If you want a super-accurate benchrest rifle, you probably won't be happy with a Mini-30. If you want a reliable field rifle that shoots better than you can, the Mini-30 is a good choice. As with any rifle, a few tweaks will help it shoot even better. If you want one, get it and ignore the usual comments. Ammo also makes a difference (should be no surprise) but mine really likes the Silver Bear for factory stuff. My handloads use LEE 155 gr WQWW over a lightly compressed charge of TAC, and Wolf magnum primers.

[W.R.Buchanan]

The accuracy issue with mini14/30's is not new, and has been whined about ad nauseum, and the fact that the brass is thrown 30-40 feet should be a clue to whats wrong.

Mine would literally throw spent shells 40 feet. Since the operating rod was impacting the front of the receiver so hard each shot, it was very obvious to me that the action was being repositioned in the stock for every shot. Thus NO ACCURACY. Gosh wonder why?

There is a company in CO named Accuracy Systems (www.accuracysystems.com) that makes an adjustable gas block for all models of MINI 14's and 30's. As well as a host of other products for these guns.

I installed just the stationary gas piston in mine ($35) closed the bleed screw all the way, opened it back up one turn and now it poops the cases out 3 feet to the right and it shoots 1.5" groups at 100 yards with monotinous regularity with anything I shoot in it..

I ran it thru a Front Sight Rifle class last summer and it never malfunctioned once in 500 rounds. The gun goes "kerplink,,,plunk" when you fire it.

This was a simple fix. I also installed a recoil bumper pad on the op rod .

I love my gun and it shoots well enough for my intended usage which is urban "Can Gun" and practical rifle class gun. Everybodies got an AR, and in my class there were 56 AR's 3 minis and one Garand.

Also if you really want relibility use "Ruger Brand Magazines" ONLY. All the rest are problematic. Don't question this,,, just do it!

These guns have a bad rap for poor accuracy and the above expose' is the reason why. I have never understood why Ruger doesn't tone down the gas system on those guns, but they must think it is necessary to smack someone to the right of you with a spent case.

At least you're hitting something?

The fix is out there.

Now with respect to the Mini 30 you are starting with an inherantly inaccurate cartridge, so expecting too much is not going to get you anything but frustration. By the same token a gun that shoots 3" at 100 yds will still easily kill anyone you aim it at, out to 300 yards.

What exactly do you expect? It's not a varmint rifle.... Well mine kinda is.

Randy

[Lloyd Smale]

just what i did. I picked up a bushmaster when they first started chambering it in them. Some cproducts mags which i replaced the mag springs with ak extra power wolf springs and it runs like a top and will easily do moa with hornady vmax bullets. I put a trijicon accupoint 1x4 on it and it makes a perfect little rifle for close range deer hunting. I sure dont miss my mini 30 or for that matter any of the mini 14s ive owned.

sell it, buy an ar in 7.62x39, buy cp mags and forget you ever owned or thought about owning a mini30.

if you do research, you will see companies offering services to make the gun shoot like a real rifle. my question is why ?? why spend good money trying to make a rifle shoot when there are oprions that shoot correctly to begin wiht.

i built an ar15 in 7.62x39( an ar/ak...lol) it easily shoots moa with a 16" bbl.

sell it before you drive yourself crazy.....its not a good choice to learn bottle neck cases on.


mike in co

[Snapping Twig]

Mine is a .308 bore 189 series.

I'm using a .308 NBT and H4198 powder for a 2100fps load.

I once hit and cartwheeled a running wild boar at a laser ranged 460 yards - that's no BS! These things can shoot!

Here's a site that can answer all your questions and offer simple to complex advice on your Mini.

http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/index.php

Through this site I was able to learn about adjusting the gas block tension and that right there is a large portion of the reason they are thought to be inaccurate. No cost and 10 minutes time and it's done.

I also learned about GunDoc and his $60 trigger job making the trigger break like glass @ 3.5#. Got that done too.

Guy that sold me the rifle - cheap I might add - thought he was offing a dog on me... till I showed him a 100 yard target I drilled with the "dog" he sold me after I did the two mods I mentioned above.

I also replaced the gas tube with a smaller version (available at Perfect Union) so the brass would fly @ 6' instead of 30' or more.

Easy and inexpensive and it works.

[m.chalmers]

As stated check what bore you have, .308 or .311. Also, Ruger now makes and sells large magazines that work.