any thoughts on the mini 14 ? good / bad . i want one...
Even with the new "redesign" the barrel still had a significant cut for the gas block, inexplicably reducing barrel thickness and wording or the barrel harmonics I have seen 4 people attempt to shoot a full distance AQT with newer minis and all had trouble grouping beyond 200. I believe this was due in part to the rifle as the shooters were capable of better group sizes.
Not sure what this means MOA is MOA. If you shoot the a 2 moa group at 100 yards with a AR and a mini they will have the same grouping at 1000 yards.
Barrel harmonics matter. A rifle grouping well at 100 yards may destabilize faster due to poor harmonics. Dampening the harmonics is usually preferred (bull barrels and heavy weight barrels) but by cutting such a large chunk out of the barrel for the gas block it would seem that they are interrupting the harmonics. I am not one of these guys that push gear but I will push science. If the harmonics are so out of whack that the bullet is being whipped oddly (which can be exagerated by weird harmonics) on its way out it will destabilize faster. It won't matter if the bullet still has significant velocity behind it but it will when the bullet slows down, the Magnus Effect begins to build, and it is gyroscopically destabilized.
I am willing to be wrong, but I have seen very competent marksman have very uncharacteristic results at distance with this rifle and had other competent marksman who openly state they turned away from this rifle for it inability to group at range commensurate with their skills and that has led me to this conclusion. The action design is fabulous. The rifles are tough as nails. The mags are a bit of an issue. BUT, a rifle can't stay in the house if it isn't more accurate than I am at appropriate distances. It just hasn't been the case with this rifle and I believe this is why.
There's a Mini-14 Ranch Rifle in the case at the Brownsburg Walmart for $697. Come on up and get it!
Going off your last 2 posts, you really think the projectile destabilizes past 200 yards? They are by no means match quality rifles but neither is a stock colt m4.
This entire thread is *not directed at you* is like comparing a ruger 10/22 stock (mini 14) to a volquartsen 10/22 (fully tricked out AR).
I own 3 mini 14 and 3 ar 15's. All the mini 14's are stock 1 is some special edition that's unfired from my grandfather. 1 Mid 90's gun and 1 of the newer models. The mid 90's and the newer one both shoot very well on par with my stock colt 6920. But comparing them to my other AR's with geissele SSA-E triggers/free float tubes/and high end barrels isn't exactly a fair comparison is it?
Without a doubt i do know the AR 15 platform has by far more potential for accuracy. If you want to compare a stock mini 14 to a stock comparable price and then some AR. Accuracy differences aren't there. Reading these threads about the mini 14 lacking in accuracy 1 thing always stand out almost all the complaints come from people that have never owned 1 or have unreasonable expectations. Sub MOA out of a mini 14 or a colt 6920 out of the box is unreasonable.