Mini 30 reconstruction

[bighungryguy]

Gentlemen, I recently picked up a used mini 30 at the local pawn shop, It is currently wearing a cheap plastic camo stock and a williams peep sight. I'd like to put it back in a little nicer stock and add some type of holographic/red dot sight to the rifle. It will be a deer gun used primarily inside of 200 yards. Any suggestions?

 

[Mike_in_FL]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

I owned one once and tried many things to try and get more accuracy from it. It has an oversized chamber from the factory so using good .308 bullets is rather a waste. When I got it to where it would put 3 shots into 1 1/2" at 100, it would put the next 3 a foot higher with a warm barrel. I guess if the first shot was a good one, that'd be acceptable. I never saw more than 2,425 fps with 110 gr. Barnes X though.

I would not consider the cartridge to be enough for deer out to 200 yards nor the rifle to be accurate enough. Maybe Ruger did a better job on yours, but I doubt it. I wish I could offer you something positive about the rifle, but my experience was an exercise in futility.

IMO, if you want a deer rifle with other capabilities, trade that rifle towards an AR in 6.8 SPC.

 

[Saito]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fngmike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I owned one once and tried many things to try and get more accuracy from it. It has an oversized chamber from the factory so using good .308 bullets is rather a waste. When I got it to where it would put 3 shots into 1 1/2" at 100, it would put the next 3 a foot higher with a warm barrel. I guess if the first shot was a good one, that'd be acceptable. I never saw more than 2,425 fps with 110 gr. Barnes X though.

I would not consider the cartridge to be enough for deer out to 200 yards nor the rifle to be accurate enough. Maybe Ruger did a better job on yours, but I doubt it. I wish I could offer you something positive about the rifle, but my experience was an exercise in futility.

IMO, if you want a deer rifle with other capabilities, trade that rifle towards an AR in 6.8 SPC. </div></div>

Agree with the 6.8 as a better deer cartridge. The mini 30 is a 7.62x39 which isn't a .308 cal, it's a .311. I would imagine you could skip a .308 bullet down a .311 bore and that's probably why you didn't see the expected velocity and accuracy wasn't there either....

 

[jwb47]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

google perfect union thst sight has a ton of info on mini-14.
you can make the rifle shoot but you need to bed the action and alot of people put a strut on the barrel . as stated you need to use the correct bullet size which is .311 . there are several good factory loads out there now .

 

[ellespapa]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

Check out Great West Gunsmithing. He does great work, if nothing else have him do a trigger job. I put a Ultimack rail on mine, it replaces the handguard. It keeps the red dots lower, my Eotech is still a little high. If you reload try the Sierra Pro Hunters 125 gr .311 . AA 1680 powder has also worked for me. The Perfect Union sight as mentioned has alot of info. Good luck.

 

[Mike_in_FL]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

I understand what you're saying about 7.62X39 being .311. However, if you check Ruger's website or if you have any info from back when this beast was introduced I believe they claimed the barrel is supposed to be .308. IIRC the chamber was actually cut to .313 to accomodate surplus.

If I was going to hunt with this cartridge and was doing it over again my choice would be bolt action or straight up AK or SKS. I think it's a great military cartridge but not for hunting, too many other better choices.

I only know I bought the thing as a short range deer/pig getter when the first whiff of AWB blew in, 1990 AND was unfortunately the first centerfire rifle I owned. Thank God I bought a cheap Savage 110 within a year.

20 years later, maybe you can get better quality .311 bullets, but it's the same platform launching them. It didn't shoot any better with Winchester 123 gr. SP meant for it and it certainly wasn't higher velocity. I know there's a company that specializes in these things, rebarrels, etc. And I know you can get a chamber cut for .308X39. If you're independently wealthy and want to make pigs fly, have at it.

That's the only .30 cal. rifle I've ever seen where 110 gr. varmint bullets wouldn't explode but I never tried to shoot them out of a M1 carbine either. But given a choice of a Mini 30 or the carbine w/ SP ammo, I'd take the carbine.

 

[bighungryguy]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

Thanks for the great advice. I'm not expecting the rifle to shoot cloverleafs, I just need it to be minute of baseball at 100 yards. Probably won't shoot much further out than that. I hunt a very hilly tract of land that is mostly wooded. I know there are better platforms, but it was a good buy. Any preferences on sights?

 

[Mike_in_FL]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

I can't remember if it came with a factory base or not. Regardless if you go with a 40mm objective you'll be fine for cheek weld. I ran a straight 4X and then a 3 - 9X. For what you want, you'll be fine. The factory mags feed fine, that was never an issue. The factory irons weren't bad either.

I don't know if it is still an issue or not but I'm assuming mine had such a problem because they must've induced a butt load of stress into the barrel when they profiled it. I haven't hunted everywhere for sure, but I haven't ever been anywhere where I WOULD get 3 shots unless there were multiple targets. It's just that 3 rounds and a warm barrel shouldn't put the next however many over a foot higher.

I think Ruger has tried to address some of the issues. We shimmed the gas block screws at one point and that helped some. Mine was in a laminated stock that was hitting the barrel under the handguard. I think the initial trip to the range with factory Winchester and the stock rubbing was something along the lines of half foot groups at 50 yards.

 

[Top Cat]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

Well...contrary to some of the opinons expressed here, I wouldn't plan to do anything major to your rifle. Any money spent on it would probably be better spent on something else...like an AR possibly, or a Marlin bolt action, but don't do anything to it until you shoot it.

Find some inexpensive 125gr softpoint ammo and test fire it at 100 yds. Factory 125gr soft point is fine for deer out to 200 yards...maybe out to 250. Basically what you have there is a semi auto 30-30...it will be fine for deer as far as you can accurately place your shots on the target...that will be your limit.

The Williams sight is an upgrade to the original folding rear sight, but the original sight worked fine for what it was. The receiver is cut for Ruger style scope rings, so you can mount any scope you want once you get the right rings.

Your plastic stock might be ok. These rifles don't really benefit that much from a good stock, but the original walnut stock is better...the wood was decent and those can be bedded, you can look for an original takeoff stock.

If the rifle shoots 3 shots into 2-3"...even 4" at 100 yards, that's good enough...that's minute of deer. Many lever actions won't do that. Three round groups are the only way to test this rifle, the barrel is too thin for longer shot strings.

Just shoot three round groups. Three shots will tell you how the rifle shoots and only the first two count for hunting.

I have seen them shoot 1 1/2" with ammo they like. I worked on one that shot 3 rounds of Yugoslavian surplus into 3/4" at 100 yards with the irons, but only that particular ammo had the mojo...must have had some magic commie powder in them.

A receiver sight is a lot more accurate than a cheap red dot, unless you mortgage the farm and buy an acog, but if you can use a receiver sight, you are good to go hunting...shoot it first and see.

TC

 

[dosei]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fngmike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I understand what you're saying about 7.62X39 being .311. However, if you check Ruger's website or if you have any info from back when this beast was introduced I believe they claimed the barrel is supposed to be .308. IIRC the chamber was actually cut to .313 to accommodate surplus.

If I was going to hunt with this cartridge and was doing it over again my choice would be bolt action or straight up AK or SKS. I think it's a great military cartridge but not for hunting, too many other better choices.

I only know I bought the thing as a short range deer/pig getter when the first whiff of AWB blew in, 1990 AND was unfortunately the first centerfire rifle I owned. Thank God I bought a cheap Savage 110 within a year.

20 years later, maybe you can get better quality .311 bullets, but it's the same platform launching them. It didn't shoot any better with Winchester 123 gr. SP meant for it and it certainly wasn't higher velocity. I know there's a company that specializes in these things, rebarrels, etc. And I know you can get a chamber cut for .308X39. If you're independently wealthy and want to make pigs fly, have at it.

That's the only .30 cal. rifle I've ever seen where 110 gr. varmint bullets wouldn't explode but I never tried to shoot them out of a M1 carbine either. But given a choice of a Mini 30 or the carbine w/ SP ammo, I'd take the carbine. </div></div>

The early 30's had a tapered bore so it could shoot bullets ranging in dia from .308-.313, and could <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">not</span></span> shoot anything accurately because of it. The newer 30's are made for .3105" dia bullets only, as a result they are a bit more accurate than the early 30's.

The one thing I cannot find is exactly when Ruger made the change...

 

[ellespapa]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

My records show Ruger went to .311 in 1992 to 1993, SN 189-51041 to 189-52528. My 580 series slugged at .310, thats as close I can measure.

 

[rankroddin250]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

May I ask what you paid for the rifle? the mini's have gone up pretty good in value and it might be worth looking into selling and buying a more suitable hunting rifle/caliber. most Mini 30's in my neck of the woods are going for 5-600 bux rite now.

 

[frog5215]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fngmike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I owned one once and tried many things to try and get more accuracy from it. It has an oversized chamber from the factory so using good .308 bullets is rather a waste. When I got it to where it would put 3 shots into 1 1/2" at 100, it would put the next 3 a foot higher with a warm barrel. I guess if the first shot was a good one, that'd be acceptable. I never saw more than 2,425 fps with 110 gr. Barnes X though.

I would not consider the cartridge to be enough for deer out to 200 yards nor the rifle to be accurate enough. Maybe Ruger did a better job on yours, but I doubt it. I wish I could offer you something positive about the rifle, but my experience was an exercise in futility.

IMO, if you want a deer rifle with other capabilities, trade that rifle towards an AR in 6.8 SPC. </div></div>

I didn't think Florida deer were very big.
While the Mini 30 may not be up to 200yd shots in some instances, the cartridge works fine. It IS down to 800ft/lb out there, but using Federal 123 softpoints or Speer 130HP @2400fps, my M-77 7.62x39 has accounted for a number of Texas whitetails to 220yd with no drama. Nationwide, most deer are killed under 100yd. Heck, in the Hill Country of central Texas, you can't often SEE 200yd.

 

[bighungryguy]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mica</div><div class="ubbcode-body">May I ask what you paid for the rifle? the mini's have gone up pretty good in value and it might be worth looking into selling and buying a more suitable hunting rifle/caliber. most Mini 30's in my neck of the woods are going for 5-600 bux rite now.
</div></div>

420 o.t.d. with 1-5rnd and 2-30rnd mags.

 

[bighungryguy]

Re: Mini 30 reconstruction

serial # makes it a 1999 model. My hunting grounds are all hills, but i plan to hunt a clear cut for some powerlines that is about a 350 yard shooting lane. i'm puttin a stand right in th middle. should keep everything in range.