jleff800 Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Has anyone either used or seen a mini 14 used successfully in 3 gun? I have seen a lot of old posts dogging on the barrel and stocks or magazines but everything has changed now. I'm not going to get in a big debate of AR vs Mini but simply can it compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Tompkins Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 (edited) A guy was using one at the local 3-gun this past weekend. He had a LOT of trouble from his 30 rnd mags. Said they were new, fresh out of the wrapper. I didn't get the brand name. His one 20 rounder worked fine except on the 30+ round COF's! If your mags work, and the inherent accuracy is good enough I see no reason if wouldn't be good to go. Edited September 19, 2012 by Rob Tompkins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I started with a Marlin Camp 9, Glock 23 and an 870 pump. I beat a few guys with better equipment and had fun. Mini 14 optimum? No. Good enough to have fun? Yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleepswithdogs Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Had a SS Ranch Mini with a trigger job and a muzzle brake I use to shoot. Was a great gun, especially for the limited range we use to shoot at. Had some SS 40 round mags I just sold, they worked perfectly and I never had a jam or failure of any kind while competing. Tar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninemmbill Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 It's not the most competitive rifle available. But if that's what you have, it will work. Find some good mags that run and know where it shoots at distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I started with one too. The biggest difference was how fast you could do a mag change.. practice that, and you'll even that out. Easy to find factory 30's now.. used to be a challenge, and there's PMI 40 rounders out there that are very reliable. I had (alot) accuracy work done on mine.. it would shoot as well as my JP AR out to 300 Seems like the Mini will eat anything.. when I first started reloading .223.. the mini would feed and shoot all of it, the AR.. couldn't even chamber some of it.. all my fault, but showed how un-picky the mini was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saibot Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 One of the top shooters at our local rifle matches won the match with one a couple of years ago. A couple of months ago he and another guy wanted to see who'd win between his Mini 14 and the other guys AK, the mini won, but he didn't come close to winning the match. He won this month's match, but using a AR again. So anecdotally you can compete with it, but you'd probably do much better with a different platform. /2 cents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleepswithdogs Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 (edited) I started with one too. The biggest difference was how fast you could do a mag change.. practice that, and you'll even that out. Easy to find factory 30's now.. used to be a challenge, and there's PMI 40 rounders out there that are very reliable. I had (alot) accuracy work done on mine.. it would shoot as well as my JP AR out to 300 Seems like the Mini will eat anything.. when I first started reloading .223.. the mini would feed and shoot all of it, the AR.. couldn't even chamber some of it.. all my fault, but showed how un-picky the mini was Yep, that was a problem for me. That and some of the guys I was competing against were using 100 round Beta mags and could shoot the whole course of fire and only have to do the required 1 mag change at the end. At the time I was using 30's and your right, the Mini did take me longer to swap a mag because it swings in like an AK mag. Tar Edited September 19, 2012 by Sleepswithdogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskapopo Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 A guy was using one at the local 3-gun this past weekend. He had a LOT of trouble from his 30 rnd mags. Said they were new, fresh out of the wrapper. I didn't get the brand name. His one 20 rounder worked fine except on the 30+ round COF's! If your mags work, and the inherent accuracy is good enough I see no reason if wouldn't be good to go. Yea the best mags for these guns were the OEM 20 rounders. Some 30's work fine but not all do and you should never try anything new out at a match. Althought I am guilty of using a fresh out of the wrapper Surefire 60 rounder at a club match and forutnately it worked. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleepswithdogs Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 We use to have a saying in motocross, "never change anything the day before a race, with the possible exception of your underwear." I think that would apply to race guns too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trail3 Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 (edited) I too started with a Mini 14. As D.Hayden will remember. Had some PMI 40 rounders 3 out of 4 worked fine, PMI 20's all worked good. Most all of my Ruger 30's worked. As with D.Hayden I had work done to my Mini, trigger job, brake, extended mag release, changed gas ports, cryoed. Shot decent. Then I got an ASI custom build. Shot it at 2 USPSA Gun Nationals, Shoots as good as my JP out to 350 yds. Best place for information on the Mini is www.perfectunion.com, over 150,000 postings on the Mini. +1 on never using something new (never tested) at a match. Been there, done that, more than once. LOL! Edited September 20, 2012 by Trail3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spearogun Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 The Mini is a great rifle. I have used one for hunting. It has a Hogue stock on it and we sent it out and had a trigger job done on it. For hunting and having around the ranch, its a perfect "ranch rifle". I've taken coyotes, squirrels, and rabbits with it. Its a ton of fun to bump fire into pumpkins. If I was new to competition, I would buy an AR. No doubt in my mind. If I already had a Mini, I would use it until I learned the sport and then would save up and buy a really nice AR. The Mini has slower reloads, more felt recoil, and isnt as accurate. That rules it out for any serious competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I started with a Marlin Camp 9, Glock 23 and an 870 pump. I beat a few guys with better equipment and had fun. Mini 14 optimum? No. Good enough to have fun? Yes! Too funny, I ran a Camp 9 at a local IDPA Carbine/pistol match and won, they all said puney 9 mm, a few months later I came back with a M1 Carbine and 15rd mags and did it again. Both of these rifles had the advantage of having the sights right down on the barrel and in the short courses my hits were alwys better, they were running AR's and didn't hold over all the time leading to time penalties. So I totally agree run what you brung and have a good time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziebart Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Yes the gun is legal to compete. Locally we rarely have a rifle stage over 30 rounds. And I feel the moving fast and knowing stage breakdown has a bigger impact than what your shooting. As for long range I watched plenty of shooters struggle because they didn't know stable positions, or didn't know their zeros. I think one guy hadnt even had shot his rifle past 25 yds. If you know your holds, and have shot them you will be better off than 1/4 of the local shooter right off the bat. Knowledge is power and knowing is half the battle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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