Glass Bedding Mini-14

[Varmit]

I have a new Stainless Ranch Rifle with the synthetic stock. I can get 2" or better groups with 2 ammo brand/bullet. Several other ammo combo I tried give very loose groups. I would be completely happy with the 2" groups except for the fact that I have to shoot a "fouling" shot first that always hits about 4" low. Consistently the first shot from a cold barrel is very low, then the next four (timed 3 or 4 seconds apart) are in a good group. It seems to be an extreme version of "barrel walking" or maybe the action moving. Just letting it cool down for 10 min. will repeat the problem. The fit between stock is about as tight as possible and still get it inserted and locked down. I glass bedded a bolt action many years ago, but bedding this action looks like a whole different proposition....

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance

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[branson4020]

Is this a new Mini with the heavier barrel?

 

[Varmit]

Yes, just bought it last month. Ranch Rifle MOD. 5817 same as 5805 except 20 round magazine. I have been testing with (4) 5 round clips.

 

[deadshot2]

Just to make sure your expectations are reasonable, semi-auto's are rarely as accurate as bolt actions. Way too many moving parts and the barrels are gripped in places they don't like.

 

[pokerace]

I used these on my mini 14 dand mini 30.They work

The Original Barrel Strut for Mini-14s

 

[ron]

I have been down this path. I have owned 3 different mini-14's. I worked on a couple ranch rifles for almost a year. Custom loads maybe slightly under 2 inches. I bought a match grade AR sub .5 inch groups with several different loads! I am now total AR guy. I have sold my mini's and I now own 6 AR uppers and 5 lowers. 3 for competition shooting. I love the mini-14 , great fun plinking but not a tack driver.

 

[Spitpatch]

Just to make sure your expectations are reasonable, semi-auto's are rarely as accurate as bolt actions. Way too many moving parts and the barrels are gripped in places they don't like.

I used to be in your camp on this, Deadshot. Until I got my DPMS AP-4. If "only accurate rifles are interesting", this one went beyond that, and is now downright boring. Varmit, I hope you saw my reply to your duplicate post in "Rifle and Shotgun Discussion". I did not try pokerace's product suggestion (perhaps it is a more recent offering than my efforts with the Mini-14 were done). Ron has it right, according to my experience, and the Mini-14 is a BETTER choice than an AR for certain criteria (ruggedness, handiness, etc.), but not for accuracy (except with a lot more work than Ron and I put into ours).

 

[coop44]

The obsession with moa and sub moa accuracy has gotten ridiculous. Every little boy wants to be a sniper now. The mini is no target rifle or is it purported to be. There are a couple of companies supplying longer heavier barrels, also using a glass bedding technique similar to the M14 may also help. The Mini is a cool rifle that lives up to being a versatile, durable, all around gun, don't expect much more out of it without dropping some serious coin.

 

[humdrum]

Too... Many... Variables... That do affect the mini's accuracy. Consistency is key; and like Coop said not every rifle can be a precision machine. At the same time though "practical accuracy" goes into the toilet if every shot from a cold barrel causes a flyer, or if a hot tube causes stringing of the shots. Those things, in my opinion, are unacceptable regardless of group size. I wonder if the barrel was broken in properly?