HuntingNut
HuntingNut
   Login or Register
HomeCommunity ForumsPhoto AlbumsRegister
     
 

User Info

Welcome Anonymous


Membership:
Latest: RichardZ
New Today: 0
New Yesterday: 0
Overall: 13126

People Online:
Members: 0
Visitors: 141
BOT: 1
Total: 142
Who Is Where:
 Visitors:
01: Forums
02: Forums
03: Home
04: Photo Albums
05: Home
06: Forums
07: Forums
08: Your Account
09: Forums
10: Forums
11: Forums
12: Photo Albums
13: Forums
14: Forums
15: Forums
16: Home
17: Forums
18: Your Account
19: Forums
20: Forums
21: Home
22: Home
23: Home
24: Forums
25: Forums
26: Forums
27: Forums
28: Forums
29: Forums
30: Forums
31: Photo Albums
32: Forums
33: Forums
34: Forums
35: Home
36: Forums
37: Home
38: Home
39: Photo Albums
40: Forums
41: Forums
42: Forums
43: Forums
44: Your Account
45: Home
46: Forums
47: Forums
48: Forums
49: Forums
50: Your Account
51: Forums
52: Your Account
53: Home
54: Forums
55: Forums
56: Forums
57: Forums
58: Home
59: Home
60: Forums
61: Forums
62: Home
63: Forums
64: Forums
65: Photo Albums
66: Home
67: Your Account
68: Forums
69: Forums
70: Home
71: Your Account
72: Your Account
73: Forums
74: Forums
75: Forums
76: Your Account
77: Forums
78: Home
79: Forums
80: Home
81: Photo Albums
82: Your Account
83: Home
84: Home
85: Home
86: Forums
87: Your Account
88: Forums
89: Home
90: Forums
91: Home
92: Home
93: Forums
94: Forums
95: Forums
96: Forums
97: Forums
98: Forums
99: Forums
100: Forums
101: Your Account
102: Forums
103: Statistics
104: Your Account
105: Forums
106: Forums
107: Home
108: Home
109: Forums
110: Forums
111: Your Account
112: Home
113: Forums
114: Forums
115: Forums
116: Your Account
117: Photo Albums
118: Forums
119: Forums
120: Forums
121: Forums
122: Forums
123: Home
124: Home
125: Your Account
126: Home
127: Forums
128: Forums
129: Photo Albums
130: Your Account
131: Forums
132: Forums
133: Home
134: Forums
135: Home
136: Forums
137: Home
138: Home
139: Your Account
140: Forums
141: Forums
  BOT:
01: Your Account

Staff Online:

No staff members are online!
 

Coppermine Stats
Photo Albums
 Albums: 308
 Pictures: 2451
  · Views: 820725
  · Votes: 1316
  · Comments: 86
 

The new / old coyote gun... The Mini 14
By Popular Demand: Discussions related to Varmint Hunting
Post new topic   Reply to topic   Printer Friendly Page    Forum Index » Varmint Hunting

View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
SwampFox
Super Member
Super Member


Joined: Jul 15, 2005
Posts: 1040
Location: Destin, Florida

PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:43 pm    Post subject: The new / old coyote gun... The Mini 14 Reply with quote

I was just about ready to go buy a new AR-15 for a coyote gun when I decided to see if I could make something out of my old Mini-14, which is a 181 series gun. The 181 guns have wood furniture including the hand guard, a 1-10 twist 18.5 inch barrel, which is thin by any standard, akin to a buggy whip. My particular rifle is a SS Ranch Rifle. I was shooting about 3 inch groups.

Well after a little work;
1) Removed the front sight and replaced it with a John Masen stainless muzzle break and front sight combo, which creates a long barrel shroud and weight to stiffen the barrel.
2) Replaced the factory gas block with an ASI adjustable block. This block is machined square and can be tightened to a perfect fit with equal openings.
3) Did a trigger job, reducing the 2nd stage trigger to 2.75 pounds.
4) Replaced the sling swivel studs to accept quick connect swivels. This was just part of the package with the gas block so I replaced the stock stud to match.
5) Removed the rear sight and installed a Wichita, Weaver style solid mount, scope base. This is an in-line scope mount.
6) Installed a set of Warne steel rings and a 3x12x50 mil dot reticle, scope.
7) Installed a stock extender by way of a long recoil pad that adds 1 inch to the Mini’s very short stock.

So Saturday I took the gun to the range at the farm and long story short ended up with 1-inch groups from Sierra 60gr Varmint bullets with 20gr of IMR 4198, using military brass and Winchester primers. I also tried some Black Hills 55gr SP reloads and they also shot 1 inch. So without spending a pile I have a nice handy yote getter.

But I am not quite satisfied with 1 inch and want to see if I can get a half-inch group from the Mini. So I am going to cut the barrel off about 1 ½ inches so I can mount the muzzle break with the back of it's tube pressed against the first step in the barrel. The effect should be to create a solid and much thicker barrel from muzzle to step. I will re-crown the muzzle with a target crown. If this fails, I will cut the barrel off at the step and mount the muzzle break on the gun to get 16 plus inches in total barrel length to keep the ATF happy.

If you have a Mini and want it to shoot better, you might try the items listed, they are not to expensive, not like a $1,000 ASI make over.
Best,
Ed

_________________
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill
Back to top
View user's profile Photo Gallery
Pumpkinslinger
Super Member
Super Member


Joined: Sep 22, 2007
Posts: 5001
Location: NC foothills

PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:41 pm    Post subject: Re: The new / old coyote gun... The Mini 14 Reply with quote

Ed, good info there! I've been a fan of the Mini-14 for a long time, it was my first centerfire rifle. I've seen some 2" groups from mine, which is mostly stock. Maybe its time to break it out again, with your notes in hand.

_________________
Mike

"I ain't no better than anybody else, and there ain't nobody better than me!" Ma Kettle
Back to top
View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger Photo Gallery
SwampFox
Super Member
Super Member


Joined: Jul 15, 2005
Posts: 1040
Location: Destin, Florida

PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:57 pm    Post subject: Re: The new / old coyote gun... The Mini 14 Reply with quote

Mike,
These are some places to look:

John Masen.com for muzzle break

id223.securedata.net/c...300000000&

Vidio of a trigger job

www.greatwestgunsmithi...ality.html

John or GunDoc as he is called also has a vid on stock bedding which is very good. The site is worth the price of admission, free.
Best,
Ed

_________________
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill
Back to top
View user's profile Photo Gallery
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic   Printer Friendly Page    Forum Index » Varmint Hunting
Page 1 of 1
All times are GMT - 7 Hours



Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Valid CSS! Valid HTML 4.01!
Click to check if this page is realy HTML 4.01 compliant for speed :)

All logos and trademarks in this site are property of HuntingNut.com.
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest © 2011 by HuntingNut.com
Interactive software released under GNU GPL, Code Credits, Privacy Policy

.: Upgraded to DragonFly 9.2 by *Dizfunkshunal* :.