Another 7.62x39 now calls my ranch home!

[Ranch Dog]

Bought a Ruger Mini-30 (#5854), quite a little beast. Spent the afternoon ringing the 6" gong at 100-yards with it!

[akuser47]

Nice i had a mini 14 ranch it was such a sad gun looked good couldnt hit 12"plate at 100yards I sold it off I have heard newer models have better barrels and accuracy may need to look at them again. Keep us posted

[Tuco Ramirez]

I always liked the Ranch Rifles but heard the same thing some years back it would only hold a shotgun pattern. Sounds like you got a good one....

[pricedo]

Had both a Ruger mini-30 (7.62x39) and a mini-14 (223 Rem) a few years back and the pitch fork in the barn could be thrown on a windy day with better accuracy than either of them delivered.
I dumped them both less than a month after the purchase.
Now I see they are advertising more accurate ones with adjustable barrel vibration dampeners that purportedly deliver <1 MOA accuracy.
The supposedly more accurate version with the barrel vibe damper is way out to lunch on MSRP.
I'll pass.........I always thought the mini-14s, mini-30s and ranch rifles were too darned expensive for what they delivered...... weekend noise makers .

[klr]

Nice rifle, RD. sounds like you got a good one. I had one like AK-47. I lost a lot of time and money on that gun.

[Ranch Dog]

Your comments above where reflected in my research but those comments took a decidedly different swing with the introduction of the "Tactical", these newer rifles producing great results, over the last several years. After sighting in this rifle yesterday, I stuck a 5-round magazine in the well and hit the 6" gong at the 100-yard berm 5 times in a row! I really don't know what more to expect from a tactical rifle so it has met my expectation and is staying.

The only issue I had with it is that I will not feed the last spitzer type bullet in the magazine whether it be a 5, 10, or 20 round magazine. The round nose PPU does, I thought it would have been the other way around. It does love that little round nose bullet so it will get to go hog hunting real soon. I was going to replace the heat shield with a scout mount but might try the Ruger rings first with a compact Bushnell. The advantage of the scout would yield to red dot or night vision as that is the final stage for this rifle. A suppressed night time hog killer as it has a threaded barrel.

I bought a Mini-Mauser this week as well but won't be able to get to it for a few days, maybe a week, because of other work.

Savage called saying they were returning my 10FCM, said there is nothing wrong with it as "it is at spec." That is an ignorant statement in that barrel has a .308" groove, not complying with the SAAMI spec's .310" groove (just one of many inconsistencies in the chamber cut). In that they had no intent of doing anything about it they could have made the call in something quicker than two and a half months! Oh well, at least I get a complete shipping box as I will need it.

[pricedo]

Have you slugged the barrel on your mini-30?
Is it SAAMI/Warsaw spec for the 7.62 x 39 (.312" dia) or is it .30 caliber (.308") like some of the American made 7.62 x 39 rifles are? Or some other diameter?
American companies like Savage have decided to make so-called 7.62 x 39 rifles off-spec to take advantage of the bounty of 30 caliber (0.308") bullets out there.
The Warsaw Pact MILSURP rifle barrels on the other hand are on or close to the original Kalashnikov design spec for the caliber.
If you are buying any rifle advertised as 7.62 x 39 you owe it to yourself to do due diligence and research to ascertain if you are getting a real SAAMI/Kalashnikov spec rifle or an "Americanized" version with a .30 caliber (.308") barrel.
This research should be done BEFORE you purchase the rifle or you might set yourself up for an unpleasant surprise like with RDs Savage.

** the MSRP for the target version (only comes is 223 cal) with the "Browning BOSS" style adjustable barrel vibe dampener is over $1100. The target version is the model that supposedly delivers MOA accuracy. I see no mention on the Ruger website of changes to the generic "mini" models that would make them any more accurate than before. The generic models MSRP at over $900. Had an opportunity to buy a Ruger 44 Mag autoloader (looks like a 10/22) in very good shape a while back but the guy wanted $650 for it and I declined. He sold it the next day. The old Ruger 44 Mag autoloader was a better rifle in every way than any of the "mini" series.

[Ranch Dog]

Have you slugged the barrel on your mini-30?

Yeap, ran a sinker through it and it is .3115"

Here is the info on the Ruger Mini 30

Ruger Mini-30 bore specs
This rifle is chambered for the 7.62 x 39mm cartridge. This cartridge, traditionally, uses a projectile with a nominal diameter of .311 to .312 inch.

At the time the Mini-30 was introduced very few bullet makers where producing .311/.312 inch bullets for reloading in the light 125-130 grain weight required. Ruger initiated the use of barrels with a groove dimension of .308 inch and a long tapered throat. The throat allowed the use of ammunition with .311/.312 projectiles by gradually squeezing them to the .308 diameter. In addition, ammunition loaded with more commonly available .308 diameter bullets could also be used.

Commencing in 1992 Ruger initiated a change to using .311/.312 nominal groove diameter, 1-10 inch right hand twist barrels in all Mini-30's. It was likely well into 1993 before all rifles coming of the production line incorporated the .311/.312 barrels.

I knew going into the Savage that it had a .308 groove but you never know for sure what a manufacturer does to the chamber's step, throat, and leade until you make and measure a chamber impression. In the case of the Savage, they cut addition freebore in the chamber at even a greater diameter than freebore should be cut.

[pricedo]

I knew going into the Savage that it had a .308 groove but you never know for sure what a manufacturer does to the chamber's step, throat, and leade until you make and measure a chamber impression. In the case of the Savage, they cut addition freebore in the chamber at even a greater diameter than freebore should be cut.

Savage is one company whose rifles I have never had a problem with from the day I bought my first 99 in 300 Savage many years ago.
Currently own 3 of their bolt actions which are tack drivers........even my 116SS in the mighty 375 Ruger caliber cuts 5 shot 1 ragged hole groups at 100 yards though the recoil is fearsome (gun weighs only 7.6 pounds and puts out 4900 ft-lbs ME).

[Archer]

I've heard good things about the Savage guns but it sounds like they decided to do something less than smart with the 7.62x39 in an attempt to mimic Ruger's initial Mini 30s.
Sounds very much like a caliber specific thing rather than something that is prevalent through their rifle line.

I own a .243 Win Savage I won in a raffle when the first two tickets came up AWOL at the drawing.
I need to slap a decent scope on it and see if it will shoot.