Gun Review of the Ruger Mini-14 in .223

The Ruger Mini-14 has been around for a long time. I personally have a fondness for the tried and true rather than the fancy and new. A gun such as the Mini-14 has been around long enough to have the bugs worked out and to have proven itself as a reliable and useful firearm. The slick little Mini-14 handles well, points like an extension of your arm, and is not picky about ammunition. Did I mention it is a blast to shoot as well? While shooting fast is pretty much nothing more than a good way to miss, it is still a lot of fun to quickly churn up a hillside in the direction of a pop can or other suitable target. Inexpensive ammo is just perfect for this use of the Ruger Mini-14.

Back to a more serious subject, the Ruger Mini-14 is fitted with a ghost ring aperture (peep) sight in the rear and a protected front sight. The protected front sight makes the Ruger Mini-14 ideal for keeping behind the door or throwing into the truck while on the farm. Though I find the plain wood stock of the Ruger Mini-14 quite appealing, it too is made for ruggedness and not beauty further adding to the Mini-14's usefulness as a work gun. In fact a scratch or two on a gun's stock just adds character. The Mini-14 has an M1 Garand style safety that is well placed and useful.

The Ruger Mini-14 was fired for functioning and some attempt was also made to shoot it for accuracy. There was no problem with functioning from any of the ammunition types that were along for the shoot. And yes I did quickly churn up a hillside in the direction of a soda pop can with the Mini-14 just for giggles. With the ghost ring rear sight I found that target acquisition was very quick. The large front sight and even its protective flanges seem to help as well in getting things lined up quickly. Accuracy with the setup and my eyes resulted in groups from about 1 inch to 1 and a half inches at 50 yards. I'm sure adding a scope would improve things but I like the Mini-14's sleek look without the mounted optics.

As far as a plinking gun, the Ruger Mini-14 is clearly ideal for a centerfire rifle. Recoil is very light, ammo is fairly cheap and common, and the gun is very sturdy. For varmint hunting the Mini-14 would be great for calling or other times when the shots are close. The Mini-14 was not designed for precise accuracy at 400 yards. As a survival gun the Ruger Mini-14 is about ideal as well as long as you don't have to survive in an area with large beasts that need taming. Trying to stop a grizzly bear with a .223 is not a task many would look forward to. Though many will get all bent out of shape, the .223 in careful hands can certainly put a deer or two in the freezer.

The Ruger Mini-14 is a great gun for many purposes and is a lot of fun as well.