If your already willing to go down that far with a load just go buy enough surplus ammo and get a good supply of brass in the process. By itself the mini 14 is a very fun gun, not the most accurate though so it needs all the help it can get. Otherwise I run W748, 27.5 gr, with a 50 gr Hornady sxsp, and Federal small rifle match primers, my other 223 likes it a little hotter around 27.9 gr. You said you want to shoot a lot an save money so here it is. Cheapest bullet you can find probably Remington or Winchester fmj' s, and you' ll still have to find the sweet spot for your gun, but if your reload other cartridges, look at powder selection and pick something that you' ll be able to use for something else as well so you don' t have buy a lb. just for one gun.