Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

I'm thinking after my .243AI is finished I want to get a Mini for a "throw in the truck" type of gun. Used mainly for coyotes, and the occasional deer. I think I could load up the SPC with 110gr. TSX's for a great deer load. But I don't really know anything about the 7.62x39...? What do you guys think?

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

That is a russian round,Bullet weights are around 100 to 150 grains..
Muzzle velocitys run about 2650 fps down to around 1800 fps depending
on your choice of bullet..If you get one,stay away from some of the older
ammo..They used steel cases and they will stick in the chamber..

Bullet dia. can be anywhere from ..308 to .312 is some of the older rilfes..

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

The 6.8 is more powerfull.Basically a .270 bullet on a shortened 30Rem case.A nice 7.62x39 is the BA CZ carbine.You end up with 30-30 power roughly.........Harold

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RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

To put the 7.62X39mm into perspective, think of it as a shortened, rimless .30/30. It will fire bullets of the same weight as the .30/30 at very similar velocities using comparable powder charges. Out to 200 yards, it is just as deadly as a .30/30 and is good for the same sort of game. I believe your thinking about the 6.8 SPC is correct, but I do not think it would be any better for deer and coyotes than the 7.62X39mm. The Russian round is available anywhere in the world, and some of the ammo is very cheap even today. In a rifle like the CZ 527, the 7.62X39mm is as accurate as any cartridge, if good bullets are used. One thing about the 6.8 SPC is that there aren't just tons of rifles made for it, and it is NOT a popular chambering, yet. I don't know if it will ever be popular, or even if it will survive.

I have had terrible accuracy problemsusing the Mini-30 and the Mini-14. I have heard rumors that Ruger has finally figured out how to make them so they are reasonably accurate. I don't know if this is true, but I will never buy another one until I see proof that the accuracy problems with them have been fixed. However, the CZ 527 is something else again!

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

Unless you just want that type of a weapon I think you would be better served with a 30-30 lever action carbine or a youth model bolt gun with a shorter barrel.

I have just heard too many bad things about these guns to pony up that kind of money for one. You could get a beat up SKS as well, and it may be more accurate, plus you have that nifty spike at the end;).

Paul

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

I would like an SKS or an AR, but I live in California. I already have a 30-30 lever action. I'm just looking for something a little different, I'm sure it will be accurate enough for what I need it for, then eventually I'll probably re-barrel it anyway.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

You can't get either of those in california now? I thought the weapons ban was over. That is actually where I lived when I owned my SKS and AK, but that was 20 years ago;).

So you basically just want one because you like the looks of it. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion, it is America after all:D. I would suggest the 7.62x39 just for the ease of use factor. They are flat out fun to shoot as well.

Paul

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

No, not the looks of it, I actually think the look kinda goofy. I just think a short, semi-auto, super reliable rifle would be just perfect to throw in the truck on the way to go cut some wood or something. And I think they are a blast to shoot.:D

The Federal Ban ended, but not the California ban. I did find loophole for the AR's (thats how I built the one I have), but the law is so complicated I don't want to carry it around in the truck with me, just too many LE's that don't know the law.

Even the Ruger Mini-14 Target rifle (thumbhole stock) is illegal here. [:@]

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

"just too many LE's that don't know the law."


Absolutely correct! And not just in CA, either!

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

in terms of ballistics the SPC will be more accuracte and give you double the effective accurate range. the only problem is that the future of the SPC is still in question. We dont know if the cartridge has any future, that wil depend on whether or not the military adopts it. But considering the expense and the economy i dont think that will happen soon.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

I have shot a mini .30 before. a good fried has one. It was a blast to shoot. as far as accuracy goes?? I'm not sure we werent shooting as much for accuracy as for just fun!

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

I have proven to my satisfaction that the7.62X39mm is an extremely accurate cartridge! How well it will shoot depends on three things: The precisoin with which the rifle shooting it was built,how uniformly the ammo you are using was assembled, and how well the ammo matches the requirements of that particular rifle. In other words, the same things that determine the accuracy level of ANY rifle-cartridge combination. IMO, there are poor/inaccurate BULLETS, but very few inaccurate CARTRIDGES!

I will concede thatthe 6.8 SPC will shoot flatter, but the accuracy of the 7.62X39mm cartridge is NOT in question! Don't forget, the PPC rounds were originally made from 7.62X39mm brass (in the form of the .220 Russian)

FYI, ballistics has nothing to do with accuracy, and vice-versa. For example, the .45/70 has very "poor" ballistics, but is an extremely accurate cartridge, if loaded correctly and fired in an accurate rifle.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

I would like to see a 7.62x39mm get 2650 fps. Get the 6.8 jeepkid-I'm gunna get 1 myself.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

When you get one let us know how it performs. I'm still about 3 months away from one.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

I always use the analogy of gasoline in cars to cartriges or quality of ammo fired in a rifle.

For instance, it makes no sense to buy a $2000 precision rifle and then fire wolf ammo through it- its like buying a corvette and running it on low-grade gasoline.


The converse can be said about the Mini-whatever. It makes no sense buying a craptastic rifle and having it chambered in a cartridge with better ballistics and which is much more expensive to shoot. Think of it as buying a Geo Metro (albeit grossly overpriced Geo Metro) and running nothing but premium gasoline in it.

The Mini-30 is the way to go, if only because the SKS isn't available to you.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

Briman-respectfully-I've shot/owned/worked on dozens of mini 14s and they ain't junk.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

They certainly aren't junk, but they aren't all that great either.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

I've never really been fond of the 7.62x39 round for deer hunting. I know several who use it successfully, but not my personal choice. That is probably the only reason I haven't bought a mini-30 by now. My personal choice for a semi-auto would probably be a flat-top AR-10 in .308. a bit more pricey, but if it's going to be used for deer and coyotes it's a much better round. They're also available in several other calibers that are much more suitable for what you want.

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

An AR-10 would be PERFECT, but remember, I live in Kookifornia. [:@]

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

I must have missed that

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

6.8 looks better on paper, if it does go bye, bye, it will be about time to re-barrel anyway!

RE: Mini-14 in 6.8SPC or Mini-30
 

Ok, who here has shot the 6.8 SPC mini-14 yet? Heard about it recently, and I really would like to use this gun as a hunting gun also. I hunt the "brush country" of upstate NY, and like the carbine on the Mini-14 for its compact size and quick to shoulder capabilities ( I have an older Ranch Rifle in .223, which is not suitable for hunting whitetail and, yeah, it ain't the most accurate rifle in the world, but its quick to reacquire a target and get off a 2nd and 3rd shot, if necessary.)

Also, anyone here had any experience with Accuracy System's Mini-30 conversions? I heard they can do a 6.8 SPC mini-30 conversion, and are wondering if the added accuracy is worth the extrain coin? C'mon people, somebody out there must have shot this new Mini-14 6.8 SPC by now? Anyone?