mini 14 vs. white tailed deer
05-13-2010, 07:59 PM
#12
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Lima, Peru
Posts: 49
I am not sure what the gun laws are like in Peru, but I would recommend a Ruger Mini 30 instead of a Mini 14. It fires a 7.62x39 bullet, which would be better for deer than the .223 of the Mini 14.
There are dozens of good rifles in better calibers for deer hunting. Have you considered a bolt action rifle? I would recommend .243, .270, or .308 over a .223 or 7.62x39. If you insist on having a semi-auto, Saiga makes a good .308 semi-auto which I have heard is very accurate, and here in America sells for about the same price as a Mini 14.
With all that being said, you can get the job done with .223 if you know what you are doing. There is just a lot less room for error.
There are dozens of good rifles in better calibers for deer hunting. Have you considered a bolt action rifle? I would recommend .243, .270, or .308 over a .223 or 7.62x39. If you insist on having a semi-auto, Saiga makes a good .308 semi-auto which I have heard is very accurate, and here in America sells for about the same price as a Mini 14.
With all that being said, you can get the job done with .223 if you know what you are doing. There is just a lot less room for error.
05-13-2010, 09:45 PM
#13
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 974
whoa my point exactly
well in peru gun laws are really restrictive since there was a really big terrorism crisis between the 80s and 90s but you cant buy guns that stores dont have and since peru is not a big game hunting country you only get what gun stores have or used guns. But now ive changes my idea and thinking of changing to a marlin 3030 lever action
05-14-2010, 07:34 AM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,320
I figure Bill Ruger still owes me for the POS Mini 14 I bought from him years ago. The upside is you could shoot a barn full of ammo thru it and it'd never jam or misfire. The downside is you couldn't hit the walls of said barn if you were standing inside it.
the caliber may work but the gun SBT.
the caliber may work but the gun SBT.
05-14-2010, 08:19 AM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,605
I wont use a 223 for deer if i have a choice but i know a few that do without any problem. Get a AR based rifle with a additional 6.8SPC upper and you have the best of both worlds. Ammo isnt hard to get either.
Shot placement and bullet selection are the key. The Barnes TSX (i think) or any solid copper expanding (non varmint) bullet should work but long for caliber 223smight not give the best accuracy in a Mini14.
Many of the heavy/longer 223s or the longer Barnes coppers need a 1-9 twist minimum for adequate accuracy and the better non varmint 223s shoot best in a 1-7 twist. Most of the 60-65ish grain copper and lead hunting bullets shoot ok in the Mini14.
I would also prefer the Mini 30 if i was possibly going to use it for deer. In 7.62x39 there are a few fairly good (not great) hunting bullets for it but opinions vary.
Shot placement and bullet selection are the key. The Barnes TSX (i think) or any solid copper expanding (non varmint) bullet should work but long for caliber 223smight not give the best accuracy in a Mini14.
Many of the heavy/longer 223s or the longer Barnes coppers need a 1-9 twist minimum for adequate accuracy and the better non varmint 223s shoot best in a 1-7 twist. Most of the 60-65ish grain copper and lead hunting bullets shoot ok in the Mini14.
I would also prefer the Mini 30 if i was possibly going to use it for deer. In 7.62x39 there are a few fairly good (not great) hunting bullets for it but opinions vary.
05-14-2010, 08:56 AM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Orange county, NY
Posts: 2,949
05-14-2010, 10:24 AM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,320
The Mini 14 I had would be most effective killing deer if you happen to be riding on the back of that particular deer.
Sold it at a gunshow even after I gave up full disclosure about the accuracy issues I had. The same guy bought two of those huge case boxes of ammo. For what he lacked in precision he will have made up for in sheer volume of fire.
Sold it at a gunshow even after I gave up full disclosure about the accuracy issues I had. The same guy bought two of those huge case boxes of ammo. For what he lacked in precision he will have made up for in sheer volume of fire.
Last edited by skb2706; 05-14-2010 at 10:26 AM.