My Ranch gun and configuration
If you learn how to match your ammo to the barrel twist and do some serious slow fire testing you should be able to get MOA with a 3 shot group from one of these guns. I use the Weaver Grand Slam on another Mini 14 if I think I might have to deal with prairie dogs. If I am going specifically to hunt these animals, I’ll take a 22-250 and plan to setup for an afternoon with a packed lunch. I’m a big believer in having a good a pair of binoculars with me just for getting a better field of view.
Even though I own more than a few combat worth AR 15 rifles, I still got back to my trusty Ruger Mini 14 for the job it was intended to be used for. As I was discussin previously when it came to what types of footwear to use throughout the year, It would be nice if we could take a light version of what many of us carry when we know we don’t need the standard setup. The great thing about the Mini 14 Ranch guns is that they are light and short, and they are also already setup for optics. I have a few of these guns with different Weaver rifles scopes, but I think the most applicable would be a fixed power 28-30mm optic.
I remember the days when I would stare at rifle scopes and ask shooters how much they cost, and when they told me how the rifle scopes cost, I’d calculate that whichever rifle I was thinking about putting the scope on, the cost of the rifle was less than the cost of the optic. I have no idea how much money companies are making off of some optics, but there is a certain point that I really don’t care how good people think they are, 90% of people spending that kind of money on optics probable could get the job done with something that cost 50%-75% less. In all of my years of target shooting and plinking, I have only had scope mount issues and 2 rifle scopes that ever broke. Every rifle scope that broke cost less than $100. I have a few Leupolds that have been on bolt actions and semi-autos and they all hold zero and have excellent clarity.