Anyone hunt with a mini 30

[upstaterifle]

Thought someone on here would know best. Just wondering if you can and if so, has anyone has ever hunted in NY with a Mini 30 in 7.62x39?? I know you can get it in soft tip and I have seen 154 gr rounds available.

[upstaterifle]

Not for this season, but starting to think I might want to trade my rifle for something different and this is consideration.

[SteveNY]

You could, but there are much better hunting rounds out there. But if you use it make sure you have a magazine that is 5 rounds or less to hunt with.

It is illegal to take or hunt wildlife with any semi-automatic firearm

with a capacity to hold more than 6 rounds, except:

1. firearms using .22 or .17 caliber rimfire

ammunition, or

2. firearms altered to reduce their capacity

to no more than 6 shells at one time in

the magazine and chamber combined, or

3. autoloading pistols with a barrel length

of less than eight inches.

Edited September 13, 2012 by SteveNY

[upstaterifle]

you can get five round magazines for it and the round pretty close to performance of a .308 other than range. I currently have a Remington 750 in .308 however not as happy with it as I would like to be. Where I am hunting there is nothing that far and it can be thick at times. Thought the Mini would be a good fit. They are very reliable from what I have read and been told.

[SteveNY]

you can get five round magazines for it and the round pretty close to performance of a .308 other than range. I currently have a Remington 750 in .308 however not as happy with it as I would like to be. Where I am hunting there is nothing that far and it can be thick at times. Thought the Mini would be a good fit. They are very reliable from what I have read and been told.

One of the beautiful things about hunting is the freedom to choose the firearm and ammunition you want to use!

[upstaterifle]

i assume it is fine from what I had read on the DEC site as long as it was in a soft point. Always get good info on here though so I thought I would throw it out there.

[ants]

I'm pretty sure that the 7.62x39 is close to the ballistics of the 30-30. So with hunting type bullets you should be set. I have never heard that the Mini 30 is unreliable ....so good luck!! I would use it, under your conditions.

[upstaterifle]

I'm pretty sure that the 7.62x39 is close to the ballistics of the 30-30. So with hunting type bullets you should be set. I have never heard that the Mini 30 is unreliable ....so good luck!! I would use it, under your conditions.

I just read something else that said it was closer to the 30-30 as well and that has taken more deer than anything over the years. Ammunition looks cheaper than .308 as well for target shooting in the off season.

[PWGUNNY]

I like that mini-30 alot. Ruger makes a great gun. Go with the small clip and you should be fine.

[SteveNY]

I like that mini-30 alot. Ruger makes a great gun. Go with the small clip and you should be fine.

*cringe* clip *cringe*

[gfdeputy2]

Being only a couple miles away from Rugers NH plant well I am a Ruger fan

I have a mini 30 & I have personally never used it for deer but my youngest daughter was using it (has not killed a deer yet though) until I got her the .308 American. A few people around me use them & have had success with it.

good round not the best but will def. do the job. I don't remember NY rule on ammo (as we bow hunt NY)

In Nh you can not use FMJ ammo which is what most of the cheap ammo is. when I purchased hunting rounds for it I was shocked was almost double what my .270 & .308 rounds are.

be careful using the cheap ammo you will need to clean your gun including the gas ports more often the mini is not an AK or SKS they were not designed to run that cheap ammo

Good Luck it is a great gun

[Grouse]

I have a Mini 30 in stainless steel with a wood stock and a Leupold 1.5x5 on it. I have taken two deer with it. Both were at 50 yards and I was using Remington 125gr soft points. Both deer were standing still, not spooked and they both dropped within 10 yards. Both were broadside double lung shots and both bullets went clear through the deer.

The 7.62x39 is very close to the .30-30 in power, but the pointed soft points seem to penetrate better. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a deer at 200 yards with it, as ballistic tables show it has more than enough energy at 200 to kill cleanly.

The only drawback I see to the Mini 30 is it's weight. It is heavier than the typical lever action .30-30 Winchester and not as smooth to the shoulder for a quick shot in the thick stuff. It is a lot easier to mount a scope on though.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I could think of quite a few less expensive, more accurate rifles, but if thats what you want, by all means. Its plenty of gun to kill a deer.

[gfdeputy2]

WNY Buckhunter I agree I purchased the Ruger american for my daughter & man I am impressed this rifle groups as good or better then My M77 light gun surprising how little kick there is great gun for a cheap price

[erussell]

Why not just trade the 750 in on a 30/06 carbine 750 or a 35 whelen ( if you can find one, i see the 35's have been discontinued) ? The carbine short barrel is nice for brush and if you put a red dot on it, it would make a perfect brush gun. Heck put a red dot on the 308. If you have brush that would deflect a 308 it will deflect 30/06, 35 or 762x39 also.