Ruger Mini- lack of caliber choice

C

checkmyswag

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Bolt action rifles seem to come in a wide variety of calibers.

Why does the mini come in the calibers it does? I am especially interested in why it isn't chambered in larger, better hunting rounds?

I understand 223 to an extend although not considered great for hunting.

762x39 I don't understand.

6.8 is supposed to be pretty good, but isn't widely used from what I've seen, although I am very interested in the mini chambered in this.

Why no 308? 270? 243?

I imagine there is a good answer, if you can't say why it does come in different calibers, then explain more about the calibers available.
 
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Back when they first came out, I figured a Mini would be a good hunting and plinking rifle. Yup, sure enough. And for the sort of hunting I wanted to do, the .223 was plenty good enough.

So I never worried about it. Still don't. :D
 
Im with Art on this one. I have killed everything I wanted to with my mini-14. The only other caliber I would want would be 6.8. I dont care for the 7.62x39 commie round and dont want one.
 
Ruger actually tried making a .308 Mini and then cancelled it (for IDK what reason) but it would have been pointless anyway. The entire idea behind the Mini is a light handy carbine that's sort of like the familiar M14 and Garand but not as long and heavy. Making a .308 Mini would just be reinventing the wheel. Plus it's alot easier to take a bolt action and chamber it in a different cartridge. It's a much more involved process with an automatic, since alot more changes need to be made.
 
xgi

The Mini family are carbines, as you likely are aware, and the original .223 versions were engineered around the dimensions and pressures of the .223 round. Ruger, to an extent, "shrunk" the M1 Garand action. When a "bigger" Mini was desired, it just so happened that the x39 would work in the system just fine as well. And now of course we have the 6.8, though I've never seen one, nor a box of shells for one in my area either.

The x39 ctg turns a Mini sized carbine into a slightly better medium game getter in many folks eyes, me being one. The 6.8 maybe the best of both worlds, bigger than .223 and flatter than x39, but the ammo is uncommon, at least around here, at this point. I don't want one.

Ruger tried to develop an even bigger Mini (in .308) and called it the XGI. It never flew. Apparently a few factory examples are about, I saw one on line a few years back for sale.

The -06/.270 class cartridges require an action the size of the Garand. NOt really a "mini" at near 10 lbs all up.
 
I am especially interested in why it isn't chambered in larger, better hunting rounds?
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Because the action isn't long enough to accommodate those rounds.

Ruger actually tried making a .308 Mini and then cancelled it (for IDK what reason)
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Ruger couldn't get acceptable accuracy while keeping the gun within the target weight and couldn't get production costs low enough.
 
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