When it comes to the .223 semi-automatic rifles, Ruger’s Mini 14 rifle has long been a obvious choice. With high capacity magazines and lack of the dreaded black rifle fear. It offers the same versatility of the M1 carbine, ballistics of the AR15 and feel of a classic hunting rifle. Its popularity confirms the need for wood grained high capacity rifles. When the AR15 just isn’t for you the mini 14 is a solid alternative. All it needs is a brand new Mini 14 scope and you’ll be off to the range.
What’s the Best Mini 14 Scope?
1. Leupold VX-2 3-9x40mm Compact Riflescope
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When it comes to quality you can’t beat a Leupold VX2 rifle scope. Leupold makes some of the best optics in the firearm industry. You aren’t going to beat the clarity of a Leupold scope without spending a small fortune. Leupold really outdid themselves with its crystal clear glass and affordable price point.
There are a lot of great scopes in Leupold’s Lineup, but no other scope beats the value of the VX-2. Leupold’s VX-2 lineup has a wide variety of magnification ranges available. The 3-9x40mm scope offers the best bang for the buck, but another magnification might be better suited for your needs. Leupold is known for their optical clarity, and this scopes sight picture is truly crystal clear. The multi-coated lens helps increase the contrast levels resulting in a crisp bright sight picture. If there’s a little bit of sun in the sky you’ll be able to see clearly.
Leupold really stands behind their products offering a lifetime warranty, not that you’ll ever need to use it. The body uses a durable aircraft grade aluminum that’s both light and strong. It’s completely shock resistant under normal operating conditions. The tube is nitrogen purged making the scope 100% waterproof and fogproof. For the money you aren’t going to beat a Leupold VX-2 Riflescope.
2. Sig Sauer Romeo5 1x20mm 2 Moa Red Dot
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When Sig Sauer announced their Romeo5 lineup of red dots they quickly made waves in the firearm industry. The Romeo5 isn’t your typical budget red dot. Yes it is affordable, but it has a ton of features only found in high end red dots. With a durable design and extremely long battery life you really need to have a look at the Romeo5.
At first glance the Romeo5 looks a lot like the Aimpoint Micro T2 which is one of my favorite red dots. It has a really compact housing and seems to be really well built. With an extremely low price tag this compact red dot has a lot of features. By far the coolest thing about this sight is its motion activated design. The scope will immediately turn on with slight movement and remember your previous settings. Sig Sauer advertises the battery life close to 50,000 hours which is unheard of at this price point.
This budget Red dot might not have the same durability as your Aimpoint, but it’s plenty tough. It’s backed by a lifetime warranty and has a completely shockproof body. It will withstand just about everything that life throws at it. The housing is O-Ring sealed, nitrogen purged and completely waterproof. It’s safe to say you would have to try to cause damage to the Romeo5.
3. Vortex Optics Crossfire II 3-9×40 Riflescope
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Vortex Optics Crossfire II rifle scope is another great option for the Mini 14. Vortex Optics makes a ton of great products at an affordable price point. They through a ton of features into their scopes that aren’t normally found at this price range.
The Vortex Crossfire Rifle Scope is a great option for any rifle. Vortex’ Crossfire lineup of scopes is their budget offering of rifle scopes. With a ton of different magnifications to choose from, you’ll be able to find a Crossfire scope that fits your needs. Backed by Vortex no questions asked Lifetime warranty and their true strength platform. The scope is shockproof, 100% waterproof and fogproof. With a clear sight picture you’ll be able to extend your range out a few hundred yards. Using the Vortex advanced multi-coating the glass is scratch resistant and will reduce glare. You’ll have a clear and bright sight picture regardless of the time of day. At this affordable price point the Crossfire lineup of rifle scopes is hard to pass up.
4. Vortex Optics StrikeFire 2 Red/Green Dot Sight
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The Strikefire 2 red dot is another great offering from Vortex. Just like the above Crossfire scope this Vortex optic offers a lot of value for the buck. It has a durable design and clear sight picture.
Before the Romeo5 came out the Strikefire 2 was my favorite budget red dot. Every paycheck I was putting another Strikefire on one of my rifles. It’s extremely easy to use and offers a crystal clear sight picture. The 30mm tube is a little wider than most of the competition. It gives you just that little bit of extra visibility you need on long shots. The battery life isn’t anywhere near the Romeo5, but it will last a few thousand hours. With moderate range use you shouldn’t have to change the battery more than once per year.
Where the Strikefire 2 really shines is its durability. Throughout the years Vortex has really made a name for themselves by providing quality products. The strikefire 2 is completely shockproof and will handle even the worst recoil. With a waterproof housing you won’t have to worry about causing any damage in the back of your wet truck. You can switch between a red or green reticle and adjust the brightness to suit your needs. If you have a little extra cash I would highly recommend the Strikefire 2.
5. Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 Red Dot Sight
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Bushnell’s Trophy TRS-25 is another great budget red dot. I don’t know how Bushnell was able to make the TRS25 at such a low price point. They somehow managed to create a completely waterproof and schock-proof red dot at a fraction of the price of the competition.
Bushnell designed it’s Trophy lineup to be both durable and extremely affordable. You would have to see the TRS-25 red dot to appreciate just how small it actually is. It’s slightly larger than my thumb and will work well on just about any rifle. It really is impressive that something that small can work as well as it does.
The housing is completely shockproof and will withstand the recoil of any rifle. It was designed to be used on anything from your high recoil shotgun, competition pistol, crossbow or even the Mini 14. It’s not only shockproof, the body is also completely waterproof. Complete waterproofing isn’t something that you normally see at this price point. The glass is clear, and the reticle can be adjusted between 11 different brightness settings. If there’s sun in the sky you’ll have a clear and bright sight picture.
6. Bushnell Optics Drop Zone-223 BDC Reticle Riflescope
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Bushnell Optics Drop Zone Rifle scope was designed specifically for the 223 rifle. Everything from the reticle to the housing was built for the 223 cartridge. You can see the craftsmanship that went into this great Bushnell product.
Bushnell designed its drop zone riflescope specifically for the AR15, so it will work perfectly with the Mini 14. By far the best thing about the drop zone scope is the ballistic reticle. It has multiple aiming points to quickly estimate range in the field. Bushnell chose 100% high quality materials to make this durable product. Made out of a high-durability aluminum alloy this scope was built to last. The fully multi-coated optics offer incredible brightness and a scratch resistant surface. The Riflescope is virtually rust proof, scratchprof and water resistant. It’s the perfect compliment to your new Mini 14 rifle.
Traditional Scope vs Red Dot
Ruger’s Mini 14 is one of those rifles that it’s going to be tough to decide between a red dot or a traditional scope. It both shares many characteristics found in a AR15, but looks like a traditional hunting rifle. Your choice is going to have to depend on your own personal needs. Both options have excellent merits and only you can decide which optic you need.
Red Dot: Considering the Mini 14’s similarities to the AR15 a red dot is always going to be a great choice. With a 30 round magazine it functions like an AR15 in sheep’s clothing. A red dot will allow you to quickly engage targets at close range. You’ll be able to quickly and accurately get off more follow up shots due to the rifles low recoil. Paired with a red dot and proper shot placement this is one heck of a hog gun.
Traditional Scope: The beauty of this rifle is that it fits just as well in competition as it does at the farm. Ruger has significantly increased the rifles accuracy to the point where it’s an excellent farm gun. With a hunting spotlight and traditional scope you’ll be taking out coyotes in no time.
Getting To Know Your New Scope or Red Dot
There are several things that you need to know before buying a new rifle scope. You have to match your scope to the rifle and your individual needs. What you need to look for is dependent on which type of scope you choose. You’re going to have to look for different selling point in a red dot compared to a traditional scope.
Traditional Scope Must Haves
Traditional scopes have been around for over a century, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Modern scopes aren’t the same as what your grandfather used. You used to be able to walk down to the grocery store pick up a scope and go out hunting. There weren’t a lot of options back then to choose from. Thanks to the internet there are now more options than ever. With hundreds of different options where should you start. The following categories should help you pick out your next scope.
Magnification: There are a ton of different magnifications available on the market. With the 223 round you are going to want a short to medium range zoom. You can choose anything from the tactical 1-4x magnification to longer range scopes like a 4-12x. For a hunting rifle I like to choose the popular 3-9x magnification. Due to its popularity you can find great glass at an affordable price.
Reticle Design: There are so many different types of reticles, that it would be impossible to name them all. When I’m looking at reticles I like to balance features with function. It’s nice to have range estimating features, but I don’t want them to clog up my sight picture. Simple dots are all you need to accurately estimate range.
Objective Lens Size: As a general rule the larger your objective lens size the brighter your sight picture is going to be. It’s simple physics the bigger the opening the more light you are going to have. Illuminated reticles can also slightly increase perceived brightness, but it can’t make up for a small objective lens size.
Durability: All of the above scopes are extremely durable. The easy way to tell a scopes durability is by looking at the warranty. Filling warranties cost a company a lot of money, so they have to limit costs by offering a better product.
Red Dot Must Haves
Long Batttery Life: A long battery life will make or break a red dot. Most of the time battery life has a direct correlation with price. Red Dots like Sig Sauer’s Romeo5 and Aimpoints all have a multiple year battery life. Cheaper sights have close to 1000 hours.
Durable Construction: As much as it pains me I’ve lost a few scopes to water damage in my life. My basement flooded and ruined quite a few moderately priced scopes. Ever since then I’ve made sure that all of my scopes are completely waterproof. You’re also going to want to get a scope that is relatively durable. It doesn’t need to be bombproof like Aimpont’s, but it does need to withstand the occasional drop. As careful as you are eventually a rifle will fall out when you open your gun safe.
Proper MOA: For any rifle you are going to want to get a low MOA red dot. I prefer putting 2 MOA red dots on my rifles. Just remember that the higher the MOA the less accurate it will be at long range.