With a new chambering and improved accuracy, the Mini-14 Ranch Rifle is now a more potent and more versatile semiauto that’s able to handle more hunting and law-enforcement tasks.

With a magazine full of Remington’s Premier 115-grain Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded pointed softpoints, I tried in vain to shoot deer, hogs or any legal critter. Not even an armadillo appeared on the warm, muggy, full-moon afternoons on which I was able to take the Mini hunting.

A couple of years ago, though, I did have the chance to shoot quite a lot of 6.8mm SPC with the same bullet at similar velocities out of a bolt rifle and found expansion and penetration excellent on both whitetails and hogs.

The 1,700 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy should be plenty for medium-size big game, so both round and rifle are up to the task. If hunting big hogs or whitetails north of the Mason-Dixon line, I would stick with bonded, pointed softpoint bullets and use the polymer-tipped bullets on smaller-bodied, big-game critters or varmints.

At just seven pounds, sans scope, the rifle is light and handy. A short overall length of just over 37 inches makes it an ideal truck or horse gun, which is probably why Ruger called it the Ranch Rifle in the first place. Varmints are no match for any of the hollowpoint match bullets available--especially Hornady’s 110-grain VMAX load. That load was one of the more accurate tested, with three-shot groups averaging 1.8 inches. Unfortunately, my chronograph quit working so I couldn’t gather ballistics data on it.

The higher-magnification variable scopes worked just fine on the bench and in the tree stand, but a 1X red-dot optic would be ideal for fleeting targets moving rapidly away from the shooter.

I was able to borrow an Aimpoint CompM2 in a 30mm Ruger ring, and while it looked a little odd, it worked pretty well ahead of the ejection port. If a small section of M1913 Picatinny rail could be attached to a Ruger ring or, even better, cast and machined from one piece, it would greatly expand the optic options.

There were no failures to feed or function, and ejection was brisk, tossing cases two or three positions down the firing line. If you’re reloading the 6.8 mm SPC cases, be prepared to lose some brass at the range due to this vigorous ejection.

Ruger’s efforts to improve accuracy proved fruitful. Five different factory loads averaged minute-of-coyote, with one catch: The first round out of the magazine seldom landed inside the center of three- or five-shot groups, usually striking over an inch away. The trigger, which has always been a constant source of consternation with Ruger rifles, was excellent. A two-stage unit, it broke at five pounds, eight ounces, was very consistent from shot to shot and had very little overtravel.

It Really Shines The Mini really shined at patrol-rifle distances of 100 yards or less. Speed shooting silhouette targets at various ranges from 50 yards to powder burn produced excellent results, and the rifle is as instinctive and easy to shoot as any AR variant.

The Mini-14 was inspired by two of the most reliable and functional service rifles of the last century and has lived up to that legacy, proving an effective arm. The past three decades saw some design changes and a new caliber, but still left shooters wanting something more. An obvious evolution, Ruger got it right by chambering the Mini in 6.8 mm SPC, giving Mini lovers a caliber that hits harder and reaches further.

The new All Weather Ranch Rifle rides well in both pickups and patrol cars and with the right ammunition easily handles home-defense or varmint and big-game hunting scenarios. A great rifle has finally found the perfect cartridge.