Top 9 Best Scope For Mini 30 in 2025 [Honest Review]

Designed on the back of the very effective Ruger Mini 14 action rifle, the Mini 30 as offered by has been a hot sellers for decades. This carbine style M-14 receiver design is a rifle set up originally as a .223 Remington / 5.56 NATO operating system, but when Ruger took a hard look at the effectiveness of the Russian 7.52X39, it was a no brainer to move the Mini 14 design straight into a 7.62 X 39, or new as currently called the Mini 30 platform.

When selecting the best scope for this rifle, the first thing that needs to be considered is how and where the rifle will be used?

Brush country shooting on varmints or game won’t require the massively sophisticated glass sight, and casual plinkers may not need anything more advanced than basic iron sights. However when used on mountain to mountain shooting, or the great planes of the Dakotas, some additional power could be a good idea.

Because this cartridge is based on a post WWI machine gun round as designed by the Russians, and in terms of range is about washed up at 600 yards, glass sights are not a major issue with the Mini 14 / Mini 30’s simi auto receiver system,

With ownership of several Mini 14’s, and Mini 30’s of which both did see a good deal of use as hunting rifles in Texas against hogs, and coyotes, I can say that for the most part I was pleased with a very standard 3-9x40 power hunting scope and a good, solid scope mount. 

Close range and longer range shooting was covered well, The 40mm objective lens was large enough to pickup a sight picture on running targets, and weight / balances was good to excellent. Using this as a base for review I will now take a look at a number of options in glass sights and give you the reader some idea of both the good, bad, and in some cases flat out ugly elements associated with this arrangement of scope sights.

9 Best Scope For Mini 30 [Tested Choices]

1. Trijicon TR24G AccuPoint 1-4X24 Riflescope

Right off we have a scope built by a very well known manufacture as applied to both police and military contract work. Trijicon is always held in high esteem among shooters, especially when that shooter is using this product. I have shot Trijicon for over 30 years in both ACOG type glass and full size rifle scopes. I covers some 1000 yard ev3nt back when the long range programs in high power were just getting off the ground less the military and NRA application of the indicated range application in competitive events on paper targets.

Here we have a vey solid scope that is a cut back model lacking a forward expanded bell housing. This makes for a shorter and tighter design package when it comes to tube length, and so as to retain enough room regarding internals the scope design uses the larger 30mm main tube housing.

Lens glass in this scope is top end across the board. The ability to fade out nasty lighting conditions is positive, and the target fade at longer range is minimal. Based on the Mini 30 and the 7.62X39 round this scope at 1-4 can take on medium short range tasks with ease.

Installed with the lighted green triangle makes for a great low light sighting system that boasts fast target acquisition and a generous field of view, and that means a pig gun or late in the day coyote culling rifle of the first order.

This scope requires no battery as it generates and stores its own power too operate the internal lighting system. As to how long the internal lighting system will last? I have been using two scopes and the ACOG glass sight for over 25 years to date. So far so good.

These are very rugged all-weather scopes, boasting a fog proof, waterproof, and shockproof construction, and best used in real world hard nosed hunting conditions, or as a defensive sight on the Ruger Mimi 30 platform.

2. Nikon 4-12x40mm Riflescope

This is a scope that is currently out of production but some of them are still hanging around, and if you can pick one up don’t pass it up because the pricing is right and the quality is good. I shooting these scopes as I several different types on both long range rifles and closer range carbines. The Nikon glass is very good and to see this brand move off the retail charts is a sad day, as it was sold for a very fair price and also returned good positive field results as well.

This scope as illustrated here is a bit over sized for the Mimi 30 M-14 class receiver, but if used it would take the 7.62X39 147 grain bullet well out to 700 yards with ease.

Yes, I have indicated 700 yards, because during extensive testing here at BR&D we shot some tight groups on steel targets and took out warm prairie dog targets to that indicated range while shooting Red Army Standard ball ammunition in the process.

With a 4X12 power level the scope is able to be used to spot and then take out targets. Built up on the one inch tube Ruger's standard bases and rings setup will work out in terms of mounting the scope.

Sub tensions on the scope are based on The BDC system and that allows for some hold over ability when the scope and cartridge have been mapped together. (DOPE)

Again, the only draw back I can see is the excessive scope length involved (19.2 inches when selecting the Mimi 30 as a gun platform for this glass sight.

3. Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 Riflescope

Turning totally away from the long scope and more to the tactical close support scope. or even heavy cover hunting model the Bushnell TRS-25 Red Dot scope comes to the forefront. This scope is a 3 MOA dot sight and can be used with both eyes open for better side to side vision control and without having to worry about parallax, and is a fast system to get on a close range moving target. 

I have indicated “close range” because I have field tested these sights on deer and coyote with mixed results. Red dot fade is evident when shooting into direct sun light and there is no time to change settings in terms of brightness. I had deer in the sight and lost them due to this issue, and when corrected and making a turn the other way I was confronted by the same issue with different lighting in close range cover.

The sight has 11 different red dot control settings, but the shooter needs time to follow through on each of them for the correct illumination against a target surface. Real time shooting whitetail in standing corn as previously illustrated makes for a short range game, and this is where I did see the inadequacies of the red dot sight. However, shooting deer from high in a tree stand with all the time in the world to adjust for light conditions or shadows taking the shot was well control and a snap.

The sight is O ring sealed, water resistant, and I can say for a fact that the systems I use in this sight brand have been field ready and trouble free for better then 26 years. How do I know the exact date? Because I know the year I put up the tree stand I use. Up until this year I have harvested 14 good whitetail bucks from that stand, and half of them have been taken with the Bushnell red dot sight.

As a compact sight system on a light carbine style rifle like the Ruger Mimi 30 this is a solid option if used where this sight factors in best regarding field conditions. A red dot is typically thought of as a self-defense optic, and while it's true that its hunting uses are a bit more limited, it still has the versatility to be both an ideal plinking optic and an excellent choice for something like hog hunting or bagging other varmint at closer ranges. It's especially worth considering if you're shooting something like a Mini-14 Ranch that already has a shorter, more maneuverable barrel intended for close and medium-range shooting.

4. UTG 3-12X44 Compact Riflescope

With this scope the shooter get higher power and a reduced size main tube. This is the best compact rifle scopes and nicely set up as the Mini 14 scope, and the glass sight carries a weight of 1.45 pounds, at 10.39 inches in length. This scope is built on a 30 mm tube, and has tactical range estimating capabilities with a mil dot EZ Tap reticle.

The coated glass used in the reticle is a better grade, and the system is fully illuminated by way of different color selections. Zero lock is used at the turret heads for fast zero return, and the turret is a high profile design with easy access to both it and the illumination controls on the left side at turret center.

Be advised that with the 30mm scope rings and bases it will require special fitting by way of after market products or assistance from Ruger. Ruger offers special Weaver style rails, and enlarged ring systems that fit the machined base system designed into the Mimi 30’s receiver. Packaged with the tactical Mini model M-14 rifle is a screw down Weaver rail, or the standard rings in a one inch configuration.

5. Vortex Optics Crossfire II 2-7X32 Riflescope

In this scope by Vortex we have a nice fit again for the Mini 30 carbine. The receiver length on the Mini and the length and overall size of the Vortex Crossfire II make for a great mate. I used a scope exactly like this for hog hunting Texas on several hunts with very positive results. The Vortex is a good solid product with better then average grade glass, matte black aircraft grade aluminum main tube construction, and the V-Plex reticle, being an all purpose sub tension install.

In truth, I shoot Vortex here at my test operation much of the time and I have found them to be solid functioning glass sights. This brand like several others has become a go to system with me both on the range and in the field. They mount easily on either a picatinny mount or Weaver rail and are just all-around nice optics - especially at this price point. And their excellent lifetime warranty doesn't hurt, either.

6. Redfield Revolution 2-7X33mm Riflescope

Here is the scope for the Mini 30 that is again a nice fit to the receiver length and overall size. Very close to the Leupold Gold Ring I have shot on my 30 for about 38 years to date. The scope retains the Accu-Range reticle that makes extended shots a bit easier once the shooter factors in the sub- tensions with the exact bullet drop of the 147 grain pill used via the 7.62 X39 Russian short.

The scope is hard to get and if found it is a good bet in terms of offering good service life to the active hunter. Again like others here at BR&D I shoot this scope on two systems. The first is the 30-30Wincheste Model 94, ( Short rifle ), and the second is as applied to a .223 Rem, in a Remington Model 700 short action bolt gun. Scopes like Redfield are old school and at one time ruled the world of rifle glass.

7. Bushnell Optics Drop Zone BDC Reticle Scope

Here we have a large scope but full of function, and as always with Bushnell a whole lot of product for the money. Like others Bushnell is a gold standard here at BR&D and is used on two one mile rifles, and also specialized slug deer, and turkey shotguns.

This scope carries the BDC reticle meaning the shooter can judge range extension when the drop of the bullet is matched to the vertical rings in the sub-tension display.

The glass on these scopes is of a good working quality and will fight target fade and color changes as in rainbow effects down range. Light transmission is also excellent, as you'd expect from Bushnell, giving you a little extra shooting time in low light conditions.

The scope reviewed retains calibration for the.223 Rem / 5.56 NATO, but a change over is easy when the DOPE has been established for the 7.62X39 Russian. This scope has the side focus controls at the turret left side making it clearly capable of making long range adjustments on the fly.

Elevation and windage graduation on the open target style turret are calibrated in ¼ MOA graduations. The scope is fully coated in terms of lens preparation, built from aircraft grade aluminum, and carry's a working weight of 1.31 pounds.

The scope should b able to handle the Mini 30 with ease as will a number of other Bushnell products illustrated within amazon.com and others.

8. Truglo Omnia 8 Riflescope

TruGlo Omnia Tactical series is a scope I use on shotguns and carbine style rifles AR’s, AK’s, and Mimi Rugers.

This is a scope with fully multi coated lenses surfaces, illuminated for low light use or even night hunting, a 30mm main tube which means special mounting as applied to the Mini 30, and brightness control at the turrets left side regarding the adjustment knob.

The scope includes a one piece mount with the system, and that means again the use of a Weaver rail on the Ruger M-14 style receiver. This can be done with a check through Ruger customer service.

Shooting with this scope as applied to current test loads via Backridge Ammunition TN, and the very latest tungsten ( pure) shot loads for game has indicated that the glass sight is repeatable, easy to zero, and returns positive results down range consistently.

The leaf spring turret controls are of a good design that will hold up under constant use. Turrets on the scope are open style target type/ tactical.

Power setting on the scope are installed at 1-6X24mm. 1-4X24mm, or 1-8X24mm. shooters choice in this case. I shoot the 1X8 being I live in wide open country and need to go long more often then just taking short range shots.

Burris Optics fullfield E1 4.5-14x42 is a bit large for the Mini 14 receiver, but again the scope needs to match the needs, In open country I have use for this system where as the brush or swamp country hunter may want to stay smaller and lower powered.

This scope is a high power unit and when pushed to 14 power and with targets observed through the 42mm objective lens the whole system can be pushed a bit in terms of maximum range effectiveness.

This scope has a MOA reticle, trajectory compensating technology ( recover bullet drop information ,) and the ability to assist on computing bullet drip as well.

Side focus control makes for an easy on the fly adjustment system, and the scope weighs in at 1.5 pounds even with its large size.

In some cases the Ballistics Plex E 1 reticle would be a better choice for short range applications over the MOA setup. . This scope is offered in both sub-tension styles.

9. Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14X40mm Riflescope

This is the modern day Gold Ring Leupold., The name is currently reserved for the spotting scopes offered by this company, but the old school scope is still turning out solid performance as applied to my 30-06 here at BT&D. Time line there? 50 or more years.

This current scope is somewhat close to the old school model and that is why I selected it for review. I am a total fan of Leupold. I have made my longest big game kills with these scopes, and taken out more deer with Leupold then any other brand of glass sight in my 65 plus years of hunting big game.

This current offering by Leupold retains the low power settings for tight in heavy cover shooting, and also the ability to push the power for that special longer range shot.

In truth as applied to the Mini 30 about all you needs is the 6X power magnification as a real time setting for a shot with in the cartridge and rifles ability, but spotting targets, and other look see requires are right there at the 14 power setting.

The crosshair is excellent: fine enough for long-distance work, but not so thin that you risk losing it when shooting into heavy brush or tracking moving game.

The turret settings ( capped ) are ¼ MOA for easy zeroing, and the scope retains the very nice Boon and Crockett reticle, that is very workable when elevating the shot due to added range and therefor bullet drop.

Built with 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum the scope boasts American-built durability. Based on my scopes and time in the field that is a good bet for Leupold. 

Want to know the Best Sight For Ruger Charger? Click here to read it.

Final Thoughts

Mine have never been in for work a single day covering about 200 real work load years total when tallying up the time on task that they have been retained. My hog rifles in Texas, mount the Gold ring scope and I can tell you night hunting the nasty brush country of south Texas the system has rough use written all over it regarding both Mini 30 and glass sight. If you're looking for a rugged all-purpose ranch rifle, this is a strong contender.