I have had several Mini’s. I tried to love them, but they just didn’t satisfy. The mini-14s were not accurate. The magazines were either expensive or poor quality. They had problems with the cheap steal cased ammo.
The Mini-30 was even worse. There were no hi cap magazines that worked. And all that cheap steal cased 7.62x39 ammo out there was not usable according to the manufacturer. And both Mini-14 and Mini-30 jammed if you did use that cheap ammo.
Instead, get a Polish Tantal style AK-74 with a folding stock, or Century M-74 (Ak 74 style semi auto). They are accurate, handy lightweight, accurate as any gun can be with iron sights, and best of all you can buy surplus Russian ammo for it which is the cheapest ammo on the market. 1080 round sealed cans for $135 you just can’t beat, and the round is comparable to the .223
If you want something with more power, look at a Saiga chambered in .308, and it also shoots that cheap Tula Russian steal cased ammo very well.
Of course the AR is an absolutely top rate rifle in every aspect, perhaps somewhat better than the Russian stuff but also more pricy.
All of which are much more accurate, inexpensive, fun and usable than the Mini I am sorry to say.
The Ruger Mini-14, Ranch Rifle, and Mini-30 should not be on your radar unless you can get it very, very cheap. Even then, it's not much of a bargain. Forget ordering one because Ruger has 1 million guns back ordered and has suspended taking any more orders for anything. If you need a reliable rifle, get yourself an SKS or AK clone.
The SKS is robust and accurate and in 7.62x39. AK clones are available in 7.62x39, 5.45x39, and .223 Remington (5.56x45 NATO). SKS and AK clones have plenty of parts and accessories available, but not to the extent the AR does.
Years ago, I got a great deal on three Romanian rifles, a SAR-1 in 7.62x39, a SAR-2 in 5.45x39, and a SAR-3 in .223 Remington. All were equipped with the Russian “universal” optics mounting rail on the left side of the receiver above the pistol grip. The mounting rail works great and allows the mounting of various optics without loss of zero. My SAR-2 has a K-Var mount and ATN Ultra red dot reflex sight. I can get double taps (head shots) on a full size steel silhouette at 100 meters. I like this rifle!