Well, yeah. When I say "drying up", I mean on the commercial shelves.

I personally think that the Mini 14 is an excellent platform for the 6.8, but they haven't launched true 6.8 hi-caps yet for it.

I think that the garand action is an excellent platform for outdoor use. Maybe you could talk him into a Springfield.

I believe that is the first time in my life I have ever seen 'Mini 14' and 'excellent' in the same sentence.

+1!

Meh, the orginial Mini, (IMHO), was the biggest failure SR&Co ever produced. After they tightened up some of the workings and changed out the barrel, the Mini actually was worth shooting. The new peice is 2MOA accurate with most ammo, and the 6.8 being an intermediate cartridge to begin with, doesn't demand long-range precision. The new configuration is supposed to be able of producing 1MOA with match grade ammo, but I've yet to see it done personally.

Now considering that most "sporting" semis, (see: Browning BAR, Benelli R1, etc.), won't exceed 2-3MOA with hunting ammo, there is limited capability for long-range use. Seeing as there is such limited accuracy at long range, there is little reason to put up with the price and recoil, unless you are up against dangerous game. Even then, a good bolt or level action may serve better all-in-all.

The Mini-14/6.8 is 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of comparable non-match grade big-game autos, around 1 to 2 pounds lighter, several inches shorter, and dishes a fraction of the recoil without hindering accuracy. Power wise, I'm fairly confident that the 6.8 can drop an Elk at 200 yards. Some people might argue that statement about elk, but .22LRs have dropped whitetail at 100 yards, (although illegal in many areas), so I'll give the 6.8 the benefit of the doubt.

There you have it- my long-winded logic behind the Mini-14/6.8.

The biggest advantage to the Mini-14 is that you can bag two deer with one shot.

One with the bullet, (if your lucky) the other with ejecting casing.