Update and Pics - Anyone have an accurate load for a Kel-Tec SU-16?

wasa

wasa

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I have a Kel-Tec SU-16F (website claims 1:7 barrel twist) that I am unable to get any group smaller than about 16" at 100 yards (all handloads). Bought the gun brand new just a couple months ago.

I mainly use 55gr FMJ Campro bullets. I have tried loads with W748, BLC-2, Varget, IMR 4320, IMR 4198, IMR 4895, H335, and IMR 3031. Most of my load data is from www.campro.ca but I have also tried loads from Speer, Lyman, and Hornady.

I also tried just using BLC-2 and tried 36gr, 40gr, 50gr, 55gr, 62gr, and 72gr bullets and none grouped less than 16" (10 shot group) at 100.

At 25 yards, my groups aren't horrible, and would lead me to believe I could group within 8" or so at 100. But I can't.

None of my rounds are keyholing - they just don't group worth a darn.

I have swapped the scope and rings and have the same problem. Currently using a 1-6x32 LPVO.

It's not the Campro bullets - they work fine in my Savage Axis 223, Ruger M77 220 Swift, Troy PAR 223, MRA Renegade 223.

Other than send my firearm back to Kel-Tec, anybody have any loads that actually work in a Kel-Tec SU-16F?

Thanks
 
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My first one many years ago would shoot around an inch at a hundred and I got talked out of it. Full of regret I bought another and it was about a 6" shooter at 100yds and Itried a few thing to try and get it to settle down but it wouldn't. Someone wanted it as bad as it shot so I sold it.
 
billdick said:
My first one many years ago would shoot around an inch at a hundred and I got talked out of it. Full of regret I bought another and it was about a 6" shooter at 100yds and Itried a few thing to try and get it to settle down but it wouldn't. Someone wanted it as bad as it shot so I sold it.
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If factory ammo, do you recall the bullet weight? Brand?

If handloads, do you recall the powder & bullet?

I'd love 1" groups but 6" would be better than what I'm getting.
 
hillbillywilly85 said:
Your other option is to load a heavier bullet, somewhere around the 69gn to 80gn bullet weight. Your 1:7 twist is a pretty fast twist rate and possibly your 55gn aren’t handling that fast of a twist rate.
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Thanks. I've tried 72gr with BLC2. Maybe same bullet with W748 or one of the IMR powders will work.
 
wasa said:
If factory ammo, do you recall the bullet weight? Brand?

If handloads, do you recall the powder & bullet?

I'd love 1" groups but 6" would be better than what I'm getting.
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The first one was that accurate with factory everything and all kinds of reloads, the second one drove me nuts looking for the combination
 
Hitzy said:
Wrap it around a tree and try a different platform?
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That's an option, but will try to get it figured out before swapping platforms. I'd like a reliable semi 223 for shooting 3-gun in the USA. Most stages I shoot are 100 yards or less. One stage is at 200 yards (steel target usually). Currently using my MRA Renegade and it has been working reasonably well - would like to try a semi, especially when lying sideways under a barricade

Need something to go on a Form 6NIA that takes 223 (ideally AR-15 magazines). BCL Siberian maybe? Or are they still having teething issues on that one?
 
53 g max and 55g Ballistic tip factory ammo should be around 2 moa.

With same bullits reloaded you get closer to 1 moa.

62 grain sierra green tipped should work well too.

Varget was my go to
 
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Suther said:
16" at 100? Is that correct and not a typo? I've literally never seen a gun that bad...
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Not a typo. Acceptable groups at 25 yards but at 100 yards there is literally no discernible group. High, low, left, right. It's like my 10 shots are a single round of 12g buckshot.

I do suspect the gun, and will be calling Keltec this week to see what they say.
 
wasa said:
Not a typo. Acceptable groups at 25 yards but at 100 yards there is literally no discernible group. High, low, left, right. It's like my 10 shots are a single round of 12g buckshot.

I do suspect the gun, and will be calling Keltec this week to see what they say.
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Sweet Zombie Jesus !
If your Kel-Tec is currently doing 16 MOA, the "most optimal" reload you could ever create would probably put you at 15 MOA.
If you're confident that the internals of your optic are sound, and that it the optic is mounted firmly on the gun, then ammunition is NOT your problem, its your gun! Full stop.

I've never owned a Kel-Tec myself, but one of my best friends has had two of them.
They were both around 1.5 to 2 MOA shooters with Honady Frontier 223 ammo... the reloads we developed together put those guns shaved about 0.25 to 0.50 MOA off their group size.

Sorry to tell you, 16 MOA means the gun was made on a Friday (maybe 2 Fridays)..... I would try to take it back or something.
Ammo will not mitigate this problem.
 
Maybe what you should try is a looong session with a combination of JB bore paste and Sweet's 7.62 solvent.
I got a sneaky feeling the bullets are bouncing down the bore like a baja buggy.
 
Suther said:
16" at 100? Is that correct and not a typo? I've literally never seen a gun that bad...
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I did once but it was a 1951 SKS with a completely shot out barrel. IMO I think the rifle has serious problems after everything the OP has tried. Most rifles I can just dump a middle of the road charge weight into mixed cases and at worst shoot 5 moa with whatever bullet fits the application.
 
supernova said:
I did once but it was a 1951 SKS with a completely shot out barrel. IMO I think the rifle has serious problems after everything the OP has tried. Most rifles I can just dump a middle of the road charge weight into mixed cases and at worst shoot 5 moa with whatever bullet fits the application.
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I agree with the rifle having a serious problem of some sort. 16 MOA wouldn't be acceptable in a smoothbore flintlock!
 
Suther said:
I agree with the rifle having a serious problem of some sort. 16 MOA wouldn't be acceptable in a smoothbore flintlock!
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Agree. I can group 6” with slugs out of my 18.5” smooth bore 870.
If it won’t group anything, there’s something wrong. I may have missed it, but have you tried any factory ammo? Even Winchester white box is good for 2-3moa in a semi usually.
 
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