My brother won a Franchi Momentum 243 rifle last year. We got the rifle set up to shot armadillos because someone on here said it’s not fit to hunt deer with. I’ve been working on a load for this thing. He wanted to shoot 100gr soft points and picked up some Speer bullets. I’ve tried every powder that I have that the books recommend. I’ve tried starting low and work up all the way to max and some a little over. I’ve tried changing seating depths from long to way short. Nothing I do will get this rifle to shoot these Speer bullets. I’ve done shot over half the box of bullets as I’m not one to give up but I think I’m done. When I get the H4350, I may try again but for now I give up on the 100gr. I even tried factory loads and it’s the same thing. Next move is to try light bullets as a little research shows these rifles favor the lighter bullets. It has a 1:10 twist so I’m not sure why it won’t shoot the 100gr. Every 243 I’ve ever been around loved 100gr bullets. I have some 80gr Barnes TTSXs on the way. Barnes bullets have worked in every other rifle I’ve loaded for so we’ll try them. As much as it hurts, I’m admitting defeat!! Yep

I have a 7x57 that sprays flat base speer hot core 145gr pills, but will nearly cloverleaf the speer 145 boat tails. I shot/tested nearly a whole box of the flat bases before ordering the boat tails. Crazy how much difference it made. Maybe try another configuration in the same weight bullet?

Rifles are like people, some are about useless and others excel. It is what it is.

If the speers aren't cooperating, I would try the nosler 95gr ballistic tip or the 100gr partition in it. I shot the 95 BTs for years and had great success on southeastern whitetails. Never had a bad experience with them and easily recovered every deer I shot with them.

Below is a pretty exhaustive write up on the cartridge. Lots to be learned from it if you fancy yourself a 6mm bullet shooter.

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.243+Winchester.html

My brother bought a M70 FW 7x57 a few years ago and he asked me to load 140 gr Partitions for it. Surprisingly, it sprayed Partitions into 4"+ groups. But it will group the 139 gr Hornady SP into 1 MOA.

These post are always eye opening to me. I’ve always found accurate loads with the bullets I’ve wanted to shoot.

As you know I’m new to all this handloading stuff. Every other rifle that I’ve loaded for I’ve found a very good load for the bullet I wanted to shoot. This rifle has proven to be a challenge. I’ve tried Varget, IMR 4350, Win 760, Staball 6.5 Powders. I’ve tried different brands of cases from brand new to once fired. I’ve tried different neck tensions and seat depths. Still terrible groups. Common denominator is the Speer btsps. I quit till other bullets come in.

PM to you MM.

That’s definitely a head scratcher. May find that there’s something wrong with the rifle, if nothing else works. Keep us posted. Good luck with it.

Try a flat base bullet. My wife's 243 will shoot a single ragged hole with flat base bullets but doesn't care for boat tails. I've got a couple hundred 100gr flat base bullets that it absolutely loves sadly I have no idea what they are and no one else can ID them either. I've posted pics of them on here and on 24hrcf and no one knows. I won't load them for her to hunt with because I don't know what they are and don't want to wound a deer with a varmint bullet

See what they do going through water filled milk jugs. You'll find out what kind of bullets they are with that simple test. My guess is an expanding hunting bullet at that weight. 80 gr is usually the breaking point between frangible varmint bullets and mushrooming medium game hunting pills in 6mm.

I'd make dang sure the scope is good. Been there.

It’s a brand new Burris. I’m pretty certain the scope is fine. I can move the 4-6” groups anywhere on the target I want. It’s crazy how bad of groups this thing shoot with 100gr bullets. I even shot some factory Hornady interlock flat base that shoots unbelievably good in my daughters 243 but was ridiculously bad out of this rifle.

Lol.😂 Oh boy
It's hilarious these same post I see at people frustrated at gun range don't know what to been seeing it for years...

You try to help them but they are kinda slow or pretend to know everything

Don't get wrong lots of nice people just not to smart or really green
Some folks just get it some dont


How about you learn to not shoot 4" groups before you comment to anything I say....🤣

I'd throw every bullet and powder combo I could at it and learn on your own before seeking internet.imo

Go back and play with your color books and let the adults have conversations here. There is a ton of people with on here with a wealth of knowledge and are willing to share it to help people learn. Some have even offered to share components to help me out with this particular rifle which I appreciate very much. I am gonna try many more powder/bullet combos and try to find something it likes. I’m by far not an expert marksman like you claim to be but I’m not a beginner either and very comfortable with my shooting abilities. Awe hell I’m not even sure why I’m even responding to your childish comments. Later!!

If ithe problem continues with other powder/bullet combos, I’d check the torque on the action screw(s)

I’ll check them when we get back home from the camp. We gonna figure it out.

Has this rifle ever shotten any ammo decent? Sounds like a rifle issue rather than an ammo issue. Loose.scope mounts, action screws, etc.

It’s a brand new rifle. Checked scope screws and they are torqued and action screws are also checked and torqued. The best ammo it shot was 100gr Winchester soft points. Wasn’t good but better then the loads I’ve tried. It’s a head scratcher for sure but I’m not giving up.

Is the barrel free floated?