Franchi Momentum Carbine Elite Rifle Review

A new carbine version of the Franchi Momentum elite is a handy gun good for the climb or the blind.

June 24, 2025 By Frank Melloni

Although there is no denying that longer-barreled rifles deliver higher velocities and downrange energy, this extra performance comes at the expense of overall handling. For generations, a common solution was to swap out the trusty bolt action for a more compact lever-action carbine. While this will always work, the lever’s typical chamberings often cut down the hunter’s ethical range to less than 200 yards.

Finding a shot outside of that distance in a woodland setting is a challenge, but should your hunting area include a field, you’re likely out of luck if the buck of a lifetime steps out across the way. Reduced-length bolt actions strike a better balance between effective range and agility, and since suppressors are becoming commonplace, they are becoming increasingly attractive. To my point, we have Franchi’s new Momentum Carbine Elite—the company’s newest, shortest Momentum.

Introduced in 2018, the Momentum lineup continues to see model additions, now including barrel length. At the time of this writing, Carbine Elite chamberings include 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win. and .350 Legend. The latter two feature 18-inch barrels, while the Creedmoor gets a 20.

The Momentum series is built with a short-throw 60-degree bolt, which is the product of its tri-lug configuration. The bolt is milled from a single piece of steel and has a body that is larger than the bolt head, which is the formula for effortless operation.

Smooth Action

Momentum rifles feature a fat, fluted, tri-lug bolt with a 60-degree throw, and they ship with a Picatinny rail attached to the receiver for easy scope mounting. (Photo courtesy of Frank Melloni)

Driving a smaller diameter part with a larger diameter ram ensures it will more readily clear its pathway and eliminates any binding that would result from canting. It slides within a tubular receiver that is milled from solid bar stock, which is both simple to machine and inherently rugged.

Just as with its shotguns, Franchi takes much pride in its rifle barrels. Like previous Elites, Momentum Carbine Elites feature chrome-molybdenum barrels with hammer-forged rifling. The barrel terminates in a radial brake that is threaded on via a caliber-appropriate thread pitch—5/8x24 in this case. Its slim stature floats it along the stock’s entirety, enhancing accuracy and eliminating any sling tension that would be transferred by the shooter.

My sample was chambered in .308 Win. and had a 1:11 twist. The barrel’s longitudinal fluting helps to keep it cool thanks to the added surface area, while shaving weight off in the process.

The rifle feeds from a single-stack detachable three-round magazine, and Franchi generously includes a pair with the rifle. This magazine is comprised nearly entirely of polymer, which has proved itself capable for decades. Polymer is also a good way to drop weight and production costs in one fell swoop.

Trigger and Magazines

rifle and ammo on side — The rifle feeds from a detachable box magazine, and Franchi includes two with the gun, something few rifle manufacturers do these days. (Photo courtesy of Frank Melloni)

Magazine swaps are facilitated via the button located inside the trigger guard, which I wasn’t particularly fond of, as adrenaline-charged and perhaps frigid fingers shouldn’t be anywhere near a trigger except to press it. But if you practice with the rifle and always make sure to place the gun on Safe before operating the mag-release button—which is a good habit with a hunting rifle anyway—this shouldn’t pose a problem.

Trigger weight on the Momentum Carbine Elite is adjustable through the Relia trigger system. Its rated range is two to four pounds, but I have always found it to be adjustable beyond those specifications.

Varying the pull weight involves loosening a locking nut to either adjust in or back out a tensioning screw. On my sample, I found I could crank the pull weight down as far 1.3 pounds or make it as heavy as 4.4 pounds. Of course, thread engagement is minimal at these weights, so it’s best to keep it within what Franchi recommends.

The Carbine Elite’s polymer stock is built for comfort. The material is light in weight and also weather resistant, which ensures a repeatable point of impact as it will not swell with humidity. The grip, fore-end and the area above the magazine well are molded to fill your palm to ensure a secure purchase. A coarse checkering pattern is also incorporated to help with damp hands.

The butt features a relieved pocket for those who like placing their hand rearward when shooting from a supported position, and it, too, is checkered. The buttstock also features a removable cheek riser to help better align the shooter’s eye with an optic, and the soft TSA recoil pad helps offset the kick that comes with lighter, shorter firearms. Different cheek pad heights and different recoil pad thicknesses are available from Franchi for a custom fit.

The Momentum Carbine Elite marks the release of one of Franchi’s three latest camo patterns: Terra. Its generally lighter appearance disappears well when placed against the sky or the thinned vegetation that is typical of late-season hunts. The hints of white also do a great job of hiding the rifle in snow or sand, both of which were likely backgrounds for my upcoming hunt.

Franchi includes a color-matched Picatinny rail with each rifle, so you can immediately add your favorite glass. I took this opportunity to get some more work done with Burris’s new Veracity PH hunting scope. It features a suite of electronics that gives the shooter an instant firing solution based on an uploaded custom ballistic profile. Although advanced, it has the same physical dimensions as a conventional riflescope, allowing it to be mounted with a standard set of rings.

Not sure what to expect on the hunt, I opted to add a sling as well. CrossBreed just released its Tracker, a leather sling with a widened, padded shoulder area. Affixing it to the Carbine Elite was a bit of a challenge because the rifle’s stock includes QD sling sockets and M-Lok slotting—but not studs for standard swivels, which is what the Tracker sling comes with. With time running short, I ordered a pair of cheap QD swivels to replace the stock ones on the Tracker, a decision I would later regret.

Field Test

two hunters with two whitetails — The rifle proved itself in the field in Nebraska and later at the range, where one of three loads averaged less than an inch at 100 yards and another was close to that mark. (Photo courtesy of Frank Melloni)

I was issued a few boxes of Fiocchi’s Hyperformance Scirocco load for the hunt, so I promptly zeroed the rifle and input the necessary data into the Burris Connect app on my phone and pushed it over to the Veracity PH. From here, all I needed to do was crank the elevation dial until the number in the heads-up display matched the target distance.

I tested the setup on steel out to 700 yards, and I was able to reliably connect with every target except the farthest. For hunting, I take the farthest steel-target distance that I am comfortable hitting on my first round and cut that in half. This left me with a self-prescribed effective range of less than 350 yards, which I confirmed was enough for where we’d be hunting.

My travels took me to Goose Creek Outfitters, run by Scott and LaCaylla Fink in the Sandhills region of northcentral Nebraska. I shared a camp with five other media members, each of us taking the Carbine Elite on one of its inaugural runs. After settling in, we compared notes on the rifle and collected a bevy of data points to work into our evaluations.

Shortly before first light, I was paired up with my hunting partner, David Kelley, and our guide, Matt, to explore the banks of the Dismal River—which, despite its name, is vibrant and full of life. Our best vantage point was atop a hill that overlooked a popular crossing, leaving us with shots that ranged from approximately 110 to 325 yards.

Suspense

underside of rifle stock — The fore-end is set up with both M-Lok slots and a QD swivel socket—as opposed to a traditional sling stud. (Photo courtesy of Frank Melloni)

Getting there required a bit of an uphill trek, which helped us appreciate the compact rifles on our backs, as well as the comfortable slings suspending them. However, right at the beginning of our hike I noticed the sudden relief of about eight pounds, followed by a resounding thud. Retrieving the rifle—which was unloaded—I determined that the cheap-o QD sling swivel I’d bought had detached from the rifle’s socket. I popped it back in and tested to be sure it was secure, but shortly thereafter it failed again. I carried the rifle in my hands the rest of the way.

We reached our destination, and it didn’t take long for a good buck to appear, giving Dave a shot. The deer dropped from a single bullet, and before Dave and Matt headed down to retrieve it, they suggested I stay back to watch in case they kicked anything up.

Since Dave’s rifle hadn’t suffered two falls like mine had, I planted myself behind his gun, which was equipped with a Dead Air suppressor. As Dave and Matt approached the downed buck, another began to cross the river, heading straight toward them. I decided that he was big enough to shoot, but he was getting dangerously close to those guys.

Fortunately, the buck banked hard in the other direction, putting him about 100 yards away from me and well clear of Dave and Matt. I had forgotten to factor in the downward slope and put my first round over his back, but the Franchi’s short bolt throw helped me send a rapid follow-up shot, dropping the buck where he stood.

Accuracy

All six of us tagged out in a single day, so I soon found myself back on my home range with time to do some formal accuracy testing—plus I wanted to see if the rifle was still zeroed after it had fallen to the ground. It was indeed, which was rather impressive since both times it had landed directly on a turret.

I also found out just how accurate the Carbine could be. Fiocchi’s SST load was able to meet Franchi’s sub-m.o.a. promise on several occasions, and feeding the rifle match-grade ammunition all but guaranteed this level of consistency.

Franchi’s Momentum Elite Carbine proved to be a handy little rifle with tremendous utility and confirmed game-getting reliability. Filling the freezers of half a dozen hunters in a single day is all the proof of concept I need, but meeting the sub-m.o.a. mark with two out of three ammunition types easily sealed the deal.

The velocity loss that comes with the abbreviated barrel did not affect its downrange lethality, and when paired with a muzzle device it is surprisingly pleasant to shoot. If you’re looking for a rifle that is short on length but long on performance, I give the Carbine Elite my highest recommendation.