Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles muzzle brake questions

I have been thinking about having a muzzle brake added to one of my rifles. Looking online showed two predominant types. The first is a brake with holes all over it. The second is a side baffle with usually three slots on each side.

My question is whether one style is better for accuracy, less recoil, and less back or size muzzle blast. Also, a suggestion on which brand to buy would be appreciated.

All I can say is I had one once. Never again! On a hunting rifle maybe a removable one with a thread protector would be OK but I dislike hunting while wearing hearing protection and shooting a breaked gun without hearing protection will cause permanent hearing loss. Ask me how I know but speak loud and slow.

Never shoot a rifle with holes all the way around from the prone position. The side cuts is fine from the prone position

I like the Area 419, they are the only ones I'd use, easy to take off/on.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021623641?pid=958949

I have brakes on several rifles. They were all put on in the '80s and '90s. Mine all have the holes all around, and most were made by KDF.

Since I very rarely shoot from a prone position, and I always wear hearing protection, I have found them all to work very well.

KDF (Seguin, TX) has been making brakes for decades. Good company, IMHO.

Just an interesting, to me anyways, side note about KDF:

Back in 1995, I ordered a Dakota 76 (chambered for .300 Dakota) from Dakota Arms. On the order sheet, they had
multiple build options, including the addition of a "KDF muzzle brake" to my 26" barrel. After receiving the new rifle,
about halfway through my load workup one day at the range, I looked up and realized that the brake had broken in
half! As an upcoming elk hunt was in the works, rather than send the barreled action back to Dakota for repairs, I
decided to take it straight to KDF (less than an hour's drive from me). The folks at KDF looked it over and flatly
stated that it wasn't one of theirs (!!) and then showed me the differences between the one that was on my rifle and the
ones that they produce. KDF quickly replaced mine anyway, and at no charge. But, I'm pretty sure they sued Don Allen
for selling knock-off muzzle brakes as KDFs.

Did they literally say "KDF muzzle brake" or was it KDF style muzzle brake?

Literally "KDF muzzle brake."

I thought they could have slipped a weasel word in there.

Picked up a 16.5 barrel model 7 308 several yrs ago threaded and braked it for the hell of it.Is it loud?Yes
Does it reduce recoil?Yes

Have a couple on hunting rifles, one on a 300WM and a 6.5CM. Both are by Muzzle Brakes and More and Nathan is a pleasure to work with, will taper them as well if you get him your barrel diameter. They are extremely effective at reducing recoil, the 300WM is a 5 port 2-piece and tames it to 243 levels. The 6.5CM is my wife's green stock Kimber Montana and has a 4 port which makes that ultralight rifle fun to shoot. Plugs in the field are a must (I use foam plugs and keep them behind my ears until needed) and at the range I plug and muff with the 300WM. If I needed another I'd definitely get back with Nathan.

Only have one rifle with a muzzle brake, Savage Long Range Hunter 300 WM, the brake can be turned on or off by simply twisting it and either opening or closing the ports. Used it on on position only from the bench and closed while hunting.

I made one slotted brake with an insert which could be installed to turn the brake off. When the insert was removed it was replaced with a restrictor which threaded into the front of the brake. It worked real well. GD

Have seen brakes like this over the years.........always a POI shift from open to closed

Unless its a 475 Weatherby or you have severe shoulder problems, you will regret using a brake while hunting. My grandsons use a braked 6.8 which I retired this year, and we all wear hearing protection with it, which while hunting is not optimal.

I've used both styles, shot prone with both and haven't had any issues. Hearing protection is always a plus.

Have both types. Suspect the slotted type is a bit more effective, but don't have the equipment to confirm that. From behind the gun noise level is only marginally greater with a brake. The noise difference is very noticeable standing to side or obliquely behind.

Used to go to MG shoots, and there was always a Barrett 82CQ with slotted type brake on the line next to us. Obnoxious doesn't begin to cover it. We stayed off the line till the owner was done. But shooting it wasn't so bad.

My ears are now so bad I have no choice but to wear electronic muffs when hunting. My son, having learned, also wears muffs when hunting. We hunt alone, so any excess noise is moot.

I have several rifles that came with brakes that have the holes all the way around them. I unscrewed those brakes and screwed on thread protectors. I don't care for the noise or concussion associated with brakes. I'll gladly take the shoulder thump as a trade-off.

Please see below:

https://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/08/21/muzzle-brake-summary-of-field-test-results/

Based on this test, I went with Seekins. In the test, they don't put a high priority on noise, but I do. I felt the Seekins offered the best combination of recoil reduction without excessive noise. Have also used Gentry Quiet Brake.

I don't shoot much of anything without hearing protection or a suppressor anymore. With hearing protection, I can't tell a difference between the Seekins and not using a brake. My Seekins 7mm PRC with factory brake has minimal recoil to me. It seems like a .243 or .22-250. Though, I will likely screw a suppressor on when hunting.

^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^

I don’t have a rifle with sufficient recoil to require a brake! When I had my relatively lightweight .375 AI built, I thought that I needed/wanted a brake. Boy, was I wrong!! It was removed, lost or thrown away…..a thread protector has been in it’s place for about 22 years! I can truthfully say that I haven’t missed it! memtb