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Posted By: slammer Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
I have a 300 Win that is a real shooter but at 7 1/4 lbs. scoped, it isn't a lot of fun at the range. I am considering having a muzzle brake installed and was wondering if anyone has done this and then had the gun not shoot as good as it did before the brake was put on?

Thanks
Posted By: hawkins Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
The muzzle blast will impress fellow shooters, good investment.
Posted By: Savage_99 Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
My primary concern would be my hearing and the blast the brake would make towards others near me.

As it is I am nearly deaf. I have magnums too and I don't want a muzzle brake.

Make sure your rifle has a soft recoil pad such as the Decelerator and hold the rifle with both hands when you shoot it at the bench.

Long ago the 7mm RM was developed because a outfitter/smith found that the most gun his clients could shoot well was a 7mm Magnum.

Also consider loading the 300 down, selling it, getting a 7mm Magnum or even a 270!
Posted By: Dirtfarmer Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
I have an Ed Brown Damara in .300 Win Mag. It's a light rifle and comes with a brake. Ed states that light magnums shoot better with the brake. I've tried it with and without, the brake is better. It is noisy, but I wear hearing protection and don't shoot next to bystanders. Overall, it works well on this gun.

DF
Posted By: ColdBore Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
Originally Posted by Dirtfarmer
Ed states that light magnums shoot better with the brake. I've tried it with and without, the brake is better.


I'm thinking it's what people have said for years about noise, recoil, and their effects on accuracy.

It ain't the rifle itself shooting better, it's the shooter being able to do his job with the rifle, better.

Less recoil (assuming that they are wearing appropriate hearing protection for the increased blast), sure makes a guy a "better" shooter. laugh
Posted By: Dirtfarmer Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
It seems, IIRC, that Ed contends the wt. on the end of a light barrel improves accuracy. I agree with what you're saying, too.

The BOSS equipped Browning and Win rifles are said to shoot better than those without the system, something about barrel vibrations and harmonics. Could be a bit of both at work, here.

DF
Posted By: slammer Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
I am not looking for personal opinions on the pros and cons of muzzle brakes. The gun is a half inch gun and I don't want to mess it up. I am not recoil shy but it does pound you. It sits in a Mickey edge with a 1 inch Pachamyr. I also have 270's 7 mags, etc. etc.. All I want to know is:

Has anyone had one installed and had accuracy suffer as a result of adding a brake?
Posted By: Steven_CO Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
I think my rifles shot better afterwards. Prolly because I was such a wussy, I didn't ride them as well when they bucked hard on the bench. I've put brakes on a 300 Win 300 RUM and 338 RUM.

My biggest problem withe brakes (besides noise) is that I tend to shoot them too much. It just gets to be fun to smoke stuff at long range without the recoil. I've knocked over a few silhouettes at 500 yds with my RUM's.
Posted By: jpb Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
Originally Posted by slammer
I am not looking for personal opinions on the pros and cons of muzzle brakes. The gun is a half inch gun and I don't want to mess it up. I am not recoil shy but it does pound you. It sits in a Mickey edge with a 1 inch Pachamyr. I also have 270's 7 mags, etc. etc.. All I want to know is:

Has anyone had one installed and had accuracy suffer as a result of adding a brake?

If I had a nice long-range rifle and it shot that well, I would change nothing!

Voice of experience talking here... Don't mess with a genuine 0.5 MOA rifle in any way. frown

John
Posted By: 1minute Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
My 30-378 Accumark has a brake that goes a long way toward taming recoil, and it's probably the most accurate rifle I own. Muzzle blast does get ones attention especially when near any structure or in dense timber.

I've not tested for accuracy without the brake.

Do warn others at neighboring benches prior to lighting one off at the range.

Blast is a non issue for the shooter when one is in an open plain setting.
Posted By: TexasRick Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
If you have a "true" half-inch gun......not one that has shot an occational good group......I'd not do anything to change things. Hell, I'd be hesitant to even clean it agressively.

Those rifles are a lot more rare than you might think from reading the internet......and I mean consistant half-inch groups, not the best it's ever shot. Anything (bedding, muzzle breaks, new scope mounts, or just tightening the screws differently) can effect this "perfect" balance and should not be risked.

In general, I don't buy into the recoil objections. I do know from talking to others that I apparently don't feel the effect of recoil like some, but rifles less than the truely big boomers (.458 and above) just aren't that harsh. Doesn't mean I look forward to shooting 40 rounds from a bench with a .375 H&H, but it IS tolerable......particularly for the small amout of rounds you will fire in the field.
Posted By: Dancing Bear Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
It did not effect the accuracy of my .338. It was so noisy that I don't use it. I got a threaded muzzle guard for it.
Posted By: longshot3 Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/28/12
Originally Posted by slammer
I am not looking for personal opinions on the pros and cons of muzzle brakes. The gun is a half inch gun and I don't want to mess it up. I am not recoil shy but it does pound you. It sits in a Mickey edge with a 1 inch Pachamyr. I also have 270's 7 mags, etc. etc.. All I want to know is:

Has anyone had one installed and had accuracy suffer as a result of adding a brake?


I have installed quite a few brakes and have never had anyone come back saying that their rifle shot worse. To answer your question, no.
Posted By: summitsitter Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/29/12
Originally Posted by slammer
I am not looking for personal opinions on the pros and cons of muzzle brakes. The gun is a half inch gun and I don't want to mess it up. I am not recoil shy but it does pound you. It sits in a Mickey edge with a 1 inch Pachamyr. I also have 270's 7 mags, etc. etc.. All I want to know is:

Has anyone had one installed and had accuracy suffer as a result of adding a brake?


Yes and no..I have a buddy whose 270wsm shot 130gr. bullets before the brake great, after teh brake had to go to the 150's to get the accuracy bad. So we really didn't loose it , just ahd to modify load to make it work. I'm assuming it had something to do with the barrel harmonics of the lengthened barrel.
Posted By: alpinecrick Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/29/12
Originally Posted by hawkins
The muzzle blast will impress fellow shooters, good investment.


The muzzle blast will impress the shooters eardrums in so far, they'll probably never return to "zero"....either........


Casey
Posted By: alpinecrick Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/29/12
Originally Posted by slammer
I have a 300 Win that is a real shooter but at 7 1/4 lbs. scoped, it isn't a lot of fun at the range. I am considering having a muzzle brake installed and was wondering if anyone has done this and then had the gun not shoot as good as it did before the brake was put on?

Thanks



Have you tried a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad?.......



Casey
Posted By: Dirtfarmer Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/29/12
Originally Posted by slammer
I have a 300 Win that is a real shooter but at 7 1/4 lbs. scoped, it isn't a lot of fun at the range. I am considering having a muzzle brake installed and was wondering if anyone has done this and then had the gun not shoot as good as it did before the brake was put on?

Thanks


Good posts both ways, pro and con, muzzle brakes and accuracy.

IMHO, you're going to have to weigh the info, pluses and minuses, and decide what's best for your application. What ever you end up doing, there will be those who disagree. But, it's your rifle... smile

DF
Posted By: greydog Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/29/12
The installation of a brake shouldn't have any detrimental effect on accuracy. The only real concern is deformation of the bore at the muzzle end by the threading operation. Though this may be a concern, I have never had it happen and I reckon I have installed three or four hundred of the darned things. GD
Posted By: plainsman456 Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 02/29/12
If I had a rifle that shot that good Out the box,I would not do anything to it but shoot and be happy.
If you do go the brake direction please use ear plugs and muffs.
You will need them.
I have had brakes installed on two rifles, a .340 Wby. MKV and a Model 70 SE in .458 Win. The .458 was a good shooter before the brake and remained the same after.

The .340 did not shoot well with 250 gr. Nosler Partitions before the brake, but it did well with 250 gr. Hornady Interlocks and with lighter bullets. After the brake it does well with everything, including the 250 Nosler.

There are no guarantees, but my sample of 2 says that it probably won't hurt.

Personally, however, if I had it to do again, I would have left both rifles unbraked, because the brake didn't reduce the recoil of the .458 very much (although the blast is not too bad), and although the brake dramatically reduced the recoil of the .340, the muzzle blast is nasty.
Posted By: Ackleyfan Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/01/12
As long as you pick a smith that has alot of experience with brakes you'll be fine, I only have 1 brake and it's on a 300wm and it makes the gun feel like a 243 win, point of aim changes a little when switching from threaded cap to brake, but accuracy is the same, I would never have a brake installed again but they do work, I would use a Vais brake!
Posted By: Dirtfarmer Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/01/12
Originally Posted by wildhobbybobby
I have had brakes installed on two rifles, a .340 Wby. MKV and a Model 70 SE in .458 Win. The .458 was a good shooter before the brake and remained the same after.

The .340 did not shoot well with 250 gr. Nosler Partitions before the brake, but it did well with 250 gr. Hornady Interlocks and with lighter bullets. After the brake it does well with everything, including the 250 Nosler.

There are no guarantees, but my sample of 2 says that it probably won't hurt.

Personally, however, if I had it to do again, I would have left both rifles unbraked, because the brake didn't reduce the recoil of the .458 very much (although the blast is not too bad), and although the brake dramatically reduced the recoil of the .340, the muzzle blast is nasty.


Seems that brakes work better on the high intensity, high velocity rounds. My only rifle with a brake is my Ed Brown Damara, which came from the factory so equipped. I've never put a brake on a gun. The Damara is a super accurate, light weight .300 Win Mag and the brake does make a difference to the extent that it stays on the gun. Recoil, shooting 180 NBT's at 3,050 fps, feels about like a .308 of equal weight, shooting 150's at 2,850 fps.

DF
Posted By: TopCat Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/01/12
Light weight hard hitting hunting rifles aren't any fun at the range, but that's not what they are for. Fit a Decelerator pad and / or try a Past recoil shield at the range and the recoil won't be as bad in the field.

TC
NO. i have not had any issues with loss or gain of accuracy due to the brake. I have taken them off to shoot my .223 , .243 , and my 300wm. Point of aim changed a fuzz but accuracy did not drop.
Posted By: navlav8r Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/01/12
A buddy of mine has a muzzle brake on his 300 WinMag and he shot it once while I was about 25 yards behind him, walking away from the bench and it felt like someone had slapped me on both ears. OUCH.

Another time while elk hunting he had to shoot three times at a cow that was about to go over an edge into a steep ravine. When he got back to camp he said he couldn't hear a thing. It took a day or so for the ringing to go away and for his hearing to come back.
Posted By: ShortMagFan Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/02/12
Originally Posted by navlav8r
A buddy of mine has a muzzle brake on his 300 WinMag and he shot it once while I was about 25 yards behind him, walking away from the bench and it felt like someone had slapped me on both ears. OUCH.

Another time while elk hunting he had to shoot three times at a cow that was about to go over an edge into a steep ravine. When he got back to camp he said he couldn't hear a thing. It took a day or so for the ringing to go away and for his hearing to come back.


Same deal - i have a buddy with a brake'd 300 jarret. He shot 5 does on a cull hunt one afternoon without hearing protection. Pretty sure he did serious permanent damage.
Posted By: JPro Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/02/12
I don't want anything to do with a brake on a true "hunting rifle", as there will eventually come a situation where you need to shoot and don't have hearing protection handy. Not worth it. I could see a brake on a playtoy/boomer like a 338LM or something similar.
Posted By: Karnis Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/02/12
Originally Posted by shortmagfan
Originally Posted by navlav8r
A buddy of mine has a muzzle brake on his 300 WinMag and he shot it once while I was about 25 yards behind him, walking away from the bench and it felt like someone had slapped me on both ears. OUCH.

Another time while elk hunting he had to shoot three times at a cow that was about to go over an edge into a steep ravine. When he got back to camp he said he couldn't hear a thing. It took a day or so for the ringing to go away and for his hearing to come back.


Same deal - i have a buddy with a brake'd 300 jarret. He shot 5 does on a cull hunt one afternoon without hearing protection. Pretty sure he did serious permanent damage.


Oulufinn has a .300 Jarrett with a brake and it is absolutely the loudest thing I have ever had the displeasure of being around. I have to grit my teeth if he's blasting away with it or the fillings in my head will liquify. No thanks.
Posted By: Oldelkhunter Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/02/12
Originally Posted by Karnis
Originally Posted by shortmagfan
Originally Posted by navlav8r
A buddy of mine has a muzzle brake on his 300 WinMag and he shot it once while I was about 25 yards behind him, walking away from the bench and it felt like someone had slapped me on both ears. OUCH.

Another time while elk hunting he had to shoot three times at a cow that was about to go over an edge into a steep ravine. When he got back to camp he said he couldn't hear a thing. It took a day or so for the ringing to go away and for his hearing to come back.


Same deal - i have a buddy with a brake'd 300 jarret. He shot 5 does on a cull hunt one afternoon without hearing protection. Pretty sure he did serious permanent damage.


Oulufinn has a .300 Jarrett with a brake and it is absolutely the loudest thing I have ever had the displeasure of being around. I have to grit my teeth if he's blasting away with it or the fillings in my head will liquify. No thanks.


I was on a mule deer hunt once and one of the nimrods had one of those. It made my unbraked 300 bee sound like a 22lr
Posted By: Karnis Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/02/12
It's mind numbingly loud. I bought a muzzle cap for him just to save my already damaged hearing........... eek
Posted By: Dirtfarmer Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/02/12
Originally Posted by Karnis
Originally Posted by shortmagfan
Originally Posted by navlav8r
A buddy of mine has a muzzle brake on his 300 WinMag and he shot it once while I was about 25 yards behind him, walking away from the bench and it felt like someone had slapped me on both ears. OUCH.

Another time while elk hunting he had to shoot three times at a cow that was about to go over an edge into a steep ravine. When he got back to camp he said he couldn't hear a thing. It took a day or so for the ringing to go away and for his hearing to come back.


Same deal - i have a buddy with a brake'd 300 jarret. He shot 5 does on a cull hunt one afternoon without hearing protection. Pretty sure he did serious permanent damage.


Oulufinn has a .300 Jarrett with a brake and it is absolutely the loudest thing I have ever had the displeasure of being around. I have to grit my teeth if he's blasting away with it or the fillings in my head will liquify. No thanks.


Not to be the "one up" guy, but a hunter at our deer camp has a .30-378 Wby with a brake. Shot off a bench under a tin roof shed, even with ear protection, it's an unforgetible experience for bystanders. And he loves that thing.

DF
Posted By: smithrjd Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/02/12
I have never liked a muzzle break, just way to loud. Painful comes to mind. Get a good recoil pad or a correctley fitted stock. Even with handguns don't really want a muzzle break. One can always load down a bit. 100fps is not really going to make a big differance.
Posted By: CAFR Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/04/12
My experience with brakes is that the only effect that they have on accuracy is that you are more comfortable with the rifle, hence the potential for better groups is enhanced. They don't change POI, but I love being able to watch the bullets hit through the scope. I have installed brakes on even diminutive calibers for that reason alone. They are noisy, but that is why we wear hearing protection at the range. If you are not comfortable with wearing muffs or plugs while hunting, simply unscrew the brake and replace it with a thread protector while hunting and you're all set. We are an authorized KDF Brake installation shop, but will install any brake a client desires. I have a 300WM that is Magnaported and a very lightweight 300WM which has a KDF Brake on it. The difference between the two is remarkable. While the Magnaport gives you around 15% reduction in felt recoil, the brake give more like 40-50% reduction. It's like shooting a 243 instead of a 300WM.
Posted By: KLM Re: Muzzle brake remorse? - 03/09/12
I put a brake on a 300WM, recoil was greatly reduced and accuracy was as good as before. Since I do not take the time to install ear plugs when hunting I have permanetly damaged my left hearing as a result (call me stupid). I now shoot a 7RM without a brake and am much happier. I recommend going down in caliber and bet the animal doesn't notice the difference.
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