Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Magnum - to Brake or Not to Brake?

I have a new 6.5-300 Wby coming in. It's the first bolt rifle I have had that comes with a brake and, I think, a thread protector in lieu thereof.

I'm tempted not to shoot it with the brake, but would be interested in the thoughts of others who have used them.

I have another 6.5-300 in a different model, and the recoil doesn't seem to bother me.

But what do you all with experience prefer? Less physical impact and more noise with the brake? Or more physical impact and less noise without it?

How does the brake affect the POI or accuracy if at all?

MH,

POI shift with and without a brake depends on the brake and the barrel, but usually doesn't change much, IME. You'll have to check and see how POI compares for your rifle. The benefits of using a brake obviously include reduced recoil, but IMO even more important is that your ability to stay on target through the scope is increased (i.e., you can spot your shot easier). The downside is increased muzzle blast. For a hunting rifle, if you want to use a brake you had better be sure that you and anybody you're with has hearing protection. Once when I was guiding a caribou hunter who had brought a Rifles, Inc. chambered in 7 STW with a radial brake, we got settled on some bulls at about 180 yards and there was a hummock right in front of us. I had the hunter go prone over his pack on the hummock, while I laid beside him watching the bulls through my bino. I told him which bull to shoot and gave him the green light, and all of a sudden my near-side ear was struck by lightning. Well, sort of. He had repositioned and moved backward a bit so that the muzzle of his rifle was even with my head and about 2 feet to the side. I'm sure the blast from that braked 7 STW caused some degree of permanent hearing damage in that ear.

Bottom line, if you're hunting with it and don't plan to be really diligent about hearing protection, I'd run the brake in the off-season when practicing, but would take it off when hunting. Just check POI with and without the brake, and re-zero accordingly.

I've been hunting with braked rifles, even non-magnums, almost exclusively since the late 1980s. I wear comfortable in-the-ear-canal noise-dampening hearing protection all the time. No regrets.

I agree with Jordan above. Being able to stay on target, even to see the reaction on impact (even, sometimes, discerning a clean miss vs. a hit) is well worth the extra noise to me.

Invest in good hearing protection. IMHO, don't worry about the brake.

In my experience, POI may or may not be affected, when replacing the brake with a thread protector, depending on the rifle/load.

My personal preference is to hunt without a brake, even hunting mostly alone.. Sometimes there just isn’t time to get ear protection in.
I occasionally use a brake in the off-season for the range and then swap back and re-zero before the season. POI is always slightly different IME.

Thanks for the comments and advice guys. If I do go with the brake for hunting, I think I would need to get some electronic ear plugs because I always hunt with a brimmed hat and want to be able to hear the squirrels pretending to be big game; so, regular plugs and any type of muffs are out. Does anyone have any recommendations on what ones to get?

At the range, I always wear double hearing protection.

I can’t comment on electronic hearing protection. I use the standard Howard Leight ear plug band while hunting. I usually have time to get them in.

I would recommend a gill brake over a radial brake due to flying dust/debris when shooting from prone in the field IME.

+1

Thanks for the comments. Below is what comes with the rifle. Not good for prone shooting?

Expelling gases are directed straight down into the dirt. It’s just like pointing a blow gun directly at the ground from 9” and giving it a shot of air. Dust, dirt, snow, water, flies everywhere. It’s also enough energy to tear apart a rifle case if you don’t pay attention...

I cannot see running a brake on a hunting rifle.

If shooting long range and you want to watch hits you have three options...smaller gun, heavy gun, or a brake.

The first time I took my .375 RUM to the range I had to quit shooting after only 6 shots because the recoil was so bad. I had a KDF brake installed on it and that tamed it enough to work up a moa load with 300 grain TSX bullets. After my first African hunt with it I also put a recoil reducer in it's stock. The combination reduced the recoil enough that I worked up another moa load with 270 grain bullets. On my second African hunt with that rifle I comfortably shot several animals from prone positions.

Then about 12 years ago when I bought my .300 Weatherby, before I put the first shot through it I had a KDF brake put on it and I also put a recoil reducer in it's stock. It's felt recoil is at or less than my .308 Win in an almost identical rifle. I've since used this rifle on 10 or more hunt without any recoil concerns, even with many prone shots hunting and practicing.

I also have had a 7 mm Rem mag for about 20 years that I've used on many hunts. I do not have a brake on it, and I'm comfortable shooting it off a bench or prone.

I shoot pistols, rifles, and shotgun almost every week throughout the year and ALWAYS wear ear protection. I also wear ear protection at least 99% of the time when hunting.

If you need a brake, drop down a caliber...or five. Godawful things.

That was my initial inclination, Jorge. I would not have bought a brake for it, but it just came with one. It, like my Accuguard in the same caliber, will recoil a lot less than my .340 Wby or .375 Wby, which don't bother me. I just am curious to try it out. So, when I am shooting the first few shots from the bore-sighted rifle to get it a bit above the bullseye at 100 yds, I may shoot with the brake. Then, if I'm not liking that, take it off.

One question I don't think was answered, and perhaps there isn't an easy answer, is, aside from changes in POI, can a brake affect accuracy? I assume not, but I don't know what happens with pressure waves when a bullet is exiting at 3,500 fps through something with a bunch of staggered holes. It is probably nothing, but it someone experienced reduced accuracy with a brake, I would be eager to just put it in a drawer or tub somewhere in my garage.

I vote for no brake.

My opinion too, but don’t own anything bigger than a 338 Win mag. I have a couple of 300 Weatherby’s, but only load 150’s for them. None of the above bother me.

I ignore the “magnum” word! A 22 RF magnum certainly doesn’t need a brake......whereas a 460 Weatherby Magnum may need a brake!

It’s a very personal thing.......how comfortable behind the firearm! My personal comfort limit is about 20 rounds from the bench with 60 ft/lbs recoil from a properly fitted rifle with a good recoil pad! I suspect that my limit from an un braked, 10 pound 460 Weatherby may be one shot from the bench!

Personally, I hate a brake! If I must use a brake on my hunting rifle.....I will go to a different cartridge! memtb

Use your brake at the range to piss off guys like Jorge.

I just got a Weatherby Vanguard that came with a brake. I use it at the range while I’m doing load development off the bench. Plan to hunt without the brake, unless I bump into Jorge.

Thanks for the comments Memtb. I should have used the term "hard-recoiling rifle" instead of "magnum," but that was more typing. I meant one with a 90+gr case capacity or so.

I have never had issues with a change in accuracy using a brake only a change in POI. This necessitates re-zeroing if you remove the brake for hunting.

rifle brakes i don`t use one on my hunting rifles that are 257 Weatherby mags this cartridge the recoil is not that bad. i have a muzzle brake on my 338 Lapua that i plan on elk hunting with this fall and that recoil would be nasty without the muzzle brake.i also have a couple of 300 Win Mags. they do not have brakes on them i can still kinda handle them some but the 300 Win Mag. does have plenty recoil. i really don`t like muzzle brakes but brakes do help on big magnum rifles for many of us and as we get older those big magnums seem to have more recoil .