# Muzzle Brake



## codfish (Mar 22, 2006)

Can anyone tell me what a muzzle brake would be like on a rifle . Do they make the rifle more accurate, less recoil, is it worth putting on a rifle


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

They make the rifle very loud. Did I say very loud? If installed correctly they will not hurt accuracy. Over on 6mmbr.com a guy wrote up a big article on breaks. He said they have to be straight on the tube. The bullet pass threw hole should be .002 more than the bullet and the gas holes should be all the way around. He said in his testing having less than 360 coverage hurt accuracy.

I have one on my 7mm STW and it used to kick so bad I could only shoot it a couple times before I was flinching so bad I was only getting 3 to 4 inch groups. The rifle would normally shoot less than .5". After I had the break installed I would say it kicked less than a 243 of equal size rifle. The muzzle blast is awesome. You will only shoot my STW one time without hearing protection.

My grandpa had one installed on a 22-250 for shooting PD and no matter now close they are he can see them get hit.

Chuck Norris invented black. In fact, he invented the entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Tom Cruise invented pink.


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## willforu1 (Nov 23, 2008)

I am thinking of putting one on my 300 Win Mag. Prior to deer season, I fired it 3 times to make sure it was still sighted in. It knocked my baseball cap off 2 of the 3 times. In the feild (while aiming at game) it is never a problem and I don't believe I flinch but on the range it is terrible. I hate shooting it at the range. Someone on another forum suggested a lead sled for the range. Here is some info on a Caldwell Lead Sled which runs for 100$ or so. I may take this route instead.

"The Caldwell Lead Sled takes the pain out of test firing or zeroing large caliber rifles and can reduce felt recoil by up to 90%. This exclusive design allows the shooter to add up to four 25 lb bags of lead shot (sold separately) to the base of the rest. The upright rear rest supports the butt of the stock and transfers the recoil impulse to the rest itself, rather than your shoulder. This prevents flinching and the creation of bad shooting habits. The front rest is adjustable for height and a front rest bag is included."
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.e ... mid=152664


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## snowslayer (Feb 4, 2008)

It makes the gun loud and i've read that it increases accuraracy. I would not put one on a rifle unless it was a .50 cal they are just to loud. I've sat next to a .50 cal with a muzzle brake and i am glad i had ear protection. Put a gel recoil pad on your rifle they work pretty good


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Depends on the brake.

I had a KDF Brake on a LH Remington 700 in 300 RUM that brought the recoil down to between that of a 243 and 270, but the muzzle blast and increased noise were murderous. I have no doubt the blast pretty much killed all insects & small creatures within 10 yards of the muzzle. Even behind the bolt, the blast was like a slap in the face.

On the other hand, I have a LH Remington 700 in 338 Magnum on which I put a David Gentry Quiet Brake, which is whole nother story. It reduces recoil to about that of a 270 and the ports are angled so as to direct the blast away from the shooter. Muzzle blast/noise seem to be no worse than it was before I put the brake on. I have no problem shooting this rifle from the bench as long as I care to lay behind it, and it has accounted for one big 6 point elk.

Both these rifles with brakes printed or do print MOA with a load they like...


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## willforu1 (Nov 23, 2008)

I was just reading another forum about the Gentry Break. What I would like to know is how much (if at all) does it increase the noise level? Would I experience the same noise level of my un-braked 300 win mag with the Gentry Quiet Brake? According to Wikapedia, permanant ear protection occurs at noised levels exceeding 120 DBs. High velocisty or Magnum rifles with a muzzle break exceed the 160 DB noise level (the Break adds about 5-10 DB). Ear protection can reduce the noise level 17-30 DBs. Note* an increase in the noise level of 3 DB's doubles the sound.

I really feel that I need a break at the range only. If I can get by with the Lead Sled than this could be a good way to go.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

The Lead Sled is a whole differnt issue. How someone can sight in a rifle by clamping it into a mechanical rest and not actually shooting it is a mystery to me. That, and learning to shoot rifles with substantial recoil is a learned process, so being is part & parcel of shooting rifles that recoil.

As I said above, I find the muzzle blast/noise of the 338 with the Quiet Brake to be no different than that without, but it does reduce the recoil to a remarkable extent. To be honest, in hindsight I could have just as well not have gone to the trouble & expense to have this rifle braked. The 338 does kick, but it's hardly unlivable. My Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70 with medium/heavy loads is worse.

The brake simply screws on and Gentry makes a sleeve you can replace it with if you want to take it off. With the sleeve screwed on it looks and recoils as normal, but it understandably does change the barrel harmonics so most likely you would have to re-sight. My RUM with the KDF also had a sleeve and when I switched I found the POI changed considerably. For this reason I never bothered to buy the sleeve for the 338.

My ears are long ago shot from years of shooting before anyone used hearing protection, and flying light aircraft. Still, when I shoot the braked 338 in the field I put in ear plugs before touching it off...


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