Gunsmithing muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

[learjet]

im buildin a 338 rum on a savage rum action, ive got a mcgowen barrel otw. the barrel will have an 11 deg crown, be 28", and taper to .875

im lookin at various brakes, and im curious if anyone has any recomendations. seems theres lots of opinions out there, one smith/brake maker will tell me u gotta use ones w holes all the way round, others say the side ported ones are just as effective. ill be shootin prone often, plinkin steel, and doin some LR huntin.

any particular brakes/brake degigns anyone would recomend? ive looked at the def edge brakes and im leanin that way. are the larger ones more effective? id believe so but ive got zero firsthand exp w brakes, other than a buddys ar30/338lapua

ive have a machinist friend w a lathe, who could possibly thread the barrel, and install the brake. hes never done one however, and is hesitant to do the install without more guidance. ive read u must thread the muzzle w a lathe, and get the threads straight. from there i havent found much info on installation. i assume ud ream the brake to some diameter larger than the bullet dia, but dont know how big to ream the brake for a 338. anyone know? also ive heard mention of having a rod to insert through the brake into the muzzle to check that the bullet wont strike the brake when exiting. are these tools available? or could u turn a rod on a lather to bore dia?

lastly w the side discarge brakes the brake would have to be timed to the bbl. i can see how to do this by trimming the brake or the shoulder on the bbl to get the alignment u need after the bbls installed and headspaced.

im leaning atm to simply having the brake i purchase installed by the manufacturer...but if i can save a buck safely, ill consider doin the work w my buddy..

any ideas or thoughts appreciated

thx!!

lear

 

[covingtondeer]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

i put a Vais brake on my 300mag at Hill Country, and they did an awesome job. Mine has holes on the face, which i believe are there to allow some of the gas to escape forward and not just perpindicular to the barrel. i am no expert but have been told there are some brakes that dont have holes on the bottom so that they wont blow gas into the ground for prone shooters - thus avoiding dust

 

[USMCj]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

APA Little Bastard would work great on that rifle.

 

[JALVI]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

Check out the Badger FTE. Awesome brake. Ive had two. I also have a buddy who put one on his 338 Norma, and he says it now kicks like a 308.

 

[AJBello]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

I recently went through the same debate for my upcoming 338 Edge build. First and foremost I would recommend a side discharge brake if you're going to be shooting prone at all. I had a VAIS on my 300 RUM. While it was EXTREMELY effective as a brake, it blew debris everywhere when shooting prone. Not fun.

I ended up deciding on an APA Fat Bastard Brake . All the reviews I could find were very favorable, it's from a reputable manufacturer, and it's side discharge like I was looking for. I also looked at the Defensive Edge brake but I just liked the aesthetics of the APA better. It is a bad ass looking brake... can't wait for this summer to see how it tames the Edge. Here's some pics of it as received from APA for reference:

Next to a .223 for size reference

Regarding your install questions... I would send it to a reputable 'smith and be done with it. No sense in building a nice rifle and then losing performance because you wanted to save a buck on the brake install.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

OK, why not just build a muzzle brake and installing it just to see if you can.

I dont use brakes because my 1000 yard shooting is NRA 1000 yard matches where they arnt allowed.

But you guys have built a fire under may butt. My M-70 1000 yard rifle has a 29 inch barrel. I can sacrafice an inch to see if I can make a brake and install it with out hurting anything. So when it warms up a bit I'm gonna try and make one. Seems simple enough. If it dosnt work I'm just out of a bit of time and have to shorten and re-crown the barrel. If it works, then Ican just make a thread cap for my barrel and keep shooting as it is in 1000 yard matches.

Why not?

 

[mscott]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

+1 on the Fat Bastard. I shot a guys .338 Edge with one recently and it does work pretty well. There was still some recoil, but it was very manageable and straight back. I have a Little Bastard on a 7mm RM and it is very effective as well.

 

[learjet]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

thx guys! never heard of the various bastards hehe..ill be lookin into them. yea i think any brake that discharges down is out.

as far as the install goes im guessin the diameter u ream the brake to is key to geed performance, and probably a rather tightly guarded secret - but one where everyone has their opinions. i dunno, i gotta few weeks till the bbl arrives to keep diggin

thx again

lear

 

[USMCj]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

Witht he barrel diameter you have, I would go with the little bastard brake, the FB would look a little funny on the end.

 

[Jeffs550]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

Do not shoot over the hood of a vehicle with a vais brake. It will burn the paint! Don't ask me how I know that.

 

[AKAce]

Re: muzzle brake recomendations, install ??s

PM RWS on this site... he makes a VERY good brake for a Great price ! Sorry for the Chitty pic... this is 2 I picked up from him recently. (one for .308, One for EDGE)