To Muzzle Brake or not to Muzzle Break

[Mr.KristinKiger]

I’ve got a Remington 5R in 308 with a 24” that will consistently shoot 1/2” or less depending on the day of the week. I’m wanting to install a muzzle brake to reduce recoil also helping in getting back on target for some possible PRS matches. Here’s the hitch, my dad is an old school gun guy that says it won’t help much with recoil and it’s not worth taking a chance on possibly hurting accuracy. What so you…Gun friends?

 

[hlee]

Your dad is 100% wrong.

 

[Sogan]

Itll make a massive difference on recoil

 

[hafejd30]

A muzzle brake will help with recoil. Pending you get a good one. PVA/419 etc. In my cases the brake hasn’t hurt the accuracy. Usually the other way around for users due to recoil control.

The only way to know if it effects accuracy is to try it yourself on your rifle

 

[Rob01]

Yup dad is wrong and it will help a lot with recoil especially if you get a good brake. Have the muzzle threaded by a good smith and you should be fine. Might have to tweak the load a little though.

 

[Steel head]

Massive difference in recoil
My braked 7 saum is considerably milder than a suppressed 6.5CM and the 6.5 is heavier and my braked 338 is about the same as a hunter weight 308!!

 

[TonyTheTiger]

Why both the correct and incorrect word usage in the title?

And brake. Always brake.

 

[Sogan]

Why both the correct and incorrect word usage in the title?

And brake. Always brake.

Batting .500 if you use them both

 

[502Chevelle]

Unless you break your brake.

 

[wade2big]

Competition would be the only reason to use a brake in my opinion which is your stated use. They are all obnoxious. The best brakes are the most obnoxious.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Competition would be the only reason to use a brake in my opinion which is your stated use. They are all obnoxious. The best brakes are the most obnoxious.

^This. Put a can on it.

 

[Rob01]

I’m wanting to install a muzzle brake to reduce recoil also helping in getting back on target for some possible PRS matches.

Well...................

 

[Isaiah's Blacksmith]

Don't put a brake on a .308. WTF.

 

[kthomas]

Better yet, suppress it.

But yes, your dad is wrong.

 

[Chickentoast]

I have the same rifle - since it isn't threaded, I bought a Witt machine 5 port brake. It cut recoil by ~40% by seat of the pants feel. The brake did change the load, but is even more accurate now. My projectile is the 208 eld-m, and I seat them for single shot. ~3/8" is normal. I would not have braked it for 155's or 175's or if I was staying mag length, FYI.

 

[Steel head]

I have the same rifle - since it isn't threaded, I bought a Witt machine 5 port brake. It cut recoil by ~40% by seat of the pants feel. The brake did change the load, but is even more accurate now. My projectile is the 208 eld-m, and I seat them for single shot. ~3/8" is normal. I would not have braked it for 155's or 175's or if I was staying mag length, FYI.

My first 260 barrel was not threaded and I put a Witt machine on it.
Effective!

 

[ma smith]

Don't put a brake on a .308. WTF.

For self spotting latest gen brakes are quite useful, not just recoil but muzzle rise.

 

[Steel head]

If you thread it I’d really recommend the Heathen brake
Noticeably less concussion yet still effective.

 

[Maverick3009]

When I first got my Rem700 LTR it had a bare muzzle, after each shot it'd take a solid couple seconds to get back on target after figuring out where you were now looking. After having it threaded and throwing on a SiCo ASR brake I can keep the target within sight after each shot. +1 for suppressing it too. If no one can do it locally, send it to LongRifles Inc. and they'll get you taken care of.

 

[longrange772]

Several good articles around brakes on this site. Covers recoil reduction, ability to stay on target, muzzle blast, etc.

Muzzle Brakes: Recoil Reduction Results Summary

This post provides a comprehensive view of the muzzle brake recoil reduction data gathered on all 4 ...

precisionrifleblog.com

 

[longrange772]

I have had good results with this clamp on brake for 7mm-08

Clamp-on Muzzle Brakes – Kahntrol Solutions

 

[Mr.KristinKiger]

Don't put a brake on a .308. WTF.

Why?

 

[Mr.KristinKiger]

Well...................

Lol well what…..

 

[Rob01]

Lol well what…..

That was for the guys saying don’t put a brake on unless it’s for a match rifle. Well you said that is what it was for so just opening their eyes.

Nothing wrong with putting a brake on a .308. Will cut recoil quite a bit and more than a suppressor which takes months to get and costs quite a bit more. Have the barrel threaded by someone who knows what they are doing and put a good self timing brake on so you can take it off if you had a reason to and then put it back on for matches.

 

[Mr.KristinKiger]

That was for the guys saying don’t put a brake on unless it’s for a match rifle. Well you said that is what it was for so just opening their eyes.

Nothing wrong with putting a brake on a .308. Will cut recoil quite a bit and more than a suppressor which takes months to get and costs quite a bit more. Have the barrel threaded by someone who knows what they are doing and put a good self timing brake on so you can take it off if you had a reason to and then put it back on for matches.

Awesome, Thanks!

 

[Isaiah's Blacksmith]

Why?

Because you don't need to reduce recoil on a 308. Everybody above that say they are having problems with recoil are doing something wrong and are using something else to compensate. I don't think you are going to get better than consistent .5 moa on a good day one way or the other. But it is your rifle do what you want.

 

[larryh128]

If you are threading your barrel really look at putting a suppressor on it. You won't be sorry, yes , they are a lot more $ but once you have 1 it won't be your last. I'm waiting on #3 now. I personally won't shoot without 1 anymore and really don't like to be around someone who doesn't have 1.

 

[larryh128]

AND I have never not seen accuracy improve, probably because of reduced muzzle blast.

 

[BoltRunner]

Because you don't need to reduce recoil on a 308. Everybody above that say they are having problems with recoil are doing something wrong and are using something else to compensate. I don't think you are going to get better than consistent .5 moa on a good day one way or the other. But it is your rifle do what you want.

LOL please elaborate here... Why would you not want to reduce recoil, quicker follow up shots, improve accuracy, be able to spot misses etc on any rifle regardless if it was a hunting rifle or target rifle...?

 

[Rob01]

Because you don't need to reduce recoil on a 308. Everybody above that say they are having problems with recoil are doing something wrong and are using something else to compensate. I don't think you are going to get better than consistent .5 moa on a good day one way or the other. But it is your rifle do what you want.

AGAIN, he is wanting to shoot PRS style matches with it. Obviously you don;t as you don't see the need to stay on target and have quick follow up shots to try and stay competitive in matches. Yes you don;t need one and we shot .308s and other calibers for years in matches without them but so did everyone else. You are handicapping yourself now with not having one in a match. Has nothing with doing something wrong but doing it right for the sport you are competing in.

 

[Isaiah's Blacksmith]

I told him it is his rifle he can do whatever he wants.

 

[larryh128]

What I know to be a fact, my 300 WSM with a brake was much easier to shoot than a 308 without 1. Far less recoil which leads to better shooting. Yes, you can "man" up and shoot it but why would you want to? And my suppressed rifles shoot much easier than 1 with a brake. Nothing but facts.

 

[hlee]

Any rifle in any caliber can be shot accurately, and with precision, without a muzzle brake.

A muzzle brake will not necessarily make the gun/ammo combination more precise.

In a match environment, a brake acts to reduce the disturbance of the sights during recoil, making self-spotting hits/misses and follow up shots much easier. Guys are putting brakes on 6mm BRs and 223rems. The function is not to prevent injury to tender shoulders, but to allow the shooter to see his/her own impacts and to correct for misses.

You can shoot an unbraked 308 in a match, but you're going to get curb-stomped by a girl shooting a braked 6BR(A)...

 

[kthomas]

An unbraked .308 is certainly going to be a great demonstrator in how poor your fundamentals truly are. The recoil will exploit your flaws and inconsistencies in applying the fundamentals.

Great for a trainer rifle, but for a match rifle when you are working against the clock and in awkward positions, it's certainly not conducive to higher scores.

 

[b6graham]

if we're talking an A419, APA, Insite then yes massive difference

if hes thinking a radial brake then he's not completely wrong

get a brake.

 

[502Chevelle]

I will also second the guys from Kahntrol. They have heavily supported prize tables around here. Their brakes work pretty good, I use a couple of them. Give them a look at stoprecoil.com

 

[CarlosDJackal]

I'm sorry but your Dad is very much wrong. I just finished breaking in a new barrel on my Savage 12 in .223 Remington. I was considering not installing a muzzle brake on it and kept it off during the break in (lots of cleaning in-between shots). After the break-in I decided to do a comparison thinking that it won't make a difference. My "new" PRS rifle now sports an Area 419 Hellfire self-timing muzzle device now.

IMHO, the problem with old school shooters is they think that a muzzle brake's purpose is to reduce felt recoil. The .223 Remington doesn't have much of a recoil in the first place so that's not why I decided to leave it on. The biggest enhancement from one is the reduction of muzzle rise. You stand a much better chance of observing your round's impact and if the external conditions are correct, you can even observe your own trace all the way to impact. I say do it - especially for the .308.

 

[FuhQ]

I like muzzle brakes... Because all my muzzle brakes are Dead Air KeyMo brakes...So they always get covered with a suppressor when shooting, and are rarely ever shot without one.

Also, there are other positive reasons to use muzzle brakes, even when suppressed... It helps break-up the gasses in the blast chamber of the suppressor, helping to mitigate erosion on the blast baffle, especially when using magnum cartridges. So, that's a positive reason to use one. Plus, if you shoot unsuppressed, the recoil reduction is nice.

 

[TurboTrout]

I brake

1 part for accuracy
1 part for fuck you factor

Same reason I’ll burn up my rear tires for a Prius

 

[cheeko]

We have a Tikka T3X Lite, 300 WinMag, no brake, kicks and jumps like a mule.
Light gun at 6.5lbs, give or take.
Very accurate at 100 meters, as advertised, but not much fun to shoot for very long, maybe 9 shots at most.
The barrel gets hot quick, too.

Also have an RPR, 300 WinMag, factory brake.
Close to 15 lbs, IIRC.
What a huge difference, zero muzzle jump and very little recoil.
Can shoot it all day long.
And it shoots darn near same hole at 100 m with Federal Match 190 gr factory ammo.
See attached, that's 10 shots in fairly rapid succession, Vortex 15-60X52mm Golden Eagle Scope, AccuTac bipod, no rear rest, bench.

I say go for the brake or suppressor.
You won't regret it.

 

[MickeyRat]

I purchased a .308 bolt gun that was spec'd and assembled by Griffin & Howe of New Jersey. The first thing I did after shooting it for the first time was to take the rifle down to G&H gunsmithing and have them spin on a 419. Huge difference.Photo below is prior to installation of the 419.

 

[devildog93]

Competition would be the only reason to use a brake in my opinion which is your stated use. They are all obnoxious. The best brakes are the most obnoxious.

The efab isn't bad as far as sound and back blast. Probably other hybrid brakes around the same performance level that perform similarly. Dedicated brakes are all obnoxious. That extra 10% braking really seems to push it over the edge. I am more than willing to lose some braking for compensation, flash suppression and reduced backblast

 

[TM6]

Sorry to sidetrack OP.

Has anyone used Kelly Driesel for brakes, former Ross Schuler employee and new owner of his business? Just wanted to know quality/effectiveness of his brakes if you have used them, especially on a larger .30 caliber chambering like the 300PRC.

Thanks,
TM6

 

[Mr.KristinKiger]

Thanks for all the feedback!!

Ok, here’s the next piece of the puzzle for everyone that says the brakes helped with the “Accuracy” of their gun? What is your definition of accurate? Is it 1/2” or less at 100yds? Dinging a 2’ steel plate at 500 yds? I’m still debating with my dad here lol.

 

[devildog93]

Thanks for all the feedback!!

Ok, here’s the next piece of the puzzle for everyone that says the brakes helped with the “Accuracy” of their gun? What is your definition of accurate? Is it 1/2” or less at 100yds? Dinging a 2’ steel plate at 500 yds? I’m still debating with my dad here lol.

I personally did not notice a change when putting an efab on an ar-10. Normally around 1 inch groups at 100 with most loads, 1/2 inch with my best handloads. Somewhere between the two would be a fair average. Similar with birdcage or hybrid brake.

 

[acudaowner]

you know you wanna break for your gun they are wonderful space makers no one in there right mind would take the table next to you if you do try and pick one with large enough baffles to easily fit a cleaning brush in unless you use an ultra sonic cleaner then it won't matter . best of luck either way .

 

[Rob01]

Thanks for all the feedback!!

Ok, here’s the next piece of the puzzle for everyone that says the brakes helped with the “Accuracy” of their gun? What is your definition of accurate? Is it 1/2” or less at 100yds? Dinging a 2’ steel plate at 500 yds? I’m still debating with my dad here lol.

Just tell him he is right and go get a brake for your rifle. Will be easier than nitpicking and trying to change his mind.

For a brake check out the Patriot Valley Arms Jet4. They cut recoil great and send the blast more away from the shooter. I use them on the PRS Tac class .308 and it works great.

 

[308pirate]

I’m still debating with my dad here lol.

Quit wasting your time. Go get a brake on yours and let him keep on keeping on........

 

[TurboTrout]

LOL what a retard

More reduction more better, there’s a reason JP has brakes on all their 223 wylde rifles.

There comes a time in every man’s like when they realize dad ain’t right, this is that time for you

Gen 3 Little Bastard Self Timing Muzzle Brake*

American Precision Arms is very excited to share the release of the Generation 3 Little Bastard. It has been a long time coming but we wanted to make sure everything was perfect before offering something new. The development of APA Gen 3 Little Bastard was the result of American Precision Arms'...

www.americanprecisionarms.com

 

[hlee]

I had a bunch typed out, but instead; Never mind, you’re dad is right. Continue through life in unbraked bliss-fullness.