Muzzle brakes – A better design?

[CanuckBen]

I've never had the need for one in the rifle I've used, but as I'm considering moving up in caliber, it made me think - Is there such a thing as a better MB design?

Better in sense of:

- Diminution of the felt recoil?
- In the dB level increase one will produce over another (on the same rifle of course)?
- Is it more effective when it’s built-in the barrel, or installed as an aftermarket piece?

I know some love them, some hate them. They can get pretty loud, but we should all be wearing quality ear protection at the range and in the field (as much as possible for this later one).

Looking forward to reading your opinions on it.

Cheers
Ben

 

[DrMike]

Undoubtedly, muzzle brakes reduce the felt recoil; they do so at the expense of increased muzzle blast. People put brakes on quite a variety of rifles. I've shot them on 223s and managed to shoot 460 Weatherbys without brakes. I've questioned the need for brakes on some rifles that I've shot (22-250 AI, 260 Rem., 270 WSM, 300 WSM, etc.) and wondered why they weren't on others that I've shot. I would suggest that the db level is about the same on all designs, especially for others shooting at the bench or hunting alongside the individual with a rifle so equipped. I hesitate to hunt with a partner carry a rifle equipped with a muzzle brake, primarily because it is not always possible to prepare oneself for the blast. When shooting at the bench, I always wear both plugs and muffs, leaving the plugs in place even while cleaning gear just in case someone is shooting. It makes the muzzle blast tolerable. A well built after-market muzzle brake is hard to distinguish from one that is integral to the barrel. They do assuredly reduce felt recoil, however.

 

[IdahoCTD]

One of the reasons I bought my lathe and mill 20 years ago was to build muzzle brakes. The other was to build my own guns. Between my hunting buddy/friend and I we have probably done 50+ designs with drilled hole brakes and 10+ different milled hole or slotted brakes. With any muzzle brake the more the holes are angled back, towards the shooter, the more effective the brake is but also the louder it is. The reverse is also true, the more they angle forward the less effective but the quieter. Also the larger the holes the more effective.

The ported brakes are more effective because of the shear size of the openings. Also the nice thing is there are no holes on the bottom to kick up dirt if you shoot prone. Drilled hole brakes can be made that way as well but every ported brake I've seen is absent bottom holes.

So to answer your last question the screw on brakes are usually the best but there are a few that clamp on ported brakes as well. The down side is they look pretty horrendous.

 

[FOTIS]

Well, all of the above covers pretty much everything about them.
If I were to brake a big rifle today I would opt for the Williams proprietary brake. Very pleased with mine.

 

[CanuckBen]

Well, all of the above covers pretty much everything about them.
If I were to brake a big rifle today I would opt for the Williams proprietary brake. Very pleased with mine.

Would have to see how doable it would be for me (in Canada), having it shipped from the shop, either by Nosler or Cooper, to a gunsmith, then back to them, then to my dealer here in Canada, then to me.

From this site one could expect a 7mm rem mag w/ a 175g bullet to have a felt recoil of a .243 Win :shock: Definately got my attention :grin:

Tks for the suggestion.

 

[FOTIS]

My 378 Bee (260 AB at 3180 and 300 gr at 3100) feels like a 7mm mag at the most.

 

[Ridge_Runner]

I like the QD Holland type brakes, still loud but the oval ports make it a big boom, the top rifle in the pic has a KDF brake and it is both loud and has the painful ear piercing sharp bark I assume due to the smaller holes.

The third rifle down has a holland brake, chambered in 7mm Allen Mag (7mm/338 lapua mag imp.) weighs 14 pounds, recoil is non-existant, I have taken 34 deer with this rifle, all of them on 20X, from 300 yards to 1350 and I have never not saw a bullet impact through the scope, children 10-12 years old have taken deer with it. The second rifle down also now has a holland brake, as will my current build a 338 edge.
RR

 

[Oldtrader3]

I have both the Weatherby Accubrake on a .340 Weatherby and have owned a couple of BOSS (for accuracy tuning) devices on rifles that did not need the recoil attenuation. Vais makes a good brake which is more effective in recoil attenuation than many brakes and manages the noise well for the shooter as well. The Weatherby .340 shoots with about the same felt recoil as a 7mm Mag now with the brake.

High frequency noise is more directional and most brakes have a few holes which direct noise back to the shooter instead of more away as the muzzle does. Break noise is no louder than bore noise except for directionality because the designer does not want to add any additonal supersonic velocity and harmonics (more noise and vibration) to increase the gas escape speed from the ports. What that means simply is that the noise DbA level is dependent on the gas speed and ejecta weight. Ten feet away it is all the same with or without.

I wear electric muffs when shooting and hearing aids when hunting. Both devices (and Game Ear) clip all frequencies at 85 DbA which is low enough to not bother me no matter what the guy next to me is shooting. Just my solution.

 

[300WSM]

Loud.
No matter which you decide on they are all louder than without. Be prepared for that and you will be alright. People shoot rifles with brakes all the time so I'm sure you will be fine. Just bear in mind the normal plug or normal muff alone might not be enough. Together they work great for magnum rifles with brakes.

 

[CanuckBen]

Loud.
No matter which you decide on they are all louder than without. Be prepared for that and you will be alright. People shoot rifles with brakes all the time so I'm sure you will be fine. Just bear in mind the normal plug or normal muff alone might not be enough. Together they work great for magnum rifles with brakes.

Oh yeah I know how loud they can get. I always wear plugs and top-quality muff on top. I'm also a guitar player so I've been exposed to alot of high db levels and once you loose some hearing, you can never can it back, I know. Which makes me think, I never thought of asking if there were any other musicians here. May have to open up a new thread in the OT section. Who doesn't like (eh love) the Blues eh 8)

 

[DrMike]

Spent some time listening to Joe Bonamassa last evening. My down time is frequently accomplished by listening to the blues. I trained on trumpet and piano, but I never got into guitar. There are still only 24 hours in a day.

 

[CanuckBen]

Spent some time listening to Joe Bonamassa last evening. My down time is frequently accomplished by listening to the blues. I trained on trumpet and piano, but I never got into guitar. There are still only 24 hours in a day.

How 'bout that. I've been a pretty big Bonamassa fan since I first saw him live at the Montreal Jazz Festival back in 2004. I have a signed picture from him up in my music room - long story short, I was supposed to received something from his production house and it wasn't the right thing, so he sent me a 6x10' print w/ a note to say thank you.

May I suggest that you have a listen too Matt Schofield. Very talented musician as well.

 

[CanuckBen]

I like the QD Holland type brakes, still loud but the oval ports make it a big boom, the top rifle in the pic has a KDF brake and it is both loud and has the painful ear piercing sharp bark I assume due to the smaller holes.

The third rifle down has a holland brake, chambered in 7mm Allen Mag (7mm/338 lapua mag imp.) weighs 14 pounds, recoil is non-existant, I have taken 34 deer with this rifle, all of them on 20X, from 300 yards to 1350 and I have never not saw a bullet impact through the scope, children 10-12 years old have taken deer with it. The second rifle down also now has a holland brake, as will my current build a 338 edge.
RR

Very fine collection of rilfe RR 8)

 

[DrMike]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll make it a point to seek him out.

 

[257 Ackley]

Spent some time listening to Joe Bonamassa last evening. My down time is frequently accomplished by listening to the blues. I trained on trumpet and piano, but I never got into guitar. There are still only 24 hours in a day.

How 'bout that. I've been a pretty big Bonamassa fan since I first saw him live at the Montreal Jazz Festival back in 2004. I have a signed picture from him up in my music room - long story short, I was supposed to received something from his production house and it wasn't the right thing, so he sent me a 6x10' print w/ a note to say thank you.

May I suggest that you have a listen too Matt Schofield. Very talented musician as well.

WOW...never expected to find people on a hnting forum that have actually listened to (and enjoy) Joe B!! Saw him in November (right after deer hnting was over) and will be seeing him twice this year.

Ben - I was working in Montreal in 04 during the jazz festival, but didn't get to see Joe. I have seen him a couple times in bars that had less than 200 people in the bar back in the 90's.

 

[FOTIS]

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=6669 ... ZZLE-BRAKE

 

[CanuckBen]

WOW...never expected to find people on a hnting forum that have actually listened to (and enjoy) Joe B!! Saw him in November (right after deer hnting was over) and will be seeing him twice this year.

Ben - I was working in Montreal in 04 during the jazz festival, but didn't get to see Joe. I have seen him a couple times in bars that had less than 200 people in the bar back in the 90's.

Opened up a new post in the OT section.

http://www.noslerreloading.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18526&p=162226#p162226

 

[DrMike]

Joel,

I'm working on a couple of songs: "Big Moose Blues" and "Ain't Got No Grizzly Draw." Should be a hit in some circles.