Muzzle Brake Pros and Cons

Muzzle brakes reduce recoil very well—but they're not without side effects

Article by David E. Petzal. Uploaded on November 12, 2008

THERE MAY BE a muzzle brake in your future. They've been around since before World War II, but their use on sporting rifles has always been limited to custom guns, and then in scant numbers. But that is starting to change. • Custom gunmakers, who are the trendsetters in rifle building, are now installing brakes in serious numbers. I asked one of them, who shall remain anonymous, why the shift occurred. “Guys are afraid to shoot nowadays,” he said. “They're wimps. I put one on a .270 WSM or a .280 Remington and think, Mister, maybe you should be playing golf instead.” • Kenny Jarrett installs muzzle brakes on probably 85 percent of his rifles. Ed Brown now puts a muzzle brake on all his guns save his dangerous-game rifles (and we will get to why in a minute), unless you state with great vehemence that you don't want one. Ninety-two percent of Mark Bansner's rifles get muzzle brakes. John Lazzeroni puts them on as a matter of course.

Upward and Backward
YOUR RIFLE KICKS because the gas that propels the bullet in one direction also moves the rifle in the other direction—hard. So if you don't want to get kicked, you have to change the direction of the gas column.

To accomplish this, you can cut holes or ports in the barrel itself to divert the gas upward or sideways. If the gas goes upward, it presses down on the muzzle and counteracts muzzle jump. One example of this is the Mag-na-port system, a pair of trapezoidal slots that are cut out of the barrel running parallel to the bore; another is the new Remington VTR brake, a series of slots that are cut horizontal to the bore.

Most brakes, however, take the form of 2-inch tubes that screw onto the muzzle and divert the gas 90 degrees to the side around the circumference of the barrel. This is accomplished by a series of small parallel holes drilled in the tube. Almost all muzzle brakes can be detached, and the threads at the end of the barrel can be covered by a little screw-on cap. You can see a variety of muzzle brakes at brownells.com.

Advantages
MOST MUZZLE BRAKES will cut recoil by 50 percent. There are plenty of rifles that would be unshootable were it not for their brakes.

Even varmint shooters, who fire very heavy rifles that kick very little, have now come to favor muzzle brakes because they need to see the bullets splash, and you can't do that if you have any recoil at all.

There is also evidence that, particularly with light barrels, using muzzle brakes results in better accuracy, quite aside from their positive effects on the shooter.

Disadvantages
THERE ARE SEVERAL, and they are serious. First is cost. A good muzzle brake, plus installation by a gunsmith, costs about $250.

The second is noise. Since the muzzle blast is coming back at you instead of going away from you, the report goes from unpleasant to unbearable. Whether shooting at the range or hunting, you are going to have to wear some kind of serious hearing protection. Or you can ignore it, and go deaf quickly.

Which brings us to Ed Brown's muzzle-brakeless dangerous-game rifle. If you are going after something large and unpleasant, your trackers will be alongside you, and it's important that they be able to hear what's going on. However, if you cut loose with a muzzle-braked rifle, they will be unable to hear hoofbeats, growling, roars, screams, or other important sounds.

The third problem is length. Most brakes add 2 inches to a rifle barrel, which does not bother some people, but it bothers the hell out of me.

Fourth, muzzle brakes break scopes. This is a fact. A riflescope is built to withstand violent rearward acceleration and gradual deceleration. But when gas hits a muzzle brake, the deceleration is violent; it's like slamming the scope into a wall. Some scopes can't hack it.

And finally there is this consideration: Of all the muzzle-braked rifles I've fired, none shot to the same point of impact with the brake on as they did with the brake off.

But as we get wimpier and wussier, we are going to see more rifles—including factory guns—with brakes. Sensitive New Age guys will no longer feel compelled to demonstrate their manhood by acquiring concussions, bulged spinal discs, and scope cuts.

THE MUZZLE BRAKE DIFFERENCE: HOW MUCH WILL IT KICK NOW?
A.375 H&H without a muzzle brake will generate approximately 45 foot-pounds of felt recoil—a substantial amount.

Add a muzzle brake to that .375 and recoil is reduced to about 23 foot-pounds, which is that of a brakeless .30/06.

Putting a muzzle brake on an'06 cuts recoil back to approximately 14 foot-pounds—about what a standard .243 generates.

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from Hick-From-Hell wrote 3 years 18 weeks ago

I have a muzzle break and regret it. Way to noisy to even shoot without ear plugs.

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from bigbryce86 wrote 3 years 18 weeks ago

I'm a big fan of breaks on higher caliber rifles. They really aren't needed for lhe smaller calibers. I also like my ported choke tubes for my mossberg.

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from j-johnson17 wrote 3 years 18 weeks ago

Muzzle breaks are very loud, yes, but unless you are in a hunting environment you shouldn't be shooting without hearing protection. I don't even mow the lawn without hearing protection... I have one on a .300 WSM and a .300 Winchester Magnum, and both work great. as Hick-From-Hell said, cover your ears...

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from HillbillyDeluxe wrote 3 years 17 weeks ago

I agree with Petzal in that muzzle breaks are allowing our current/future generations to have an excuse to become "wussier". Unless you have a large caliber rifle or some sort of disability. Truth be told, if you can't hit it without one, you shouldn't be shooting it.

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from fisherus wrote 3 years 17 weeks ago

I aquired my one and only muzzle brake from my gunsmith after purchasing a stainless Ruger M77 MKII, when they first came out, many moons ago. I made the decision to brake the gun after using s Mae West life vest to limit the recoil damage the gun was causing to my shoulder as I sighted it in. After shooting it with the brake installed, it was quite comfortable as long as I wore hearing protection. I made a mistake of not placing my ear-plugs in on an elk hunt and the ear pain was excruciating for hours afterword. I then had my gunsmith make a threaded sleeve that replaces the brake when I take this firearm hunting, as I don't seem to notice the recoil when I'm shooting an animal. This has really worked out well for me as I feel I now have the best of both worlds and my hearing is much the better for it.

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from ishawooa wrote 3 years 16 weeks ago

I only have one rifle with a brake and even it was not my idea. Formerly I shared the impression that if you required a brake you either were a wimp or needed a smaller rifle. When I had a custom 7 mm Ultra (more or less) built for long range shooting the gunsmith suggested adding a muzzle brake. I must have looked at him like he was crazy as he immediately explained that no doubt many shots with this rifle would be taken from the prone position. In the rush to determine distance of the animal. wind speed, etc. there is a good possibility that sooner or later the scope will punch you in the eye as we all have seen. Thinking it over hesitantly agreed to the installation. The rifle is much like firing a .25-'06 or maybe .243 BUT I keep those ear plugs tied to it at all times for instant ear insertion. With the brake on a 26 inch barrel I also had to have a custom scabbard built for it since it did not come close to fitting my older ones.

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from Edward J. Palumbo wrote 3 years 15 weeks ago

Firing positions at the Tri-County Gun Club (Tualatin, Oregon) are covered, since it rains occasionally in the Pacific Northwest, and there was some discord over the concussive noises made by members using muzzle-braked rifles, since there . Currently, those shooters using braked rifles are asked to use firing position to the extreme right of the firing line, localizing those loud rifles in one area of the line as opposed to interspersing those braked rifles along the firing line positions. I can certainly understand the logic and desirability of a muzzle brake on a powerful rifle, but none of my personal rifles are more powerful than a .30-'06. I usually avoid the positions to the right of the rifle line; even with ear protection, some of the equipment is punishing to the ears of adjacent shooters. You choose your priorities and operate accordingly. If you're are relying on a powerful rifle to anchor your brown bear or moose, but the recoil is too punishing to enjoy or zero the rifle, a brake makes sense.

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from The Armchair Ou... wrote 3 years 14 weeks ago

The maxim, "Use enough gun," has been variously attributed to Elmer Keith, Robert Ruark, and countless others. I would like to add the corollary, "But not too much." How much is too much? It depends on the weight of the gun, the shooter, and the situation. I don't find the .375 H&H too bad offhand, and even a .458 Win. Mag in a rifle of sufficient weight is tolerable without a muzzle brake. On the other hand, 2 oz. turkey loads off sandbags in a pump gun make me wince. I do not understand the ultralight rifle craze. If you can't tote it, hit the weight room. A rifle should have enough weight to settle into the rest or balance on the forward hand, and anything in the deer rifle category should have a moderate enough recoil to be acceptable WITH PRACTICE. The latest muzzle-braked-super-ultra-short-fat-moose-whomper is great for making big holes . . . in the ground.

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from Clay Cooper wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

David

You forgot one detail about "The second is noise".

For a 30-06 with a 150 grain bullet @2970fps with 52,000 chamber presure,

"THAT’S 12,000 PSI AT THE MUZZLE (24" barrel)!

My experience with “BIG BORE” 338 cal plus and believe me in the 4 years as one of the Recreational Range Masters in the Fairbanks Alaska area I’ve shot allot of them. Yes they are ear splitting loud and the recoil is far less than without. As for accuracy, I find if installed correctly they will shoot just as well if not better because of the reduction in flinch factor. There was only one muzzle break I found, the more you shot it, the higher and to the left the impact. Ether it was incorrectly installed or the owner banged the muzzle on something. The bullet was clipping the muzzle break at the end.

Coop’s bottom line
Are they worth it, perhaps so, depending on the shooters ability to handle that particular cartridge and firearm?

I was in one of the local respected Gun Shops, behind the counter. Chris I’ve known for years asked what I thought about this wonderful looking rifle. It was a beautiful Sako cradled in a thumbhole laminated stock topped with a Leupold® VX-III propped up by a bipod rest. Chris crossed his arms looked at me and said proudly; this is the ultimate varmint rifle, Clay this is the best rifle you can buy! I started to agree with him until I noticed the most ridicules use ever witnessed, a 22-250 with a muzzle break!

My response
Wuss gun!
I turned and walked off

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from Clay Cooper wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

HillbillyDeluxe
It’s not the muzzle breaks that are making this new generation shooters a bunch of wuss’s, it’s the media culture telling you can’t do that, instead of teaching the four basic shooting positions.

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from CPT BRAD wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

uh oh recoil rears its ugly head. If you can shoot the rifle shoot it, if the rifle is loud wear protection. if you hunt with a guide or in a blind don't use them. Any Questions??

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from CPT BRAD wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

uh oh recoil rears its ugly head. If you can shoot the rifle shoot it, if the rifle is loud wear protection. if you hunt with a guide or in a blind don't use them. Any Questions??

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from ishawooa wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

I have a friend who is sniper on the Memphis SWAT. He has a personal bright red stocked custom .22-.250 with a barrel about like a F-350 rear axle and a muzzle brake. He said it was so he could watch the impact on ground hogs and prairie dogs. I always did that with my varmint barreled .22-.250 rifles with no brake. Each to their own I suppose.
A couple years ago I walked in the local gun store and noticed what looked like a new Sako TRG in .30-.378 Wea. laying on the gunsmith's bench. I leaned over to see what the attached handwritten note stated. "Install your best muzzle brake and a Pachmyer Decelerator pad". I guess the buyer got more than he wanted.

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from hahaha wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

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from theshooter10 wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

I think the muzzle break would be bad for deer hunting because of the noise you would put out from farther ranges and you would possibly scare them off and not get as many deer and intended..So unless you were only planning on one then a muzzle break would not be reconmmended..

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from rrmont wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

I was thinking about putting one on my .330 mag, but after reading this I think I will just tough it out. Not all that bad anyway.

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from rrmont wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

Meant .300 mag

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from vork23 wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

Savage has factory fifles that come stock with them

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from theshooter10 wrote 3 years 13 weeks ago

You mean Rifles???

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from jmeerpohl wrote 3 years 8 weeks ago

I muzzled my Fiberclass Sako 338 win mag and I should have opted for a one of the new soft recoil pads instead. Man, that gun is so loaud, I need hearing protection even in the field.

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from rocketman121 wrote 3 years 2 days ago

I'm not planning on braking my .270WSM. I like the kick of it. If you take the kick away, part of the gun seems to be missing.

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from fng wrote 2 years 41 weeks ago

yea, the Savage 110 FCP-K comes standard with a muzzle break. Great gun, but c'mon! Im not a wuss... lol

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from DakotaMan wrote 2 years 40 weeks ago

It is just personal taste but I have no interest in shooting with a muzzle brake. I detest the noise and would be quite selfconscious shooting next to someone on the firing line as though I don't respect them enough not to deafen them for my own enjoyment. Yes we all have ear muffs or plugs but these things hurt my ears with plugs in. I shoot heavy rifles (e.g. 12 pound .300 Dakota or .375H&H) with GREAT Limbsaver recoil pads. The recoil is very tolerable. I also do all my target shooting and load development for big rifles with a Lead Sled and have fun hunting, never having noticed recoil as an issue. I shot next to a guy with a beautiful .338 Lupua the other day, muzzle brake and all. He looked so sad! Like he had invested a fortune in this beautiful rifle and ammo and it still hurt him so much to shoot (between the sound AND the recoil) that he could hardly bear to shoot it. If he would have added 4 pounds to the weight and put a Limbsaver on it, he would have enjoyed it, even without the muzzle brake. He was eying my Lead Sled like a sow in heat.

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from jwallen wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

I had a Sako .338 and the recoil was very stiff so I sent it off to Magnport and had it ported. It ruined the rifle! The first thing it did was strip the screws that held on the front sight. After having the sight repaired it lost its accuracy. I suspect that the barrel was damaged out near the muzzle. I finally had to have the barrel cut down 2 inches and re-crownded. The accuracy returned but the recoil was worse than ever. It finally cracked the stock. I installed a cheap synthetic stock on it and traded it for a Ruger 77 in .338 and with the straighter stock and more weight, it is a pussycat. No more muzzle brakes for me!

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from jwallen wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Mag-na-port, I know that someday I will get through a whole paragraph without an error!

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