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Post by tnhunter on May 26, 2015 13:30:28 GMT -5
Hi guys i'm looking for the best muzzle brake to install on my rem/mcgowen muzzleloader. It has way to much recoil to sit at the range and shoot. Im looking for something to really tame it down.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 14:15:34 GMT -5
4 port muscle brake all the way. Much more effective than similar brakes in my experience.
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Post by Richard on May 26, 2015 14:48:32 GMT -5
I talked with Lynwood Harrell (he makes both type of brakes) and he will tell you radial brakes are the way to go. I would personally stick with a radial brake but that is just my opinion and we know opinions are like _ _ _ holes............Everybody has got one! You will almost never see a tactical style brake at a benchrest match...........They are all radial!........Just saying... Richard
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Post by airborneike on May 26, 2015 16:43:55 GMT -5
+1 with Richard, radial brakes don't have the cool factor but in my experience, work better than tac's
Lot of marketing hype in the muzzle brake field cleverly designed to separate you from your money.
Not affiliated with Harrels but they provide a good product for a REASONABLE price
Mike
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 17:01:01 GMT -5
Radial. Kyle
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Post by hankinsrfls on May 26, 2015 17:02:36 GMT -5
I agree with Richard and airbornike,, radial brakes are the way to go.
Jeff Hankins.
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Post by tnhunter on May 26, 2015 18:21:47 GMT -5
Do any of you guys have one installed on your gun? There are thousands of company's that produce there own design of a radial muzzle brake are there any particular one that is better than others? Thanks for the replys!
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 18:28:10 GMT -5
I have a radial brake on my Hankins SPML. It reduces recoil effectively and shoots accurate. The brake was custom made by Jeff Hankins. Kyle
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Post by bestill on May 26, 2015 18:28:43 GMT -5
I have a Hankins break with funnel and it works great and doesn't effect accuracy negatively may even help since recoil is greatly reduced
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 18:47:48 GMT -5
I've shot them both. IMO, the Tactical Muscle Brake reduces recoil much better than a radial brake.. Bigger and gawdier, but definitely reducing the recoil much better IMO. A couple of my guns will wear brakes, but the big boomers will absolutely have the tactical style brakes. JMO
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Post by 7mmfreak on May 26, 2015 21:25:26 GMT -5
You will almost never see a tactical style brake at a benchrest match...........They are all radial!........Just saying... Richard And you'll almost never see a radial at a practical match. Putting a radial on a BR rifle is not a qualitative statement of "better" just like BR loading practices are not always "better" for guys who shoot XC/SR/HP/Practical. Q may say radial is best for Bond, but Bond wants side ports because they work better for what he does. I'm firmly in the side port camp when I have to shoot a brake; empirical data supports my position.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 22:16:22 GMT -5
I don't know which style is better performance wise, but I have several radials and I love them.
Harrell's brand.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 22:27:03 GMT -5
Do any of you guys have one installed on your gun? Yes, here is a 45 McRem with a Harrels, so speaking from my experience, my opinion is, if this gun were to shoot heavy loads (ex. 70gr 4198 / 275gr bullet) or heavier very much, the Harrels brake would be swapped out to a tactical. 40 cal with a Harrels, I think it will be fine..... 375 build, taking no chances, straight to the tactical style. Everyone has different opinions, this is just mine.
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Post by lwh723 on May 26, 2015 23:07:39 GMT -5
You will almost never see a tactical style brake at a benchrest match...........They are all radial!........Just saying... Richard And you'll almost never see a radial at a practical match. Putting a radial on a BR rifle is not a qualitative statement of "better" just like BR loading practices are not always "better" for guys who shoot XC/SR/HP/Practical. Q may say radial is best for Bond, but Bond wants side ports because they work better for what he does. I'm firmly in the side port camp when I have to shoot a brake; empirical data supports my position. Exactly my thoughts. Braking effectiveness is function of surface area which the tactical style has a lot more of. Having shot both styles, my shoulder confirms it too. I assume the tac style are frowned upon at bench matches because of the side blast. I know I wouldn't want to be on the next bench over! I'm not saying the radial style doesn't reduce recoil, but if you're going for maximum reduction, get the 4 port Muscle or something similar.
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Post by elkman1310 on May 27, 2015 6:20:02 GMT -5
Muzzle brakes are the way to go on a 45 ML. I have made many different styles for my 1000Yrd comp guns. They all work. Our rules don't allow a rearward gas ports so everyone plays around with port sizes and spacing.
A muzzle brake for a muzzle load should be a radial type design. I make mine with four holes be row but I don't do it in a radial pattern. I have settled on 1/4 diameter size holes. I also make the brake that the first row of holes next to the barrel is half a hole. When you look inside the brake it has 6 radial slots. I find this works extremely well on my Comp guns and my muzzle loaders. It reduces the muzzle blast to the shooter compared to a regular brake that has a spacing between the first set of holes and the muzzle of the barrel.
I actually made the first one of these by mistake. I had setup and drilled the first row of holes closer than what I wanted. After I got the brake done it looked really cool inside and They have performed very well.
I have this same design on my 300WSM 1000 yard gun. Which I am currently in first place after two matches for score so it must be working.
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Post by 7mmfreak on May 27, 2015 6:34:41 GMT -5
Luke,
I didn't spell it out but your first two statements were the first that crossed my mind; surface area and consideration for others. I haven't sat down and done the math but am comfortable saying most side port brakes have more surface area; I would assume that is why field artillery pieces, tanks, and the Barrett have side ports, clam-shell style brakes (aside from the dust signature everyone who is pro radial claims doesn't happen).
The first time I ever shot a Barrett I was still working for the gunshop/range I worked at for a decade through high school and college prior to the Army. From time to time some guy with more money than sense wanted to buy a Barrett and we would sell them to them. With package deals we would always mount scopes and zero guns if guys wanted it done. I had the Barrett on the range one evening after work to zero it and I took empty shotgun hulls and placed them on each bench down the line from me. When I took my first shot the hulls disappeared off the first 5 benches; benches were ambi and had about 5' center to center. When guys are shooting quals on the long guns on a static line everyone tries to stay on glass and read wind right up until it's time to shoot. Not when shooting the .50s, everyone who isn't shooting lays there, face in their crossed arms, like they are taking a nap because dust and grass is flying everywhere and if you are close to the gun being shot it is like having a fat man stomp on your head. That is not to say that radial brakes are friendly to your adjacent shooter, just a little more friendly than a side port since 50% of the blast is up and down. That said, on a covered range I find radials be louder for that reason.
In general I detest brakes. I prefer to shoot something that doesn't need one. Occasionally, one is in a situation that requires it for recoil management or for the ability to watch their rounds impact. When that is required I want 2 large, or 3-4 smaller ports per side.
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Post by tnhunter on May 27, 2015 6:57:18 GMT -5
The current load I'm shooting is 68 grains of H4198 and a 275 MH. It's not something that can't be shot without a break but it'll sure let you know it's being fired. I'm sure the tactical style would do more for recoil but this is a hunting gun I don't want something sticking out on the end of it like that.
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Post by elkman1310 on May 27, 2015 13:51:25 GMT -5
I make my brakes to match the contour of the barrel. I don't care for the looks of a brake that protrude like a tank style brake. But some shooter love them. Its all up to the individual. A 45cal barrel should be no smaller than .800 at the muzzle to install a brake with a 11/16x24 tpi. which is what I use. It still leaves you enough barrel and a shoulder to tighten the brake up against.
I think you would really like a good brake on your gun. You would also need a funnel for the powder and if your full form sizing your bullets that would be a problem. To index them in the right position. If your simply sizing them down and shooting a bore rider bullet like most. Then a brake would work really nice. You would need to tear the gun down and take the barrel off the action to do the job right.
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Post by rossman40 on May 27, 2015 14:05:19 GMT -5
It was interesting at the KY match that the guys shooting the radial brakes would knock the rain up on the tent over the firing line while the guys with the side port tacticals didn't. Of course the side port guys shooting the 100gr+ loads would just about knock a small guy off the bench next to him. Lorne almost needed a seat belt a couple of times.
I like the slabbed 4 port muscle brakes or the Harrells Tacticals. I think I will step up to 1 1/4" minimum diameter Harrells for guys wanting to shoot big loads. I have put a couple of 1" on .45s in the past.
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Post by Richard on May 27, 2015 14:19:33 GMT -5
A few years back Varmint Al (Has a hunting web site and tests and builds lots of stuff) did a test with many different brakes and his conclusion was that they they all produced about the same amount of recoil reduction. Not that he is god, just his Empirical opinion. Richard
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Post by rambler on May 27, 2015 15:04:58 GMT -5
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Post by hankinsrfls on May 27, 2015 15:26:30 GMT -5
When purchasing a muzzle brake it is up to the individual as to what style of brake suits his needs the best.. For prone shooters I would agree that the tactical style brakes would be a better choice as they do not throw up a dust bomb when shooting on the ground. As for any other shooting practice I would lean towards the radial style brakes. I do believe they do a better job dispersing the gasses and according to some of the other muzzle brake gurus, they say the same thing.. Tactical style brakes gives a certain look and when building tactical looking sniper rifles the side port brakes just look cool,, but how many of us are ever going to really get to use that tactical style sniper rifle in a real life swat situation. When it comes to brakes it is a personal preference.
When buying a brake make sure it is machined on a lathe using single point tooling.. It is very important to make sure the exit hole is on center with the threads.. It's best to buy a brake that has a small exit hole drilled through and then finish the exit hole to size once its been installed on the barrel and true to the barrels bore.
Fancy advertising and high prices doesn't mean that the brake will work any better than a moderately priced brake.. It's hard to beat a Harrell's brake at $35.00 for a radial or $50.00 for for their tactical style brake., but these brakes require some machining during the installation.
Stay away from brakes that are advertised as (Quiet) because if its quiet, it ain't working, also stay away from brakes the have linear drilled holes, these linear holes are a waist and do nothing to disperse the gasses out to the sides..
It doesn't make a difference if on a radial brake that the holes are drilled in a straight line or in a spiral pattern, again it just depends on the look you want.
One last thing, the bigger the diameter of the brake the better it will work. (To a point) if you machine a 1.0 diameter brake to match the diameter of a .820 barrel it will not be as effective as it would have been if you left it at 1.0
There are hundreds of styles of brakes, most will work, some will not. Just do a little research and find the one that fits your style the best..
Jeff Hankins
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Post by tnhunter54 on May 27, 2015 17:52:43 GMT -5
Great information Jeff thanks.
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Post by Dave W on May 27, 2015 18:10:44 GMT -5
From what Guy said about shooting his Dads gun with a radial, and Coles gun with the 4 port Muscle, The Muscle brake is noticeably better at taming recoil. I know a 300gr bullet at 2600fps+ with the 4 port Muscle brake, recoil is nothing. Mind boggling compared to an non-braked gun.
Indexing for full form sizing is very easy with the tactical. If you miss by a little sliding the bullet through the brake, you just peak inside the tactical from the side to find your index mark on the bullet and rotate it to the area you know it needs to be.
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Post by tnhunter on May 27, 2015 18:37:58 GMT -5
I don't size my bullets or anything I just buy them and they fit perfect and shoot perfect. So I should have no problems with a radial brake then?
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Post by hankinsrfls on May 27, 2015 18:45:24 GMT -5
I don't size my bullets or anything I just buy them and they fit perfect and shoot perfect. So I should have no problems with a radial brake then? You will most likely need a funnel that you can slide down the brake to align the bullet with the bore. This will make starting them much easier. Jeff Hankins Very similar to this one.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 20:07:36 GMT -5
That funnel looks familiar. Kyle
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Post by Richard on May 27, 2015 20:51:39 GMT -5
So here is a thought? I know we have some engineers on the forum and other well qualified persons........(I like the sound of Rossman and Hankins) If someone could devise a method to measure the recoil effects of a radial vs. a tactical brake? They would both have to fitted to the same barrel in order to get a valid results. It could be something on the order of how far back the butt moves or some type of scale that would register results. That would kind of put an end to "which is better?".............As Hank indicated, it probably more of "which style winds your watch" vs. "which is actually better!" Probably everyone who comments on which is better............never shot the same gun with two different brakes at the same time.....side by side. So comparisons are based on some recollections.................hardly a valid comparison. If you want to know which scope is clearer.............get all the prospects lined up on sand bags and have some printed material at a given distance.............then go to each one and back and forth and you will probably be able to make an educated decision.................Now do the same with the brake? To compare a radial brake on a nine pound 30/06 against a tactical brake on a 12 lb. 308 sniper rifle is NOT a valid comparison? Just thinking out loud! Richard
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Post by 7mmfreak on May 27, 2015 20:57:51 GMT -5
Like this :
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Post by rambler on May 27, 2015 21:11:58 GMT -5
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