add on muzzle break
 

can it be done? what can i expect to gain on my 338 wm? how much can i expect to pay for it?

You will gain a great deal of painful noise that you will pay with both your hearing, and those around you.
I was walking up a trail one day with a buddy walking behind me. He spotted a mule deer on the top of the ridge, and shot (he missed). His muzzle was level with my ear and maybe 4 feet distant, but pointed about 60 degrees away. He was a little afraid of the recoil of his 7mm RM, had a muzzle brake installed. It was painful, and I couldn't hear anything for a while. He was never invited back to the elk camp after that day.

Yes, brakes can be installed. Depending on what you want, and if you're looking threaded or not, you might be looking at $75 thread job, then anywhere from $50 to $300 for a certain brake.

Yes, it will be louder at the shooters position depending upon what brake design you get. High quality breaks can bring that 338wm down below 300wm/.30-06 recoil levels, some even lower. A good radial brake will cut down your recoil a lot. If you're wanting something to reduce hop too, get one of the "gill" types instead (not as effective at total recoil reduction in my opinion, but good at hop!)

I can't say from a performance standpoint what you might gain, but you WILL gain alot of noise.

I had a "break" installed on one of my rifles that recoiled like a mule and made the rifle unpleasant to shoot...so much so I couldn't shoot it accurately...but I loved the rifle. After the break was installed the rifle became pleasant to shoot and now accurate because I could do my job...it cost me a total of $200 15 years ago but I also bought the top of the line break...I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Increased "noise" is a non-issue as I always wear hearing protection like I should. I also recently bought a Savage Model 10 FLCP-K and it has a factory break...again, love it!

Never could understand buying that big a cannon that you need to start adding something like that to be able to shoot it!!!

Brakes aren't just for big bores. Any cartridge with substantial recoil can benefit from a break. I have a gill type on one of my AR's, a radial circular hole type on a .22lr that I use for longer range work, my wife runs one on her .284win.

No reason not to reduce recoil. The only downside is report volume at the shooting position. Wear hearing protection-problem solved.

If you're going to cast stones at muzzle brakes, there better be nothing but steel buttplates in your safe. A muzzle brake ain't anything but a recoil pad that goes on the wrong end of your rifle.

"If you're going to cast stones at muzzle brakes, there better be nothing but steel buttplates in your safe. A muzzle brake ain't anything but a recoil pad that goes on the wrong end of your rifle."

Ya got me on that one, LOL!!! Actually though, I think I do only have a couple that have soft buttplates. Interesting to hear RR on his use of them and that makes a lot of sense!

Yeah they certainly have value like RR pointed out...but after seeing my buddy shoot with one on his .300wby, no way would I want the added noise. I was behind him a good ways and just curious as to how loud it would be, so I didn't plug my ears. My ears rung like I shot a .44 with no muffs....it was horrible. I couldn't imagine shooting that thing a couple times in the woods.

In a hunting situation (for me) I would never wear ear protection, so I personally would rather deal with recoil than noise.

Not a fan of breaks.

I am a fan of good shooting form.

Also recommend both ear plugs and muffs when practicing (best aid to provent developing a flinch).

In the field I never use hearing protection.

Depending on your state, you can get the best of both worlds by stepping up to a can. Less recoil (not as low as a brake) and WAY lower report. Win win for everybody.

Wish I could !

I live in California now - the land of fruits & nuts

Hogs have always been able to be taken suppressed but squirrels have seasons in some parts of the state so are considered a game animal and only became legal to be taken suppressed September 1,2012.

God Bless Texas!

Wowzer! :cool15:

The first rifle that I ever shot that had a muzzle brake on it was the M-14 (caliber 7.62 or .308 Win) that the US Army issued me back in 1968. A few months later, they issued me an M-16 (caliber 5.56 or .223). Along with their semi-autoloading civilan counterparts, there are millions of these rifles around the world.


These are not known as "heavy kicking" rifles, but they had/have a cylinder with slots in it's sides that is attached to the muzzle of their barrels. These slots allow some of the hot, expanding gassess to exit to the sides of the muzzle before to the bullet exits the barrel. The military calls this cylinder a "flash suppresor," and says that it's purpose is to reduce the flame or visible flash that exits the barrel right behind the bullet.


This process of re-directing some of the expanding gasses was also found to reduce the felt recoil of firearms equipped with these devices, or of firearms that had holes or ports cut into the muzzle end of their barrels.


Muzzle brakes are cylinders with holes in their sides that are attached to the muzzle of firearms. Other than the shape of the holes, they are exactly the same as the military flash suppressors. They allow some of the hot, expanding gassess to exit to the sides of the muzzle before to the bullet exits the barrel.


I like to shoot, and I like to shoot a lot, but I don't like to come home with a sore, black and blue shoulder. When I was shooting competitive Trap and later Skeet, I was shooting about 10,000 shotgun, and mostly 12 ga, shells per year. At some shoots, we would shoot up to 500 targets per day.


I had both my Trap and Skeet shotguns "ported", and immediately noticed that they did not kick as hard, and the muzzle jump was also greatly reduced. That was exspecially important for the second shot on doubles targets.


In 2004 I booked a Cape Buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe. My .30 caliber elk rifle wasn't quite enough rifle for that hunt, so I bought a .375 Remington Ultra magnum. This caliber is like the old .375 H&H on steroids.


On my first trip to the range with this rifle I didn't even get it sighted in with 6 or 8 shots and found that it was NOT any fun to shoot, it had entirely too much recoil. There was no way I was going to shoot 200-300 rounds through that rifle before I left for my Cape Buffalo hunt.


So I had a local gunsmith install a KDF muzzle brake on it (approx $200) and I re-stocked it with a stock that fit me and had a Limbsaver recoil pad on it.


I was then able to comfortably practice with it and was able to satisfy my African Professional Hunter of my shooting ability when checking the zero of that rifle in Africa and my first two shots had touching holes at 100 yds.


Prior to taking that rifle on a second African hunt in 2007, I also installed a mechanical recoil reducer in it's butt-stock. This .375 RUM now kicks less than my 7mm Rem mag, and even shooting from prone positions, the recoil is not too uncomfortable.


About 5 years ago, I built my longtime dream rifle, a .300 Weatherby, and the first thing that I did to it was to have a KDF muzzle brake installed on it. I also custom stocked it to fit me and it also has a mechanical recoil reducer and a Limbsaver recoil pad on it. It kicks less than my .270 Win, and is becoming my favorite rifle.


Both of these rifles are loud, but since they are burning 40-60% more powder than a .30-06, they should be loud, with or without a muzzle brake.


I ALWAYS wear ear protection when shooting these rifles at the range, just about always have ear protection in when shooting at game animals.


I've taken this muzzle braked .375 RUM on two African hunts, and took my braked .300 Wby on another African hunt and a Texas exotic hunt. I've never had a guide or professional hunter say anything against these rifles, and they have been very happy that I am not afraid of them and can shoot them well.

Just wondering, are some muzzle brakes quieter than others? I shot my cousins 06 once, he said he doesn't use it because it's to loud, anyway i only (usually) use ear protection while target shooting, but shot it without protection, and my bud and I experienced the worse ear pain of our life, I hate that gun! His setup is older, maybe a modern top of the line muzzle brake, set up on his 30-06 would be more quiet?

Thanks for the info, the QD Holland sounds better, than that sharp painful crack. If I ever need a brake I'll look into it. When i bought my Browning A bolt .300 RUM, years ago they tried talking me into the Boss brake, but because of my bad experience I declined lol. You got some nice looking rifles Ridge runner.

How would you go about finding a qualified gun smith to install a muzzle break?

you sir, are a boss.