Muzzle Break Ballistics

[ZSteinle]

Forgive me if this has been covered a lot but i am curious as to how much adding a muzzle break to my rifle would affect the ballistics. I plan to use a break when target shooting but would prefer not to have one while hunting. Are the ballistics going to be nearly identical or off by some degree?
Win. model 70 300WSM

 

[Tyler Kemp]

Identical.

 

[James Jones]

Balistics will be the same but if you shoot a gun with a brake and work up a load for it that load will likely group differantly when the brake is taken off as you are changing the barrel harmonics ,but the speed and trajectory will be the same

 

[Coues Sniper]

Balistics will be the same but if you shoot a gun with a brake and work up a load for it that load will likely group differantly when the brake is taken off as you are changing the barrel harmonics ,but the speed and trajectory will be the same

+1
Trajectory is the same, point of impact may change slightly

 

[davewilson]

in theory it should be the same but with a regular hunting gun, as you're discribing, it rarely will be. i've done what you're talking about with a couple rifles and ended up hunting with the brake on because the POI changed. it's a recoil thing. my advise would be to try it and see how it does with you and your gun. very easy to do and would erase those doubts that might be flying around.

 

[Lightvarmint]

in theory it should be the same but with a regular hunting gun, as you're discribing, it rarely will be. i've done what you're talking about with a couple rifles and ended up hunting with the brake on because the POI changed. it's a recoil thing. my advise would be to try it and see how it does with you and your gun. very easy to do and would erase those doubts that might be flying around.

Adding a brake is similar to adding a barrel tuner. I might change your barrel dynamics enough to require additional load developement. I have seen it work both ways (no change and required additional load development) Only one way to find out for sure with your gun.

James

 

[Jeff In TX]

Adding a brake is similar to adding a barrel tuner. I might change your barrel dynamics enough to require additional load developement. I have seen it work both ways (no change and required additional load development) Only one way to find out for sure with your gun. James

Well said. A muzzle brake will always change some aspect of your barrel dynamics. The real question is, is the change noticeable and even measurable? No matter the type of brake, design or even how well it's constructed you're adding additional length and mass to the barrel. Change is inevitable to some degree.

The only way to know for sure is to document the barrel performance with and without the brake. This can't really be done with one range session. Your cold bore shots may be different with or without the brake on. POI may be totally different with or without the brake. Usually any changes in velocities are so small they can't be accurately measured.

Some shooters develop a natural flinch when using a muzzle brake because the sound and pressures are directed back towards the shooters. I developed a flinch when I first started using a brake and I attributed a lot of the barrel changes to the brake and not myself. It wasn't until I was videotaped and we played it back in slow motion that I saw I was flinching. I didn't flinch with the brake, but I did when it was on. I had no idea but my brain and body were reacting to increased sound and pressures coming back at me. It took some work to correct it and to this day I don't like shooting with a brake. Most of my rifles had a small POI change when the brake was on.

Hope it helps

 

[royinidaho]

I had the unfortunate (read stupid) experience the other day of neglection to put the brake on my 270 Am.

The first shot caught me by so much surprise when 12 lb rifle reared back and jumped nearly off of the pedestal rest, and the scope put about an 3/4" carf on the bridge of my nose. I didn't notice it until I look in the mirror later that day. Didn't break the skin......

Chrono reading were spot on normal. POI was spot on and group size, I shot two more, was typical for the rifle.

Thus, I gather that with that specific rifle it makes no difference, brake or no brake.

If you want to test another rifle, come on out and we'll take the brake off of the 338 RUM w/300 SMKs and you can give it a go. Not me

 

[davewilson]

Roy, i took the brake off of my Edge and shot it once just for kicks and giggles. i can assure you it was much more kicks than giggles!