Mudrunner: mine has a factory brake on it, and it shoots very softly for the monster that it is. I am very sensitive to recoil, and I put brakes on almost everything. I bought a little Tikka 25-06 recently, and even it was kind of nasty. Then I had it improved, and the recoil doubled. I asked the smiths who did it (Benchmark), and they said that is pretty typical. Just straightening the case and changing to a 40 degree shoulder changes everything that takes place when you pull the trigger, and improved cartridges almost always result in a much higher felt recoil. (So they said) So I put a brake on that one, too. Anything I own above 6mm has a brake on it. I know lots of guys like to be macho and essentially say "I don't need no stinkin' brakes," (Get the allusion there?) but it beats the hell out of me why I would want to beat the hell out of me whenever I go shooting. When I can lay out my 30-378, or one of my Lazzeroni Warbirds, or my 338 Lapua, or my 338 Rem ultra, or any one of my 300 Win Mags and shoot it without touching it with my left hand, then I have a good time. I bought a Browning highwall in 45-70 about ten years ago. It is a gorgeous rifle...XXX walnut wood, octagonal barrel, crescent butt plate, etc., etc. I took it out to shoot it, and by the fifth shot I had both eyes glued shut and I was pulling a 2 pound trigger at about 25 pounds. No one at the range had a clue where the bullets were going, but as usual, I was a source of entertainment to the usual boys. So now I am "stuck" with an essentially useless gun. I won't shoot it, and my two partners won't either. I was black, blue, orange and yellow for about two months. Since it has the octagonal barrel, putting a round brake on it would be a sin, and magna-porting it would be just as bad. I am going down to Benchmark today and see if they can make a brake that would match the shape and color of the barrel. I think I know the answer: We can do it for a mere $1000. But they are super good guys to work with, and they may view it as a challenge and an advertising opportunity. At least those are the arguments I will use. It is just too beautiful to even consider selling, so if nothing else works, I think I will build a nice walnut display case and hang it on the family room wall. When I shot the 45-70, there was a stranger at the range with a 416 Rigby with a brake on it. He wanted to shoot it without the brake because he was headed for Africa and the guides would not let him use a brake. He never screwed up enough courage to shoot it with the brake off, but he let me do it. The recoil on that Rigby wasn't even close to the recoil on the 45-70.
Benchmark is a relatively new outfit, but their reputation has exploded, and now it takes 3 months to get anything done. But they do flawless work and they make excellent barrels. I would recommend them to anyone who wants any gun work done. And, no matter what goofy thing you want done, they will do it without spending 15 minutes explaining why you are an idiot for wanting that in the first place. The guy who custom built my .257 STW spent 2 hours on my dime trying to talk me out of it. But he taught me a lot on how to make a barrel burner last a lot longer, and I have been shooting the rifle since Simpson introduced them with no loss of accuracy. If anyone wants the ultimate in a beanfield rifle, the .257 STW is an excellent choice. And you do not have to have one custom built. Just buy a Sendero in 300 Win mag, and have it rebarreled and you are set to go. Just don't use NBT's in it on deer under 200 yards. Use accubonds. Inside 200 yards, a 120 grain bullet traveling at the speed the .257 travels still has enough energy, combined with a bullet that essentially fragments shortly after impact produces an empty deer. I shot a doe on a meat hunt with mine at about 80 yards, and when I rolled her over to start dressing her out, the far side of the body had a 2' hole in it, and the deer, with the exception of the heart and lungs, was completely disemboweled. The newer "hunting" NBT's probably work better, but I have not tried them.
HIghridge: coincidentally, I have ten shells with that exact load ready to test. I hope I get your results from them. Many thanks for the suggestion.
Sorry this is so long. I was an English teacher assigned to teach college bound honors kids how to write right. I just can't keep anything short.
