Muzzle Brake

[new shooter]

I just got a used 338 Norma mag it came with to muzzle brakes. One is a slab brake the outher has holes all around. When i talk to the person i got it from he said he like the muzzle brake with holes all around on the rifle. He said he thought the holes work better with less recoil. But he would put the outher slab brake on if i wanted and give me the outher also. Witch he did. Hears what i have never sean before. I pixed up the brake with holes all around and took a 300 gr berger and tride to put it end the brake it would not go in at all ? So i tried a 300 gr smk and it would not go in eather. So i started putting bullets in differnt rifle with muzzle brakes. 300 ultra-7stw 338ax-270 and all of them had room for the bullet to go through with out hitting the sides. SO WHAT GIVES. Thanks Joe

 

[Broz]

The brake radial brake is for a smaller caliber, maybe a 300? If you can not fit a 338 bullet through it , I would not put it on that rifle. In fact, I think you may want to have a gun smith look all this over for you. It sounds to me like the guy that sold it to you could have gotten you hurt.

 

[new shooter]

He said he used it. But i cant see how ? The outher thing that was differnt is it is made out off Aluminum. He said his smith said trust me you love it.

 

[billn17]

It doesn't matter what the bullet weights. If its a 338 it should fit. If not DO NOT SHOOT IT. If its made of aluminum I would not trust it. Most brakes are made from 416 stainless steel.

 

[sp6x6]

Bad ju ju and that would make me consider the whole rifle?The bullet needs clearance,that is a no brainer. I have 2 normas & and I will try and give you a number of mine with my calipers.They are right and work

 

[AZShooter]

In addition to having bullet clearance in the end of the brake, the opening must be centered with the bore of the rifle.

 

[ChrisAtl]

AZShooter has an excellent comment as well. It must have clearance and also be centered/in line with the bore.
I agree that taking it to a competent gunsmith would be money well spent to have the entire system looked over. Just in case anything else was toyed with and possibly unsafe.
Good luck

 

[J E Custom]

All brakes need .020 minimum clearance to work correctly.

A .308 needs to have a .328 bore that is concentric with the bore. (.010 thousandths clearance on
any side of the bullet) To prevent bullet strikes.

The .338 bore needs to be .358.

You were wise to check the bullet in the brake. I once bought a brake that had the right bore diameter in all but the port next to the crown. (Apparently the reamer did not go far enough
in the brake and did not open up the inside hole).

That hole was .250 (Probably the pilot hole) and the rifle I was going to use it on was a .338.
I always check all holes by dropping a bullet through the brake to make sure. This was scary
and I immediately called the maker and informed him that this had happened, to prevent this
from happening to someone else.

I have heard of muzzle brakes being shot off the rifle and suspect this one of the reasons.

J E CUSTOM