MUZZLE BREAKS

[Deleted member 98489]

if you use a 30 cal muzzlebreak on a 6mm is it as affective as lets say using a 6mm muzzle break on a 6mm

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I'd say no, but it isn't all that uncommon for shooters to use a brake that is a single caliber oversized. Like using a 30 cal bored brake for a 7mm cartridge. This would allow you to use the brake on both but it doesn't seem to be worth the effort to me. Shooting a .243 bullet through a .308 bored brake (.328" exit port) would still work but it's really oversized. That would be .085" over bullet diameter rather than the standard .020".

 

[Deleted member 98489]

Ok thanks

 

[livetohunt]

Once you get above .05" bore clearance it starts to diminish quite a bit. I have quite a few people running my self timer brakes bored for a .308 on multiple rifles. They still function well on 6.5mm and 7mm.

 

[Deleted member 98489]

ok thanks

 

[FEENIX]

I agree with @Varmint Hunter and @livetohunt. I used to switch them on multiple calibers but now all my rifles have their dedicated muzzle brakes. However, I still do it with suppressors (.308 to .264).

 

[J E Custom]

For a muzzle brake to perform at it's best, the bore diameter of the brake should be no more than .020 thousandths larger than the bullet diameter. You can shoot a smaller bullet than specified in a rifle (Like a .277 in a ,284 bore but why would you ?).

The main reason that It is not recommended is if someone makes the mistake and places it on a bore that is bigger than the bore of the brake, bad things happen. This sounds improbable, but it has been done when a brake has been used on multiple rifles with the same thread pitch.

Muzzle brakes should be a dedicated accessory for the rifle to avoid any problems. It is best to just use a barrel thread protector until you can afford a muzzle brake for the rifle.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I have two identical PK brakes, one on a 300RUM and another on a 338RUM. I removed them both and put them in a SS pin tumbler to clean the inside of the brakes. This proved to be the fastest way to damage your brakes so I don't advise it. And ....... when I initially removed them I realized that it was nearly impossible to be certain which brake belonged on which barrel without actually measuring the exit ports.

 

[FEENIX]

For a muzzle brake to perform at it's best, the bore diameter of the brake should be no more than .020 thousandths larger than the bullet diameter. You can shoot a smaller bullet than specified in a rifle (Like a .277 in a ,284 bore but why would you ?).

The main reason that It is not recommended is if someone makes the mistake and places it on a bore that is bigger than the bore of the brake, bad things happen. This sounds improbable, but it has been done when a brake has been used on multiple rifles with the same thread pitch.

Muzzle brakes should be a dedicated accessory for the rifle to avoid any problems. It is best to just use a barrel thread protector until you can afford a muzzle brake for the rifle.

J E CUSTOM

Agreed! As always, excellent advice.

 

[FEENIX]

I have two identical PK brakes, one on a 300RUM and another on a 338RUM. I removed them both and put them in a SS pin tumbler to clean the inside of the brakes. This proved to be the fastest way to damage your brakes so I don't advise it. And ....... when I initially removed them I realized that it was nearly impossible to be certain which brake belonged on which barrel without actually measuring the exit ports.

Thanks for sharing "real-world" experience.

 

[J E Custom]

I have two identical PK brakes, one on a 300RUM and another on a 338RUM. I removed them both and put them in a SS pin tumbler to clean the inside of the brakes. This proved to be the fastest way to damage your brakes so I don't advise it. And ....... when I initially removed them I realized that it was nearly impossible to be certain which brake belonged on which barrel without actually measuring the exit ports.

When someone brings me a rifle with a brake on it that wont shoot, That is the first thing I check.
I have gauges that fit the bore and the brake with a .020 thousandths larger shank for the brake. If it wont go in the bore and the brake I remove the brake and look for bullet strikes. They are normally caused by poor alignment on the threads to the bore but sometimes the bore has been two small.

Many times, a shade tree Gunsmith will thread with a die nut and then bore the bore hole in the brake much larger to allow for the misalignment. this not only decreases the brakes performance, it also normally ruins any chance of accuracy.

Pick the best design for your type of shooting/hunting, Have a good gunsmith install it using a lathe to single point the threads, and have him bore it to .020 larger than the bullet diameter and
fit it to the only rifle it will ever see, and you will not only have a shooter, but you will shoot better because of the performance of the brake and the maximum reduction of the brake.

Simple

J E CUSTOM

 

[Varmint Hunter]

The big issue I had with my side discharge brakes is that they get out of time. Some gunsmiths say to never remove them but its hard to clean them on the barrel and impossible to clean the muzzle. Once the brake goes past TDC then having them re-timed cost more money and involves more downtime.

I certainly see the demand for self timing brakes but haven't tried one yet. Lately, I've been moving in the opposite direction by concentrating on less powerful cartridges that I can comfortably shoot without a brake.

 

[J E Custom]

Another question I get ask more often than not is why does the bore hole have to be .020 larger than the bullet diameter?

While testing different brake designs for performance I also tested bore diameters on known accurate rifles so minor differences could be seen between test so I could squeeze every once of recoil reduction out of the brake.

I started these test with a .005 bore and went to .030. Accuracy was effected by the .005 bore and changed after it began to foul. (The bore and ports became smaller with carbon build up. All i could deduct from this was that the bullet shock wave bounced of the baffles and struct the bullet as it passed through the brake. (Someone with more scientific skills can probable explain it better than me).

Next was to open the bore hole up to .010 and re run the test. Accuracy improved and carbon build up was less of a problem, but the brake showed signs of needing cleaning often.

.015 Results were much the same Recoil remained the same through .025 and started to diminish
at this point (.025 +)

So the most consistent performance with no loss in recoil reduction was between .015 and .025
and the best all round performance was the average of the two (.020 ) and the normal amount of carbon build up had no effect on the accuracy and recoil reduction, so .020 was chosen for the best bore diameter because it afforded the best accuracy and recoil reduction under normal use and cleaning.

A smaller bore diameter will work,as long as it is .015 and no smaller to allow for any misalignment, but requires more frequent cleaning an a .025 bore hole doesn't measurably increase recoil and doesn't need cleaning as often. .020 bore diameter gave the best results under all conditions if properly installed.

These results were tested using the same recoil device, the same rifle, cleaned between each 5 shot string, with the same ammo load and the same brake with progressive bore diameters and I feel they were very Representative of the effects of bore diameter sizes.

J E CUSTOM