o.k. who has an opinion on the best one out there and why? i have a model 70 and i was thinking about it. are there any removable types?

The best possible advice for muzzle brakes is to NOT get one. The 338 can be controlled by most shooters willing to invest a little time and practice. IMHO your money would be better spent on a Past shoulder pad, extra practice ammo and or a standing shooting rest........DJ

Why would you want a brake on a .338???

just wanted to make the gun as comfortable as possible. i got over the macho thing of not wanting one. i have logged about 200 rounds through my gun and actually like shooting it and if someone can tell me why its such a bad thing to put a brake on i cant see why putting one on is such a big deal.i put a ported choke on my 12 guage slug gun with good recoil reduction so whats the difference if i put something similar on my 338 ? i know about the noise thing but thats why they make muffs and plugs. i looked at the one by magna port and was hoping to get opinions on others. if you could make your 30-06 shoot like a 22. wouldnt you like that?

Liquidorange,

I have a David Gentry Quiet Muzzle break on my lightweight 338. If it raises the noise from the muzzle blast I can't tell it and it reduces the recoil to about 270 Win levels.

Hawkeye47

I've used the KDF on a 300 and 338 Win Mag. Recoil is reduced substantially.

It is removable but the point of impact will change somewhat. I'm sure the amount of change varies from gun to gun. The only way to know for sure is to shoot it with the brake on and again with it off to see what happens.

FYI, all shooting damages your hearing to some degree. I put in ear plugs before I shoot at anything. It's really not that much trouble.

Liquid, The reason I wouldn't put a brake on it is that I don't like wearing earplugs hunting. I have a 300 WSM rifle that has a removeable muzzle brake. Last year I forgot to bring the thread cover and so hunted with the brake. Every shot with the brake on made my ears ring. I know that I was loosing a little bit of hearing with each shot. I've shot the same rifle without the brake and plugs and my ears didn't ring. I usually hunt with one of those hats that fold down over you ears and that seems to make me not even notice gun noise unless it has a brake.
There is also the issue of muzzle blast, raising dust from prone, etc.. Brakes have a place on Tactical rifles, target rifles and in other situations where you can comfortably wear hearing protection, but I think they are not for hunting rifles.......DJ

I found myself not liking the recoil as I got older used a past pad for awhile but have gone and had kdf install on all my hunting rifles. Don't care what anyone thinks as I'm the one pulling the trigger and taking the recoil. I find myself enjoying shooting the mag rifles again. Now as to noise level, I use good earmuff in fact they are the dillion electronic ones plus I shoot next to others and haven't had complaints. Heck I've shot next to guys with 300wby with the factory break and I don't find anything wrong. There is alot of varmit shooter who put breaks on so they can see the hits. I find muzzle jump less with the breaks and I know every person is different as to recoil but my 300's feel like a 243. I've got some Vais breaks on acouple of my varmit rifles and really like they. I've never taken the breaks off to shoot so cann't say if the point of impact changes. Don't use ear plug when hunting either with the breaks. At 62 I've paid my dues!

Muzzle brakes work and that is a fact...they suck up recoil like a sponge and they teach you to tolerate recoil if you take them off and fire a few shots from time to time.....I prefer not to use them unless I need to, but I sure want one on a 458 Lott and up...

In a sense they are all removable except the Magnaport. My favorite is the holland without the vent holes underneath, it keeps the barrel rise even lower and no dust signature when shooting prone.
My .02

Didn't read all the posts, so maybe this was covered.

Not having one should not be considered something to do with being a wimp or macho. It is about NOISE. Serious, I shot my 06 yesterday, it has a brake on it. And yes, the recoil is like playing with a 243, just nothing to speak of. However, I find it hard not to flinch because of the noise. I wear good plugs, 32decibel, and it still just gets to me.

I recommend you deal with the recoil in a different way. Almost all of my rifles are bigger, "magnums". 264, 7mm, 308 norma, 375, 458. And I won't brake any of them. change stocks, pads, add weight before I would consider it.

Red

If you are going to get one, then having it removable is the way to go. Practice w/ the brake & hunt w/o. Even if the POI changes a bit, you can adjust your sights or just call your shots. I had one put on my .404Jeffery for bench work, it lets me shoot longer strings before I get worn out. It does a nice job keeping the scope out of my face. I won't hunt w/ one. I think I would go to Magnaport if I needed to hunt w/ a brake of some kind.

Unless you have some kind of injury that doesn't allow you any recoil, it's reallt just a matter of trigger time behind a kicker to get "used to it". I find after shooting something in the .375-.404 range, dropping down to a .338mag is almost pleasant.

I don't see how a brake can bother anyone with hearing protection on, that doesn't make since to me unless the hearing protection isn't working...One can shoot Naval guns with hearing protection....

The blast does not bother me in the field, but it would someone standing off to the side..I have hunted with them in the past..Guns are loud and they all damage your hearing, thats the downside of hunting...Some will wear hearing protection while hunting and thats fine if its your thing, but I won't hunt with hearing protection nor take time to place plugs in my ears when game is spotted, I guess thats my thing...and I have suffered hearing damage for sure, but I kinda like my quiter world

I really don't like muzzle brakes due to the noise. On the other hand I don't like 338 type recoil either so I avoid both.

I would not get a brake for a 338. It's just going to complicate things. A club member was fooling with one on a 7mm STW last fall while getting ready for a Western hunt. He kept taking it off and on and shooting groups. I thought the barrel was going to turn red. I kept telling him to keep it simple but for some reason, which made no sense to me, he insisted on shooting groups with the brake on and then trying to sight it in with the brake off. Or maybe it was the other way!!

Maybe they make sense for a submachine gun to avoid muzzle rise but few use them on ordinary magnums.

the muzzle brake i have does work well on my 338 wm.I can shoot this gun all at the bench just on sand bags the brake is also removeable .I would have to say the recoil is about half of what it was .ok the bad YOU WILL only forget to use your ear protection 1 time your ears will ring for a day or two just to keep reminding you of your mistake the site is www.muzzlebrake.com they also do very good work . Bob

I have brakes on .340 Wby, .358 STA, .416 Rem, .416 Rigby and enjoy shooting all of them. I shoot 3000 rounds with these and many others, braked and unbraked. Anyone shooting any rifle or shotgun without hearing protection is asking for hearing damage. If you are going to wear hearing protection, why not brake the big boomers. If you are not wearing hearing protection, that is your choice and I will make my own. Good shooting.

liquidorange,

Do you plan on hunting with this .338? If so, can you get by hunting with ear plugs and muffs on? Do you hunt with others? Are you going to supply them with hearing protection? There is NO such thing as a "QUIET" brake. They just redirect the noise away from the shooter. Where do you think it will be redirected to? It is a proven fact that they CAN AND WILL ruin your hearing unless you wear hearing protection appropriate for brakes. There are plenty of other ways of handling the recoil of a .338 Win. Mag. other than adding an ugly blob at the end of your barrel. Past shields, Decelerator pads, mercury recoil reducers(used by pro sporting clay shooters) are just a few ways to consider. It has nothing to do with being macho, it is all about being prudent and caring about others around you. Lawdog

i really liked all the info from both sides of the issue and like to thank all those suggestions. i have put a better recoil pad on the rifle and went from 225 and 250s to 210grain noslers and this has all helped. i just wanted to go one step further. at my local range. im lucky enough most times to have the place to myself . i could also sit at the tables at the far ends. as far as hunting im most always by myself in my stands so i cant see why this is such a bitter issue at all. i think its probably happened to us all one time or another at the range and i would either speak up or leave. IF SOMEONE HAD A LOUD RIFLE WITH A BRAKE ON IT OR mr rapid fire tough guy! NEXT TO ME. if it were me i would certainly warn those who wanted to shoot next to me if i had a brake. im still thinking about it and probably will in the near future. THANKS AGAIN!

Almost forgot and I don't know if this was mentioned but you might also consider haivng a mercury recoil reducer installed in the stock as another alternative to the brake.

Regards,
Tom

i dont buy into living with recoil is just a fact of owning a big caliber( i mean mid caliber) rifle. would you take the muffler off your truck? noise is normal on an engine if you get me

liquidorange,
I appreciate the concern you posted about being considerate of others while at the range. Unfortunately I've had too many experiences with shooters less concerned about others and that is my pet peeve about brakes. I wear both plugs and muffs when shooting on the range but I find the increased muzzle blast and concussion from braked rifles extremely annoying. I feel like I get kicked in the head when someone touches one off next to me. Last fall in Idaho I improvised a rest using 2 packs and my friends shoulder for a shot on a mule deer. I'm sure he appreciated the fact that I was shooting an unbraked rifle.

Jeff

i have not used this one personally, but they guarantee that if the muzzle brake makes it louder, then it
is free.
http://www.bp-tec.com/

I'll second Wyocowboyshooter 100% on this issue. If you insist on shooting a big kicker (a very honourable point of vue, BTW), shoot it often, from different positions but fire only a few shots per session. You'll find out how quickly one adapts. Oh yes, don't forget to wear good ear protection for noise "kicks" a lot.

I have Vais brakes on 3 of my lighweight rifles and they are extremely effective and in addition to reducing recoil as good or better than most brakes, they do it without the blast of gas back into your face. Web-site is www.muzzlebrakes.com

Quick service, reasonable price and professionally done.

Liquidorange:

Just out of curiosity, what do you use your .338 for?

Wyo

My 338 has a brake and it does not bother me while hunting, just under a roof like at the range, but I wear ear protection there..In fact its my only braked gun...I really like it and it shoots to the same POI with or without the brake on it, I have not used the brake in some time, but its there for bench work...In the post above, I suspect the condemed shooter was trying to establish if his gun shot to the same POI with and without the brake, thats why he was taking it off and on..A darn good idea it is..

I despise the idea of boring holes in my buttstock and putting in a pound of whatever,,those things just ruin the balance of a good rifle IMO and they weaken the stock, not to mention the make it heavier...Not for me.

Most of the desenters of muzzle brakes have not even used one and are just passing on what they heard as they do not like the looks of them or for whatever real or imajinary reason they can come up with....but for those who use them they work fine and make better shots out of the users...

I shoot all manor of BIG guns including a .404, 416 and 470 and have owned several 500 and 505s.. I personally do not use a brake anymore except on the aforementioned 338 Win. I don't need one, but through their use I learned to shoot big bores many years ago, and if I had continued to use the muzzle brakes I would not have serious Bursitas today....

Also hunting and big bores create deafness with or without brakes, they are loud and ear damaging calibers, it goes with the territory unless you wear ear protection all the time even when hunting then you will lose some degree of your hearing in time..

I have found that hunting with ear protection is not practicle and is a ridiculas option that does not work for me...I have seen more game escape the hunter while messing with scope adjustments, ear protection, and other things of a "fiddle nature", than anything else, its just not in the true hunters bag of tricks, which is shoot first and "fiddlelater"!

I own or have owned about 15 different rifles with brakes and have come to loathe them on hunting rifles. If you must hunt with them IMHO the removeables are the only way to go. I've sold or traded all of the hunting rifles without removables.
Mr. Atkinson is right in that any shooting without hearing protection will damage hearing but I beleive braked rifles will do it much faster. I hunted with a braked rifle because I forgot the removable cap. It was painful every time it was fired and my ears rang. Without the brake I've not noticed the ringing. I'd rather loose a little hearing every shot than a lot......DJ

My vote also goes to the Vais brake. I've got em on a .300ultra and a .338ultra. The Vais doesn't deflect the muzzle blast back like my Weatherby Accubrake, or a Brownings BOSS will at the range. The Vais isn't as hard on my ears when hunting as the other 2 brakes. I've shot a .338Win mag in a M70 with a synthetic stock, not my idea of fun.

I have a brake on my 375 H&H. I like it on this gun but I don't have one on my 338 Rem. Ultra mag or my 416 or any of my other rifles because while hunting the noise is to much with a brake unless ear plugs are warn. Witch is what I have started wearing while hunting. I don't wear plugs that cut your hearing off completely but anything helps, is the way I see it, to keep it below 85 decibils.

I had a Ruger 77 in .338 mag-na-ported. I didn't notice much felt recoil reduction, but it did cut down the muzzle rise a lot.

I have said this before and will probably say it again. Use ear protection. You can get electronic ear protection for less than $1000. Most posters here will spend that much or more for another Rifle or Optics they really don't need but piss and moan about the cost of ear protection. Using a brake makes the noise louder but all rifle and shotgun blasts hurt ones ears. It took me too many years to realize this but my son and grandson always have hearing protection at the cabin shooting off the bench and hunting. Oh yea I have brakes on my 300 WM, 338 Wm and 375 H & H and I am not ashamed of them. Oh by the way when you use someones shoulder for a rest, you can be sure it plays Hell with his hearing brake or no brake.