I am considering a 338 win mag or 8mm rem mag for my next hunting rifle. I am also considering a brake.

Ok, I know my light loaded 38 special hurts my ears alot worse than my full power 44 magnum. The "BOOM" seems to hurt less than the "sharp crack". I may not be able to apply this to rifles, My brake-equipped AR15 hurts my ears something aweful (while varmint hunting, i must wear protection now) ... I have never fired a magnum rifle with a brake. Are they somewhat more tolerable while hunting than a brake-equipped 308 or 223?

Bad idea unless you want to hunt with hearing protection Don't ruin your hearing with a rifle, it'll go bad on it's own in time. No need to speed things up.

Have you given any thought to a .338-06? less recoil, better ears

Terry

My home brewed .358X.404 IMP has a self designed cannon brake on it. Shooting from the bench has proven very unfriendly to my neighboors. In the open field one or two shots if you are wearing good hearing protection isn't all bad. But then I'm half deaf from shooting trap for many years without plugs. Never said I was brilliant.

I have muzzle brakes on a 6.5X55, 2ea. 7x57s,2ea.8X57s, an 8mmX.404 X2.5,and a 9X41. Some are not range friendly. roger

There's no problem with hunting with a brake-equipped rifle. Just avoid shooting at anything with it and it will serve you as well as any other.

I have a lightweight (under 8 pounds with scope) Rem 700 Custom shop 375 H&H. I added a brake and have never looked back. When shooting at the range I always wear ear plugs and muffs. The few times a year I shoot it at animals the noise doesnt seem bad. I am sure my hat muffles some of the sound. And no matter what I am hunting I always try to put ear plugs in before shooting if time permits, but it rarely does. Braking my H&H changed it from a hard recoiling rifle with an extreme amount of muzzle flip to one that gives a hard, but manageable kick back with about 80% reduction in muzzle rise. I would add one again in a heartbeat.

I have a .338 with magnaporting. Tends to help control muzzle jump without quite as much noise as a full brake. Still is best to be hunting pretty much alone and to use barriers everywhere it is shot.

On a .338 the thing really is not necessary.

The VAIS brake is effective and no louder than a plain unbraked rifle. It uses turbulence in the gasses to slow down the exit velocity to less than half that of regular brakes. I have one on my 375 RUM and recoil is a dead ringer for the 180 gr '06 in the same weight rifle. There is no difference in noise with and without nthe brake...but 100 grs of powder does make a bang...

get a brake you can use in practice and unscrew when hunting. I find myself fearing the muzzle blast/noise with unprotected ears more than any recoil. worst experience i've had was on a brown bear hunt with two 375's and one 338 all braked shooting at once to put the bear down. With quiet brakes, it's not your gun that will affect you as much as the guy next to you.

quote:

Originally posted by Sabot:
The VAIS brake is effective and no louder than a plain unbraked rifle. It uses turbulence in the gasses to slow down the exit velocity to less than half that of regular brakes. I have one on my 375 RUM and recoil is a dead ringer for the 180 gr '06 in the same weight rifle. There is no difference in noise with and without nthe brake...but 100 grs of powder does make a bang...

Now all this sounds very interesting! I will check into these.

Check the web site for Pro Ears. They have hunting muffs that amplify sound and when you fire the kill the sound. I may have buy some before next year.

quote:

Originally posted by Dwight:
Check the web site for Pro Ears. They have hunting muffs that amplify sound and when you fire the kill the sound. I may have buy some before next year.

Oh, I have a set of Peltor Com-Tac's .. they are great.
But like another forum member said, You don't ALWAYS have those handy!

It all depends on the brake,some muzzle brakes make the recoil go away but will kill your ears and others around you and others don't cut down on the recoil as much but makes the noise alot less.I got rid of my muzzle brake and would rather the recoil than noise,and yes I shoot a 338 win mag too as one of my guns,elk and moose.Drop-Shot

Another option might be the on/off brake that match grade Machine (previously Virgin Valley) used. At the bench, "on" lines up the holes in the sleeve w/ the ports on the barrel; recoil is reduced, and the noise at the bench is not an issue because we wear muffs. In field, "off" seals off the barrel ports w/ the SS sleeve. Muzzle blast in normal and recoil, but in the field the latter is not an issue. The advantage I see in this system as compared to the removable ones w/ a threaded cap, is that it doesn't change the barrel harmonics, negating the need to re-sight.

For a muzzle brake to be useful in reducing recoil, it must re-direct gas to the rear (towards you). The muzzle brake really isn't necessary when hunting. I would reccomend getting one that is removable, then you will be able to fire at range comfortably but still keep your velocities up for hunting.

I have a .450 guide gun with the pro port (it throws gas upward to limit muzzle rise for fast follow up shots), one shot and you can't hear for an hour, three shots and you will be ringing for a week. I alos have a .270 with the boss system, but because of the brake, it usually sits in the safe.

John

Last time I was out, I was setup at the range next to a fella who had a boss braked .280 Rem. The first time he touched that thing off, it just about knocked me off the bench. Talk about loud! It was a big damn distraction trying to focus with that cannon next to me.

No brakes for me. I'd rather lug a heavy rifle around than be deaf...

One of my hunting rifles is an all factory 700 in 338RUM save for the brake. I don't notoce any difference in the field, it would be one thing I suppose if I werew taking 30 shots in a day (some who know me are surprised it doesn't take that many )

I am a member of a private range so I am rarely bothering "the person next to me" with muzzleblast.

I would imagine that just as with anything, your unique situation would dictate whether a braked rifle was appropriate, ethical or whatever....

IV

skid-are you thinking about building or about going the factory route?

I've done a ton load of work with 340's, pretty much all of them retubed and on 70's and 700's.

I like a glass stock and a relatively hefty tube. My fav by far is the 4.5 weight Schneider and have it cut between 23-25".

This puts the tube at in and very close to .7" at the muzzle. This also makes the gun very easy to handle and in all honesty is no need for a brake.

If the gun is set up this manner then there is no reason for the brake. If you're are using one of the factory tubes and being as they are quite wispy (comparitvely) they will be a bit abbrasive!

Just a thought, but I would get an action and then have a Schneider 4.5 weight put on it in the cal of your choice.

Mark D

I hunt elk with a 338 Win Mag with a Vais brake and I use the Pro Ears when hunting or at the range. Thsi is a very nice setup. The noise and recoil are both very reasonable and the rifle is extremely accurate with several premium bullets; triple shock, accubond, interbond and Northfork. The only drawback is that the Vais has holes in the front face of the brake (that's how it reduces its noise better than other brakes) and therefore cannot have the diameter reduced to the diameter of you barrel. However, I chose to have function over aesthetics and it is one hell of an elk rifle.

skid2964 ----- I shoot several rifles with brakes. From the bench I use plugs and Pro-Ears muffs, hunting I use the Pro-Ears at the moment of the shot. I shoot on my own private benchs, so I don't have to deal with grips from other shooters. Anyone shooting a rifle or shotgun should use hearing protection, regardless of whether they use brakes or not. The idiot shooting at a public range without hearing protection should reap all the damage he gets. ----- The rifles I shoot with brakes are 7mm STW (Boss), .340 Wby, .338 Lapua, .358 STA, .416 Rem, .416 Rigby, .50 BMG (belongs to a nephew). I test my hearing yearly and have received no damage from all my shooting. I have buddies who hunt Waterfowl with me who never wear hearing protection and have only half their hearing. Good shooting.

I have a braked 338 that kicks like a 270 and two weatherby 338-378s that kick about like 270s.I use muffs when I hunt or plugs.Its a pain but in the wide open it does not matter much.The 338 was a winchester with a boss.I use it both ways with and without.I have not shot my 338-378 without a brake.It shoots too good with it.My 11 year old hunting buddy at the time shot two caribou with one shot at 450 yards with it.I told him it kicks less than a 20 ga.I put muffs on him when he shot..I lov e the weatherby brake but hate that ugly boss system.It reminds me of a poly choke.

If you consider my brake equipped 8x60 Magnum as such, I do so.
I really love to shoot that rifle because it feels like a .243, recoilwise. But shooting without hearing protection is a big no-no, a very bad idea. I tried it once, gave me a beep in my right ear after the first shot and a manifest tinitus for the rest of the day.
I don't want to have that again and I don't want you to have this experiance.
Please use a hearing protection.

I might try a Vais brake on my new 416. I skipped through Brownells catalog looking for a stainless Vais brake and couldnt find any. Do they make a stainless one?

I have stainless Vais brakes on three .300 RUMs and a .300 SAUM. Love those things. They are not much louder than an ubreaked rifle.

skid, the brakes are very good in braking-might want to try the Vais. I have other brakes on my rifles and loud the are and if I don't kill on the first shot the second shot is going to hurt my drums like you can't believe. On you're .338 try without first, as the two I have do not recoil like most horror stories have been posted and they are without brakes. Wish you lots of success.

I have had two muzzle breaked rifles and another with the boss CR. The one braked rifle I still have is a browning abolt in 338 RUM with a accuracy arms brake, the other is a browning abolt in 243 but I have the boss CR on it instead of the ported one. The nice thing about the boss is they make a fluted weight to replace the ported one if you don't want the porting.

THe brake on my 338 is made right here in anchorage by Homer Strickland. He makes the best brakes I have ever seen, the ports are angled away form the shooter to limit the noise increase for the shooter. It isn't noticably louder to fire than it was before the brake was installed. It is louder from the side or slightly in front of the shooter though. My RUM kicks about like a 270 with the brake, it was a beating stick before it was braked.



I also have a ported guide gun and don't notice much of a increase in muzzle blast over un ported rifles. I think you will have MUCH more noise and blast from a magnum revolver than you ever will with a rifle. I'll shoot my ported 338 RUM without ear protection before I ever would a 454 cassul or 500 S&W, not those things are loud. Guns are loud, its just the way they are.

I've got two M. 70's with a BOSS brake/compensator. Both are awsomely accurate when the BOSS is tuned to the ammo. I like the BOSS system brakes best because I can use the compensator without using the brake if I don't want to use ear protection while hunting. I've got a Vais on another rifle and it reduces recoil effectively but I don't think I'd risk hunting without ear protection. I've already got an M-16-high frequency loss in the right ear and want to same the rest.

I have a brake equipt rifle in .375HH. I have not hunted with it; however, my son has. It is my belief that the 375 with a brake has the recoil of a 308 or 30-06. Very light.

It permits a relative novice to shoot a "meaningful" cartridge without the novice flinch. This is a good thing.

The bad thing is if you get to the side of the rifle when the novice is shooting it. It is very loud. I would not like to deal with this on a daily basis. However, hunting being what it is, this is relatively unlikely.

In the broad view, you are more likely to get hurt from shooting a large caliber poorly or a small caliber at an animal beyond its capability than shooting a brake equipt rifle at something that can hurt you.

I'd not worry about the noise and if I wanted a little bit more rifle that I could otherwise shoot, I'd put a brake on it. Kudude

PS: I do agree that practice with the brake and hunting without it is a viable option. I have yet to feel a rifle really recoil while shooting game. Kd

Brakes are definitely not "range friendly" in fact about once every 6 months, I stop myself from beating the crap out of some jerkoff who sits up next to me, on the left and has a muzzle break and doesn't tell anyone, until it goes off.... and then is dumb enough to wonder why I am so dam pissed off .....

That being aside....

ON Magnums, they sure do work.. I am not a guy who carries a magnum out in the field for much use....

However a friend of mine, bought a 300 Win Mag on the recommendation of grandpa for hunting elk and everything else...At least he was smart enough to get a BOSS on it, that was available at the time.. it was a model 70....

However, after I lined him up a scope he thought he needed.... 6 x 18 (against my recommendation)... he calls me up and can't get the scope zeroed...He lived 250 miles away in Bend....

So I was going to be passing thru Bend on the way to Montana, so I told him I would take him out to the range and get it zeroed for him....

He had Remington Factory Ammo, 180 grainers... and had also bought some 30/06 ammo, because some " knowledgable guy" down at Wal Mart told him it would Kick less in his 300! Thank God I stopped that one before it happened....

But I put a round threw it and about a 6 click adjustment and he was dead on at 100 yds... it had either already been bore sited or the scope was just close when it was put on....

I had him shoot 3 shots, and nothing hit the paper.....Does this sound like a typical Magnum NEW OWNER scenario?????

However, I had one of my Winchester 30.06s in the truck with me... the one with a BOSS on it.....

Since he had a box of Rem factory 180 grain 06 ammo, I decided to see how much the BOSS reduced RECOIL.....

After shooting the 300 Mag with Factory AMMO and a BOSS and then shooting my own 30.06 with a BOSS and factory ammo.. I came to the conclusion, that believe it or not....

THE MAGNUM with a Boss felt like a lot less kick than the 30.06 with a Boss recoiling!

Both shooting Remington factory ammo!


But my friend, could shoot my 30.06 with the Boss and hit the paper, he still couldn't shoot his 300 Mag and hit the paper.. which goes to prove a point of how much of recoil can get stuck in someone's head.... He believed the 06 recoiled less.. because he was told that by the moron at Wally World....At least I had convinced him not to try and shoot 06 ammo in his 300 Mag.....

He never did shoot anything with his 300 Mag, and sold it when he decided to move home to Florida....He also took my recommendation and bought himself a 270 once he got back down there....the one he had sold to his cousin, before he left to move to Oregon....!!!! Where he thought he needed a 300 Mag, according to his granddad, who had retired to Oregon.....

End of story, but that Boss works especially the bigger the round is....

good luck and cheers
seafire

quote:

Originally posted by skid2964:
I am considering a 338 win mag or 8mm rem mag for my next hunting rifle. I am also considering a brake.

Ok, I know my light loaded 38 special hurts my ears alot worse than my full power 44 magnum. The "BOOM" seems to hurt less than the "sharp crack". I may not be able to apply this to rifles, My brake-equipped AR15 hurts my ears something aweful (while varmint hunting, i must wear protection now) ... I have never fired a magnum rifle with a brake. Are they somewhat more tolerable while hunting than a brake-equipped 308 or 223?

If you can't take the recoil and don't want to use a lesser or smaller caliber, then there is nothing wrong with hunting with a braked .338WM, except that you must wear ear plugs or electronic ear muffs before you pull the trigger. That's all there is to it, and I have done it for over 10 years in Alaska. When hunting I always carry a set of Peltor Tactical 6S over my hat (not over my ears), and wear it over my ears when getting ready to shoot the rifle. I don't even turn it ON, just move it down over my ears and concentrate on trigger control. However, if I have to move to another position to take the shot, I turn the switches on so I can hear any noise I make. I also keep backup ear plugs in my pocket, just in case it's raining hard.

I hear that Vais brakes are just a tad quieter than the rest, but more expensive. I use the noisiest KDF brake i can think of; it has 30 holes that point straight out all the way around.

The best thing about a muzzle brake on a .300WM and larger is that you can become very proficient with it (you can shoot it a lot). The more you practice the better you get with it, and the more you know your rifle. This is true regardless of "brake" or not.

I have a .300 win mag a-bolt with BOSS. I like it at the range where I can shoot it all day off the bench while working up loads - it kicks less than my '06. Out in the field I'll put on the CR.

I did shoot it once with the conventional BOSS with my ears uncorked and it made a hella boom - I won't do that again.

At the range I get there early enough to pick a bench away from other folks.

Now my ported Timber Carbine in .444 Marlin is another issue - that will clear some folks away at the tin can range where folks seem to be using pretty light muffs. When I've shot that uncorked it was pretty boomy, but not like the BOSS win mag.

quote:

Originally posted by Rancho Loco:
I have a .300 win mag a-bolt with BOSS. I like it at the range where I can shoot it all day off the bench while working up loads - it kicks less than my '06. Out in the field I'll put on the CR.

I did shoot it once with the conventional BOSS with my ears uncorked and it made a hella boom - I won't do that again.

At the range I get there early enough to pick a bench away from other folks.

Now my ported Timber Carbine in .444 Marlin is another issue - that will clear some folks away at the tin can range where folks seem to be using pretty light muffs. When I've shot that uncorked it was pretty boomy, but not like the BOSS win mag.

I do the same at the range. I go there early, not only because I don't want to bother other shooters, but also because I take my time setting-up the chronograph, separating different ammo, etc.

I do a little guiding for a couple different outfitters (when it doesn't interfere with my own huntin'). I had a client once who insisted on donning one of those electronic "ear gear" thingies when he should have been ready to shoot--we blew two good opportunities opening morning. The elk I hunt have the characteristic NOT to stand around while the hunter fiddles with his electronics.

I have had two rifles mag-na-ported. Never again. I rebarreled one, sold the other.

The best muzzle brake is a Pachmayer Deaccelerator pad.

Casey

Now why would you ever shoot a gun without a muzzel brake? No offenese to anyone here,but I've done a fair amount of hunting and shot some 300-400 critters in my time( all over the world). In the field I don't hear the gun go off. Accuracy is what I'm after. A muzzel brake reduces recoil exceedingly well and lets me shoot way better than with much more recoil. No scope cuts to wreck your aim etc. Is it louder than an unbraked rifle frankly I don't give a damn. PH complains about the noise?, I explain the tip process. They have never to date complained again!-Rob

Amen Robgunbuilder! Some guys seem to think the ability to "take the recoil" is some kind of test of machismo. The question for me is not how much I can take but how well I can shoot.
Less recoil = smaller groups.

That break looks like the one on my 300SAUM and it directs noise and blast away from the shooter also. Makes a lot of noise if you are off to the side of someone else shooting. It has less recoil than my 7mm08 and the recoil is straight back which is good for follow up shots if necessary.

quote:

Originally posted by Thebear_78:
I have had two muzzle breaked rifles and another with the boss CR. The one braked rifle I still have is a browning abolt in 338 RUM with a accuracy arms brake, the other is a browning abolt in 243 but I have the boss CR on it instead of the ported one. The nice thing about the boss is they make a fluted weight to replace the ported one if you don't want the porting.

THe brake on my 338 is made right here in anchorage by Homer Strickland. He makes the best brakes I have ever seen, the ports are angled away form the shooter to limit the noise increase for the shooter. It isn't noticably louder to fire than it was before the brake was installed. It is louder from the side or slightly in front of the shooter though. My RUM kicks about like a 270 with the brake, it was a beating stick before it was braked.



I also have a ported guide gun and don't notice much of a increase in muzzle blast over un ported rifles. I think you will have MUCH more noise and blast from a magnum revolver than you ever will with a rifle. I'll shoot my ported 338 RUM without ear protection before I ever would a 454 cassul or 500 S&W, not those things are loud. Guns are loud, its just the way they are.

quote:

Originally posted by Ray:

quote:

Originally posted by Rancho Loco:
I have a .300 win mag a-bolt with BOSS. I like it at the range where I can shoot it all day off the bench while working up loads - it kicks less than my '06. Out in the field I'll put on the CR.

I did shoot it once with the conventional BOSS with my ears uncorked and it made a hella boom - I won't do that again.

At the range I get there early enough to pick a bench away from other folks.

Now my ported Timber Carbine in .444 Marlin is another issue - that will clear some folks away at the tin can range where folks seem to be using pretty light muffs. When I've shot that uncorked it was pretty boomy, but not like the BOSS win mag.

I do the same at the range. I go there early, not only because I don't want to bother other shooters, but also because I take my time setting-up the chronograph, separating different ammo, etc.

Our range is pretty strict and hearing protection must be on before the range officer will declare a hot range. The brakes don't really create a problem. The only annoying thing is the automatics throwing hulls at you. Most of the guys are considerate and put something next to there table to stop the ejected rounds.

I don't have much time so I didn't read all the posts sorry if I cover something thats been covered but I feel I should respond. Some years ago I was convinced to put a Fox River brake on a 300 win mag. I paid a horriable price for it . I used hearing protection for all my target shooting. But not for hunting I have shot probably 15 - 20 shot without heraing protection. My left ear is trash. I know without question the brake was the fault . I shot a a buck chasing a doe the first shot. my ear stung awful the 2nd shot hurt so bad I pulled the gun down and didn't shoot again. My ears hurt for hours I couldn't hear out of my left ear for 3 days and to this day 10 years + later my ears still ring . I did hunt with the gun after that but only shot when I had at least a hat pulled down over my ears .Each time my ears ring BAD for a day or 2 . I started carrying ear plugs while I was hunting.Even though I loved the gun I quit hunting with it . A couple years ago I cut it off and have never missed it . On another note I have a 338 Win with a sims recoil pad the recoil is very manageable I suspect the 8mm would be too. Today I shoot regularly with a 300 and 338 R.U.M. There recoil is heavy but with the sims pad it is not painful.There are other ways to work around recoil while practicing . A lead sled take away all the recoil. I have one but for some reason I always group better off a regular rest so I don't use it much.You'll never feel that unbraked 338 while your hunting . Good luck with whatever you decide If you get the brake please do whatever you can to protect you hearing . I wish I'd have never heard of a muzzle brake good luck KH.

Tolerance to recoil varies person to person, of course. I don't find my Ruger M77 in .338 win mag objectionable from a recoil standpoint, and quite frankly I never seem to notice recoil from anything while hunting and I have hunted with some fairly big hammers. I just don't think that the .338 kicks enough to warrant the hearing loss while hunting -- obviously this depends on the individual's rifle's weight and their ability to cope with the recol.

What about an adjustable muzzle-break? Like on Savage rifles? Those might help in the woods...

I use my Ruger 77 338 without a brake. I personally find the idea of hunting while wearing muffs appalling. I've shot 375 H&Hs and 416 Remingtons all without brakes. I figure that if I need a brake then I need a smaller caliber.