I would like to shoot this gun more, but my shoulder gets to me after 20 or so rounds at the bench.

Is adding a muzzle brake the answer, or should I just get a shoulder pad. I do not want to affect current accuracy of my Ruger #1.

If you are right handed then shoot left handed for a while. Just kidding! You might think about magna-porting. Works well on the 30 caliber rifles and it doesn't put a fugly looking hunk of metal with holes in it on the end of your rifle.

A properly installed muzzle brake will not adveresly affect accuracy, infact with the reduced recoil will allow you to shoot more accuratly.

my adult son had his gunsmith put an attractive (read as can hardly see) muzzle brake put on his 7mag. significantly reduced recoil and didn't affect accuracy at all. he kills elk and deer just fine.

I would get a small carpet scrap, fold it over and put it between your shoulder and the butt of the rifle. You'll be amazed how much this helps.

The big thing I don't like about breaks isn't accuracy loss or looks, it's the extra noise they produce. It's even worse if you're the poor soul shooting next to someone that has one.

IMO, I would sell the rifle before I put a break on it.

Terry

Put a Vais micro muzzle break on it, not obtrusive or fit a Danuser Counter coil in the butte, they need at least 3" of eye relief as the Danuser collapes about 1/2 inch.

You will shoot better as a result.

Just put a recoil reducer in the butt stock. Invisible and should cut recoil by at least 1/3!

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

There is no reason a properly installed muzzle brake will affect accuracy. Have a screw-on Vais brake installed and get a muzzle cap. You will be able to practice extensively on the bench with your 300 and take the brake off when you head into the woods. I would suggest that prior to taking it hunting, you take the brake off and re-sight in your rifle without the brake from usual hunting positions. The POI might change due to differences in muzzle flip, so you would want to check before using the rifle for more than punching paper. I have brakes on my 30-378, 338-378, 416 and 600OK and do exactly what I described.

From the bench use a shoulder pad like a PAST mag pad . Muzzle brakes are OK but make the report louder . I'm assuming your going to hunt with this weapon !?.

Use a pad from the bench , because in the field you'll more than likely have a jacket on and only shoot a one or two shots .

If your using this for a Bench rifle then a Brake is the plan !!.

Shoot Straight Know your Target . ...

Dr. K is 100% correct. Use a PAST-MAGNUM pad and you will enjoy the bench so much you will prolly not go home.

I would suggest a lead sled to take up the recoil on the bench..but if you need a muzzle brake then have one installed, they work..Noise is the problem but ear protection and common since in their use overcomes the deficet..

I used them in my younger days on the big bores and at the end of each session I would fire about 5 to 10 shots off hand without the brake on it.

As time went buy I used it less and less, finally didn't need them anymore and circumsized all my barrels..Today I can shoot about any big bore fairly comfortably, but prefer to keep my recoil to about the .416 Rem or .458 Win...above that it gets a bit bothersome in that I have to mentally prepare for the recoil and I don't like dealing with that.

Definitely shoot with a shoulder pad in practice....and not just for heavy rounds. The habits you build carry with you, and this is a cheap method of reducing the thump that leads to flinching.

If you rifle doesn't have a good recoil pad on it as well, I would look at installing one. Many are terrible from the factory (My Browning and Ruger rifles are examples!).

The lead sled is a useful tool, but can be hard on stocks--and it may not help your shooting skills or confidence in the field.

Cheers,

Dan

Always use a pad at the bench. Because of the position you need more stock length, and the rifle butt is impacting a different part of the shoulder.

Ear protection doesn't fully compensate for the concussion from brakes. The bones around the ear also transmit the noise, and hearing loss can still be incurred.

So far my idea is the cheapest

Terry

A small sandbag between the butt of the stock and your shoulder works well.

I use a pad when shooting from the bench with my 338 wn mag. I can use the gun with or without the brake, but I don't use the brake.

I agree with Winchester 69, hearing protection does not fully compensate for the noise due to the brake. I would rather have a little pain in the shoulder than more long term hearing loss. Other people around you will also appreciate you not using a brake.

quote:

Originally posted by rje:
I would like to shoot this gun more, but my shoulder gets to me after 20 or so rounds at the bench.

Is adding a muzzle brake the answer, or should I just get a shoulder pad. I do not want to affect current accuracy of my Ruger #1.

Have you tried getting the length of pull, lengthened or shortened, to fit you perfectly? Also a premium pad like a Pachmayr Decelerator.

The above will make a world of differance.

All of the above ideas are good. And I have worked with all of them, and to some extent, still do. However, I have gotten rid of all of the muzzle brakes. My hearing is already in bad shape and the muzzle brakes really are deafening.

I have found that the first step in dealing with recoil is to get the best recoil pad available. I have several 300 Win Mags and have learned that the Pachmayer Decelerator and the Kick-Ezz are about the best. I have been told that Limbsaver is also right up there but I have not used one.

The second step for me was the use of the Caldwell Lead Sled for load development. I don't use it for anything other than load development, but it helps keep down the problems of a subconscious flinch.

I have a Pachmayer shoulder pad and I have used it on some of the much bigger calibers. On the whole I don't like to hassle with it. But it is in my list of recoil tools.

I don't know how old you are but you really need to take care of your hearing. The damage is cumulative. All of my years of running chain saws, tractors, diesel engines, and lots of shooting have really take a tole. I teach lots of firearms classes and I strongly urge everyone to use ear muffs. When shooting the big bores, I encourage both ear plugs and ear muffs.

Hope you get the recoil worked out. My 300 Mag is my go to gun for just about anything on the ranch.

I see the primary value of the muzzle brake as getting the rifle/scope back on target quickly.
Peter.

The same folks who make the leather rests that you fill with sand also make a "sissy bag." It's a leather cylinder filled with sand.

I HAVE THE 300 Win Mag and the 300 RUM and neither one has a brake on it. But thats me you might feel differently.

I hate muzzel brakes.......I don't like how they look and they are loud. In the field recoil is hardly felt, even on big calibers.

At the bench, I use a PAST recoil pad (you can even stick a towel in there if you need a little extra padding) and if it's a real hard kicker I sometimes put a 25 pound bag of lead shot between my shoulder and the gun (stand it on end). It's like adding 25 pounds to the rifle weight.

I think you should accept that 20 rounds is the most you can shoot in one session. That is not such a bad thing. A muzzlebreak will allow you to shoot more rounds in a session, but it will dramatically increase the noise of your gun. If you want a gun to plink with and shoot more than 20 rounds, I think you should look at another round besides the 300 Mag. Buy yourself something more pleasant to plink with.

Thanks for all of the replies!
I got a shoulder recoil pad and a slip over butt pad and am much more comfortable shooting my 300WM now....


btw I met a guy out at the range today that said he bought a 458 and was using it from the bench for a first shot and did not butt the rifle up against his shoulder....broke his collar bone....ouch

I also am handloading lighter rounds that I can use for target practice at the range. That has helped too!

thanks again fro all your input...it is really appreciated!!!!

I'm not a big fan of muzzle brakes especially on a classic #1. I would go w/ the Past shoulder pad, a soft Pac.Dec. or sim. recoil pad & review your bench technique. I'm not a big fan of recoil, but I can do 21rds of 404j off the bench & while banged up abit, I'm still in one piece.

I had this problem on my 3oo win, I had a recoil reducer installed in the stock and a Limbsaver pad put on. They worked great. I have reservations about a break, I just hate it when those guys with breaks set up next to me at the range

Get yourself a PAST sissy pad -- I wear one when I am shooting my big guns off the bench, and they certainly help.......

quote:

The big thing I don't like about breaks isn't accuracy loss or looks, it's the extra noise they produce. It's even worse if you're the poor soul shooting next to someone that has one.

Amen!

Get a past recoil shield in the magnumb flavor. I'm 6-3", 245lbs and still don't like getting a whippin' at the bench. I proudly wear my past when I'm putting in a good bit of range time behind magnumbs.

Good Luck

Reloader

Thinking to bay muzzle brake?Visit www.vaismuzzlebrakes .com

I assume are George Vais? If so I think you may have a tough road to hoe. The deal between you and Ron was reported many years ago in Precision Shooting and I for one have heard nothing (until your post above) of any shady dealings with Ron Bartlett. I am no longer in bench rest circles. Perhaps you should post on the benchrest forum and see if we hear from some of the current shooters. If there were shady dealings, then I certainly wish you the best of luck in resolving them. Forgery is certainly a serious charge.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Blair338/378:
Put a Vais micro muzzle break on it, not obtrusive or fit a Danuser Counter coil in the butte, they need at least 3" of eye relief as the Danuser collapes about 1/2 inch.

You will shoot better as a result.

I agree with this comment completely. I have a 300Win Mag that I was shooting some 180g Accubonds at 3050fps and getting hammered in the recoil department. I'm 6'5" and weigh 240 and after about 10-12 shots I was thinking this isn't fun anymore. I noticed that as I was working up loads for this round as I increased the powder charge 1 g. I could sense an increase in the amount of recoil.

I looked into the muzzle brakes and found the common concern was not a reduction in recoil, as they all seemed to work in that area, but it was the increase in noise. After having one of the first Browning Boss I was very concerned about the noise level. I found the Vais muzzle brakes and had one install on the 300 and have been very pleased with the recoil reduction, a given, but the noise increase is not present to the human ear. I think it's an increase of 1-2 deibels, at most, but not sure. I found that the recoil was reduced down to a level that approximated my .243, which was great and the noise level, the most concerning item, was not increased at all to my ear.

My 125 lb. daughter-in-law was able to shoot the 300 and loved the reduced recoil as well as a buddy who had a 300RUM and was looking for a solution to a rough recoil without an increase in the sound level. Both were very surprised that there wasn't the tremendous blast from the muzzle that is common to find in the muzzle brake arena. You will notice that the manufacturers will all announce how much the recoil is reduced by their product but very few if any will mention anythng about noise increase. The exception that I found was the Vais brake who talks first about the lack of a noise increase and then mentions about the % of recoil reduction.

The legal issues be what they may, the Vais muzzle brakes are a great solution and we all miss out by not having them readily available to us. Perhaps that will change in the future!!!!

I used muzzle brakes for several years until I no longer needed them..They work, and hearing protection works..Bottom line is big bores make noise and the added noise of a brake changes very little..As to hunting, particularly dangerous game, you cannot in all intelligence wear hearing protection, its flat out dangerous.

You want to hunt, then be forewarned that it will cost you in hearing at some point in life, it goes with the territory and anyone that jumps up and yells differently just has not hunted much in their life. I always have ear plugs on a string around my neck, but many times I have not had an opertunity to stick'em in my ears, least I miss that small window of opertunity..Some may put more importance on their hearing and let the shot go, I am not one of those folks...

Ray, I posted a comment earlier on this thread about "return to target" time, being a value of a muzzle brake. Is this a factor in a DG rifle in your opinion?
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by rje:
I would like to shoot this gun more, but my shoulder gets to me after 20 or so rounds at the bench.

Is adding a muzzle brake the answer, or should I just get a shoulder pad. I do not want to affect current accuracy of my Ruger #1.

I would put a LimbSaver or other really effective recoil pad on it FIRST before a brake! The best brakes still have great potential to cause ear damage despite the finest of ear protection, and should NEVER be fired w/o protection!! I am one who does NOT relish having ear protection on while hunting!

I put a Limbsaver on my Ruger No. 1 .45/70, which is producing 58 foot-pounds of recoil, and it has made a big difference in shooting comfort. It has NOT affected accuracy of this rifle..... However, I have a .416 Rigby with a VAIS brake on it, and it is extremely accurate!

I heard somewhere that you can use the gel seat off a bicycle between the butt and your shoulder.
Reported that it worked great, I have never tried it though myself but it sounds plausible.