Approximate cost if possible and have they ever been known to effect accuracy in a negative way?

My muzzle brakes run $235 installed and are custom built one at a time for every gun.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy Barnes:
Approximate cost if possible and have they ever been known to effect accuracy in a negative way?

Yes they can cause accuracy problems if they are not aligned with the bore.

I'm a looong ways from being a gunsmith but I've got quite a bit of experience using/shooting muzzlebrakes. As Westpac said, a brake, like almost anything on a rifle, can negatively affect accuracy if improperly installed. Also, while I've never tried it, shooting with a brake not screwed all the way on would likely be a negative.

On my everday rifle, a very accurate custom .300 WM, it seems to shoot about 1/2 MOA off zero with most loads with the brake removed. This is a small enough margin that I used it without a brake for 9 days of hunting that I just returned from. I only screwed it on for the last shot of the hunt, which was a 250 meter steep uphill very gusty dead crosswind shot on a mountain zebra. The shot was successful and the zebra then proceeded to a fall about 60 or 80 meters down the hill. In fact, the small margin of error, brake or no brake, probably would not have made any difference, but the confidence factor of knowing the rifle was "there" with the brake on made the extra noise worthwhile for me for those particular circumstances.

I like brakes, but with most designs there is a high price to pay in noise both for the shooter and anyone in his area. There are some brakes which are supposedly less noisy but I haven't used them so can't comment. I think brakes are wonderful inventions but recommend them for pre-hunt practice (the more the better) when you can be double muffed and then check your zero brakeless and hunt that way. My personal opinion is that if you are using a guide or PH it is damn inconsiderate to hunt with a brake. As has been noted many times, recoil when shooting a game animal is usually not a factor. YMMV.

I use the one-inch diameter Shrewd from Brownells. It turns my 300WSM into a 243Win. I can shoot it all day with no pain or flinching. I love it...

Wouldn't a reflex suppressor have the same effect without the noise? I have one on my hornet and it reduces the rifle 'jump' when shooting off my rest. (I let it ly loosely when I shoot it).