Need some advice about adding muzzle brakes, 7 Mag, 300 Win Mag and 300 WSM

[Dearhunter61]

First please know I hate the idea of putting them on my rifles but last year I had three vertabras in my neck fused and now I have another disc that is bulging. I simply can't take the recoil like I used to and frankly am almost skiddish when it comes to shooting them. So here is my quandary...two of the listed rifles, Browning BBR 7mag, 35 yrs old, Remington 700 BDL 300 Mag, 26 yrs old, have a lot of sentimental value to me. Both are extremely accurate and the Rem BDL looks almost like new. I'm not real sure what the $ value is for each and so my struggle is....well adding a muzzle brake to them the lost value both $ and the pain of altering them. I love these two rifles and want to pass them down but I also want to shoot them! Agh! As for the 300 WSM it's a CZ that I bought used but because of my neck haven't made an effort to work up a load for it.

I went and shot all three this weekend using my lead sled but its just not the same and I still felt a lot of the recoil and basically have decided its either get a muzzle brake put on them or give up shooting them. I've shot rifles with muzzle brakes and its amazing the recoil reduction they provide.

Also I would like to start shooting them at 500 yds so...

Your thoughts are much appreciated.

[bacardisteve]

What about fitting them with aftermarket stocks that have mercury recoil reducers in them? That way u can return them to factory easily.

[pabuckslayer08]

I for one dont really think that adding a muzzle break lessens the value of the gun, it affects accuracy minimally if at all and really they make the rifle more of a joy to shoot, just make sure you have in your hearing protection. I would start by just doing it to the CZ to see how you like it, if you really like the breaks then go ahead and do it to the other 2 as well

[jdillon]

I have muzzle brakes on both a McMillan in 300WM and a 700 CDL SF in 300WSM. Reduces recoil significantly and makes the rifles a pleasure to shoot. The McMillan came with a Vais brake installed and just had the brake installed on the CDL by Score High in ABQ. As long as the work is professionally done with a quality brake I doubt it will lessen the value of the rifle.

[reynolds357]

Almost all my hunting rifles have brakes on them. 7mm-08 and 6.5 X 55 being the smallest. 338 MTM being the largest. Brakes when installed properly do not change accuracy of the rifle, but usually make the shooter more accurate. When I had shoulder reconstruction I became a brake addict. I still shoot my 416 Rigby and 375's without a brake, but they are shot standing. I would not shoot them off the bench post surgery without a brake. As far as value goes, if the rifles ever become collectible then any modification will hurt the value. If they are sold on non collector value, the brake will increase their value.

[bamaranger]

A brake can be LOUD. Back when I was in a big deer lease w/ many shooting houses, it was not odd to see a set of muff's hanging on a nail so the guys w/ brakes could use them. Apparently the sound got thrown back into the house and was abusive. I know at least one guy that sold a rifle w/ a brake for that reason. (7mm Mag)

What would be attractive to me if I wanted a brake would be one that could be switched off and on as circumstances deemed. Think I've seen same in Brownell's.

[jmr40]

I'd have to have somththing that recoiled a LOT more than those 3 to justify a muzzle brake. And the only time I'd use it was during load developent. Most folks cannot tell the difference between 7 mag and 30-06. A 300 Win mag can have a bit more and could be above many folks tolerence levels. The 300 WSM sort of splits the difference.

A well designed stock with one of the new hi-tech recoil pads will do more to reduce felt recoil, be a lot cheaper and with none of the negatves.

[sc928porsche]

A good muzzle brake will reduce felt recoil quite a bit. Muzzle brakes do NOT make the firearm louder!!!!!!! They simply redirect the noise so the portion that you hear is louder. Think of it this way.....stand behind a speaker and listen. Then turn the speaker to the side. The volume of the speaker never changed. The only time I have ever had complaints about loud muzzle brakes have been those with poor or no hearing protection. If you are hunting, you never really notice the "extra" noise. Usually hunting involves one or maybe two shots. Varmits excluded.

Personally, I refuse to sell any firearm. As far as $ value of them is not important. If you intend to keep yours and pass them down, the $ value shouldn't be important to you either.

If you decide that you want to sell them, then do so before you install a brake. Otherwise, get a good brake installed so you can enjoy shooting them again.

[Old Grump]

Accubrake on my 300 Wby makes felt recoil equivalent to my .308 and keeps me shooting it. I see absolutely no reason why a brake would reduce the value of any of your guns, may even enhance the value as long as a new owner doesn't do a lot of shooting on a crowded range. Noise for you won't be an issue but for those on either side it will be a real eye opener.

No suggestions for a Browning but I bet your gunsmith could name a good one for you. As long as it's removable you can still use it on the range and then put it on for hunting or solo shooting. I think you will find your over all groups better with the muzzle brakes installed, another bonus.

[arch308]

Let me start by saying I'm not a fan of muzzlebrakes. They make the gun louder to the shooter and the folks to either side. When shot in low light conditions they will cause temporary loss of vision (like a flash bulb). That being said I must tell a little story.
My brother has a 70's model Ruger M77 in 7mm Rem Mag. It is the only hunting rifle he has ever owned and he uses it for all his big game hunting. Years ago he was diagnosed with lung cancer and had much of his right shoulder muscles, a couple ribs, etc removed along with half of his lung. He survives to this day but after healing up he was afraid to shoot his 7mag. He tried hunting his first season after surgery with my 6mm Rem but wasn't happy with it.
I had a muzzle brake installed on the M77 for his birthday and he has been hunting happily with it ever since. He gladly accepts the slight negatives that come with the brake and is delighted to be hunting with his old buddy. In short he has no complaints. The affect on the value of the gun was no real consideration.
My advise would be to try one on one of the rifles and see if you like it.

[bobn]

have you thought about a rebarrel job? maybe something smaller. bobn

[kraigwy]

I just put a Muzzle Brake on my 300 yard target rifle.

My only regret is that I didn't do it before, it makes a world of difference. It's a pleasure to shoot now, you wont believe how mild it is now.

I just ordered one for my 375 H&H, and after I get it installed I'm getting one for my 416 Rigby.

I can't believe all these years I've been getting beat to death for no reason.

Yeap, you get more blask, but thats why God made ear muffs. Shouldn't shoot without muffs anyway.

If you ever get to NE Wyoming, give me a heads up, I'll let you shoot my rifle with and without a brake and you deside for yourself.

The thing it, if you're getting beat on by the rifle, I don't care how big and tuff you are, its gonna get to you. You'll shoot better with the MB.

[Mobuck]

I have a brake on the 300 Win mag I use for elk hunting. The brake puts the recoil at a level I can handle-otherwise the 300WM is not something I can shoot w/o discomfort nowadays. It's obnoxious for bystanders but I'm mostly deaf anyway so doesn't seem to bother me(for a few shots while hunting) too much.
I've mostly moved to lower recoil rifles that last few years due to shoulder/neck problems.

[kraigwy]

If I may add:

Just because you put a brake on, doesn't mean you have to using it every time.

I know we should aways use ear protection but few use them while hunting. That's a given.

We shoot our rifles much more at the range then we do hunting. Another given. An example I shoot hundreds of rounds out of my 375 H&H a year (I make my own bullets so the cost isn't that much). I used it Elk hunting where I shot it once.

When shooting at an animal, especially elks, you wont notice the recoil at all.
When shooting extended sessions at the range we will.

So when I put on a brake, I also add a thread protector. I can take off the brake for hunting, that way there is no MB induced excessive noise and when I'm at the range recoil will get too me, causing flinching or other problems I would build into mussel memory that would carry over in hunting.

In my opinion shooting is suppose to be fun, Muzzle brakes put the fun back into heavy kicking rifles.

[reynolds357]

I always take at least one brake rifle to the range. That way if someone beside me starts annoying me by yapping their mouth about some nonsense, I get out the brake rifle and run them off.