Muzzle Brake question!!!

[scv_guy]

I'm building a Rem 700 chambered in .308 will a muzzle break benefit me and if so can you recommend a good one...

[bsumoba]

YES...it will benefit you if you want to mitigate a little bit of the recoil or muzzle climb depending on the brake type and look tacticool

badger thruster brake and similar styles if you have a smith that can blend it
badger FTE, surefire are the two i would be considering as well if it was not blended.

a brake will not help you if you want to piss off the guy next to, trying to shoot like a sniper deep in enemy territory and not give away your position, or shooting some F-class style competitions as most competitions do not allow it

[Lucky Scott]

I just got one from Ross Schuler, and it is great. Love it. Ross provides excellent service and personal service. My rifle is 7mm and it really made a huge difference.

[teeemothy]

Will it benefit you will rely largely on the how you perceive the recoil of the rifle, and what type of shooting you are doing. If you are shooting bench or casual public range it'll be nice to have, if you are doing long range match or competition where you may be shooting from odd positions where you can't fully situate yourself behind the rifle for proper recoil control it may fall closer to need to have.

Muzzle brakes on a .308 bolt-action rifle really fall on both sides of the fence, any reduction of recoil is always welcome no matter what shooting you're doing; for example trying to keep your target in sight to track bullet long range or just extending the time that you spend sending rounds down range. However if you plan on taking the gun out for hunts once or twice a season you wont need the added noise and pressure it creates as you wont need recoil reduction for those sessions of limited firing.

What are your long term goals of the rifle?

If you do decide to go muzzle brake route I've tried a few and noticed the longer and more chambers the muzzle brake has usually lessens the felt recoil allowing more gas to escape before that bullet escapes through the muzzle. There are literally so many brakes it almost comes down to personal preference, I use an AAC Brakeout. Look at Surefire, Lantac, PWS, YHM, are some manufacturers, some have suppressor mount capability (just to have the option for out of state) and many more out there.

[ar15barrels]

Cost vs. Benefit, the Ross Schuler brakes can't be beat.

[-R-]

It does make a difference, but on .308 I wouldnt say it is absolutely necessary. It isnt a very heavy recoiling round, but reducing recoil does make it easier to spot your hits/misses, plus lighter recoil is always more enjoyable. I'd say if you have money burning a hole in your pocket then go for it. Depending on your build I'd say a brake would be pretty low on the priority list.

I just got a badger thruster installed/blended by Randall. Slightly louder when shooting but no additional concussion felt. The guy on the bench next to you will definitely know you have a brake though.

[Jasonaspears]

It does make a difference, but on .308 I wouldnt say it is absolutely necessary. It isnt a very heavy recoiling round, but reducing recoil does make it easier to spot your hits/misses, plus lighter recoil is always more enjoyable. I'd say if you have money burning a hole in your pocket then go for it. Depending on your build I'd say a brake would be pretty low on the priority list.

I just got a badger thruster installed/blended by Randall. Slightly louder when shooting but no additional concussion felt. The guy on the bench next to you will definitely know you have a brake though.

Very nice. This is the one I was wanting to install on my 5R.

[B!ngo]

Teemothy is correct. I should ask though how much will the gun weigh (6-8 lbs with everything on it) (sorry if I missed it)? If it's lightweight then the brake will add a bit of comfort (only a bit is needed if at all - for a lightweight gun only) and will definitely aid in most cases for following the shot via the optic. If it's heavier (8-11 lbs with scope, full mag) then it will still hop when shot making spotting the impact point through the optic difficult.
I have a heavier .308 and don't have one. With discipline at the range, I can watch the POI of my shots.
B

Will it benefit you will rely largely on the how you perceive the recoil of the rifle, and what type of shooting you are doing. If you are shooting bench or casual public range it'll be nice to have, if you are doing long range match or competition where you may be shooting from odd positions where you can't fully situate yourself behind the rifle for proper recoil control it may fall closer to need to have.

Muzzle brakes on a .308 bolt-action rifle really fall on both sides of the fence, any reduction of recoil is always welcome no matter what shooting you're doing; for example trying to keep your target in sight to track bullet long range or just extending the time that you spend sending rounds down range. However if you plan on taking the gun out for hunts once or twice a season you wont need the added noise and pressure it creates as you wont need recoil reduction for those sessions of limited firing.

What are your long term goals of the rifle?

If you do decide to go muzzle brake route I've tried a few and noticed the longer and more chambers the muzzle brake has usually lessens the felt recoil allowing more gas to escape before that bullet escapes through the muzzle. There are literally so many brakes it almost comes down to personal preference, I use an AAC Brakeout. Look at Surefire, Lantac, PWS, YHM, are some manufacturers, some have suppressor mount capability (just to have the option for out of state) and many more out there.

[pklin1297]

Do you have another 308 already? Do you reload the 308? If not, why not consider going for 6.5 MM or 6 MM? Whether you shoot bench, tactical precision rifle, or hunt, the 6.5 or 6 would still suit you for less felt recoil, with brake or not. 6.5 Creedmoor for one has excellent factory ammo offerings from Hornady that is plenty accurate and powerful for precision rifle shooting or hunting...

If you must have a 308, just get a brake and not worry so much about intended use, weight of rifle (no offense meant to previous posts). It will benefit you regardless. If cost is an issue, get a Ross Schuler brake for $40 shipped and have Randall at AR15barrels install it for you. If you have more money to spend, get a brake with as large a surface area at the ports as you can visually tolerate. For example:



This, along with other large-port brakes will work the best, though not to say the others won't. I have had the Ross Schuler brake before and was happy with it, now I have the Mini FTE from Badger and I am very happy with it, but after seeing the recoil of a 6 Creedmoor rifle with this JP Tank brake on it, I'm strongly considering putting one on my 6.5 Creedmoor... What I like about the Mini FTE is that I can remove it once in a while and clean the ports and the crown of the barrel.

Get one. Anything that allows you to stay behind a rifle longer at the range is a good addition. Good form and fundamentals is still needed, but the brake will allow you to keep that form longer and not worry about the developing soreness from changing your form.

[Jasonaspears]

Do you have another 308 already? Do you reload the 308? If not, why not consider going for 6.5 MM or 6 MM? Whether you shoot bench, tactical precision rifle, or hunt, the 6.5 or 6 would still suit you for less felt recoil, with brake or not. 6.5 Creedmoor for one has excellent factory ammo offerings from Hornady that is plenty accurate and powerful for precision rifle shooting or hunting...

If you must have a 308, just get a brake and not worry so much about intended use, weight of rifle (no offense meant to previous posts). It will benefit you regardless. If cost is an issue, get a Ross Schuler brake for $40 shipped and have Randall at AR15barrels install it for you. If you have more money to spend, get a brake with as large a surface area at the ports as you can visually tolerate. For example:



This, along with other large-port brakes will work the best, though not to say the others won't. I have had the Rob Schuler brake before and was happy with it, now I have the Mini FTE from Badger and I am very happy with it, but after seeing the recoil of a 6 Creedmoor rifle with this JP Tank brake on it, I'm strongly considering putting one on my 6.5 Creedmoor... What I like about the Mini FTE is that I can remove it once in a while and clean the ports and the crown of the barrel.

Get one. Anything that allows me to stay behind a rifle longer at the range is a good addition.

Do you still have your Ross Schuler brake?

[pklin1297]

Do you still have your Ross Schuler brake?

My last Schuler brake was on my Howa 308 which I sold. Prior to getting the Mini FTE I did get another Schuler-style brake (made by Schuler's friend) but never got it installed. I think I still have it somewhere in my parts bin...

[Rbutler]

glad to hear the ross brake works well. I got one for my 308 being fitted now. For me its competitions, the ability to stay on target is a HUGE benefit when your under a time constraint. Those extra fractions of a second is the difference between getting all your shots off on target and not.

Once again you have to think about what you want to do with the rifle.

[Re-Load]

So you basically need to have it clocked after you buy it even if you have a Rem700 AAC, otherwise it could be pointing any which way?

[teeemothy]

Yes most muzzle brakes will come with shim kits to time the brake correctly. On my AAC I had the same procedure, added and removed shims until it hand tightens about right, then when you torque it will align correctly. It's unlikely that you'll buy a muzzle brake and it will screw on perfectly timed but it could happen.

[alfred1222]

Surefire brake on both of my GAP rifles, PWS on everything else, except for a battlecomp 2.0 on one LWRC