Discussing Sporting Goods

Firing a large caliber hunting rifle often comes with some recoil and movement of the firearm as the bullet is fired. Installing a stainless steel muzzle brake or one made from another material can significantly impact the firearm's performance, recoil, and accuracy and are easily installed on most guns.

Muzzle Control

When you fire any hunting rifle, the explosion that occurs inside the chamber produces gases that propel the projectile out of the firearm and toward the target. These gases follow the bullet out of the barrel, and if they pass out of the gun from the front, they produce a backward force that you feel as recoil. 

Installing a stainless steel muzzle brake on your rifle can help counter that pressure and use those gases to your advantage. A properly made muzzle brake will have holes cut in the top and sides of the brake but not on the bottom. 

As the gases from inside the rifle reach the muzzle, they exit through the holes in the muzzle brake. Instead of pushing backward on the rifle, these gases now push down slightly and side to side. Some muzzle brakes use holes that are cut precisely to direct some of the gases backward and reduce recoil on the firearm. 

The change in the direction of the muzzle gases can reduce muzzle rise after the shot is fired, allowing the hunter to recover and get back on the target faster. For a large animal hunter, this means that they can fire and then sight in again quickly in case a second shot is needed to put the animal down humanly. 

Guns That Need Muzzle Brakes

Most common hunting rifles are tame enough to control the muzzle during a shot, but some big-bore rifles are difficult to hold the muzzle down when fired. These are the rifles that can benefit from a stainless steel muzzle brake or one made from another material. 

On these rifles, the muzzle brake can increase the accuracy, reduce the recoil, and make the gun more fun to shoot. A large-caliber rifle like a fifty-caliber BMG or a three-hundred magnum needs that extra help, and the brakes on these guns are very large to ensure they work properly.

Noise And Pressure

Muzzle brakes can have some disadvantages that some people don't care for as well. The sound coming out of the firearm is now directed out the stainless steel muzzle brake on the end of your barrel. It can be extremely loud for anyone standing to the shooter's side, and some people just don't like the noise. 

If you are with someone who is shooting a rifle with a muzzle brake on it, the best position to observe from is behind the shooter a few feet. Use a spotting scope to see the target and stand back a bit, and the noise will be reduced.