Muzzle break on a 243, 257, or 25-06

[curtism1234]

If you're using one of these 3 in a standard sporter weight rifle while prairie dog hunting, would a break reduce the recoil to help you see your hits?

I'm looking at the factory Savage rifles (the 25calibers would be a custom shop order) which claim a 30% reduction.


Is it worth having?

[nomosendero]

If you're using one of these 3 in a standard sporter weight rifle while prairie dog hunting, would a break reduce the recoil to help you see your hits?

I'm looking at the factory Savage rifles (the 25calibers would be a custom shop order) which claim a 30% reduction.


Is it worth having?

1."would a brake reduce the recoil to help you see your hits?"  Yes, some brakes like the Holland will offer alot of recoil reduction.

2. "Is it worth having?" No, to me no way at all. The noise/blast will increase dramitically.
 First of all, I enjoy this type of volume shooting more if at least one other person is shooting as well. In that case you can take turns spotting for each other & can do so more precisely. Just take turns & this would allow a gun of this type to cool between volleys. 
 Secondly, I would rather use a volume/PD round like a 223 or 204 for this work. I take a bigger gun for these situations only for occassional loooong shots.

[valvesinmyhead]

No muzzle break. My friend has this done on his 223. Loud as heck. Need to sit at least 25 yds away from him and ear plugs are mandatory at that distance. Why a 25 cal? Want to use it for deer? My .243 would get way to hot for my liking. Those rounds you picked would be good for a few shots over 300yds. Then grab something else while it cools down. I personally think 24-17 cal is the way to go on PDs.
Darn I forgot. Shot my Encore with my 6.8 spc barrel PDing and it would work good for a lot of consecutive shots when things get hot and heavy in a town. Works great on Whitetails as well.
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,173923.0.html

[curtism1234]

Why a 25 cal? Want to use it for deer?

That's the plan


Also the guys I'm going with are long range shooters. They won't touch anything inside of 1000 yards. So 400-500 yards are the close ones 

[243dave]

If your going to try to shot with your friends at those long ranges a sporter-weight factory gun won't have the accuracy regardless of caliber. Very few heavy barreled factory guns(if any) have the accuracy for consistant hits on p-dogs past 800yds. But it'll be fun to try plus you'll become a good shot by deer season. I'm a big 243 fan but if you are going to hunt deer at ranges past 500yds get the more powerful 25-06.

[243dave]

Guess I got away from the original post--sorry. My experinces with muzzle breaks are limited but I don't care for them because of the added noise. Plus if I was a betting man a 30% reduction(even 50%) in recoil is still enough recoil to cause you to lose sight of your target with a sporter-weight gun and a 243 or bigger cartridge.  Plus don't forget to take into account what magnification scope you will be using. Being its p-dogs at real long range it will need to be a powerful scope so field of view will be small. I don't think you'll be able to see your hits. To be honest you need two rifles probably three (one of them custom)for the type of shooting you'll be doing---it would be much cheaper to get new friends that don't shoot so far---    Dave

[curtism1234]

Plus if I was a betting man a 30% reduction(even 50%) in recoil is still enough recoil to cause you to lose sight of your target with a sporter-weight gun and a 243 or bigger cartridge. 

Yeah that's exactly what I'm trying to figure out. I can deal with the noise but it comes down to whether or not a 75gr varmint load at 3500fps can be tamed. Afterall, I don't want to waste money if it won't work.

The smallest centerfire I've ever shot has been a 30-30. My understanding is that a 243 is borderline for seeing hits. I don't know.

I'll probably be using a Mueller 4.5x14 scope

Not to stray too far off, but I'll answer you.
I don't plan on shooting at 1000 yards --- can't even see that far. I'll be more than happy to tag along and do my own thing at closer and more reasonable distances. I do have a 17hmr to play around with and I imagine I'll try some loads with the target rifles as well.
Bascially I'm along for the ride and will try not to get in the way 

[huntswithdogs]

I don't now that a brake is gonna help ya one way or the other. Sorry to have to say this and I hope it doesn't sound too mean, but...If ya wanna watch the PD tip over or blow up, do it through a set of Binos with someone else shooting. Precision shooting is kinda like shooting skeet..shoot the target, don't worry about seeing it break. If ya raise yer head, ya miss!

Recoil on the 243 or 25 isnt all that bad, but like others have said, the barrel is gonna heat up quick!

Noise levels go WAY up when a brake is added. If ya do decide on the brake, make sure it's either removeable or has a way to close it off.


HWD

[wmurrell]

I'll have to add my $.02
I shoot a 257 Rob and have a load with a 75 grn bullet that chrono's 3550 avg 10 shots from my 24" bbl ( no brake). I have shot P-Dawgs at up to 400 but wind drift is a Bit... I use it mainly as a head shooter and out to 300, I feel the trigger break, the deer falls, then the gun goes off. Scope is a Burris Signature 3-12 mainly on 10.
That said
I HATE MUZZLE BREAKS!
 Sorry for the yell

[Coyote Hunter]

I'll have to add my $.02
I shoot a 257 Rob and have a load with a 75 grn bullet that chrono's 3550 avg 10 shots from my 24" bbl ( no brake). I have shot P-Dawgs at up to 400 but wind drift is a Bit... I use it mainly as a head shooter and out to 300, I feel the trigger break, the deer falls, then the gun goes off. Scope is a Burris Signature 3-12 mainly on 10.
That said
I HATE MUZZLE BREAKS!
 Sorry for the yell

Pretty much a ditto to the above – Ruger M77 with 22” tube shooting +P loads in +P brass with 75g V-Max past 3500fps, 120g A-Frames to 2947fps, 115g TSX just breaking 3000fps.  Favorite targets are clay pigeons on the 400 yard berm, steel gong at 500 yards.  Scope is a 4.5-14xAO Burris full Field II with Ballistic Plex reticle.

It’s my favorite rifle by a wide margin.  Seeing hits at 400 is vey doable.

Would I put a muzzle break on such a rifle?  NO.  Granddad and Uncle are stone deaf. When I shoot I use plugs AND muffs.  A break is not only bad for the neighbors, its bad for the shooter as well.  If I can’t handle a rifle without a break – ANY rifle – I’ll shoot something else.

[jro45]

I would never put a muzzel brake on my 257 WBY Mag. The recoil is like a little push. I mean nothing to worry about. Thats how I see it.

[303Guy]

That said
I HATE MUZZLE BREAKS!
 Sorry for the yell

Ditto!  But, a clever brake directs the blast forward and at a lower intensity.  No reason why the blast cannot be directed slightly up to eliminate muzzle lift altogether (not recoil).  I can watch bullet strikes with my forward directing muzzle breaked 303 Brit.  All I need are 'light' earplugs to be comfortable with the noise.  Not sure how US law treats such devices.  (I think in some states a noise reduction of 4db is allowed.  (That is by more than half!)

On the 25 front, I have a 303-25 (mid-way between a 250 Savage and a 257 Roberts).  I have shot it with an above described muzzle break, plain and with a suppressor.  The suppressor is best with least muzzle lift.  Plain had too much lift and actually had noticable recoil and muzzle blast was fierce (by my standard).  The muzzle break was OK but still a little too noisy but a helluva lot quieter than plain.

[MZ5]

In contrast to apparently most on this board, I like brakes and would be perfectly happy to have them on everything.  Like 303Guy says, you can get them tailored to reduce or eliminate muzzle rise rather than having them be a general brake.  If it wasn't for the expense, I'd have suppressors on every gun I own.  That way I'd have the brake I'd just as soon have anyway, and the least obnoxious shooting fun!

[Badnews Bob]

Vias makes a brake that dosn't reduce recoil just controls muzzle climb, It is made for varmit shooting and is suppose to not increase noise like a standard brake. I've never used one but I would like to try, I hunt alone mostly and I would love to be able to see my hits while varmit hunting.

[Jay, Tx]

Interesting opinions.

I've had my M77 25-06 (double duty rifle) on a dog town a couple of times, loaded with 75gr Vmax bullets. It got to where I'd only shoot long shots with it because I could fire, and then re-acquire the target before the bullet hit. These were shots 500yds and beyond, and keeping the scope down around 10x. It took some getting used to, but after I worked it all out (form), I could spot my own long range shots with amazing regularity.

That said, I have a 7-08 braked rifle and another braked rifle being built as we speak. For certain uses they are great. But noise is a huge factor.


Jay

[anweis]

Sunday at the range there was a .243 with a muzzle break next to me. I had ear plugs and muffs, but the thing was incredibly loud.
If you fire one of those 20 times without ear protection, you will probably damage your hearing.

[saltydog]

You will be on my don't call list if you have a 243 - 25:06 level rifle with a muzzle brake on it for varmit hunting.  Buy a Savage 223 REM with the 1/9 twist rate (they have it as an option) and shoot 70 grain and heavier bullets and you will feel good at the end of the day while your buddies are tired from shooting heavier calibers.  I hope you meant they ony shoot targets / varmits at 1000 yards not game.