muzzle brake on a Contender?

[barber]

I'm trying out a 10 inch barrel on a .44 mag Contender, which I really like the feel of, but the recoil is horrendous. I have a Bushnell Red Dot sight on it. Would a muzzle brake help or make it worse?  All my loads are close to max loaded, 280 gr. bullets.  Besides the high rise after the shot, it hurts my hand,and I don't have the wood grip. Thanks

[Hopalong7]

     I will quickly agree that a 10" 44Mag is rather "nasty", but I hate brakes.  I would look at getting a 14" barrel and adding a set of Pachmyer's.

[Grumulkin]

Get a brake or wear a glove; either will help.  Wear good ear protection and a brake shouldn't be a problem.

[barber]

Thanks for the answers. I have a set of Pachmyers on it.  I'll forget the brake.

[Special Ed]

I went with Mag-na-port instead of a muzzle break on my 44 mag 14" barrel, made the gun fairly enjoyable to shoot.

Ed
 

[WayneS]

 The most effective and ugliest  break I've used is the J.P Break, it looks like the one on older tanks and 105 & 155 cannons.  The down side is that they are VERY VERY LOUD, espically to anyone on either side of you.  You could contact JP and ask how effective their break would be with your load
 A nother way to help with recoil, [vetrical rise] would be to add weigh to the muzzle end.  A simple way to test this would be to fasten lead to the muzzle end.
I gather this is for a hunting load so looking good isn't a main concern ??

[barber]

Yes, it's for hunting, Thanks for the suggestion.  But wouldn't adding weight to the muzzle end make it to front heavy?

[WayneS]

How do you hunt in WA ? tree stand ? from a blind on the ground ?, ??  when you shoot do you from a rest ? or standing ?

[rawhidekid]

I had a 10 inch 30-30 that I sent to Mag-Na-Port.  The porting made it like shooting a.357 Mag, I highly recommend it

[barber]

I hunt from the ground, shoot kneeling, sitting, use the side of a tree, whatever is handy or useful.  While I'm at this question thing, has anyone used a TC sling, like the old rifle hasty slling? If so, does it hurt the (left) hand when it recoils?   I really appreciate all the answers, as I'm really new to the Contender.   I had a SBH  .44  that I had magna ported, didn't like it at all, got rid of it;

[MePlat]

I can't really understand why anyone would want a Muzzle Brak on a 44 Mag.  But, there are people with hand issues like injuries or other diseases that can make shooting recoiling guns painful that may need them.
If it is just an issue with recoil in general then one needs to practice more and use the brain power to overcome the fear.

[rawhidekid]

MePlat, it doesn't sound like you have ever shot a 10" TC with full power loads.  They make a revolver of the same caliber seem tame.   Some of the 14" barrels can be as bad ie: 45-70.  

[MePlat]

You are exactly correct.  But I have and ocassionally shoot an Encore in 454 with a 12 inch barrel,  a 45/70 encore with 550's at 1450 to 1500,  a 500 S&W encore barrel at 10 inches with a brake. I have Encores that are much more powerful too all with brakes.  The 454 Encore is a tapered factory barrel with no brake and the 45/70 is tapered factory with no brake.
Oh yes,  I have for now maybe a month and a half owned a BFR in 45/70 shooting it with a 520 gr cast with 42 gr H322 and is is brakeless and have been doing some good shooting with it too. While I have not shot a 10 inch 44 Mag without a brake I believe I could handle it.  So,  I will stick to my contention I see no reason for a brake on one unless one has hand problems etc.. 
My opinion only.
I think the above cals. have some more recoil than a 44 Mag 10 incher but I could be wrong. 

[kynardsj]

My 14 inch 30-30 and 14 inch 45-70 Contender barrels both had fractory muzzle brakes on them. Sweet shooters with mild recoil and not overly loud behind them but anyone off to the side got their world rocked. A 44 mag with a brake would be sweet IMHO. I hunted from shoot houses and the only mistake I made, and only did it one time, was to not get the brake all the way out of the shooting ports when I shot a deer. Rocked my world and made every dirt dauber nest in the top of it come down.

[Dezynco]

I just don't like muzzle breaks.  I would practice with some lighter bullets and work my way up to some heavy loads.  I've shot handguns that recoil much, much worse that any 44 mag without muzzle breaks.  I've even ordered an 8" 45-70, no muzzle break!

Try a padded shooter's glove if the recoil bothers you, I just don't like muzzle breaks because I hate all the blow back from the ports, especially if you are hunting and probably don't have the earmuffs with you.

[securitysix]

I have shot a 10" .44 Mag contender.  If ever there was a candidate for a muzzle brake of some sort, that would be it. 

The only brake I have on any gun/barrel is my 14" .223 Remington barrel (it's the one that came with my Contender frame).  I hate it.  I mean, sure, the fore end barely leaves the front sandbag, but it's just ridiculously loud and unpleasant to shoot.  It's even more unpleasant to be next to.  My 14" 7-30 Waters barrel has no brake and is easily manageable to shoot.  I've considered trading off/selling my .223 barrel, but just can't quite bring myself to do it, despite my hatred for the brake.

[blhof]

I also have a 14" 3030 barrel with a brake and it shoots easier than my 14" 357max barrel without one.  I've shot over 100 rounds setting the scope at 100 and 200yds to get the best hunting settings with the 3030 and no hand pain, can't say the same for the 357max; 20 to 30 rounds is all I put through it at a sitting. The max has iron sights too, making it lighter too.

[barber]

Can you shoot hard cast bullets with a brake?

[rawhidekid]

There is a solution to fit the need for multipul shots for sighting in and no brake for hunting.  I used to work at a gunsmith who installed the KDF muzzle brake(out of Segean, Tx-sorry if spelled wrong).  For $10.00 dollars more you could get a thred cover;  when you didn't want the brake simply unscrew it and screw on the thred cover no problem.    By the way my 10" 44 Mag isn't mag-na-ported eather, but I have used them and certainly support those that do.  I think the cost of the KDF brake installed was $175.00, but it has been several years since I worked there.  Hard cast should be no problem but not soft lead.  I bought a Dan Wesson that had the shroud soldered on because the previous owner shot soft lead in the ported barrel.  Dan Wesson recommended jacketed only.

[David D.]

I own a couple barrels with brakes and personally do not like the brakes. Some day I will probably have them removed. I don't think I could shoot a 10" 44Mag full power loads comfortably. And yes I do have wrist problems. I shoot a 13" MGM Tender 30-30IMP with 125 gr bullets, 14" MGM Tender 357Max 180gr. bullets, Encore 16" 5.5X284Win. 140gr. bullets, all with full power loads. None of the three have brakes, all do have a good bit of muzzle rise but the recoil bite is mild.

Before braking the barrel I MYSELF would sell the barrel and consider another choice if I couldn't shoot it comfortably!

[Hopalong7]

    I've had .44Mag, .45Colt, and 41Mag in both 10" and 14" barrels.  In all three I considered the recoil a much sharper, quicker snap in the shorter barrel and the 14" a more gentle push.  I know, some folks just don't like that longer barrel....I used to be one of them.

[stubshaft]

Can you shoot hard cast bullets with a brake?

YES, could'nt afford to feed the 500's if I didn't cast.