Do muzzle brakes make a gun more accurate?

[~Eug~2nd1st]

I got an opinion on this... Barrels are accurate for very specific reasons. Real good ones are no mistake and gadgets and gizmos to improve accuracy don't always work. Muzzle brakes, bedding options, free floating, and crowning is an exact science. But the only way to know for sure is testing and shooting...and a lot of it.
However here is my experience. I own a Browning A-bolt 270 with a BOSS adjustable muzzle brake and hunt and shoot quite often with it. When I got it I decided to see what ammo IT liked the best. I don't remember exactly what shot the best but it wasnt the bullet I wanted to hunt with. So after about 40 rounds of expensive 130 grain ballistic silvertips adjusting the brake after every 4 shots, it grouped as good as the heavy ammo that shot best outta the box.
So I don't think the brake made it more accurate, but the adjusting did. Sort of like the way hand loaders fine tune loads and grains to specific guns.
To repeat what has already been said, it is more about barrel harmonics when it comes to brake/accuracy.

oh by the way.. a ported brake like mine takes away most recoil on a 270.
But it makes it loud as Hell... like 300 win mag loud. The improved accuracy is a plus but not near as much as the way that when I shoot a whitetail at 300 yards and make a good kill, three squirrels fall dead around me from the concussion. YUMMY!

 

[m00t]

By weight he means mass, BTW.
By adding mass, the amplitude is reduced.

Good call... I meant both weight and mass, actually. Pressure (from weight in earth's gravity, or an upwards pressure point) will change the frequency of vibration, while mass will increase the moment of inertia, lowering the amplitude.

I love physics!

*edit*
Also, Eug2nd1st, that is an astute observation. It is very nice to have a way of adjusting barrel harmonics to compensate for the way different rounds behave during firing. I use a pressure point at the end of my stock, applying a variable amount of pressure to the otherwise freefloated barrel which allows me to tune harmonics in the same way. Spiffy!

 

[Dorkfish]

Some folks from 2 different sniper schools that I've spoken with and served with have given mixed opinions on muzzle brakes and here's why.

Muzzle brakes are intended for multi-shot target reacquisition with speed and relative accuracy. The theory is that with a stable position and proper hold on the rifle, the a braked rifle should return to near the point-of-aim for the initial shot allowing the shooter to set up for a follow-up if necessary. Most small-arms muzzle brakes point upward at angles away from the front sight. No sniper in the world likes to take the 2nd shot as it reveals position. One shot...one kill. Some muzzle brakes are heavy and can result in making a long range accurate shot more difficult than it should be, thus why they usually aren't on sniper rifles with match barrels.

The above theory only applies to lighter small-arms below that of the .50 cal. The muzzle brake on the .50 cal has a secondary purpose...sheer muzzle weight so it helps keep the muzzle down as the rifle begins to recoil. If you look at some of the .50 BMG rifles, specifically the Barrett, McMillan, and now the Bushmaster...you should find that these muzzle brakes do not point up. In fact they should point to the sides and to the rear to help absorb recoil that would normally translate to the shooter. If you've ever fired a BMG, then you know how punishing it is and could imagine how bad it would be without a brake.

 

[Zak Smith]

Some muzzle brakes are heavy and can result in making a long range accurate shot more difficult than it should be, thus why they usually aren't on sniper rifles with match barrels.

No offense, but this is amongst the most ridiculous arguments I've ever heard. The Accuracy International AW .308 brake weighs 3oz. The big .338 Lapua Magnum brake weighs 7oz. For reference an M16A2 birdcage F/H weighs about 2oz.

On a .308 rifle that weighs about 15 lbs, 3 oz is nothing. On a slightly heavier 338LM rifle, the 7oz penalty pays for itself by making the big cartridge's recoil the same as an un-braked .308.

These don't make "long range accurate shot more difficult than [they] should be." In fact, it's the opposite: mass generally increases accuracy due to rifle stability and less recoil due to a brake generally makes the shooter more accurate.

The muzzle brake on the .50 cal has a secondary purpose...sheer muzzle weight so it helps keep the muzzle down as the rifle begins to recoil.

Uhh, no. If you hang a dead weight on the muzzle of a .50 BMG rifle, it will recoil much, much more than an effective muzzle brake of the same weight. Brakes work by gas impacting surfaces more or less "normal" to the gas path and its momentum pulling the gun forward to partially counteract its rearward momentum.

If you look at some of the .50 BMG rifles, specifically the Barrett, McMillan, and now the Bushmaster...you should find that these muzzle brakes do not point up. In fact they should point to the sides and to the rear

The most effective muzzle brakes have structures which take most advantage of the gas momentum. You see this in 3-Gun competition rifles up to .50 BMG rifles. One pattern you see is that the most effective brakes usually have the most surface area "normal" to the bullet path:





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The trend for current and future military sniper rifles is suppressors (which weigh more than brakes). Here's an XM-3

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[Zak Smith]

Also fact:

The TRG-42 and AI-AW and AI-AWSM sniper rifles are military-issued around the globe, and they come with their respective muzzle brakes.

-z