Muzzle brake for Savage 116 .300WM

[jbauch357]

I'm a bit of a recoil wussy but decided that I absolutely had to have my new hunting rifle chambered in .300 WM, where currently 30-06 is about my threshold for recoil comfort.

That said I'm getting the rifle threaded for a muzzle brake, and am curious what other people have done in this same situation. I'm mostly hunting mule deer in high desert with shooting positions being anywhere from standing to prone in sagebrush and sand.

Should I be fine with something class/simple like this with ports in all directions, or considering I'll be practicing prone and even occasionally hunting from a prone position should I be looking at something more like this which doesn't have any downward ports?

Thanks in advance for any guidance or recommendations.

 

[jmr40]

Here is my advice. Buy the 300 WSM instead and forget the muzzle brake. Velocity is within 50 fps with all bullet weights, but it burns 10-15 gr less powder to do it. You, nor any game animal will ever notice the 50 fps. But recoil is considerably less. If you can handle 30-06 recoil, you will never notice the difference moving up to 300 WSM.

Loads can and will vary, but with 180 gr bullets typical recoil will look something like this in an 8 lb rifle


308______16-18 ft lbs recoil
30-06___ 18-21 ft lbs recoil
300 WSM ___23-25 ft lbs recoil
300 WM______28-30 ft lbs recoil

 

[dprice3844444]

pachmayer decellerator pad and a gentry custom brake

 

[Skylerbone]

Too bad you didn't start with the 116 Bear Hunter with factory brake installed. Since you've already purchased the rifle, a Brockman brake will allow you to practice with reduced recoil while achieving the same muzzle velocity when closed (in the field). Chrono'd 50 rounds in random order with no discernible difference in speed or shift in POI. After dealing with the noise however I'd caution anyone about installing one, it's that loud but if you're not dissuaded EA Brown can install one for you if you ship the rifle.

 

[jbauch357]

jmr40 - Thanks for the recommendation, unfortunately I'm taking delivery of the rifle this week chambered in .300WM and have ordered a bunch of ammo for it already too. If it turns out I just can't handle the noise of the thing with a brake, and am not comfortable with out a brake I'll look at selling the rifle and trading out for another caliber next hunting season.

dprice3844444 - Thanks for the recommendation, if the gentry works as well as they claim I won't need anything else. Their standard threadding doesn't match most of what else I'm finding, and isn't what my smith recommended, so I'll call them tomorrow and see if they've done an install on the rifle I'm picking up.

skylerbone - I considered the bear hunter but it was almost a pound heavier and the only advantage was the factory brake, I decided that for the same cost (purchasing and installing a brake on a 116 weather warrior will cost the same in the end) I'd have a lighter gun.

Edit - a few more options I've dug up
- JP - http://www.jprifles.com/buy.php?item=JPTRE-324S
- Holland - https://www.hollandguns.com/
- Kirby - http://www.apsrifles.com/Painkiller_Muzzle_Brakes_QY.html

 

[Skylerbone]

EABCO did the brake on a custom T/C barrel in 300WM and the rifle shot lights out. It was my father's back-up rig for the 116 whose accuracy was none too shabby for an off the shelf specimen. He preferred the Savage for faster follow up shots and its brake was equally effective at taming recoil. Brown also sells a number of others including the JP you referenced but recommended the Brockman for this particular application (hunting). http://www.eabco.com/cssmb.html

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate reduced recoil but I prefer changing stocks and recoil pads. For some a good brake is a great fit.

 

[jmr40]

Didn't realize you had already purchased, though you were still looking at options. I think there are more negatives than positives with muzzle brakes. the next best option is one of the new high tech recoil pads. They really work. At least as well as the muzzle brakes without the negatives.

Many new rifles are now coming from the factory with something similar and I'd not be surprised to see one on the Savage. Shoot it before spending the money for the brake. At this stage you might not be able to get the work done and get the rifle back before hunting season anyway.

 

[jbauch357]

I ended up going with Holland's radial baffle muzzle brake. Customer service was fantastic, turn around time was faster than I'd ever expected possible, and pricing for the brake including installation was only $250.

When I got the rifle back I was a bit disappointed as to how large the brake was, it's pretty bulbous at the end of a hunting rifle profile barrel... But then after shooting it I realized I really don't care what it looks like because it works amazingly well.

The combination of the Savage accustock and the radial brake shooting hot 180 gr .300 WM hunting loads brings recoil sharpness and impact down to less than cheap 12-gauge trap load. I literally put 80 rounds down range in a session with this thing and never felt a single bit of discomfort.

I don't know if the brake had anything to do with it, but the accuracy of the rifle when paired with Hornady Custom .300 WM 180 gr SP interlock is simply amazing. Handing the rifle off between multiple shooters we were easily keeping sub MOA groups at 200 yards, the best group of the day was covered by the end of my chap stick at 200 yards which is ~1/2 MOA.