Weatherby muzzle brake

B

Bucksnort1

New member
A few years ago, I was at a commercial rifle range zeroing my Mark V 300 Weatherby. During a cease fire, I noticed another Mark V shooter whose rifle was outfitted with a muzzle brake. I talked to the owner about it asking him how much recoil he feels. He invited me to shoot his rifle with the sameweight bullet I was using. If I remember correctly, it felt like a 30-06. I want to have one installed on my Weatherby. Any comments about felt recoil with others who have brakes on their Weatherbys?
 
The Accubrake (Weatherby's in-house brand) reduces felt recoil about 30%, which is considerable. There are other brakes on the market that as well or better, but it's not a bad one. I once fired a 460 Weatherby Mark V, and the recoil was tolerable.
 
I don't own a Weatherby, but I've shot at least half a dozen Weatherby rifles chambered for Weatherby cartridges - with and without brakes.

A muzzle brake does help with felt recoil. Exactly how much it helps is very subjective, since some people tie muzzle blast in with perceived recoil ... and there's increased muzzle blast with nearly any brake.


...But I don't think it'll help .300 Weatherby as much as you'd like. .300 Weatherby is one of the most offensive, snappy, angry cartridges I've ever had the displeasure of firing. It's wasteful and obnoxious - unnecessarily turning powder into noise and recoil, with minimal benefit to performance (typically less than 4% gain in muzzle velocity, but it takes higher pressure and substantially more powder [~16%] to get it).
I'll shoot .300 Win Mag, .338 Win Mag, .458 Win Mag, .340 Weatherby, and even .450 Nitro for as long as it takes, just to avoid time behind the trigger of a .300 Weatherby.

I do generally shy away from "Magnum" cartridges, because I don't find them necessary, but I'm not afraid of them. I still 'play' with plenty of other hard-hitters. And I'll shoot almost anything you put in my hands. ...As long as it isn't .300 Weatherby -- even with a brake.


If you find the recoil of .300 Weatherby to be offensive, then I highly suggest at least considering a different cartridge. You wouldn't be the first, nor the last person to do so.
 
FrankenMauser,

Thanks for making my day with your description of the 300 Weatherby cartridge. It is priceless but probably about as accurate as anyone could devise. I love it.

I've been hunting big game with this Weatherby since 1982. Since high school, I have had the Weatherby imprinted in my brain. I knew, someday, I would have one. Like most hunters, when shooting at bambi, I don't feel any recoil but at the range, it's a different story. When I shot the Mark V with the muzzle brake, it felt like my -06 with a 180 grain bullet.

Regarding recoil, a few years ago, I learned a valuable lesson through a shooting experience. A friend inherited an -06, which we promptly took to the mountains to shoot. He took a box of 150 grain factory ammo and I took some 180 grain factory ammo. After shooting a few rounds with the 150s then a couple with the 180s, it was obvious there is a marked difference in recoil. I had no idea thirty grains would make that much difference so, based on that experience, I will be reloading my Weatherby rounds with either 165 or 150 grain bullets to reduce some recoil. To be honest with you, I really want to retire the Weatherby and use my -06. Each hunting season, I tell myself I will do this but I love the Weatherby so much, I have a hard time putting it down.

I know about muzzle blast with the brake.
 
Thanks for not taking offense to that reply. I pretty much never intend to offend, or pick a fight; and many of my posts here are a bit tongue-in-cheek. ;)

Your love of that rifle sounds like an affair that I can relate to.


As for good brakes....
American Precision Arms and Badger Ordnance are said to have the most effective muzzle brakes on the market. The guys that use them say they'll never go back to anything else.

I've never used one, personally. My only muzzle brakes were made by Tromix. Quite effective in my opinion, but probably not what you're looking for on your .300 Wby: Artillery brake.
 
My daughter in law has a Weatherby MKV in 30-378 with a muzzle brake and its actually fun to shoot. I don't believe I would say the same about that rifle without it.
 
FrankenMauser,

Regarding the muzzle brake, a bunch of years ago, I spoke to a Weatherby owner about muzzle brakes. When I told him I was interested in having one installed on my rifle he said, which I will never forget, "I would never do that to my Weatherby." That statement alone has kept me making the move.
 
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