20 Cal. Muzzle brake experience

[rcol317]

I'm looking for some input on 20 cal. muzzle brake's. I'm considering putting a brake on my 204 Cooper Model 21. Hoping to reduce recoil enough to maintain a clear site picture so I can see the shot impact. Been shooting PD's the last few days and really enjoyed the less recoil of my 20 VT and 20 SCC. Both rifles allowed me to see the shots to make adjustment and see the impact. Really saw the difference in my 204's and 20-223 AI. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Terry]

No reason not to if that is what you want.

How light is the gun?

 

[LarryDScott]

I have owned several 20Cal rifles, but never put a brake on one.
I have read the effectiveness of a brake on small caliber rifles,
is minute compared to larger calibers. LDS

 

[Wirelessguy2005]

I have put muzzle brakes on a number of my 20 Calibers and found that indeed makes a noticeable difference on the larger 20 Caliber cartridges such as the 20br, 20-250, 204 ruger and 20-223ai.

 

[Charles]

I have brakes on my 20 practical and a Vartarg i see every hit.

 

[1raggedhole]

We have a couple 223s w Witt machine clamp on brakes and the rifle doesn’t move. Would be even better on a 20 cal. I have had a number of 204 Rugers and none have needed a brake, but it can’t hurt!

 

[JASmith]

I had a very good muzzle brake on the upper for the 20 Grendel. It works well.

The brake softens the recoil enogh so that the only thing I really felt was the cycling of the action. The good news was that I could seek hits as close as ten yards from the mizzle!

The case capacity of the Grendel is about 34 gr of water.

Brakes depend on powder gas to work. Less gas means less effect.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

The brakes on 20 cals make a difference but not as much as you would expect. I was kinda upset when I found my 20 TAC still moved pretty good under recoil with a good brake. The best bet is to build a rifle with good weight to it. Adding a brake will help, just don't expect it to make a huge difference like it does on large center fire rounds.

It's kind of like ported barrels on handguns. I have a ported barrel on my 8-3/4" barrel 44 Magnum and a Glock 10mm Auto. If you blindfolded me, I'd be hard pressed to tell much of a difference between barrels with or without the ports.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Tried a brake on a .223 bolt gun. Found out it was a waste of time. Couldn't see much in the way of difference, At least, not as much as I was expecting. Might get more brake on a .204 Ruger. Just working on a smaller round till I got the results I was after. 15 to 18 pound rig makes a difference with a fence post stock. Not a pack gun but it doesn't move much, that's for sure.
Someone mentioned a "clamp on" brake? Might be worth a try rather than a threaded brake and you end up not liking it?

 

[rcol317]

Thanks for the input, sounds like the brakes on small calibers aren't as good as larger. I shot my 6X47 L today without a brake and my 6 mm AI with a brake and though the recoil still made a challenge to see shots it was far superior over the 6X47 with no brake. I shot several dogs and saw the action but had challenge seeing the misses. I'm going to do a little more checking before I send it off to my smith. Thanks Rick

 

[jepp2]

Any input would be appreciated.

What power are you using?

My reason for asking, is when I shoot prairie dogs I normally use 20-24 power. I have used Coopers in 223 and 204 Ruger. I need to put good pressure against the butt stock, but if I do I can see my hits.

When I shoot 20P in my AR, I use an A2 butt stock and put a 3 1/2 pound weight in the cavity. That combined with the lack of drop in the stock, it doesn't move when I shoot. The balance of the rifle is terrible, but it is like a death ray on dogs.

I would really hate to thread a Cooper barrel for a brake, for loss of resale value, but that's just me.

 

[rcol317]

Jepp2 That's my concern also, thought about maybe a heavier stock? I really noticed it after shooting the smaller cases and yes I just barely lean into the stock. I'm going to try again with more pressure on the butt.

 

[swd]

They make a noticable difference but you may find the increase in muzzle blast not worth it for high volume shooting

 

[jepp2]

Jepp2 That's my concern also, thought about maybe a heavier stock?

Both the Montana Varminter and the Phoenix stocks are really light. I refinished the MV stock, and I could have added weight under the butt pad, if I drilled out the stock. I have also searched for after market stocks and not found any. But like my 20P, you are really going to change the balance of the rifle. Last year I put 2500 rounds through the MV (223 using 40 gr bullets), and it seemed to work fine just putting firm pressure on the butt of the stock.

I hadn't used a brake before and put one on an AR with a 20" Criterion HBAR barrel. It was a very good brake and the rifle barely moved, but the blast was so objectionable, that I couldn't stand it.

 

[ratbuster]

I put a brake on a 20P, a friends 204R as well as a 223 for varmints. A brake reduces recoil noticeably for small calibers and definitely worth it to aid in seeing hits when zoomed in. It's always a nicer show to get "up close and personal".