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Help Selecting Muzzle Brake Thread Diameter

Its the weekend and I want to order a muzzle brake. My gunsmith is enjoying his free time so I am looking for help from experienced gunsmiths on this site if you would all be so kind.

I have a large 338 caliber rifle that I would like to outfit with a Harrels Tactical brake. My wildcat chambering matches the ballistics of the 340 WBY or 330 Dakota. Even though the recoil is manageable due to the heavy weight of the rifle, it is still very punishing to my shoulder. I plan on cutting the weight of the rifle by going to a lighter laminate wood sporter stock so it is easier to hike with in the mountains. This of course will make recoil even worse. I am not normally a fan of muzzle brakes on hunting rifles, but I think it is my only choice. So...

I will be ordering a 1" Harrels Tactical brake. I chose the Tactical model to help minimize ground debris disturbance caused by muzzle blast.

The exact muzzle diameter on my barrel is 0.8370"

Of course the bore is 0.338"

Harrels thread listings for 1" brakes are:
5/8 - 24 = 0.625" Thread diameter
11/16 - 32 = 0.6875" Thread diameter
3/4 - 24 or 32 = 0.750" Thread Diameter

The brake will maintain its 1" diameter and be abruptly tapered down to the muzzle diameter at the rear. While taking into consideration my muzzle diameter and bore diameter:
Which thread size would you choose to maintain maximum barrel metal around the bore, yet still have enough depth for threads and facing the barrel to fit a brake?

Thank you so much.
 
Nathan is in idaho, is a member and participant on this forum and makes all his stuff right here in america and it actually works. Just a suggestion from somebody that has used em both is all- no hard feelings!
 
If you think the tactical break kicks up less dust, your in for a surprise. Maybe come back at you from a different direction is all. I am a firm believer in equal gas distribution.
I favor the Harrell's radial brakes. Lynwood and crew are great folks. You might even get Dennis Adams to install it.
Nat Lambeth
 
Always go with the largest thread diamater the barrel will accomodate. 3/4 in this case. There isn't much difference between 24 and 32. 32 will be a little harder to time (.001" is more degrees of turn) and 24 is more standard and will be easier to resell so I'd go with 24.

I just installed a Fat Bastard for a customer. They are excellent and will tame a 338. I have on on my own 338. I have a new barrel coming for it and bought a muzzlebrakesandmore.com 5 port brake for it. Looks very nice and it is big enough to be effective. I'm looking forward to testing it but like what I've seen so far. Threads aren't as pretty as a brake that costs 3x as much and your gunsmith may mention it but the threads aren't under stress.

--Jerry

PS I can't disagree with Nat's comments above. I shoot my 338 on my belly in the desert and don't want to dig a trench under the muzzle. I haven't tried Harrels large 4 port brakes but I may order one tomorrow.
 
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I have a couple Harrell's tactical brakes on a couple different rifles, and i'm very pleased with them. Very fair price also.
 
I have a couple Harrell's tactical brakes on a couple different rifles, and i'm very pleased with them. Very fair price also.

I like them as well. This isn't my first Harrels Tactical brake. I have one on a varmint rifle and really like it. I've also used a couple of Lynwood's radial brakes on varmint and target rifles with excellent results. Great products.

This is just the smallest barrel and largest bore I will have mounted a brake on so I was not sure on thread size. There's no questioning the quality of Lynwood's brakes.
 
Waited and talked to my gunsmith today since I didnt get a whole lot of opinions on this subject. He said 11/16" threads would be MAX because he wasn't comfortable with the small amount of shoulder surface the 3/4" threads would leave on the .837" muzzle to tighten the brake against.

I appreciate the insight, but I have to go with my guy. I will be using 11/16-32 threads.
 
Gotta go with what he wants to do! Ask him how much contact area a bat M has on the shoulder tho (and we hang 32" straight barrels off them)
 

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