How important is Muzzle Brake Timing?

[harry_x1]

I have a 33xc chambered barrel in which I shoot 300 grain bergers at 3100 fps. Just installed a new brake. It is at an angle of 20%. To time it, I will have to use a washer. However I wonder, how important it is to time a muzzle brake perfectly? Does it impact percision, ES/SD something etc? If it is not going to have a big impact on precision and SDs, then I would like to avoid the labor .... looking for inputs from those with experience/view on this....

 

[Hawk in WY]

My only experience is with a loose muzzle brake which I can confirm definitely does have a big impact on accuracy.

As to 20 degrees off it will look odd which would justify fixing it in my judgment.

More importantly, it will affect how the rifle behaves under recoil which particularly with magnum calibers will affect your ability to shoot consistently.

One less thing to worry about is a good thing.

Good luck.

 

[Huskydriver]

It will change the recoil impulse into you and the muzzle will jump

 

[xciapup]

I have a 33xc chambered barrel in which I shoot 300 grain bergers at 3100 fps. Just installed a new brake. It is at an angle of 20%. To time it, I will have to use a washer. However I wonder, how important it is to time a muzzle brake perfectly? Does it impact percision, ES/SD something etc? If it is not going to have a big impact on precision and SDs, then I would like to avoid the labor .... looking for inputs from those with experience/view on this....

Also consider your torque value. Lower end of torque range, rockset.

Accu-Washer® Muzzle Device Alignment System

Precision Armament Accu-Washer Muzzle Alignment System - accurately index muzzle brake, flash hider, suppressor, compensator with perfect bore alignment ...

precisionarmament.com

You may have to use a pyramid grinder so your washer sits flat on the shoulder.

 

[smoothy8500]

Fire it and report back. Everyone else is giving scientific wild azz guesses.

 

[DAMNKID]

Your shooting a 33xc and worried about the cost of labor to properly time a muzzle brake.

 

[Bender]

Just buy a can and join us civilized society. Thanks.

 

[Haney]

20 degrees with this design may matter ?

Or no worries with this style .

I have never tested this ,I just use peel washers to time them .

 

[Rob01]

Sell that brake and get a good self timing brake. Make your like easier.

 

[harry_x1]

Your shooting a 33xc and worried about the cost of labor to properly time a muzzle brake.

Did I use the word 'cost'?

 

[DocRDS]

It's gonna throw off your follow thru.

 

[Ronws]

This is literally the first time anyone has doubted the necessity of timing a brake that I have ever seen or heard of. Ever.

As the projectile exits the barrel, the gases are also escaping and thanks to Newton, force is being applied back to the rifle. The recoil impulse is felt as the projectile exits the muzzle. A brake allows some of the gas to escape to the sides and it is a physical force of gases moving. Momentito while I sidewind to a compensator.

A compensator will allow gas to exit out of the top and therefore combat muzzle rise or muzzle flip. So, a 20 % canted ejection ports on a brake could cause an increase in muzzle rise and it would also be off-axis. I leave it to others to draw their own force vector diagrams.

Also, I cannot understand the inability to withstand the "rigors" of timing the brake. I get a pack of crush washers with ASR brakes. Make it an enjoyable evening of trying out different washers and combinations. Sip some whiskey. Piss off of some people in SH. How can you not have fun with that?

 

[Baron23]

Sell that brake and get a good self timing brake. Make your like easier.

This ^^....it baffles me (which, admittedly, ain't that hard to do) that people are still struggling with peel washers and similar when there are great self-timing brakes out there.

 

[Huskydriver]

This ^^....it baffles me (which, admittedly, ain't that hard to do) that people are still struggling with peel washers and similar when there are great self-timing brakes out there.

Because most of us aren't uncivilized heathens and shoot supressed...

 

[shoobe01]

If you are getting stuff custom cut anyway, you give the muzzle device to the barrel threading guy, he cuts the shoulder to match and you just crank it on till straight. Check torque, but if he's any good, you are solid.

(I never never rocksett etc. Proper torque is plenty, even for rotationally removed QD suppressors on the brake, etc).

If you need to shim, I like the Surefire ones. I have no SF brakes or cans, but they have a real nice kit of sizes and most of all small diameter; way too many others are very wide so the shims stick out past the barrel on many profiles, or even get hit by the wrench for the brake on some designs.

 

[Haney]

This ^^....it baffles me (which, admittedly, ain't that hard to do) that people are still struggling with peel washers and similar when there are great self-timing brakes out there.

Baffles my mind people can't fix shit for themselves . A peel washer causes you a struggle .

 

[DocRDS]

Because most of us aren't uncivilized heathens and shoot supressed...

Hey my QD Can uses a brake so it's a nessecary skill.

But I still time them with those nasty $5 washer kits from brownells. I mean even I couldn't f that up

 

[stanley_white]

Because most of us aren't uncivilized heathens and shoot supressed...

I am doubly uncivilized as I enjoy my brake perfectly timed with Accu-Washers.



-Stan

 

[chevy_man]

Depends on the angle.

Watched an interview with Stoner awhile back where he talked about the A2 flash hider. He actually designed it to be able to cant it left or right for left or right handed shooters. Allowed the slight push to be lined into your support hand.

It would depend on the brake design how critical it is.

 

[hlee]

I read somewhere about some guys (maybe just one guy?) who intentionally offset the muzzle brake ports in order to counteract the rotational forces that the spinning bullet imparts onto the rifle. Like, a heavy bullet being rapidly accelerated to 300,000 rpm will torque the rifle in the opposite direction of the rifling. Those pesky equal and opposite forces…

I don’t know. I use accu-washers to time my brakes. Except for the self timing brakes that use their own jam-nuts to accomplish the same task.

For my money, the accu-washers are the easier solution as I seem to always battle the self timing brake spinning off-level as I tighten the jam nut. The accu-washers are a bit more fiddly to find the correct size. But, once you identify the best one, apply some thread locker and screw it on.

 

[DocRDS]

Well you want the gun to do minimal movement. I think its the lil bastard (Area 419--self timed btw) that has tiny ports you can turn off and o n with set screws. The idea was for your muzzle to have minimal up down, and NO left right movement.

But I'm guessing 20 degrees off center is imparting a fair amoung of torque or push in a direction not anticipated. That muzzle be going where it wants.

MY OCD gets me when i can't get it perfectly level, anything beyond 5 degrees and I might have to be committed.

 

[Rob01]

Also a large round like that with a port facing towards the ground will send a huge dust cloud up.

 

[Bandit320]

I don’t think a conventional muzzle brake at an angle would counteract rotational forces, all the ports are aligned with the bore. The adjustable ports on the Lil Bastard are off set with the axis of the bore so they might provide some rotational effect.