Load change with/without muzzle brake

[patriot07]

If you have a load worked up without a brake, will it usually shoot fine if you add a brake? Shooting a Tikka CTR 6.5 CM with a 24" barrel.

 

[10ring1]

Anything you put on the end of a barrel is going to change harmonics. May have to adjust your load. Might work the other direction and give u more accuracy too

 

[Milo 2.5]

Anything you put on the end of a barrel is going to change harmonics. May have to adjust your load. Might work the other direction and give u more accuracy too

A brake rarely messes up a load, just try it. Though it is best to test with what you plan on running as a muzzle treatment, brake or a can.

 

[FCS]

Majority of time a brake will give you a slight change in POI, will cause you to rezero scope but not change accuracy of load.

Ideally, load would be developed in actual configuration that rifle will be used to fire the ammunition. If you see a huge shift in accuracy of load, might want to make sure you haven't gotten too crazy on torquing down brake to barrel (self timing brake w/locking nut), that brake is not concentric to bore which could be due to threads on muzzle or in brake.

What Milo 2.5 said.

 

[Rust]

I have two rifles with brakes. The loads for each were developed prior to the installation of brakes. The accuracy of one rifle stayed the same with a small shift in POI, while the accuracy of the .338 improved slightly with a small shift in POI. The older I get the more sensitive to recoil I get. But I wear double hearing protection, plugs and muffs to keep what hearing I have left.

 

[patriot07]

Thanks for the replies. I've had some accuracy issues with my Tikka CTR. It used to shoot everything good but now I'm going back and forth with the brake trying to figure out what the problem is. When I first put the brake on a few months ago and shot groups, it was the best that gun had ever shot. Then it started shooting bad so I pulled the brake off and it started shooting better all of a sudden. Ended up re-doing some load development this weekend with the brake off, and wondering how likely it is to mess it up if I put the brake back on. Sounds like the answer is, "probably fine, but I need to check to be sure." Thanks for the responses!