Brake

[penrosepete]

Has anyone put a brake on his muzzel loader, if so how did it work?

 

[coloradoclyde]

It would make loading quite difficult....as well as cleaning....and would offer little if no advantage.

 

[Pete G]

I can't help but wonder ......Why :td:

 

[jamieorr]

What's a brake?

Jamie

 

[Grenadier1758]

I think the OP is asking about a muzzle brake (vents are cut in the barrel at the muzzle) to reduce recoil.

I would recommend that he load less powder.

 

[Artificer]

I think the OP is asking about a muzzle brake (vents are cut in the barrel at the muzzle) to reduce recoil.

I would recommend that he load less powder.

Indeed, there is always a target/accuracy that is to be found with less powder and provides really good accuracy. Then a larger charge can be found with good accuracy as well.

With my .45 caliber hand built rifle, the target/accuracy load is 42 1/2 grains of FFFg and the Hunting Load is 75 grains of FFFg. The recoil of the Target Load is pretty soft. The Hunting load is not quite as accurate as the Target load, but not enough difference to worry about for hunting mid size game. Most people don't feel the recoil when hunting, but that Hunting load is not bad at all.

Gus

 

[FishDFly]

Why not add a night vision scope with the muzzle brake and go 100 percent modern????????????

 

[coloradoclyde]

Why not add a night vision scope with the muzzle brake and go 100 percent modern????????????

Technically it's still a sidelock..... :haha:

 

[Scota4570]

Don't think you'll get many muzzle brake enthusiasts around here. On a ML it would be useless and stupid looking.

On modern rifles they make some of the really big stuff shootable, 50 BMG, 20mm Lathi, and such. Otherwise they just make you hated by other shooters and damage your hearing. I'm pretty deaf, it sucks, why do that to yourself or others?

They don't look cool.... IMHO. They just confirm the owners lack of knowledge and experience.

 

[Zonie]

The OP had a fair question but I don't see a need for a muzzle brake on a muzzle loading rifle.

I've shot some pretty "stiff" loads and yes, they did recoil quite a bit but they weren't unmanageable like many of the modern smokeless rounds can be.

As we "old timers" know, black powder burns slower and with less pressure than the modern stuff and that allows the recoil to be more of a hard "push" rather than the "slap" or "stomp", many modern cartridges deliver.
This is true even with large BP powder loads and heavy bullets.

I guess that's why I never heard of or even thought about putting a muzzle brake on a muzzle loader.

Now that I think about it, adding a muzzle brake could sure turn a nice looking traditional rifle into a really, butt ugly thing. :hmm:

:td:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Everyone is overlooking the obvious and the advantage of a muzzleloader....
If the recoil is to much to bear, Load it down.. decrease your granulation size, lighten your projectile or get a smaller caliber...
Simply put! A brake on a muzzleloader is like putting screen doors on a submarine.. :youcrazy:

 

[Pete G]

A muzzle break works by channeling high pressure gasses. It works well (except for the "loudener" effect) on rifles that have 60,000 psi breech pressures. A muzzle loading rifle usually works in the range of around 12-15,000 so it would not be very effective.

 

[44-henry]

When I was new to muzzle loading it might have been a question that I would have asked and as has been said, it was a fair question and deserved a fair, non-condescending answer. I hope we have not discouraged a new member by some of the responses that have been given.

 

[Michael Chambers]

When I was new to muzzle loading it might have been a question that I would have asked and as has been said, it was a fair question and deserved a fair, non-condescending answer. I hope we have not discouraged a new member by some of the responses that have been given.

I agree with that! When I first got my .54 cal Lyman Great Plains rifle (caplock), the significantly curved butt-plate was leaving my shoulder black and blue every time I shot it a few times, and I would have welcomed something like a muzzle brake that would be a little gentler on my shoulder. Then I finally learned to lean into rifle so that the butt-plate was more resting towards the top of my shoulder instead of on the front of it, and after that I could shoot it all day long in relative comfort. It was just a matter of me and the rifle getting to know one another.

 

[Zonie]

Yup.
A little knowledge can make all the difference in the world.

As you found, shooting those guns with deeply curved butt plates works best if the butt is located out away from the flat area at the front of your shoulder.

Actually, they work best if they are positioned out on the arm maybe 1/2 to 1 inch out away from the armpit.

OK. OK.
Back to the muzzle brake. :redface:

 

[coloradoclyde]

I assume you were asking about a traditional type muzzleloader.......

If you look on You Tube you will find a couple videos of guys with modern muzzleloaders that have installed brakes....
Since we don't discuss modern muzzleloaders I won't comment any further.....

Saved by the rules..... :wink:

 

[Scota4570]

The patch would hang up too.

 

[kaintuck]

my brakes work good on my rifles....it's the clutches I can't get adjusted to work right........ :rotf:

marc n tomtom