Questions On Installing a Factory Brake

I'm getting a buddies brand new Browning Hell's Canyon X-Bolt rifle up and running. It's a 28 Nosler. I rummaged around and fund enough components to load some shells for it, and we're getting close to blast-off.

It comes with a factory brake, and it's not installed. I thought I'd ask if there is anything I need to do besides screw it on and go shooting. Some of my questions are... should I use any lube or anti-seize? Maybe blue Loc-Tite?? How much torque? Should I stick a good fitting shaft or punch through two holes and seat it??

Thanks in advance for any advice. I've never owned a brake, and am interested in how much this thing will tame this very light-weight, cannon. jd

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Have you ever been around an Field Artillery Piece being fired with a brake installed? Just screw it on snugged up and shoot it and then figure out what to do.

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I would suggest you definitely apply anti-seize to the threads before screwing it in & snugging it up.

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Some brakes are “timetable” and some aren’t. The ones you time have a washer you use to turn the brake against and the ones you don’t time just turn down to the barrel. Neither one requires much tightening. DO use anti-seize. I have two brakes here I just bought for a 358 Win. One of each kind. Both are off and won’t be going back on. The recoil is quite manageable on this cartridge and the muzzle blast with the brake is horrible. I ended up just using a thread cover.

It will tame that 7mm rocket launcher a lot, but take it off for hunting- unless you wear ear protection. I've shot a 30-378 Weatherby both ways, ouch or huh? For days.

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Originally Posted by Texas by God

It will tame that 7mm rocket launcher a lot, but take it off for hunting- unless you wear ear protection. I've shot a 30-378 Weatherby both ways, ouch or huh? For days.

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I'm happy to hear that it may make quite a difference in recoil. Your response leads me to another question. Have you guys with brakes noticed much of a change in POI or group size when shooting with, verses without the brake? jd

Depending on length of barrel, some brakes can reduce 50% of the recoil.
Do not over tighten . If you apply to much torque you can actually squeeze the bore down.

And increase the perceived noise to this shooter multiple times, I'll take the thumpin! That's why I suggested just screw it on/off and then decide (I guess I assumed one would have minimally used an anti-seize as recommended above).

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Originally Posted by hoodat

I'm happy to hear that it may make quite a difference in recoil. Your response leads me to another question. Have you guys with brakes noticed much of a change in POI or group size when shooting with, verses without the brake? jd

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Both brakes I had opened the groups up marginally when on the gun. Both brakes raised the POI almost 11” when used on the gun. Between the noise and the higher POI I decided to take them off. The recoil isn’t all that bad to begin with. At least not on the .358 Win.

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Originally Posted by NSB

Both brakes I had opened the groups up marginally when on the gun. Both brakes raised the POI almost 11” when used on the gun. Between the noise and the higher POI I decided to take them off. The recoil isn’t all that bad to begin with. At least not on the .358 Win.

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This is a fairly long skinny barrel on this rifle, and I'd expect that anything to change the harmonics might make a difference. 11" change in elevation is pretty substantial. Especially if that was at 100 yds.
In the interests of science, I'd better compare weights of the thread protector to the brake. If I was making the system, I'd weight them the same. jd

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Originally Posted by hoodat

This is a fairly long skinny barrel on this rifle, and I'd expect that anything to change the harmonics might make a difference. 11" change in elevation is pretty substantial. Especially if that was at 100 yds.
In the interests of science, I'd better compare weights of the thread protector to the brake. If I was making the system, I'd weight them the same. jd

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I bought the second brake after the first one raised the POI substantially. I thought there must be something wrong with the brake. The second one did the same thing. I shot numerous groups with the brake on and then off. It was very repeatable each time. I’m no expert on brakes, these were the first two I’ve ever bought and used, but I’ve been shooting for many, many years and was quite surprised at my results. Yours may be different. My barrel was a 20” .860” dia barrel in .358Win. I tried it with several different bullet and powder combinations and it was repeatable with each test. The barrel is extremely accurate but between the tremendous muzzle blast back at the shooter and the increased change in POI, I just went with the thread protector. I don’t know if anyone else has observed this phenomenon, but it exists on my gun with two different brakes.

I noticed the same thing with my SAKO 270 Win. Group size stayed the same, but POI moved a couple of inches at 100 meters. I replaced the brake with a suppressor, and strangely enough, the POI shifted less with suppressor/no suppressor than it did with brake/no brake. Without the suppressor the rifle is dead-on at 100 meters and about 1-1/2" higher with the suppressor.
Now, logic would have that the impact should be lower with a fairly heavy suppressor weighing the barrel down, but there you are...