Muzzle brake ??'s

[snowpack]

It depends a lot on the rifle and the brake design.  Some brakes only reduce a little bit of recoil, some significantly.  Same thing with noise/blast.  A rifle that is really loud to begin with might only have 1-2 decibels added and they will be much more noticeable than a rifle that has mild blast with the same change in sound.

[RB]

My two fears are:

1.  taking a perfectly good shooting rifle and messing up the barrel
2.  taking an extremely accurate rifle and reducing it's accuracy.  This rifle had two shots (from me) sub 3/4" at 300 yards off a bench....it is a dream to shoot and probably one of the most accurate rifles I have owned.   It will shoot sub 1/2" all day long at 100 yards.

What I would like to gain

1.  A rifle she likes to shoot more (i.e. less recoil) even though she likes shooting it now as it is.   She will usually put 15 rounds through it every time we take it to the range.  The recoil doesn't bother her...however that is one of her biggest fears.  If that makes sense??
2.  Would also consider braking a .270 to get recoil down to a .243 so she could shoot elk / bear with a .270.

I think you would be better off leaving that rifle alone. You could handload mild ammunition for your wife. If she can't shoot mild ammunition out of a 243, I don't a break will be of much value.

Breaks increase muzzle blast (noise) significantly. Many shooters have flinch issues from noise more than recoil. If you increase noise with a mild caliber you may be going backwards.

I had a break and a Decelerator pad put on my .300 Win/Mag and developed one hell of a flinch! Took a couple hundred rounds to get over it, BUT it shoots better and recoil is nice not sure if I would do it again probably should have stuck with 30-06 I can shoot it well with out a break and I don't piss off the guy sitting next to me at the range because of the muzzle blast 
 

[Jim the Plumber]

My two fears are:

1.  taking a perfectly good shooting rifle and messing up the barrel
2.  taking an extremely accurate rifle and reducing it's accuracy.  This rifle had two shots (from me) sub 3/4" at 300 yards off a bench....it is a dream to shoot and probably one of the most accurate rifles I have owned.   It will shoot sub 1/2" all day long at 100 yards.

What I would like to gain

1.  A rifle she likes to shoot more (i.e. less recoil) even though she likes shooting it now as it is.   She will usually put 15 rounds through it every time we take it to the range.  The recoil doesn't bother her...however that is one of her biggest fears.  If that makes sense??
2.  Would also consider braking a .270 to get recoil down to a .243 so she could shoot elk / bear with a .270. 

 

I have / had piles of rifles with brakes and with out.
One issue with brakes is the increase in noise to the point of inducing a flinch in a novice shooter.
 Shooting from the bench tends to recoil more than proper prone shooting.
Get a quality mat and rear bag with a good bi pod that swivels ( http://www.midwayusa.com/product/155546/harris-s-brm-bipod-leg-notch-sling-swivel-stud-mount-6-to-9-black ) and good shooting technique will limit a lot of recoil all by it self.
 When teaching a novice shooter,  I have switch from braked rifles to suppressed  or no braked when possible.
 On the heavies when I don't have a can for a particular rifle, I will still run a brake.
If you do decide to brake her 243, have Travis @ R Bros do it as he is with out a doubt the best in the pacific northwest.
Also look at the Defensive Edge brake. A side discharge brake is the only way to go unless you plan on only bench shooting the rifle.
 I see you are in Wenatchee, I'd more than happy to meet you at the range and let you test run a suppressed rifle.

[jackelope]

I had a Defensive Edge brake installed on my .300 Win Mag barrel for my TC Encore. It had a brake on it when I purchased it and whoever installed it, seemingly did it with their eyes closed. I replaced it with the DE brake. It shoots sooooo nice but it is loud. I can watch target hits through the scope without losing sight of it. My buddy's kid has been shooting it from age 11 and he's 15 now. He loves it, and is terrified of his dad's 7mm Rem Mag.

[Bob33]

Ammunition can really make such a big difference. I've had my children ages 6 and 7 at the time shoot 300 Magnums and 30-06s with no issues, but using very mild ammunition.

[yorketransport]

I've had good and bad brakes, mostly on handguns. Sometimes it's not just the noise, but the concussion from the brake which will cause you to flinch.

Andrew

[700xcr]

http://www.wittmachine.net/
Anyone seen or used one of these?

POA would change if you remove the brake. If you kept it on all the time it would be fine. Removing or adding to the barrel will change harmonic balance (barrel osculation}and that changes POA.

[tbotts]

I had a muzzle break on a 35 whelen and did not like it.  It did tame recoil, but the noise increase was just not worth it. I was using a vais break. 
I had my gunsmith install a mercury recoil reducer in the stock, and remove the break.  The recoil is still reduced to manageable levels.  I would recommend that before a break.
Plus, shooting at the range with a break on your gun will not only be loud for you, but for the other shooters as well.  Use reduced loads for your wife in the 243.  Also, a shooting pad that straps on your shoulder will help with the recoil. 

[jackelope]

Loud happens at gun ranges.

[elkaholic123]

Loud happens at gun ranges.

     

[brush hunter]

I would go with mag-na port         http://magnaport.com/

[Heredoggydoggy]

I put a brake/flash hider on my 6mmX6.8 SPC AR, mainly for the looks, and it annoyed a shooter sitting beside me at the range, because a lot of the blast went sideways.  A friend of mine hunts on horseback and won't shoot a rifle with a brake around the horses.  They do help the recoil on a big gun, but on a small bore (6mm is .243 cal.) I think it's unnecessary.  A good Limbsaver buttpad would probably do more good.