VAIS Muzzle Brakes?

[HighCountry10]

I am considering sending my rifle off to Texas to VAIS Arms to get their Muzzle Brake installed on my Browning A-Bolt Stalker in the 300WSM.  This muzzle brake is suppose to be the quietest muzzle brake available,cuts recoil for 300WSM by 50%, and most of all eliminates to aggressive "hopping" this rifle has upon recoil.  Sean at Hooked On Toys in Wenatchee reccomended them and said he has been very pleased with the many rifles they have sent off to them. 

Any opinions or information aboout muzzle brakes in general or this muzzle brake specifically that anyone has would be greatly appreciated.

[DeKuma]

I owuld be interested to know this as well.  My Tikka T3 in 300WSM is a mule, and "flips" the muzzle pretty good!  Sims recoil pad made it about 40% better though!

[tlbradford]

IMO, muzzle brakes should only be installed on range rifles.  They are just to loud and dangerous to your hearing in hunting situations, especially if you are hunting with a partner.  Even the ones billed as "quiet".  Have you ever really noticed the recoil of any rifle when you have been hunting?

[GoldTip]

If you haven't tried installing a Sims recoil pad, you should try that first, before you add a set of sissy slots to the front of your rifle.  (Just kidding bout the sissy slots).  I have a sims pad on my 325 wsm in browning stainless stalker and it doesn't kick bad at all.  My buddy also has a sims pad on his 300wsm stainless stalker and he's fairly recoil sensitive, and he shoots it from the bench just fine.

[high country]

I have a few rifles and I can say that if you hunt solo a brake may be up your alley, but if you hunt with anyone.......ever, you are gonna get punched by your pards. sure muzzle brakes are not "louder".....but they are operating in a whole new frequency range. 130 db's at 30hz is loud.....130db's at 15K hz is painfull.

brakes are for cars and target guns. a bunch of felt recoil could be your stocks shape, or your technique. I have owned the hardest recoiling rifle most guys will ever touch and never noticed it in the field, on the bench I just snuggle up with a bag of shot between me and the rifle.

[HighCountry10]

In regards to recoil pads I already have a Pacmeyer, how does this one compare to the Sims?

[ICEMAN]

My cousin touched off his brand new custom made 7mm mag on an elk a few years back, muzzle break and all. He missed the shot, and walked around all day with ringing ears, couldn't hear crap. At dark he zipped up the rifle in it's case and was done with it. He had never shot the rifle without muffs on.  He finished the hunt with his old 06'.

[actionshooter]

In regards to recoil pads I already have a Pacmeyer, how does this one compare to the Sims?

IMO Sims is hands down better

[jackelope]

IMO Sims is hands down better

i have them on 3 shotguns and my a-bolt 30-06 after trying a few different pads on my shotguns. they ahve helped my shooting greatly, especially on the a-bolt. maybe i'm sensitive to recoil, but that abolt kicks like a frickin mule...not too bad for me with the sims pad. 300 rounds a day throught the 12 gauge doesn't bother me at all either.

[actionshooter]

Thier local also, There in Shelton Wa.

[high country]

the pachmeyer would be better on a really light rifle or a super magnum, it is much firmer than the sims. on any rifle in the 8lb 300win class the sims is WAY better.

[WDFW-SUX]

I have a few rifles and I can say that if you hunt solo a brake may be up your alley, but if you hunt with anyone.......ever, you are gonna get punched by your pards. sure muzzle brakes are not "louder".....but they are operating in a whole new frequency range. 130 db's at 30hz is loud.....130db's at 15K hz is painfull.

brakes are for cars and target guns. a bunch of felt recoil could be your stocks shape, or your technique. I have owned the hardest recoiling rifle most guys will ever touch and never noticed it in the field, on the bench I just snuggle up with a bag of shot between me and the rifle.

I have a 338-378 Wby that kicks harder than almost any gun out there. It actually kicks harder than the 378Wby my cousin has. I have shot my gun twice without the break and it sucks.  If someone is man enough to shoot it without one my hat is off to them

I have a 375 ulta mag and did not have a break on it for a while but decided it was worth it. It improved the muzzle jump alot and now the gun kicks like a 300Win mag.

I shoot a 300Wby and dont think it kicks at all and it is a ultralight.

[high country]

you don't have to be all that manly, like I said, snuggle up with a bag of shot on the bench. if you have to have a brake to shoot in the field perhaps you might need to shoot from the prone once into the wind.....that would be enough to fix most guys.....unless you hunt in goggles.

how many times have you shot the braked 338 w/o plugs in?

[WDFW-SUX]

I've shot my 338 twice without. Only reason to shoot any gun without is when your trying to kill something otherwise I use plugs and muffs on any gun I shoot.

I know people who hunt with ear protection even for guns without a break.

[257 Wby Mag]

Back when the 338 RUM came out 00-01? the pard and I ran out and bought 2. Mine was a 700 LSS, his a 700 Stainless Synthetic. I started loading some 225 partitions with alot of RL25, figured they were just what we were needing for bear.They were, but they kicked so god damn hard,it turned us both into trigger jerking idiots.A local gunsmith recommended Ron Bartletts Vias "quiet" brake, we both had them installed. " any competent gunsmith can install one, no need to send it to Texas". Long story short, they weren't much, if any quieter than a boss, kdf, of Weatherby Accubrake, the recoil reduction wasn't near advertised either. Needless to say, both hit the next gun show never to be seen again. They are also ugly as hell and 2'' on to your barrel. I think I would try a pad, either a Sims or a Decellerator, alot cheaper too. Later