muzzel brake to bullet clearances

[buzzmagoo]

So here's the thing how tight should I go ? Say it's 223 and I go say 228 a difference of . 05.( this is just a spit ball figure/ measure) at a stand off distance from crown to inside of the brake of say inch and three quarters. Also the in side edge of the brake should it be beveled ,squared or a radius? My final caliber choice should be 338 Lapua. Any in sights on barrel lengths? Over what length will it become a hinderence? A longer barrel will a slower rifling be better ? This is my first rifle build thanks for any information .

 

[guntech]

The barrel should be threaded concentric with the bore, the brake then fitted to the barrel and bored concentric 20 thou over bullet diameter for best accuracy and efficiency. Pre-threaded barrels and finished brakes usually require a bit more more clearance due to the sloppiness. I have seen some home made brake/installs so bad they required 50 thou clearance.

 

[Schecter 81]

Agreed, typically we aim for 20-30 thou clearance on a properly installed brake. You will find the "pre-fabricated" brakes have significantly increased clearances that decrease the overall efficiency of the brake. Example, the factory Savage 110BA brakes for the 30 calibers are bored to 40 caliber. Likely for liability reasons.