Roedale Precision muzzle brake

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F22_RaptoR

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So I was finally able to get some pics of the Roedale Precision muzzle brake I ordered from them! Haven't even taken it out yet, I'll be very curious to see how the noise and felt recoil compares to the gun with no brake, and compared to the SAKO muzzle brake.

Unfortunately the AI DBM's they sell, they are having issues with their manufacturer Alutek, so they shipped the brake to me first and they will get the DBM once they start up their in-house production!

So on with the muzzle brake!

Right off the bat, you can see how aggressive it is! Ports are angled back at 30*. One other noticeable feature is the stainless baffle insert in the very front, which essentially tailors the brake to the caliber you are shooting. The baffle isn't just a small "washer" either, as you can see in the following images, it protrudes into the second baffle chamber quite a bit! Very strange at first glance, but after a bit of thought, is part of why it's such an effective brake (so I have heard anyways). Sort of like the suppressor baffles in a Reflex Suppressor, it should strip away nearly ALL the expanding gasses - except for what is directly behind the bullet - and direct them into the backwards angles baffles to 'thrust' the brake forwards and eliminate a good portion of the guns felt recoil. It is also completely closed on the bottom to reduce any dust kickup, and keep the gun from jumping up at all under recoil.

The brake is actually quite light compared to the SAKO brake, and definitely shorter, although not into the realm of a "compact" brake I was originally looking for, it's definitely light enough to not kill the balance of the gun when using it as a brush gun (as per the fibre optic sights), however due to how loud it's going to be, would be recommended to take it off when in the bush.

Overall profile, you can see the brake isn't particularly big compared to the gun with 20" barrel.
rpbrake1.jpg


Good overall shot of the brake, not super thick and bulky like the SAKO brake is, also flat on the top and bottom, so it's super easy to level when installing it. You can see the small set screw in the top, which is for the supplied screw to use with a mirage strap. The set screw keeps the threads clean and safe when using the mirage strap isn't wanted or needed.
rpbrake2.jpg


Closer to the brake, you can see how much the baffle insert extends into the brake, and that it's quite a tight fit for a .30 cal bullet (much moreso than the SAKO brake again)
rpbrake3.jpg


MACRO SHOTS! Shows how fine the machining is, the baffle insert is incredibly finely finished, and should almost provide the same accuracy effects as a suppressor does: should be beneficial to getting rid of the gasses which can cause bullets to destabilize. You can also see how the first baffle has a large hole, which should balance the blast coming out of each chamber. The first chamber gets rid of the large volume of high pressure gas, the second chamber will strip away the remaining lower pressure gasses.
rpbrake4.jpg


Lastly a closer shot into the baffle/chamber with the stainless steel insert. Machining is very precise and well finished except for some very minor tooling marks on the large flat surfaces, which is almost only noticeable under a camera like this.
rpbrake5.jpg





Overall the brake itself was about 200 bucks shipped and to my door, when you look at the pricing they don't include the 19% tax if you're an international order, so it was about 155 Euro's shipped (about 200 CDN), which is on par with the Grizzly Gunworks brake, or the SAKO brake.


I will hopefully be doing a not-so-scientific comparison to the SAKO brake, just to see how well this brake performs with the SS insert.
 
Thank you guys!

.284, I'm definitely looking forward to see how it compares to the SAKO as well!


pickeringchris, This is a Tikka T3 Tactical, with a 20 inch barrel in .308 Win. As this is my first centefire "rifle" caliber rifle, I wanted something I could have multiple uses for. Even with the heavy contour barrel, it's still actually quite light and handy because the stock is so light! With the Iron sights added, I can take the scope off with the American Defense QR mount and use it as a brush gun or for hiking camping out in the wilderness, the detachable mags make it a lot nicer as you can carry loaded mags for critters and have the rifle totally unloaded until you need it. As for a "precision" rifle role, as this is totally new to me, this gun is a great learning platform, although the shorter barrel will limit its ultimate range, I'm only looking to go out to 5 or 600 yards with it, if I can do that then I can always upgrade to a semi-custom gun that's a little more dedicated to target shooting!

Clobbersauras, Thanks! The insert is press fit into the brake from the inside. It's hard to see, but with a micrometer it's wider on the /| |\ slanted portion that's protruding into the gun is at least 12mm at the point of measure (i can't get my micrometer in all the way, so it's probably 14mm or 15mm in diameter at the base) and the portion that sticks through the brake is about 11.5mm, so there is a physical barrier from it being 'pushed' out when firing.

a quick little diagram of what it looks like: (obviously the proportions are going to be a little different, again I can't get my micrometer inside it to get an exact measurement)

tempxy.jpg
 
noneck180 said:
It just clamps on right? how do you get the brake ports straight?? level the gun then level the brake..
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It threads on then clamps onto the threading to prevent it from rotating around, exact same as the SAKO muzzle brake, but it has 2 screws so you "tighten" it like a scope ring, bit by bit on each side. Much easier than the SAKO trying to judge how much it will "rotate" when you clamp the 1 screw down.

You can get a "clamp on" style (which has 4 screws - 2 on each side) however there have been reports of them launching off because they cause so much forwards pressure, so I would STRONGLY recommend getting a barrel threaded and then the screw on style, rather than a clamp only.

Since my scope has a bubble level which I did a very meticulous leveling job on (as well as the scope to the rings) all I had to do was level the gun with the bubble level on the scope, and then use my little bubble level on the brake to get it leveled, easy peasy!
 
Thanks F22. awesome setup. I am waiting on delivery of my first Tikka, a varmint in ss .204. obviously I have no need for a MB but I look forward to your review as I am planning my 2nd purchase already. Something 270-300 cal.
 
pickeringchris said:
Thanks F22. awesome setup. I am waiting on delivery of my first Tikka, a varmint in ss .204. obviously I have no need for a MB but I look forward to your review as I am planning my 2nd purchase already. Something 270-300 cal.
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Glad I could help! And thank you I love this thing! :D

I wouldn't worry about needing a brake for a .204 either, however you can always get it threaded for 1/2x28 (AR15 thread pitch) and put a small compensator on if you need to spot your shots better, but the Varmints are pretty good and heavy (heavier profile barrel than the Tac) so probably not needed at all.

I'm really excited about the bottom metal, so I can use the 10-round AI mags (2 on order from Wolverine)! The factory Tikka mags don't really like longer heavier bullets because of the "blocks" inside them, and I've already had to limit my OAL because of the mags. When the DBM comes in I'll hopefully be doing an extensive how-to on those, we'll see how it goes.
 
The factory Tikka mags don't really like longer heavier bullets because of the "blocks" inside them, and I've already had to limit my OAL because of the mags.
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Have you tried using a .30-06 magazine? Should allow you to use longer rounds?


Nice looking brake. Much better than the 'pop can on a stick' look of the Sako brake ;) . It would look nicer if the did a manganese finish instead of zinc so it matched the barrel but nice looking none the less. :)
 
*MALICE* said:
Have you tried using a .30-06 magazine? Should allow you to use longer rounds?


Nice looking brake. Much better than the 'pop can on a stick' look of the Sako brake ;) . It would look nicer if the did a manganese finish instead of zinc so it matched the barrel but nice looking none the less. :)
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Didn't actually think of trying the longer magazine, but I'd need the longer bolt stop for it, and the AI mags are really nice especially to get the 10 rounders :D (and I think the bottom metal comes with the proper length bolt stop)

There are a bunch finishes you can get from the webshop, I just got the parked finish, they have a couple (like Ceracoted Black) as well as matte black blued and the TiAlN (Titanium-Aluminum-Nitride) which I'm not really sure what the colour IS on that, it's described as a 'dark anthrocite'
 
but I'd need the longer bolt stop for it
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.......you know, I never even noticed that before. I just assumed since it's a long action you could slap the '06 mag in and you could load longer. I didn't realize that the bolt stop actually stopped it from going back further than the block in the magazine. :)
 
What is the bore size of that stainless insert? What you are going to find is that the tip of the insert will get peened by the high velocity plasma. That will cause the bore to close up somewhat. I that bore is too tight to begin with it could cause "bullet strikes" which totally destroy all accuracy.

FWIW a conical baffle is not nearly so efficient at stripping off high velocity has as you might think. It can only really affect the outside surface of the gas jet. Otherwise the gas jet tends to flow straight forward without being affected. That's the reason conical baffles are not used much in silencers these days.
 
*MALICE* said:
.......you know, I never even noticed that before. I just assumed since it's a long action you could slap the '06 mag in and you could load longer. I didn't realize that the bolt stop actually stopped it from going back further than the block in the magazine. :)
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They have 3 different "action" lengths for the Tikkas (all actually the same action length, but the ejection port and bolt stop are different), the difference between the 'long' and 'medium' actions is about 3/16ths or 1/4" or so, in a worst case scenario you could always grind and cut away material on the bolt stop to increase the bolt pull to cycle rounds properly.


Suputin said:
What is the bore size of that stainless insert? What you are going to find is that the tip of the insert will get peened by the high velocity plasma. That will cause the bore to close up somewhat. I that bore is too tight to begin with it could cause "bullet strikes" which totally destroy all accuracy.

FWIW a conical baffle is not nearly so efficient at stripping off high velocity has as you might think. It can only really affect the outside surface of the gas jet. Otherwise the gas jet tends to flow straight forward without being affected. That's the reason conical baffles are not used much in silencers these days.
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When I checked it was about .35" versus about .38 for the Sako brake (can't remember off hand). I'm not nearly experienced enough to know about that kind of fluid dynamics, Roedale 'states' they have tested dozens of other brakes to see what attributes work and what don't, and worked with the "university of applied science" in Osnabruch, Germany to get the design worked out, however I suppose the proof will be in the pudding, so to speak when I see what kind of POI/POA changes it causes, and to see how the groups are effected. As well as how long it takes to cause any noticeable erosion, I think I will actually try and keep a log and see how many shots get put through the brake to measure that! Seeing what the gas piston on the Benelli MR1 looks like I can understand how quickly something can get eroded.

And also for erosion, that's definitely one thing that limits the life of a muzzle brake, so that's probably why they are 'press fit' in, so they can be removed and replaced and extend the lifetime of the brake. Also, I will assume that it's a much harder stainless steel, that would resist erosion from the hot gasses, but of course this is all guessing on my part, it could be a simple cheap material, but considering the quality of the components I do doubt that :p . I remember reading a few months ago when I first considered ordering it, there was a shop in the US that imported some of the Roedale stuff, and they would press out, and replace the insert for 30 bucks or so.
 
That conical insert is an interesting part. Not sure if I would ever bother as I feel anything that obstructs gases from leaving a brake is bad.

I think you will find the rearward vent angle to be far more productive at recoil control then the insert. The brake is nice and wide so that is a positive.

The 0.350" hole should be plenty big - arguably too big - to have bullet strike. Now having the insert press fit makes me nervous because any part that can move WILL. There is a crap load of pressure at your brake given the shorter barrel length. The expanding gas does not flow the same way every time. That means the insert is going to get bashed around some. If that steel can peen, it will so keep an eye for any loosening with use. If that insert now moves around, doesn't take much to obstruct that exit hole. Likely why they went so big to begin with.

I think you will be happy with the brake and the finish is indeed nice. Will it be better? I doubt it - rear venting brakes are not new and there is only so many ways to vent gas.

Could it be hard on you? only 1 way to find out. Some rear facing brakes leave little concussion to the shooter. Others are horrid.

Be careful not to tighten the clamp too much. choking off the muzzle can have negative effects on the bullet. Why clamp on brakes are not used very often in precision shooting where rules allow for brakes.

Love to hear how it works out for you.

Did you look down the bore to see if there was clearance out the front of the brake ie nothing metallic in the bullets path?
Jerry
 
Mystic Precision said:
That conical insert is an interesting part. Not sure if I would ever bother as I feel anything that obstructs gases from leaving a brake is bad.

I think you will find the rearward vent angle to be far more productive at recoil control then the insert. The brake is nice and wide so that is a positive.

The 0.350" hole should be plenty big - arguably too big - to have bullet strike. Now having the insert press fit makes me nervous because any part that can move WILL. There is a crap load of pressure at your brake given the shorter barrel length. The expanding gas does not flow the same way every time. That means the insert is going to get bashed around some. If that steel can peen, it will so keep an eye for any loosening with use. If that insert now moves around, doesn't take much to obstruct that exit hole. Likely why they went so big to begin with.

I think you will be happy with the brake and the finish is indeed nice. Will it be better? I doubt it - rear venting brakes are not new and there is only so many ways to vent gas.

Could it be hard on you? only 1 way to find out. Some rear facing brakes leave little concussion to the shooter. Others are horrid.

Be careful not to tighten the clamp too much. choking off the muzzle can have negative effects on the bullet. Why clamp on brakes are not used very often in precision shooting where rules allow for brakes.

Love to hear how it works out for you.

Did you look down the bore to see if there was clearance out the front of the brake ie nothing metallic in the bullets path?
Jerry
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I'm sure the concussion will be quite a bit, I've shot quite a few rounds with the SAKO brake on, and going from nothing to the SAKO brake was a huge noise and concussion jump! Definitely will want plugs and muffs for it! I definitely didn't 'over tighten' the brake, probably less than the SAKO brake (recomended at 80 inch pounds as per the instructions, I believe?), maybe only at 30 inch pounds per screw, enough to keep it from rotating, but not to put any unnecessary pressure on the threading.

The insert is definitely new to me, I had never even thought of that concept until I unpackaged the brake and saw it, I had actually thought it was just a little "washer" to tailor the brake to whatever caliber you were shooting, so they cut down on manufacturing costs (1 blank per thread pitch), which this will still do, but it's a lot more aggressive than I had originally thought.

A quick measure with my micrometer confirms the Roedale is .35" hole size, but the SAKO brake is actually .39" (designed for a .338), I'm sure they could have gotten away with even .32" but that's getting seriously close to the bullet, and I think they need to engineer in some "threading tolerance" so the chance of a brake-strike is far less, and maybe with what Suputin said having an ultra tight fit can be detrimetal? I don't know, that kinda stuff is getting past my knowledge level :p. Looking down into the bore shows an (as far as I can tell) perfect alignment with the crown, but the major test to this will be at the range, seeing if any major POI change is noted. Most brakes from what I have heard will cause a minor change, but with the SAKO it was almost not even worth dialing in.

I'm hoping that the SS insert is going to be solidly press fit in, for all I know it could be resistance welded or something too, or silver soldered in, from what it looks like, the pressure on it will be more forwards than rearwards but then again fluid dynamics and the gasses aren't my forte, so I'll have to leave that for range testing! A good test will maybe be take a brass pin punch and see if there is any movement on the insert after a range day and see if it works loose at all under fire.

Some very good points here to take note of, next time I can get out to the range I'll be spending some good time checking out how this thing performs!
 
I have the exact same brake installed on my RFB, REALLY like it, it do a nice job for the recoil but, baystander must take care, specially on short barreled rifle like the RFB !!!
After around 500 round of everything from mil surplus to hornady superformance, insert is still strong !!!
 
.350" bore would be a bit small for my liking. That leaves only .020" on each side of the bullet. It wont take too much to produce that much bore comstriction through peening. We run .375" bore on 30 cal cans.

Peening isn't the end of the world as it is easy to fix by running a drill through. Just keep an eye out for it and you'll be fine.

I suspect the reason this brake is supposed to be more accurate is that the conical insert produces a completely symmetric bore which is important for accuracy.
 
Suputin said:
.350" bore would be a bit small for my liking. That leaves only .020" on each side of the bullet. It wont take too much to produce that much bore comstriction through peening. We run .375" bore on 30 cal cans.

Peening isn't the end of the world as it is easy to fix by running a drill through. Just keep an eye out for it and you'll be fine.

I suspect the reason this brake is supposed to be more accurate is that the conical insert produces a completely symmetric bore which is important for accuracy.
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Yes I will definitely keep and eye on it, last thing I want to do is have a strike, seen that happen to things before (cheap linear compensators + poor muzzle threads) and it wasn't pretty :eek:

And again, thanks for all the info, definitely lots of stuff to check out and keep in mind!
 
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