Cheap muzzle brakes. Worth the try?

[Bang]

A year or so ago I bought a small version of a "tanker" brake for my 6.5 Creedmoor. A desirable relationship of exit hole to bullet diameter is .015" larger on the radius .030" diameter larger than projectile diameter. The hole in the tanker brake, described a la eBay as designed for 6.5 Creedmoor, was .348". I sent it back for obvious incorrect description.

Like most things approaching accomplishment of precision, there are different methods mimicking the scale divided good, better and best.

My Savage FCP-K in .308 has a factory-installed brake having an exit hole of .340"...giving bullet clearance of .016". The rifle is very repeatable accurate well under moa and recoil is well managed by the design of the brake.

A muzzle brake accurately machined and threaded is dependant upon the rifle also being accurately machined and threaded with respect to concentricity with the bore.

When installing an after-market brake, it is recommended that it be done by a gunsmith (best). I believe obtaining the equivalent of a range rod and inserting it through the brake into the bore would tell the tale as to concentricity and clearance... (better).

The arguable "good" is the one I bought for twenty bucks, having an exit hole of .399" for a bullet of .264 diameter. That provides a clearance of .0675" all around the bullet, considerably more than best. It has three baffles with side vents and three holes at the top for anti rise, is nicely machined and finished.

I had watched a you tube testing of this type on up to best (operationally) of a short tanker type. The video convinced me that that the $20 job would accomplish what I want...keeping the target image in the scope during and after discharge.

It does that. Good enough for 100-200 yard range. As for recoil component reduction? That's difficult to say, seat-of-pants. From the deposited smoke on the baffles and in the vertical holes, it has to be reducing it some.

In retrospect, I should have given the sent-back tanker brake a chance. .348" has to be better than .399".