Model 700 muzzle brake

[Northshore]

I acquired my dad's 300 win mag a few years ago. I never shot the gun without hearing protection until two years ago. I killed a Miley outside of Roscoe, MT. I wasnt wearing ear plugs. My left ear has been ringing 24/7 ever since. Didn't realize how incredibly loud the rifle was without hearing protection. I try to wear ear plugs now when hunting with it but that's not always possible/convenient. Would it effect the guns accuracy to have a gunsmith remove it and recrown the barrel?

 

[Hunterjones]

It's kind of a crapshoot. I have seen some rifles shoot to exact same POI with and without their removable brakes.
On the other hand, I have an extremely accurate Kimber Mountain Ascent in 300 WSM. It's an HONEST 1/2 MOA rifle out to 800 yards with it's load. A couple of years ago I was preparing for hunting season and had several rifles at the range that day. I had a 15" shoot and see target at 300 yards that I was shooting groups on in different places with different rifles. I was thinking that I would take the KMA hunting a few days and didn't want the extreme noise you were talking about so I had removed brake and put thread protector on barrel. I shot 3 shots at 300 and it was a really good thing I had the 15" bull out there because those 3 shots were in about a 12"
group. I was dumbfounded. I threaded the brake back on and had a 1" group, dead centered in orange on the target......

 

[Ranger Rick]

I acquired my dad's 300 win mag a few years ago. I never shot the gun without hearing protection until two years ago. I killed a Miley outside of Roscoe, MT. I wasnt wearing ear plugs. My left ear has been ringing 24/7 ever since. Didn't realize how incredibly loud the rifle was without hearing protection. I try to wear ear plugs now when hunting with it but that's not always possible/convenient. Would it effect the guns accuracy to have a gunsmith remove it and recrown the barrel?

Probably not. When I lived in N Idaho, shorter barrels were a plus because of all the vegetation. Cutting a 26" to 22" was a frequent modification. Less velocity sure, but I don't recall anyone saying anything about accuracy. Have a smith give his opinion then he can shorten, it crown it, and maybe epoxy bed it, change to a TriggerTech, and accuracy should be fine.

 

[Axl]

Not possible/convenient to wear ear pro everytime you shoot? I know for fact it is definitely not possible to recover lost hearing- that is permanent. With or without a brake ANY firearm damages your hearing everytime you shoot. I have shot game inumerable time over the last 40 years including big game, small game, and birds and have always used ear pro.

 

[Hunterjones]

I found the picture of the target from that day and when I tried to post it it kept telling me there was a security issue and to try again.....

 

[UplandFreak]

I acquired my dad's 300 win mag a few years ago. I never shot the gun without hearing protection until two years ago. I killed a Miley outside of Roscoe, MT. I wasnt wearing ear plugs. My left ear has been ringing 24/7 ever since. Didn't realize how incredibly loud the rifle was without hearing protection. I try to wear ear plugs now when hunting with it but that's not always possible/convenient. Would it effect the guns accuracy to have a gunsmith remove it and recrown the barrel?

It looks to me like a ported barrel rather than a removable brake. If it is removable then you can get a thread protector. If it is ported, you'll have to have it cut and recrowned. It shouldn't be a big deal and will likely not effect performance.

 

[Hunterjones]

KMA 300 WSM 300 yards
Here it is. 4 Low 1" orange spots without brake.
3 shot group that's high of center

 

[Northshore]

You're right. It's ported. I used muzzle brake a little loosely. Thanks for all the input.