Author Topic: Porting? (Read 1103 times)

rstickle · « **on:** February 21, 2005, 01:03:33 PM »

Does porting a rifle really make much differencce in the recoil? I just purchased a 338 T3 Lite and and I'm looking to cut down on some of the punch it throws at me. How big of a difference could this be? Also, how much does it usually run to get done?

riddleofsteel · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2005, 02:03:22 PM »

I can only speak for Magnaporting. I had a 30-06 that I Magnaported after it shook the guts out of a 2x7 Nikon. When it came back the perceived recoil level was much lower. Such a statement is highly subjective but at the time my hunting partner was shooting a 7x57 Mauser. After shooting my 30-06 with 150 grain, near max loads, he remarked that it had about the same or a little less recoil than his 7x57 with 140 grain loads. Due to Magnaport's unique porting system this is all accomplished without the excessive muzzle blast that cage type brakes always have.

http://www.magnaport.com/rifle.html

Gun Runner · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2005, 02:26:48 PM »

rstickle, I have a Howa 1500 in 338 mag, sent it to www.muzzlebrake.com and had a brake put on it. Shooting some full house 300gr loads and 275's was about like my 06 with 150 grs. They do nice work and are fast. Their in hamilton montana. They have a 800 ph# so you call and ask any questions you might have. When I worked in the gun shop we sent a lot of rifles to them and everybody seemed happy with the work and results.

Gun Runner

Zachary · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2005, 05:18:05 PM »

Porting works, although not as effective as muzzle brakes.

My concern is that porting may affect the rifling whereas MBs do no (they are just attached at the end).

Yea, a .338 in a Tikka T3 lite should kick a bit - perhaps like a mule. You might want to first consider putting on a good recoil pad like the Sims Pad - they do work great.

Zachary

riddleofsteel · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2005, 05:34:09 PM »

My Remington 700 ADL FS 30-06 shot .75 MOA groups out of the box. After Magnaporting it shot .75 MOA with the same loads. I could see no difference in accuracy.
If you ever fired a muzzle braked rifle without ear protection you would know why I consider a muzzle braked rifle useless for normal hunting unless you wear electronic ear muffs.

Zachary · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2005, 05:39:03 PM »

It depends on who does it - that's why I said it "may" affect accuracy. I would guess, and perhaps rightly so as you have indicated, that a company like Magnaport that specializes in porting may be more skilled to reduce the chance of accuracy being affected. I know that certain pistols are factory ported (like the Taurus RB, and they are one of the most accurate factory big bore revolvers out there.)

Riddle, how do you compare the noise of a ported rifle barrel to that of a muzzle break? I would assume that it is noticeably less?

Zachary

Nontypical · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2005, 06:04:08 PM »

I wouldn't port a rifle unless I had fancy hearing aid style hearing protection

I used BOSS on a browning hunting a couple times and am sure I damaged my hearing. Fortunately was able to switch to BOSS-CR.

hunt hard,

KJ

riddleofsteel · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2005, 12:11:48 AM »

Magnaport is in a class by its self. I have owned Magnaported rifles, BOSS rifles, and cage type muzzle brakes. You can shoot a Magnaported rifle without ear protection to hunt with no more ill effects than the non-Magnaported version.
Every other brake or ported rifle type I have owned needed ear protection even when hunting due to increase muzzle blast due to redirected gases. As such I consider them useless for hunting as I am not going to wear ear protection in the woods and I like my hearing.

rstickle · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2005, 07:03:47 AM »

Once again, thank you all for the advise! I will look to see if my gunsmith can do the magnaport. May just get the Sims pad put on as well while it's in.

borg1 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2005, 07:18:54 AM »

i have a rem 30-06 model 740. That gun had lots of muzzle flip and a fair bit of recoil. i had the barrel magnaported and it shoots a lot better. I would say the muzzle flip is minimal, and the recoil just slightly less.

I suspect, though, the lack of muzzle flip tricks me into thinking there is less recoil because the whole firing process is less 'violent'.

Mud · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2005, 04:18:49 AM »

I had a 300 WSM that I send to Magnaport to get the little holes in the barrel. It is LOUDER. It also shoots flames up in your field of view, distracting to say the least when shooting around dusk or early morning and you want to make a follow up shot.
If you want to ease the recoil on a rifle, this will do it. There was no muzzle flip to speak of afterwards.
If I had to do it again I would get one of the removable muzzle breaks, use it at the range when when nobody is around, and take it off when hunting.
There was no loss of accuracy from doing this though.

Vern Humphrey · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2005, 01:04:55 PM »

I may be an old fogey, but it it needs a muzzle brake of any description, I don't want it.

Bigfoot Wallace, my custom '03 Springfield in .35 Brown-Whelen drives a 225-grain Nosler PJ to 2800 fps, and is a handful -- but CW Fitch, who built it back in the late '60s or early '70s knew how to build a rifle -- a combination of stock design, butt pad, and a bit of weight keep it manageable.

If I couldn't handle the rifle with a good pad, I'd go to something less potent rather than add porting or a muzzle brake.

riddleofsteel · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2005, 03:24:51 PM »

I may have sounded as if I was coming out in favor of porting in a hunting rifle. My post were intended to describe my experiences with a Magnaported 30-06. It was a reasonably lite rifle that weighed about 8 pounds with scope. 150 grain loads were fairly comfortable but sharp. Full house 180 grain loads were at the border of what I would want shoot for fun.
Since then I have learned that I do not need a 150 grain .30 bullet to do the job. A 117 grain .25 or a 120/129 grain 6.5mm bullet will do the job just as well when pushed to the proper speed. The result is a lot less recoil and a LOT of freezer meat with a lot less shoulder damage.
It might be of interest that I have not ported a rifle since that 30-06 and that was almost 20 years ago. Of course my hard kicking rifles spend more time in the safe than in the field. Bambi is just not that hard to kill.

Vern Humphrey · « **Reply #13 on:** February 24, 2005, 10:14:49 AM »

Quote from: riddleofsteel

Of course my hard kicking rifles spend more time in the safe than in the field.

It is for this reason that God said, "Let there also be cast bullets and gas checks."

borg1 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 24, 2005, 11:55:25 AM »

Oh yeah, i forgot about the flames. they are bad in dusky times.

Lawdog · « **Reply #15 on:** March 01, 2005, 10:57:36 AM »

Quote from: Vern Humphrey

I may be an old fogey, but it it needs a muzzle brake of any description, I don't want it.

Bigfoot Wallace, my custom '03 Springfield in .35 Brown-Whelen drives a 225-grain Nosler PJ to 2800 fps, and is a handful -- but CW Fitch, who built it back in the late '60s or early '70s knew how to build a rifle -- a combination of stock design, butt pad, and a bit of weight keep it manageable.

If I couldn't handle the rifle with a good pad, I'd go to something less potent rather than add porting or a muzzle brake.

If you are an "old fogey" then count me in too. If your rifle is too light to handle the recoil get a heavier rifle. Make sure the stock fits and is a good design. A ggod recoil pad is a must and if needed a mercury recoil insert will handle the rest. They work, PERIOD. I would rather have my hearing than ever put any type of brake(there is no such thing as a "Quiet Brake") or any amount of holes drilled in the end of the barrel. Masrlin dropped the ported barrel from their Guide Gun for a reason. Lawdog

acearch72 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 01, 2005, 03:43:35 PM »

I have a Kleinguther K15 that I had a gunsmith talk me into porting. That gun was a 1/2" 5 shot all day long but after the porting I was lucky to get 1.5" out of it. I cut the sucker off but the 24" barrel just doesn't shoot as good at the 26" did.

I would NEVER port another gun. If I couldn't handle the recoil after a good recoil pad, I would get a lighter kicking gun.

Vern Humphrey · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2005, 03:52:48 PM »

Quote from: Lawdog

If you are an "old fogey" then count me in too. If your rifle is too light to handle the recoil get a heavier rifle. Make sure the stock fits and is a good design. A ggod recoil pad is a must and if needed a mercury recoil insert will handle the rest. They work, PERIOD. I would rather have my hearing than ever put any type of brake(there is no such thing as a "Quiet Brake") or any amount of holes drilled in the end of the barrel. Masrlin dropped the ported barrel from their Guide Gun for a reason. Lawdog

I had a mechanized infantry company my second tour in Vietnam, and after you've hit a mine or two, and had an RPG hit your vehicle, you don't have any hearing to spare. I'm VERY careful with what I've got left!

No porting. No thank you.

Ramrod · « **Reply #18 on:** March 01, 2005, 04:50:14 PM »

Put me in the old fogey camp too. No porting for me either. If you need porting, you bought the wrong gun. Gun weight should match caliber, and a good straight stock that fits you, with a decent pad is all you need. Recoil affects people differently, but alot depends on stock fit. For hunting, an 8 lb .30-06 is just about right for me. I don't find a 10 lb .375 H&H mag. at all unpleasant. But some of these 7 lb, plastic stock magnums they are selling now, are going to hurt. Best to just stay away. :grin:

drdougrx · « **Reply #19 on:** March 02, 2005, 01:49:47 AM »

Hi,

Magnaport is the way I go. I have it on my REM BDLSS in 375HH and ruger custom in 300 win and on my 44mag SBHs. I really love it. My 375HH scoped and loaded is 8lbs and has a Pachmeyer Decel pad and magnaport. I use it like most folks use a 338. I think it's great.

JMHO

Doug

Hiwallhunter · « **Reply #20 on:** April 02, 2005, 03:30:24 PM »

Another vote for porting. I have a Tikka M695 in .338win mag . It came with the standard recoil pad from the factory and although not bad especially with hunting clothing on you sure knew it when you pressed the trigger! I went in to see my gunsmith who also sold me the rifle & he suggested porting.Not knowing much about it I did some research on the internet and looked at Magnaport . It [barreled action] was sent to a shop north of Winnipeg and 10 days later I got it back. I could not believe the difference. It shot as tight as before and instead of firing 5-6 & saying that's enough, I could go over 20 without discomfort. I had it done 5 years ago and since then have shot 3 moose. My buddy was standing beside me on two of three of the kills and I asked him after if the rifle sounded any louder & he said no not really. As for what percentage ... I don't really know. The info I got said 40 percent reduction. I'll say this that it comes down to a combination of factors I think. Weight of rifle plus rings& Scope and shells meaning the heavier you go the less perceived recoil you get back. I tend to like rigs in the heavier wts. My type of hunting is walking and sitting for long spells so a heavier rifle is no bother.Just my two cents. I shoot 230's & 250's btw.