Help with new 300 win mag

[John Tschop]

Hi,
I bought a new Savage 111 Long Range Hunter chambered in 300wm, and after taking it to the range once I'm not sure about a few things.

1- The barrel has a brake that can be opened/closed, 24" open 26" closed. I kept it closed but didn't notice much of a difference when I shot it open. If the recoil doesn't hurt me, it's better to leave it closed right?

2- I'm shooting with a harris 9" bipod off a concrete shooting table, and after each shot I completely lose sight of the target. Is this normal with a rifle of this caliber? Or something that will just take time to get used to?


Any help is much appreciated, thank you.