A shock reduction muzzle brake 100 for the muzzle end of a gun barrel 106 (i) maintains sufficient rearward-facing surface area in the path of the expanding propellant gas to counter the recoil, while also (ii) guiding shock waves away from a path of a projectile 104 and (iii) decreasing the rate of base decompression to minimize decompression shock. The muzzle brake 100 includes (a) a tube 102 that defines a path for a projectile 104, and (b) multiple forwardly-inclined holes 122 extending through the side wall 116 of the tube 102 to divert propellant gases away from the path of the projectile 104. The forwardly-inclined holes 122 have an outlet of that is closer to the forward end 114 of the tube 102 than the inlet of the hole 122, thereby limiting the surface area that could reflect shock waves back onto the projectile 104. The holes 122 are sized to slow release of the base pressure to minimize decompression shock.