Muzzle Brakes..

[ShaneHallum]

I'm about to buy another gun, and I'll be honest. I got a little bit of a flinch on bigger bore guns. I thought about getting one with a muzzle brake on it. Is it really worth the extra noise for the reduced recoil?

 

[TiminTN]

Everyone needs to try 1. I will say I was dumb enough to try 2 before I learned. I no longer have any use for those ear busting outfits. go smaller bore, my tolerence is 7mm stuff. I don`t "enjoy" shooting 30 calibers, or large magnums as much as I used to. I still have a very fond 30/06, but in a nice straight stock, with excellent pad, and maximum 165 grain bullets. A heavy firearm helps too.

 

[B&C chaser]

There is definately a difference in felt recoil by using a muzzle brake, but the increase in "noise" is absolutely impressive ! Several years ago I bought a 300 Weatherby Mag and sent it off to have a muzzle brake and different recoil pad installed. This upgrade helped with recoil and muzzle jump but the noise is terrible.

I ALWAYS carry ear muffs when I hunt with that rifle and will not take a shot if I can't get the ear muffs on first and this has cost me deer before. One time I shot a buck without the muffs on and my ears rang for a week and I said never again.

I hardly ever take that rifle hunting anymore because of the noise and honestly its too much gun, IMO ,for the deer I shoot at. I only carry my 270 WSM mostly or my 30-06 and these guns will kill em just as dead as the 300 with much less noise. I very seriously doubt that I will ever buy another gun with a muzzle break.

 

[Model70Man]

You couldn't give me a rifle with a muzzle brake on it. Well, I would take it and sell it. They are just too loud.

 

[Kimberman]

Buy a lighter recoiling round and save your ears.

 

[W.Seay]

I have one on my 300wsm and YES, it is worth having!!! My 300wsm with a 180gr bullet kicks far less than a 270 using 130 bullets!

 

[redcorn]

also have a 300wsm, browning with "Boss" muzzle brake. I appreciate it when at the range, there is a big difference. The recoil with the muzzle brake is minimal, almost like a push rather than a sharp kick. When hunting, since i'm not wearing ear protection, i use the other attachment, I think called "boss cr" which doesn't have holes. It doesn't help recoil, but does keep same accuracy settings, without the extra noise. As far as hunting with the regular muzzle brake (the one with holes), I don't think the loudness is all that bad or detrimental as long as you are in the open-- not in a blind or shooting house.

 

[Whelen Man]

What??? Huh???? Do what I've done and just go with a heavier rifle rather than the extra noise. That's another alternative. My dad carried a 18 or 20lb. BAR all over North Africa and Italy for 4 years during WWII....surely I can carry one that weighs 11 or 12 for a few hunting trips each year. I'd rather carry the extra weight than put up with the hearing loss.

 

[JimFromTN]

I have a vias break on my 300 win mag along with a recoil reduction pad. It kicks about as hard as a 243. I can shoot it all day. The only draw back is that a day at the range can get pretty expensive. A raw shoulder will save you money. I don't notice the noise at the range because I wear muffs. I have taken a deer and a hog with it and I really never notice the noise in the field either. I guess my mind was on other things. If it bothers you in the field, you can take it off and put a thread protector cap on in. I never felt the need.

 

[TheLBLman]

Isn't a ported choke on a shotgun actually a muzzle brake, too?

 

[redblood]

I will take the recoil. Hate the noise and the goofy look of a brake.

 

[TiminTN]

Isn't a ported choke on a shotgun actually a muzzle brake, too?

It`s an attempt at best. Brakes thrive on extremely high pressure. The exiting gasses are the deciding factor on the effectiveness, higher pressure having the best recoil reduction . The best tamed rifle I ever fired in my life was a Remington 700 LSS chambered in 300 RUM. I do not believe the recoil was as much as my 223 bolt gun. It was amazing how little the rifle acted on pulling the trigger.

The 2 and 2 1/4 OZ turkey loads do not produce enough pressure to be considered helpful to a brake, but I acyally have seen the Comp-N-Chokes reduce felt recoill by the slightest of margin.

The pressure from the exiting gasses hits the holes and actually push the muzzle away from the shooter is how they work.

 

[paradis1142]

I have no use for one.

 

[ShaneHallum]

ok fellers thats all I needed to know. I wanted to play with a .338mag but sounds like its not worth the trouble. I don't wanna have something that is so loud you can't shoot it.

I'll just get a flutted barrel without a muzzle break, on a lighter recoil gun.

 

[jakeway]

I'd buy another Browning or Winchester with the BOSS, but use the CR version. My son has a lightweight .308 with a mizzle break and we HAVE to wear electronic muffs when hunting with it.

Like another guy said, if you don't your ears will ring for at least a week.

Mine ring constantly. Too late for me, alas.

 

[JimFromTN]

Maybe I'm going deaf but I have never been bothered by the blast from a muzzle break. Then again, I have duck hunted for years and its not all that uncommon to have a shotgun go off next to your head and leave your ears ringing the rest of the day so I guess a little muzzle blast from a muzzle break is insignificant to me.

I loaded up some reduced recoil rounds (150gr at 2800 fps) for my 300 win mag and I swear it did not kick anymore than my 10/22. Its an absolute pleasure to shoot. For some people, a muzzle break can mean the difference between a 2 inch group and a sub moa group. My brother lives in AK so he felt compelled to get a Ruger Safari in 458 lott. I shot that without a break and I think trying to take a 3 shoot group would be far too painful. Your shoulder would be blue for a week. He ended up getting a break for it and a recoil pad and it kicks about as hard as a 30/06.

 

[W.Seay]

I have never been bothered by the noise from a muzzle break

 

[mr.big]

my dream,distance rifle would require a break,,it would not be for general purpose use though,,

 

[jakeway]

You guys say you've never been bothered by the noise...just wait. I didn't feel bothered by it for years, then a few years ago I started noticing the tinitis, or what ever they call it.

Constant ear ringing, even right now. I lay in bed at night and it sounds like a little squealing speaker inside my head.

You really should protect your hearing. The old saying "You can't un-ring a bell" is truer than you think.

 

[Beekeeper]

ok fellers thats all I needed to know. I wanted to play with a .338mag but sounds like its not worth the trouble. I don't wanna have something that is so loud you can't shoot it.

I'll just get a flutted barrel without a muzzle break, on a lighter recoil gun.

I have a .338 Win Mag with a muzzle brake and a heavy stock. When I had this gun built i had the gunsmith leave the barrel full length and just put the break on it. This gun is heavy but the recoil is about like my nephews .270. I wouldn't trade this gun. I have shot 1" groups at 150 yards with it and every deer I have shot with it has not gone further than 5 yards. My longest shot was on a 8 point at 225 yards. All I could see was his head but that was all I needed to see. Dropped him in his tracks with a head shot.