Muzzle brakes? Yea or Nay?

[browningguy]

Yes, they are too noisy to be used in public. Just cowboy up and shoot the rifle, if you can't shoot it without a brake then get a .22.

Honestly, it is really annoying to be trying to shoot good groups and have ninja-boy sit down next to you and start blasting away with a braked AR. I mean really, if you need a brake on a .223 maybe you should take up knitting.

 

[wad]

I bet all the knuckle dragers and chest thumpers probably couldn't shoot a light weight rifle chambered for 50 BMG without a muzzle brake

 

[Isher]

This whole thing reminds me of Jake brakes here on the log trucks in the NW.

Now, to me, when I'm up at odarkthirty drinking my caffeine,

The sound of a Jake going off on that hill on Hiway 112 is music to my ears.

Most towns around here ban their use, inside city limits.

On the other hand, putting a Jake on my 7.3 liter F250,

Though it could be done

Is stupid and ridiculous.


Common sense, and actual results in accuracy/perceived recoil

Would drive my decision. But then again I don't own any of

The Mega-Calibers so popular these days, so I have no

Dog in this fight.


isher

 

[husker]

I can break out my mini-14 and cover them in hot brass. aint that the truth.

 

[tramp116]

Porting or muzzlebrake?

I once had a big ole Weatherby that had been Magna-ported for muzzle jump. Didn't reduce the recoil one bit. And it has some serious recoil! I traded it off because it was simply too much rifle for me.

So I would have say that porting to prevent or reduce muzzle jump is okay but if you need a true muzzle brake, maybe your gun is too big.

It's like hunting with a .50 BMG. What's the point? (unless we are compensating for the size of something else??)

 

[Maverick223]

I think the practical benefit is reduced muzzle rise more than reduced recoil

Then get a compensator, and not a brake. By definition a brake does not necessarily reduce muzzle rise...nor does a compensator reduce recoil. A compensator is useful on some rifles (and even more so on select pistols), OTOH I wouldn't own a brake for a rifle that didn't absolutely need one (.338LM or larger, with the exception of hunting rifles).

I am getting ready to purchase a .375H&H or .416Rigby and am specifically looking for one without a brake. I will not consider one that is not detachable, because they have no place on a hunting rifle IMO.

 

[benEzra]

Put what you want on your own guns, I don't mind. On my own guns, I prefer flash suppressors or bare muzzles to brakes. I don't own anything above 7.62x54R, though; if I had a .300 magnum/.338 Lapua/.416 Barrett or somesuch, I'd certainly have a brake on it.

 

[Acera]

The long range community uses muzzle brakes on just about all the 50 BMG production guns. I would not shoot mine with out it. I also have them on the 300's and the 458. They work.

It's like hunting with a .50 BMG. What's the point? (unless we are compensating for the size of something else??)

You are not near as funny as you think you are. That attitude is what the anti gunners like to hear. It will not be long before you are wondering why that 45-70 is the biggest allowable round, and they are trying to get it too.

 

[usmc1371]

I have done a fair amount of shooting with and next to a 338-378 wby, for the shooter the brake is a life saver. If you are sitting next to it well it sucks and is loud as hell. On that note I have shot it across my hood a few times with no dammage, one shot with my 375 HnH broke my windshield and the 375 has no brake cause it shoots like a kitten.

I have shot the 338-378 with out the brake... once, fired two shots and both times the swaro scope hit me in the eye, I don't consider myself to be overly recoil sensitive but I won't shoot it again with out the brake. I have no problem at all with 375 HnH, 300wby, 338wm but the 338-378 is just plain painfull with out the brake. I don't shoot at public ranges so I don't really care what people think. My friends know better than to stand next to me when I pull out the braked wby.

Adding weight to a rifle will reduce recoil no question but it also makes it that much more to pack around in the hills while chasing elk so for me I would rather have a brake than a 15 pound rifle.

 

[SwampWolf]

Get a Savage and have both. On some Savage models you can get a brake that can be turned on (for when you're at the range and can double up on your ear protection) or off (for when you're in the field wearing minimal hearing protection). I've got one on my Savage chambered in .338 Winchester Magnum and it works as advertised. I don't know if you can get one after-market or not.

 

[kanook]

Yes, they are too noisy to be used in public. Just cowboy up and shoot the rifle, if you can't shoot it without a brake then get a .22.

So I would have say that porting to prevent or reduce muzzle jump is okay but if you need a true muzzle brake, maybe your gun is too big.

Having my 308 bolt threaded and braked was about $150.
To have the surgery that is needed to replace my shoulder due to a lifetime of overworking is about $75,000.

So if you want to pay for the surgery, I will accept a cheque. Otherwise I will continue to use my recoil reducing brake.