Re: muzzle brakes opinions wanted

04 October 2004, 15:27

A muzzle brake that doesn't increase muzzle blast is right up there with "I didn't have sex with that woman".
The best advice on muzzle brakes for hunting rifles is to NOT use one.
EVERY time you shoot a muzzle braked gun you will lose some of your hearing. The same might be true of non-braked but nowhere near the same degree. Don't use a muzzle brake on a hunting rifle unless you hunt alone and enjoy wearing ear protection while hunting.
You obviously can handle the recoil while hunting, so for load developement and benchrest shooting try using a PAST pad etc. to make it more fun. I've been using a Caldwell Lead Sled for my 458 Lott's etc and it really takes the bite out of them and probably costs less than most muzzle brakes.......DJ

05 October 2004, 08:18

Longbob

Quote:

TrevorTumak,

There is NO such thing as a quiet muzzle brake, PERIOD. Donï¿½t let anyone or any manufacture try to tell you different. They all increase the noise level. The sound is re-directed to the sides, top or bottom and the people located in those areas catch the full effect. Even the best quality hearing protectors donï¿½t stop the concussion cause by the magnified sound caused by any brake. There are much better ways of controlling recoil than a brake. Make sure the stock fits you and is of proper design. I use mercury recoil reducers in all my big bores and they work great. Donï¿½t believe any that would try to tell you all a mercury recoil reducer does is add weight to the rifle. I tried substituting a piece of lead the same weight and it doesnï¿½t tame the recoil like mercury does. While a 7 pound .375 H&H is a joy to carry in the woods it is a pain in the shoulder to shoot. A 9 3/4 pound .375 H&H is a whole lot nicer to the shoulder. Forget a brake, mercury reducer is cheaper anyway. Lawdog

I cannot add much to what Lawdog said other than I have a couple of rifles with the Mercury Recoil Reducers and they really work. In fact, they improved the balance on the rifles. One of them is my son's Winchester Compact Classic 7-08. Talk about a sweet shooting rifle!

These muzzle brake manufacturers are being misleading about the lack of "sound pressure" or noise increase. It is true that the sound pressure or noise produced by the rifle is not increased overall, but it is almost all directed back towards the shooter. I would never advocate anyone to try this, but I will guarantee that the sound produced by any firearm is greater if you are on the muzzle end vs. the shooter's end.

Muzzle brakes are not needed when shooting at game. You will never feel the shot. They are only effective at the range. Even there they are not necessary. A Past recoil shield will work wonders. Some varmint hunters like the brakes that exhibit muzzle control so they can watch the shot. I guess they would be viable in that situation. You would be shooting a lot and can use sufficient hearing protection.

I added more than I intended. Oh well....

05 October 2004, 13:33

AnotherAZWriter

Well, I have 4 Vais breaks and love them. I have even used them hunting when I don't expect to "jump shoot" game. I just take out earplugs and put them in. I did shoot one animal last year without plugs and did not notice an increase in noise, but who knows?

Brakes not only reduce felt recoil, but they make it very fact to get back on target. When I practice at 500 yards or beyond, I can actually see my bullet strike when shooting sitting with my .300 SAUM.

I don't do much shooting at a public range, so I never get any dirty looks.

You may not feel the recoil when shooting at game, but as much shooting as I do in heavy calibers, I need to do something. There is more than one shooter who has suffered retinal detachment from "soaking it up like a man."