I recently bought a Ruger Guide Gun in .375 Ruger. It came with the Muzzle Brake screwed on, but it also has a non-muzzle brake barrel extension (to make it shoot the same - theoretically), and a shorter thread protector.

Having never used a Muzzle Brake before, I was wondering if the recoil reduction is worth the extra noise.

I an not particularly recoil sensitive and shoot my .416 Rem Mag without any trouble (although I limit myself to about 10 rounds on the bench).

What are your experiences?

BH63

Muzzle brake? I don't need no stinking muzzle brake!

If you need a muzzle brake, you're shooting too much gun.

No! Absolutely “not” necessary on a relatively low recoil rifle....adds unwanted barrel length and excessive noise! memtb

I'm a recoil-wuss. The brake diverts a rush of air to the face but reduces the .375 GG recoil to .308 Win-.30-06 180 gr level.

Was on the fence re using it in the field, but did so b/c it is no longer possible for me to discharge anything without my MSA Sordins. In point of fact, did not notice an increased bark when I killed a whitetail out back in Nov. Were I able to shoot without ear protection would probably feel otherwise.

They really do work. They reduce recoil significantly. They also do cause a lot more noise to be diverted to each side. So if you're in a blind, or side-by-side with a guide or a fellow hunter, the report is going to be noticeably louder.

No doubt that most muzzle breaks work. At this time, I do not have any on my rifles. I will not say that I will never have one. But, I do not care for increasing the noise level or muzzle blast.
I do have a couple of, from the factory 2-slot magna-ported revolvers. I am not sure how much this helps these particular revolvers as to muzzle rise or felt recoil departments. I have considered doing it to a couple lighweight rifles to lessen muzzle rise.
At this point in my life, I do not feel the desire for brakes on my 416's or 375's. Subject to change though.
I forgot, I do have one 416 Remington that I bought used with 3 ports each side of the front sight. Maybe it has some effect on muzzle rise. I cannot accurately say, without shooting an identical rifle without the ports. It has a 22" barrel. I have not really noticed a noise increase, compared to my 20" 416 Ruger.

If you like it, use it. But, definitely more noise and blast for bystanders.

I have no use for a muzzle brakes. Loud, obnoxious things they are.
Had a Winchester 70 in .416 rem that just beat the snot out of me and had a brake put on it. It tamed it down to manageable but sold it after the first hunt it went on. If you don't have time to put on ear protection before you shoot it, you'll pay the penalty.
Just my .02

I have fired 60 + rounds of full bore ammo out of my .375 AI Win. M70 and .416 Ruger guide gun combined off the bench without the least bit of discomfort and I'm a bit light in the ass at 150 lbs. The noise is not bad at all with ear protection and I have had no complaints from shooters from adjourning benches.

Hip

Haters gonna hate I guess. Yes, they will make the rifle appear louder but they also allow most folks to shoot better. I think instead of it being shamed by a bunch of anonymous people on an internet forum, you should go out and try it for yourself.

It all depends,,,

One thing tough, do not shoot a braked Weatherby while in a cedar tree blind unless you want to deforest the place and go deaf for an hour or so.
Don't even ask!

My new 458 SOCOM barrel came with a break to fit the threads. I promptly ordered a thread protector sleeve of the proper size - if that tell you anything.

My favorite muzzle treatment is a thread protector
that leads into an 11-degree crown.
Slim-line-flush-fitting or bulbous, knurled or dimpled, or even with a flat for a wrench, I like them all.
It is nice to have a muzzle brake that also fits those threads,
and the main hole only 20 thou bigger than bullet diameter.
I have owned a factory Browning X-bolt that came with a brake marked .30 on a 6.5 Creedmoor.
Same-marked brake was on the .308-caliber Browning too.
Use the brake only at the bench, in private if possible, so as not to offend the ears and sensibilities of others.
Re-zero with the lovely thread protector before hunting.
Never hunt with a brake or even be seen in public with one on your rifle, if at all possible.

Rip ...

NO!!!

They can and do offend near by shooters at a range.
I actually prefer to shoot someplace by myself other than a range to avoid all the brakes with the guys playing army with their AR's.

See what happen if you are in cold climate and the thing fills with snow or ice and you pull the trigger....

EZ

We have guys shooting muzzle brakes on their magnum rifles at our 1,000 yard matches. We make them shoot on the end of the line and put a steel blast shield next to them. Because we are about 4-5 feet apart the concussion from the blast is terrible on the adjacent shooters.

Now, we only complain about the blast shield ringing instead of the concussion and noise.

My father's Mossberg shotgun had one 50 years ago - hardly a high-intensity calibre but I think my ears are still ringing.

Well let’s see! A good muzzel break will reduce felt recoil by 50% maybe at the cost of a small increase in noise that in a real
Hunting situation you will never hear anyway! Let’s see how many of you will shoot a 200ft-lbs rifle without one more than once? Recoil is not your friend, a smart person does everything they can to minimize it! I use a muzzel brake on everything over .375 cal and always will!

Reduces recoil to .308 level with the factory muzzle brake installed on my .338 WM Ruger Hawkeye. Quite the novelty. But is it ever LOUD! Should have hearing protection on when shooting if you value your hearing regardless.

I like them. I have a Browning A-Bolt (338 win mag)that is very comfy to shoot and isn't louder than I would have thought. The recoil is about like 243.

I did buy a SureFire brake for my Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle (308)and was very disappointed in it. After 3-4 shots I was tired of the concussion and blast coming back toward me and the person next to me.

I'd love to try a Vais brake on a rifle...but I haven't committed to building a new one yet. Maybe I will get one made for my threaded 416 rem mag.

HATE Muzzle brakes!!!!!

Curious where does Magna Porting fit into this conversation??
They reduce muzzle flip but are they as loud?

Every PH I know of hates them because the PH is right in the muzzle blast. For range shooting they are not a "little" bit louder they are deafening in larger calibers and the blast rocks you at adjacent stations. For the person firing hearing protection is a must. My PH has a muzzle break for his back up rifle but never used it with a client. When he had the barrel shortened he did not request the muzzle to be rethreaded.

The above being said, they do reduce recoil but so far I have not found the trade off to be enticing.

quote:

Originally posted by Robgunbuilder:
Well let’s see! A good muzzel break will reduce felt recoil by 50% maybe at the cost of a small increase in noise that in a real
Hunting situation you will never hear anyway! Let’s see how many of you will shoot a 200ft-lbs rifle without one more than once? Recoil is not your friend, a smart person does everything they can to minimize it! I use a muzzel brake on everything over .375 cal and always will!

You will hear it, you may not notice it with your concentration on the animal but the damage to your ears is real.

If a person is recoil sensitive, stopping shooting the gun so much.

Sight the gun in enough to put the first shot at a critter where you want it to go and if a follow up shot is needed it should be at something at something laying on the ground at a distance of a few yards.

Ain't never perforated a critter with the first shot that stood there waiting for the next two to finish the group, don't really know that I ever want to run into such a critter.

I hate muzzle brakes..... I have had a couple of clients use guns equipped with them on pig hunts and in an enclosed box blind you are deaf for 5 minutes or so and the ones thatb I have had experience with were on short barreled 20 inch or so large bores.

It is up to personal choice as is anything concerning guns, I just think it is better for a person to work up to their recoil limit and live with it.

I'm already as deaf as I want to be.

Would not own one nor hunt with someone that had one on their rifle.

I'm as deaf as I want, too. No fix. Anyone having crossed that bridge knows, or should know, there is no recovery. Each additional "whack" results in a correspondingly greater degree of functional impairment. Last mistake messed me up for about 8 months, and included episodic vertical vertigo.

The difference in noise between braked and not braked is now moot given 100% certainty I'll be wearing electronic muffs.

I don't need a brake to shoot .300s that are likely candidates anywhere outside Maine. If my insistence on wearing muffs is a deal breaker for an outfitter or guide, so be it.

FWIW, go to a MG shoot most years. Foam plugs plus very bulky muffs are SOP. Had a line position directly adjacent to a guy with a Barrett 82CQ. Like the 29" A1 the 20" CQ .50 BMG is ported. After the first round, the first year, never again approached the line until he was done. Parking lot was good. Maybe sitting in the truck. The interesting thing is that shooting the thing, ie., being directly behind, is nowhere near as offensive.

I am against them but heard an interesting and true fact I never thought about. Some draw hunting in Arizona is very competitive and this guide liked brakes for several reasons one being that it dissipates the muzzle blast so it can't be heard for much distance from the shooter. Now near the shooter is a different story but a few hundred yards you will be unable to locate where the shot was fired more or less. I thought this was interesting. Antelopes are big business down here. Much cheaper than a suppressor

Maybe a LeVang Compensator type device would be a good compromise for someone sensitive to recoil. Would be interesting if an open front sleeve could be installed around a muzzle brake to direct concussion forward, but that may cross the line into suppressor territory.

quote:

Originally posted by Zephyr:
Curious where does Magna Porting fit into this conversation??
They reduce muzzle flip but are they as loud?

Still waiting for an answer from the collective

First ? to be answered:

Can u shoot the gun as accurately w/o the brake as with the brake on?

If yes leave it off. If no leave it on or get another gun.

They are noisy but really not much worse than short barreled AR15's with brakes. And that's many of the shooters by me are using. You need to learn to live with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Hogbreath:
I have no use for a muzzle brakes. Loud, obnoxious things they are.
Had a Winchester 70 in .416 rem that just beat the snot out of me and had a brake put on it. It tamed it down to manageable but sold it after the first hunt it went on. If you don't have time to put on ear protection before you shoot it, you'll pay the penalty.
Just my .02

You will pay the penalty for not wearing hearing protection with an unbraked rifle as well - every been around a bunch of outdoor/shooting writers? They are all deaf.

It’s my understanding, that the more you shoot a “braked” gun without ear protection....the less it bothers you! memtb

I don't own a rifle that has a brake. I almost bought another 375 Ruger that has one on it but I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. My African will do all I want and it's not braked. Now if I put a Suppressor on it that would be a completely different animal.

I find muzzle brakes are absolutely necessary if you want to do precision shooting from an improvised rest with calibres like the 338/378 and especially the 378. Even if your shoulder, neck and so was under anaesthesia the problem is the rifle jumping out of your hands if held like a 270.

For me personally, to shoot a rifle like I would a 270, that is, no consideration of any kind made for recoil, the 375 H&H is my upper limit and even then loaded with powders like 3031, 4064 or 2208 (Varget) as opposed to top loads with Reloader 15.

quote:

Originally posted by 4sixteen:
Reduces recoil to .308 level with the factory muzzle brake installed on my .338 WM Ruger Hawkeye. Quite the novelty. But is it ever LOUD! Should have hearing protection on when shooting if you value your hearing regardless.

Exactly. A fellow with a 300 Win Mag with a brake was shooting next to me at the Fort Carson public range. I took out my 500 Jeffery, everyone was surprised including him how much quieter my 500 was.

quote:

Originally posted by Zephyr:
Curious where does Magna Porting fit into this conversation??
They reduce muzzle flip but are they as loud?

No, the sound level from porting/brakes is directly proportional to the surface area of the ports or brakes. The amount of recoil reduction is also directly proportional to the surface area of the ports or brakes.

Mag-Na-port sells the porting and they sell their Mag-Na-brake. From their own website, Mag-Na-porting is designed to reduce muzzle jump AND will reduce felt recoil by about 15%. Their Mag-Na-brake will reduce felt recoil up to 45%.

I have had my Trap and Skeet shotguns ported for over 30 years. Most serious shotgun competitors shoot ported guns. When I shoot Trap or Skeet I don't hear a difference between ported or non ported guns, but if someone shoots a hunting load I can hear the greater noise level immediately.

I had KDF muzzle brakes installed on my .375 RUM and my .300 Weatherby. Before I had the brake installed on my .375 RUM, I couldn't stand the recoil long enough to develop loads. With the brake, I've been able to develop moa loads with several different bullets, and I've used it on two African hunts for 20 some animals, including several shot from prone positions with no recoil pain.

My braked .300 Weatherby Vanguard kicks about the same as my .308 Win Vanguard. It is my favorite hunting rifle.

So to the original question of "Muzzle Brakes Yes or No"? I say YES

I have said it often but I will say it again: both John Wooters and Bob Brister suffered from retinal detachments they said were due to years of recoil.

If you shoot big guns a lot, why take the chance?

It just WONT GO AWAY WILL IT???? Every time someone gets a new cannon they ask the same questions INSTEAD of researching AR or other forum...this MB question has been hammered almost as long as I've been on it....MANY YEARS...

and it's ANSWERABLE...every other forum relating to MB and cannons is full also...or maybe they just want to tell everyone about their new toy which is neat. I LIKE to see new things and people enjoying themselves.

NO FLAME OR DISS INTENDED BUFFHUNTER!!!!

YOU have to decide...many opinions are colored and misinformed so badly as to be of little value other than the facts that some MB's reduce recoil by a certain percentage and the noise is directed sideways so it negatively impacts those beside you at public/private ranges...the squirrels and sage rats around my range just run from the noise...ANY big noise...but the cattle don't stop grazing.

PERIOD AZ...BE SPECIFIC...those folks AND many others having "recoil related" injuries MAY have had those injuries mitigated by using a MB...the problem is we are way too fast blaming some things rather than the additive effect...maybe those shooters were genetically designed with weak eye parts...WHOTHEHELLKNOWS FOR CERTAIN.

WHAT IS know for certain and can be proven scientifically and physics wise is MB's DO reduce gas jet recoil AND NOISE by redirecting it sideways.

It's EVERYONE'S choice to use them or not...I guarantee I have MB's on ALL my big bores and eve on my smaller ones...they do a great job keeping the muzzle/rifle on the pads and/or the game in the scope.

Good Hunting

No brakes for me - but I don't shoot anything larger than 458 Lott in a bolt gun/Falling Block.

I prefer to be nowhere near a rifle with a brake on it.

I have muzzle brakes on all my 338-378 weatherby accumarks .They work awesome but they are very
Loud and you can't shoot them without at least ear plugs .I use plugs and eat muffs at the range with it .The brakes on it reduce the recoil to at least a 270 .I am thinking about putting one on my 416 win mag weatherby also for the range .They are awesome for the range but not good to hunt with without hearing protection .I use reduced loads in my 416 rem mags to get use to them at the range and past recoil pads .I
Am getting recoil sensitive as I get older 56 now .A removable muzzle brake is good to help you shoot better at the range with the less recoil .