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| Muzzle Breaks on Dedicated Prairie Dog Rifles...Why Not?? | Login/Join |
| One of Us |
Since we love to see our little friends disintegrate on impact, I am wondering why I have never seen a muzzle break on a dedicated PD rifle. My Savage LPV in 204 Ruger has very little recoil so I imagine that the rifle would barely move if it had a MB. Since we wear hearing protection while shooting PD's I can't see why the extra noise would be an issue. Am I missing something?? | ||
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only the muffler | |||
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| One of Us |
Huh? | |||
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| One of Us |
They are fantastic and with a pair of muffs that you need anyway, noise is not a big deal. The noise level is a lot different from a compensated 22-250 than it is from 300 magnum. It does make for much better viewing enjoyment. | |||
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None of mine have brakes. I had a friend with one, 6.5mmx300wsm. It wasn't too bad to shoot, noise wise, but it was ridiculous to shoot NEXT TO. Lots of blast into the side of your face when he touched one off next to you. We used to sit up on my flatbed trailer at tables and shoot. Yeah, his first outing with his "new" gun, we voted him off the island, and he had to put his table FAR to the side from us!  If you're shooting by yourself, no issue. If you shoot with friends, could be a big issue. Just my .02 Si tantum EGO eram dimidium ut bonus ut EGO memor | |||
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Thanks guys. So it sounds like the only issue is noise and blast. Guess I'll have to think about it. My Savage M12 204 is already 12lbs(I added lead to stock)so I'll see what happens. With a break it probably wouldn't even budge. | |||
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| One of Us |
ear muffs etc do not provide total protection after so many decibels the sound will get to your hearing because of conductance through the bones in your head. this is one of the reasons so many old pd hunters don't use big guns much, satisfying themselves with 223 size stuff | |||
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| one of us |
Here's a pic of my 20BR PD rifle, with it's Vais muzzle brake. As others have said, it's best to have the muzzle "out front" of other shooters.....if you wish to remain friends. And, don't even think about shooting prone!! I normally use foam ear plugs AND electronic ear muffs. If I need to hear others speaking, I turn the volume up. Hope this helps. Kevin  | |||
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Seeing the splat is where it's at... Rich you may quote me | |||
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Kevin I like the look of that! | |||
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| one of us |
Prairie dogs are noise-sensitive. The louder your rifle, the greater the distance that dogs will dive for their holes and stay down. Using a quieter rifle keeps more dogs above ground at shootable distances, i.e., you won't have to move your stand as often. Since I quit taking a 6mm Remington and started depending on Hornets and Fireballs I've killed a lot more dogs. Your .204 shouldn't bump your scope off the target out of a 12-pound rifle, provide you're using a scope of reasonable magnification -- 20X or less, and preferably less. I find 14X to be the "sweet spot" between magnification and FOV. | |||
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Good point. I blasted the hell out of allot of them with my braked 7mmRemMag but the most fun I had was shooting the close ones with my 17HMR | |||
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| One of Us |
Having been down-range of braked rifles they do diminish , or spread the noise of a larger rifle. I suppose that could be a benefit if you are shooting up an area that has seen shooters before. I have never seen prarie dogs that could resist coming back up to eat their buddies though, even the ones shot with big guns. | |||
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| One of Us |
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that for the first time! | |||
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| one of us |
Suppressors would be great on P Dogs | |||
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| one of us |
Yeah, that's what I thought, also. So I went to the expense and trouble to order one (prepaid) for my .221 FB, but shop went bankrupt the next week before delivering my order. I am getting repaid $25 per month as an unsecured creditor, but the experience left a bad taste in my mouth and I haven't wanted to start over on the project. As I understand it, the problem with suppressors for high volume shooting is that they get quite hot with repeated shots. Incidentally, since what a suppressor does is absorb energy, they typically also reduce recoil to some degree. Shooting with less recoil and shooting quieter is far preferable to shooting with less recoil and shooting louder. | |||
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I know a number of dyed in the wool local Rock Chuck hunters who used high powered scopes and muzzle brakes on their 222, 221, etc so they could see the critter puff up like a ballon and then explode..I saw it as sick but interesting.   Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I have a 300 Winchester Mag that is Mag na ported. Noise level is not any greater than it was before the operation. The blast goes straight out the side and top which reduces muzzle jump. I've never gotten any flack from people beside me at the range with it. I have given a lot of thought about taking my 220 swift to them and have the operation done on it. Am sure it would have the recoil of a Daisy then. AlGarden View Apiaries where the view is as sweet as the honey. | |||
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| one of us |
If it doesn't sound louder to you after porting, then you've lost most of your hearing already. Enjoy. | |||
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I have hunted with an older gentleman that has a brake in a Ruger #1 22 Hornet. I don't and won't have any, but each to his own. NRA Patron member | |||
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I have an 8X57 autoloader with a brake - so noisy it runs the WBY magnum shooters off at the range. I would not hunt if I had to hunt with a braked rifle. | |||
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Club president asked me to sit with him and watch to see if he hit the steel gong. When that blaster went off the blast was real nasty. No way I could see or hear anything. Now when I see anyone with a brake getting ready to shoot I ask them to wait til I get packed up and leave before they shoot. I don't want to be around those things. Stonecreek: That's exactly what I was thinking reading his post!! If he can't hear the difference he's deaf already. George "Gun Control is NOT about Guns' "It's about Control!!" Join the NRA today!" LM: NRA, DAV, George L. Dwight | |||
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Great points Fellas Not too worried about noise since I wear plugs and muffs and sitting near guys blasting away so I doubt that a braked 204 or not will make a differce The only reason I want to brake the 204 is to totally eliminate recoil to see the PD's explode better  My gun is very heavy with a 1" thick SS barrel so I am wondering what the addition of a brake will have on recoil | |||
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Personally I have brakes on more of my little guns than big guns. For varmints I like to spot my own shots - not only for hits, but more importantly for misses to know how to adjust. Too often I'm either the only one looking where I'm shooting or shooting alone and I need to spot for myself. As has been stated, we're wearing hearing protection anyway so I think a brake is a great addition to a varmint gun. | |||
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| One of Us |
Thanks Kyle. Yesterday I bit the bullet and sent my barrel in to have a brake installed so I will soon see how it shoots. I am thinking my 204 with its heavy barrel will have Zero recoil...maybe a nudge | |||
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| one of us |
I made a muzzle brake for a 17 Rem in 1993 as an experiment while teaching at TSJC. The recoil was reduced a little, but the noise was increased. I was shooting in the first round of tests when I forgot to put the EAR MUFFS on and fired only one round. It was like something had gone thru my ears and it was a bad headache following that shot. I had never had my ears hurt that much before. I quit and returned to the shop and removed the brake and recrowned the muzzle. The amount of damage is too great for the amount of recoil reduced. NEVER SHOOT A SMALL CAL. RIFLE WITH A MUZZLE BRAKE. The small caliber rifles seem to have a high pitch of sound when fired. I like the ear plugs better when shooting in the field. I have shot 17 calibers and now I am shooting the 20 cal. rifles. I will never use a brake on my rifles again. You will be like me! Say what, say again , WHAT WERE YOU TELLING ME!!! | |||
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Brakes have been used extensively on varmint rifles for decades, many have been published in the slicks starting in the early 1990s. The biggest issue is not noise - you can wear hearing protection - but raising dust and trash when shooting prone. Vectored brakes help to eliminate that issue while being even more effective at keeping the target in the sights. I own two braked rifles at the moment, and regularly shoot with friends shooting braked rifles. Yes they are louder and yes the back blast can be unpleasant if the muzzle is not extended off the bench surface, but they are effective and you can shoot next to them. Double hearing protection - plugs and muffs - makes them practical. This is varmint hunting after all, not still hunting for deer... Brakes are most effective with cartridges having a high ratio between bullet weight and bullet weight. A .22 Hornet would be a poor choice for a brake, while a .22 CHeetah would be a very good choice. I once spent three hours shooting at a bench next to a braked .338-375 Weatherby and frankly it was not that bad for either of us. Recoil was reduced for him and the noise was bearable to me (with double protection, which I always use at the range). To each his own. . | |||
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| one of us |
Your 204 at 12# should let you have a pretty good view at 10-14x. Good quality optics also enhance the show. My favorite pd rifles are a little on the heavy side. My 22ppc weighs in at 18.5# and a 223 that weighs around 16#. Off a bench the ppc will stay on target up to 20X, but I shoot most at 12-14x. My 6mmBR only weighs 12# and is pretty decent with 65gr bullets or less, but about 10x if within 200 yards is max mag. to see the action. My 22/243 Middlested weighs 15#, but should have a brake when using 75gr bullets, it is hard to stay on target above 8-10x unless the shot is 500+ yards. I usually use plugs and muffs when shooting for extended periods of time, after all most rifles are in excess of 130 decibels and even the best plugs or muff are around the 30 decibel reduction and any continuous sound over 90 decibels contributes to hearing loss. | |||
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Get a suppressor and be done with. I wish I got one 20 years ago but with all this new technology, research and design, it is even better now! | |||
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| One of Us |
Don't I wish!! It's great to be a gun owner in New York! | |||
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| new member |
Hi - I just read this thread and no one mentioned their favorite caliber for P Dogs as mine. We have a zillion around here and I thought this was going to be great. I have .218 Bee, .222, .22-250 and on up. But as some have found out, I found no fun in waiting for them to come out after the first shot. And it is not the over-shooting here. I can go five years and not see another shooter. So, for the past 20 years my only Puppy gun has been a .22 Rim Fire. | |||
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And yes, it may take a dozen or more shots to get one at 200 yards but I sure can't get more than one otherwise. There are some that just moved in a half mile from here and I'll try a .22 hand gun when I get time...yes, and a box of shells, | |||
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NRA Endowment Life Member | |||
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| one of us |
I have to agree with Norseman. Get a suppressor. I have six rifles with the barrels threaded for my suppressor. The noise reduction allows me to shoot without hearing protection and I believe the accuracy of these six rifles is every bit as good or better than it was before I used the suppressor. The rifles I use the suppressor on are two .17 Remingtons, three .204 Rugers and one .22-250. I wish I would have purchased a suppressor ages ago. Catch ya L8R | |||
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Perhap's it time to leave New York? | |||
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Im like Al, the blast doesn't bother me either, Im damn near deaf from shooting back when nobody used muzzle breaks! I won't be around one without ear protection, I can't afford to lose anymore hearing. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Lots of varmint hunters around Twin Falls, and more than a few use muzzle brakes so they can watch a rock chuck puff up like a ballon and explode! some even have cameras hooked up to get it on film..They are borderline nut cases IMO!  , they really get into shooting chucks, and watching them wither and go into convulsions over a miss is more fun than shooting..They attempt to keep track of kills and run a score of non misses way up there, One guy had 1005 consecutive kills without a miss, all witnessed..I good with shooting a couple of dozen chucks out my kitchen window, and leaving the rest for seed for next year. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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I had old-style VAIS brakes on my HV varmint rifles, since he lived in Boise for a couple years. I could go over to his shop, and he would walk me thru making one for the same price as buying it. I learned a lot from him. When you have a seventeen pound rifle with an inch and a quarter Lilja barrel on it in a 6,5x68 Shuler wildcat blown out, sharp shouldered, necked down to 25 caliber that will shoot 110gr Fowler VLD bullets pushing 4000fps, it is really neat to actually see liftoff, and watch parts come off in mid air. | |||
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I like a removable brake on big bores, It helps do range testing and load testing that might take a lot of shots to get it down pat..I take it off when I go hunt.. I am surprised that the poster with a brake on his 8x57 auto rifle??..I had no idea a brake would work on an auto..I do know that auto rifles by being automatic reduce recoil to varing degrees.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Mr. Atkinson: What I know is that it works pretty good on AK style guns. It will eliminate muzzle jump a lot. https://youtu.be/0aKC3dYx02M?t=65 Jiri | |||
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