Muzzle Brake Questions

[tooOld]

Every centerfire hunting rifle I own (except my 24" Varminter AR) has a side port brake.
9.5# 6CM
10# 25SST (will have next week)
10.5# 6.5SLR
9.0# 6.5SS
10.5# 6.5SS
8.75# .280AI
9.5# 7RM
15.5# .300RUM

Luckily, I am more deaf from the teenage years of ridiculously loud car stereos and a near fatal hunting accident, so a single shot while out hunting with no ear protection with a braked rifle does not bother me. But all recreational shooting is definitely with good hearing protection.

I find the reduced recoil and ability to stay on target in the scope is a huge benefit while hunting and shooting.

I hate radial brakes. They kick up too much dust/sand/rocks/debris that blows all over your rifle and in your face.

 

[tooOld]

Hearing damage is cumulative. Each loud noise damages your hearing a little bit more. A braked rifle will cause more damage than an un-braked one when no hearing protection is used.

 

[John McLaughlin]

I've had a 340Roy Magnaported. Recoil has never been a problem for me but muzzle rise has been the culprit. I'm shooting 250 gr Nosler Partitions at 3050 fps and now I can see bullet impacts on game thru the scope instead of just (Yes, I can still hear it) hearing the "Wack" of impact. You do have to send the barreled action into Magnaport's shop, but their turn around time is just a few days. FWIW. JM

 

[9x23w]

A properly installed brake will not affect accuracy. However I did read that accuracy can be affected if the barrel thickness under the threads is too small. This can happen when someone adds a brake to a lightweight barrel, or wants the brake to match the barrel contour (which does look great if done right).

 

[tony d willIiams]

I shot at a buck twice without ear protection with my Vias braked rifle. Two years ago. The ringing in my right ear has not stopped and I can discern the hearing loss at night.

I hunt with ear plugs tied to my hat so I can just plug my ears in a hurry. This buck just popped out and I didn't have the time to put them in.

Don't do what I did!

Earplugs tied to hat is a great idea. I keep my electronic muffs over the bolt and definitely blocking my optics glass.
I shot twice in a rush without ear protection a couple months apart, great pain and ringing for days. I need hearing aids now as I have difficulty understanding my wife and children. To be honest these weren't the only extremely high decibel sounds my ears have met. But I have protected them the last fifteen years, the straws that broke the camels back so to speak.

 

[entoptics]

1. Do muzzle brakes increase velocity with the extra ~2" of barrel length?

2. Do brakes reduce velocity?

8. Do you add more barrel length to increase velocity plus the muzzle brake? If I want a true 26" barrel velocity performance then I need full 26" BEFORE the brake?

The OEM barrel on my Savage LRH had an "on/off" radial brake, so I tested it for the same questions. I also tested a 308 LAR-8 with and without its Smith side ported brake.

There was no velocity difference open or closed on the 300WM, nor with/without the break on the AR, so I don't think the brake increases/decrease the velocity at all. I saw no POI shift either, but I didn't really test that rigorously at significant distance.

I can tell you there was a substantial increase in recoil with the 300WM brake closed, and the LAR-8 with the brake removed.

I'm a huge proponent of brakes, as I never shoot without ear pro (hunting included).

 

[keithcandler]

Idaho CTD, I judged the issue on the side discharge brakes being louder by how my ears rang more than the Radial brakes.

Sound is transmitted to the inner ear:

a. auditory canal
b. ear lobes
c. concussion on the skull transmits vibration to the inner ear

So, concussion is a major issue and covering your Ear lobes is also critical in reducing hearing damage.

For shooting off the ground, Side discharge brakes is your only option, and I use good electronic ear muffs.

lancetkeyton, you are in serious trouble. You have hearing damage to begin with. Now, you shoot unprotected. What you do not realize is that more hearing damage accumulates over time, it is accumulative...keeps getting worse.

If you can find a comfortable set of electronic ear muffs to use while you are hunting, you will never go to the woods without them again, as they give you a serious hearing advantage, discovering a whole new world that you never knew was out there.

Deer do a lot more short wheezing, grunting, bleating than you were ever aware of previously. Hogs do a lot more grunting than you were aware of, you can hear them grunting at a distance.

Some side discharge brakes are a LOT worse than others. Short barrels or 20" are a lot worse than a 26-28" barrel in concussion. Some calibers and in particular some powders have more muzzle pressure than others.

You get one set of ears, protect them best you can.