To muzzle break or not to muzzle break

frostop said:

I would really be interested in what you see as far as point of impact changes.



I agree with your statement that the recoil while hunting is a non issue. My thought is to use the brake while practicing etc. and remove it during hunting season. I also would rather not have to use hearing protection while hunting-more often than not I hear the animal before I see it. I may look into something like the walker's game ear ear plugs that help hearing but cut out gun blast.

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I'm considering those or something similar for use, when hunting with my "ported" 460 S&W. However, I've read "less than glowing reports" on them. The best (for hearing protection) would probably be muffs or very good plugs.... but many shot opportunities may be lost. Hearing protection is an absolute must with the handgun....I consider it an option ( which I will pass on) when hunting. Any bench work or extended shooting sessions, ear protection will be used.....though, the brake will not! memtb

The design Of the brake will determine the amount of recoil reduction and sound.
A really loud muzzle brake will have backward facing ports but can control muzzle rise.
A brake that has 90o ports to the bore Is just as loud, but is perceived as being quieter.
A brake that ports are forward facing have even less perceived sound By the shooter but The DB noise will be the same and lose some recoil reduction.

A proper crown (Cone or convex in shape) can be the quietest because it projects the sound away from the shooter but offers no recoil reduction. Some experiments have shone that a megaphone type muzzle device is the quietest of all but again offer no recoil reduction. (You occasionally see these on Machine guns).

The quietest system of all the sound reducers Is good hearing protection.

J E CUSTOM

I have brakes on my big powder burners, which for me, is my .300WinMag and .270 Allen Magnum. I do not take them off, except for cleaning.
Some will say the .300WinMag doesn't need a brake but recoil is subjective. The older I get, the less I like it. It might not hurt you but I don't care for it. I shoot better if there's no pain coming. "Comfortably numb" is find with me.
My .270 Allen Magnum is a BEAST!, the rifle bare weighs 14lbs - with scope, loaded, 15.5lbs. I've shot it with the brake off, at the bench with 140's, doing fire-forming but that isn't realistic for a hunting scenario. With that heavy of a rifle, you see your shot impacts, especially out where this cartridge/rifle does its best work.
603yds, "Calculate!" QUICK!, up 5.8 MOA, PUSH 'EM IN, thumb safety forward, snug up on the trigger, the sear trips and instantaneously your brain super focuses your shooting eye to see his reaction, "every ounce of energy you try to give away", you see his back hooves smack his stomach, his front legs give and his chin hits the dirt, And then, the rifle shoves your shoulder. He goes down, straight down, lays there...after a breathless second rolls over and just stretches....typical evening with ANY high performance cartridge with a brake.
Back to the OP, while hunting, whether braked or not, I keep the rubber type ear plugs in my mouth. Seriously, they're wet, push 'em in, the rest is "automatic". You may not realize the rifle "went off" because you didn't feel it...but years later, your ears will ring constantly. Plug 'em.

Yes, please report back about any point of impact changes at any yardage.

I read a comment above that I must disagree with, that was hearing protection not required without a break. That's false, from working in an industrial environment and being tested regularly I can tell you hearing damage is cumulative. Even that one shot from an un-braked rifle during the hunt is causing a little damage which adds up through the years.

I carry these around my neck at all times when hunting. They're not as effective as muffs or even the foam plugs which you can roll and insert deeper into the ear but install very quickly and provide a good level of protection.

Slick8 said:

View attachment 152145 I read a comment above that I must disagree with, that was hearing protection not required without a break. That's false, from working in an industrial environment and being tested regularly I can tell you hearing damage is cumulative. Even that one shot from an un-braked rifle during the hunt is causing a little damage which adds up through the years.

I carry these around my neck at all times when hunting. They're not as effective as muffs or even the foam plugs which you can roll and insert deeper into the ear but install very quickly and provide a good level of protection.

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I use the same protection in the field. They're the easiest to use when you need ear protection fast

Code4 said:

If there is any kind of rearward deflection of the 'blast'. It will decrease recoil but at the expense of you wearing it in the face. Ports should face out from the bore line at 90deg..

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I vehemently disagree. I did lots of recoil testing with a slide. My brakes have rearward ports and never come off. Electronic muffs when I hunt and ear plugs and muffs at the range.

Slick8, I carry those when handgun hunting! I don't kill enough game for two or three rifle shots (unbraked) per season to be of "huge" consequence! At least that's my opinion. I pretty much ruined my hearing when I was 17 or 18 (early '70's) shooting a 4" .357 Magnum......a lot! Then there was motorcycle racing, along with 40 years in various plants (paper mills to gas processing). It's a wonder, 8 hear at all. memtb

I avoid brakes at all cost. But then again, I don't shoot anything that produces enough recoil to warrant a brake. In my opinion, this is anything that produces more than about 18 ft./ lbs. of recoil - about what an .06 will produce with a 165 grain bullet.

All my rifles have BRAKES. I just wear hearing protection when shooting.

frostop said:

I just got my 33 nosler together and have only fired it maybe 10 times.
It's not the first rifle that I've had a break on but needed on this one!
I put a MBM Beast on it and the back blast is very noticeable!
I have to say that I have never been a fan of a break mainly because of the added noise.

My question is do any of you remove the break for hunting season?
Usually when hunting you don't even feel the rifle go off.

Gary

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I would leave it on. You don't want your P.O.I changing. What I do with my rifle with a brake is bring my hearing protection with me. I use the Walker muffs with electronic noise canceling and put them on as soon as game starts coming in.

At a minimum, all those against wearing hearing protection while hunting should at least put one plug in your phone ear at all times. No sense at all in ruining both your ears. If you dont agree with that just hit yourself in the kneecap with a hammer. Either way it is intentional injury.

I never have used a brake while and NEVER remember the recoil. I shoot a 7 STW and use a brake at the bench

memtb said:

Slick8, I carry those when handgun hunting! I don't kill enough game for two or three rifle shots (unbraked) per season to be of "huge" consequence! At least that's my opinion. I pretty much ruined my hearing when I was 17 or 18 (early '70's) shooting a 4" .357 Magnum......a lot! Then there was motorcycle racing, along with 40 years in various plants (paper mills to gas processing). It's a wonder, 8 hear at all. memtb

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That sound exactly like what happened to me except more than .357. Motorcycle racing. Chainsaws. Loud music . Noisey switchrooms. Etc. I wear hearing aides now. Ears have been ringing for many years. I've been trying to keep ear protection with me lately when hunting. Seems I never have time to put in. Walker muffs or plugs may be the answer. I have 3 braked rifles. I leave on always .