Brakes on a hunting gun

[Litehiker]

The purposes of a muzzle brake are to:
1. reduce recoil
2. help shooter stay visually on target due to reduced recoil

The only hunting rifle I have braked is my .300 Win mag Browning A-Bolt with the BOSS system. It's there as an accuracy enhancer. This brake is a micrometer-like adjustment to tune barrel harmonics and helps the bullets of various weights, shapes, BCs and muzzle velocities always exit the barrel at the same point on the clock, say 1:30, for example with a 180 gr. Winchester or 6:00 with a 200 gr. Hornady ELD-X.

All my other hunting rifles have no brakes, however my 6.5 CM Ruger Precision Rifle has a Little Bastard brake to help me stay on target to see my hits and misses and correct for misses in competition.

And yes, wearing hearing protection while shooting when hunting is very wise, especially for me since I have 80% hearing loss in my right ear from a viral infection many years ago.

Eric B.

 

[newmexkid]

Many years ago I started with, "Magna Port". It was pretty effective and I think not as loud as a regular brake. I believe they are still in business. Now I have "regular" brakes on all my rifles. I very rarely shoot my 300 Win or 7 Mags anymore as I'm into the 20 calibers now. Yes, I have brakes on them too! They are a blast, (?) too shoot. I use the same aid as Black Tail Hunter. Never had an instance in 15 years of elk/deer/antelope hunting when I didn't have time to put them on.

 

[mdk777]

I have not owned, but from the reviews I have read:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2016/02/jeremy-s/308-muzzle-brake-test/

The precision armament efab-hybrid-muzzle-brake is the best balance on muzzle brakes I have seen.
I learned to shot with a 30 06 at around the age of 10 and did not enjoy the experience.
Older and Wiser, I am looking at the 6.5 in all its variations, and I will be using the EFAB muzzle brake for the balance of recoil reduction and concussion limiting(I don't want to exchange shoulder shock for nasal cavity shock).

PS, the literature on shock wave brain damage continues to accumulate.
I consider it a risk (esp. with the trend to very short barrels, bullpups, rifle pistols, etc. etc.) that should be carefully considered in addition to the risks of hearing damage.

 

[wboregon]

I don't think a break is really necessary for most hunting. how ever in the spirit of LongRange Hunting, I see no issue in using one for a LR/ELR shot where you might need to see the shot. I think if you're really setting up for such a shot there should be plenty of time for hearing protection.

Beyond that, if you kicking brush and hiking and expecting the chance of taking a shot quickly, then I don't think a break has any purpose, as you likely will be shooting at moderate ranges, and you likely will be so amped up that you won't feel the recoil. Plus your only shooting 1 or 2 shots any ways, not really enough to bother most people even with very strong recoiling cartridges and light weight guns.

Now hearing damage definitely occurs when shooting any gun with out HP but adding a brake really takes that to an extreme.

 

[FEENIX]

The purposes of a muzzle brake are to:
1. reduce recoil
2. help shooter stay visually on target due to reduced recoil

An effective muzzle brake reduces felt recoil and muzzle rise; together it allows shooter to see target on impact or quicker target re-acquisition.

 

[Beardeddeer91]

In the last few years there have been advancements in cartridges to the point where you question if a heavy recoil round is needed. Don't get me wrong at LR distances of 700+ I prefer shooting my 300 with a brake (I can spot my own shots and reduces recoil). I hunt with this gun with the intention of taking these long shots and find I have plenty of time to put in hearing protection. However, at distances closer than that there is often lighter recoiling cartridges that make a muzzle break unnecessary for recoil (obviously this is dependent on the game your hunting). There are many cartridge choices now that are plenty adequate for taking most game and have very little recoil. Another consideration is whether you have a spotter. If you do, someone can spot your shots and call corrections, making a muzzle break unnecessary for this purpose.

 

[Tex_Hunter]

I'll second what a lot of people have pointed out here already. Hearing damage is deceptive in the way it sneaks up on you. I started hunting at the age of 11 and was always just fed the lie of "you never really hear the shot when you are out in the field". Which is true, but by the time I was in my twenties I started realizing that my ears would ring for just a little bit longer each time I pulled the trigger in the field.

My recommendation to the OP is this, get a can. You are already spending "Im putting a second barrel on my custom 7Mag" money so the cost shouldnt be an issue. There are several great light weight UltraMag rated silencers out there that cost below $1000 and add barely over half a pound to the rifle. Since you are considering a brake already, the length added only amounts to maybe 4-5" additional. This can be offset by just running 2-4" less barrel on your build.

Having hunted a full season with a suppressed rifle I'd much rather forego a few inches of barrel if the length or weight became an issue. On most popular hunting cartridges you are only going to lose maybe 50-100fps at the muzzle by cutting off that 2-4" of barrel. That just doesn't make a difference for any practical scenario inside of 600-700yds. If you are shooting out past that, you probably dont really care how long/heavy your rifle is.

The biggest pro of running a can is reduced blast/concussion to the shooter and bystanders not just the overall decibel reduction of the shot. As others have noted, hearing protection helps prevent but not eliminated shooting related hearing damage. Being around loud concussive rifles will take its toll on your hearing regardless of how well you are protected. This is in my opinion the biggest advantage running a can has even if the recoil reduction isnt as efficient as a true brake would be.

The only remaining con is time, the last three cans I bought cleared in 7 months +/- a few weeks with the most recent one being about 3 weeks quicker than the others.

The excuse list is pretty thin now days for not owning a can.

 

[basinman]

I have a brake on 5 of my rifles and I like them. You definitely need hearing protection though. I use the ear plugs with the plastic retainer that goes around my neck or up on my cap and slip them in as needed. I also sometimes use my electronic muffs as they help me hear better when I am hunting in the woods on a tree stand.

 

[mikeinlouisiana]

Brake is a must, but loud as heck! I use electronic muffs. I would hate to pull trigger with no hearing protction.

Best I have found. http://www.shoot-long.com/products/long-range-accessories/terminator-muzzle-brakes/

 

[ncwg2boatguy]

I wear electronic hearing protection. Pricey? Depends. I've lost 30% in my left and 60% in my right from 30 yrs military service in kinetic environments. Tinitis sucks. The new compact in ear design earpro are great and you can stalk and talk normally and at trigger pull its a dull thump. We all have recoil amnesia hunting but not decibel amnesia. It's for keeps. Be smarts. Saying huh Everytime your wife or someone speaks to you gets real old to them. Brakes make rifles even louder. But they don't kill on both ends and improve follow up shots. It's a fact with Hunter profile barrels.

 

[epags]

Many years ago I started with, "Magna Port". It was pretty effective and I think not as loud as a regular brake. I believe they are still in business

I am a newbie to this forum. I have been looking into magna porting my 7mm rem and 30-06. They (MagnaPort) are still in business. Question: how is a brake different than MPing? Weight?

Yes use hearing protection. Twenty three years in the military helped me loss hearing and develop tininitis.

 

[mark223]

OK....talk to me people. Interested in hearing from those that hunt with muzzle brakes.

I wore out my heavy barrel on my 7mm Rem Mag. I ended up putting a #3 bartlein on it because I was tired of lugging a 15lb rifle into the backcountry. I'm not recoil sensitive in the least, but with the missing weight in the barrel I'm fighting some muzzle jump that I've never had to deal with before.

I'm thinking about putting a brake on her to help manage the recoil and get the gun to track better. My question is: Have any of you regretted doing it? What kind of hearing protection are you using while hunting?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, advice and opinions. I've never had a braked rifle before and I keep going back and forth on the idea.

 

[RandyinVa]

Oh hell...hearing is for young people that don't know any better and get yelled at all the time......at least thats when mine started going away...
I just got a new Tacoma..all the bells and whistles.....cant hear any of them...and i swear those speakers don't work worth a crap....
7mag nor a 7rum ..needs a brake...as for a fact..if you learn to shoot the first shot where it needs to be nothing needs a brake...
Buck up and take the recoil....
But don't forget the hearing protection...
Its even more important than a Condom........

I dunno. You should see all the skags around here.

 

[RandyinVa]

I only shoot from a solid fixed position. A brake allows me to get off a follow up shot if necessary. I use the Recoil Eliminator and seldom does the x hair move off the target. It is a tank type brake and has the highest decibel level you have witnessed for a similar caliber. Follow up shots are an important part of my shooting.