Muzzle Breaks, Whats Your Take

[callingthewild]

I'm trying to learn about Muzzle Breaks
So what I understand of them, that they are to reduce kickback muzzle jump.

Is that correct?.

Also read that if one has a shorter barrel 22" that a Muzzle Break is highly recommended.

So please give me your feed back on this, and if a Muzzle Break is a good thing, than which one.

Opening a Can of worms is always going to smell, lol, Sorry.


Calling The Wild gun)

 

[C.O. Shooter]

Center Shot Rifles - Products / Sales - Muzzle Brakes

 

[woods]

My opinion, might smell to some

Muzzle brakes - they SUCK

Too loud and will harm your hearing (and anyone else's close) unless you are wearing hearing protection which I don't like to wear in the field

Blast back will throw dirt and dust back in your face when shooting prone or paper off your bench

Blast will take the paint off your hood or bench (not that I have ever done that but have heard of it)

They collect crap and are hard to clean

FUGLY


My solutions have been to get 26" barrels in all calibers that recoil is not a problems up to 300 win mag. Those I can shoot in the field and not even get any ringing in my ears, don't even remember hearing the shot. Now 24" is OK but at 22" the muzzle blast starts and that is as bad as a muzzle brake. A 20" barrel can be deafening. A 20" or 22" barrel with a muzzle brake will clear several benches on either side of you at the range.

In calibers where I find recoil to be less tolerable I have used other solutions. In my 338RUM I had an integral port put on a 26" #5 contour barrel

and installed recoil reducers in the butt stock (pic shows one being acraglassed in)

2 of the mechanical ones, not the mercury ones. The rifle is heavy now at 12# but kicks like a 30-06 and is not loud

On my 375 Ruger I went with a 24" #5 contour and a recoil reducing stock

It is also heavy but recoils like a 300 win mag. For a 270 gr bullet at 2850 fps that is not bad


Others will have different opinions and that is OK, it takes all kinds to fill the freeway

 

[wklman]

I use one on my weatherby ultra-lightweight in 270 weatherby. The gun is super light so I added the brake to keep muzzle jump to a minimum. I love it. Recoil is managed and I still have a light rifle I can carry 10 miles into the back country to hunt coues deer with.

 

[Varberger757]

It' all about personal taste and preference! IMO, muzzle brakes make good sense if someone tries to practice often in bigger calibres without getting sour in his shoulder. Comfort gives confidence. Bigger means from about 7mm RM - ... For calibres like the RUMs, LM, Edge whatever muzzle brakes are a must.

 

[Hired Gun]

It's the 20th century. We have antibiotics for bacterial infections, seat belts, air bags and now muzzle brakes for recoil reduction. I embrace both. Nothing cool about getting beat up by a rifle to the point you can't use it anymore. Thanks to a muzzle brake I can use a 300 Weatherby to shoot squirrels and let kids shoot my 338 Lapua. I have brakes on everything now. I think they look cool.

I stay away from brakes with ports aiming down to eliminate any dust kickup.

Benefits of a real brake.
Reduced recoil. Allows guys that are recoil sensitive to use more effective calibers. Like a 338WM instead of a .243 for moose.
Spot my own shots.
Quicker recovery if multiple targets.
I can shoot as much as I want rather than as much as I can stand.
Added mass at the muzzle helps accuracy
Less muzzle blast to blow over my chronograph.
Less sound down range confuses animals as to my location. I get more squirrels.
Gets me privacy at a crowded range.
Important crown protection should I ever drop my rifle muzzle down.
Must wear hearing protection. All shooting causes hearing damage. Being forced to insert an earplug preserves what I have left.
Side ported only brakes kick up less dust than a rifle with no brake at all.

Con's
Must wear hearing protection. I guess. Without a brake I thought I was safe from the occasional shot but now at 49 I can't hardly hear in a crowded room and have to rewind movies a bit to hear what was said.

Adds a little length and weight to the barrel.

 

[jkupper]

It's the 20th century. We have antibiotics for bacterial infections, seat belts, air bags and now muzzle brakes for recoil reduction. I embrace both. Nothing cool about getting beat up by a rifle to the point you can't use it anymore. Thanks to a muzzle brake I can use a 300 Weatherby to shoot squirrels and let kids shoot my 338 Lapua. I have brakes on everything now. I think they look cool.

I stay away from brakes with ports aiming down to eliminate any dust kickup.

Benefits of a real brake.
Reduced recoil. Allows guys that are recoil sensitive to use more effective calibers. Like a 338WM instead of a .243 for moose.
Spot my own shots.
Quicker recovery if multiple targets.
I can shoot as much as I want rather than as much as I can stand.
Added mass at the muzzle helps accuracy
Less muzzle blast to blow over my chronograph.
Less sound down range confuses animals as to my location. I get more squirrels.
Gets me privacy at a crowded range.
Important crown protection should I ever drop my rifle muzzle down.
Must wear hearing protection. All shooting causes hearing damage. Being forced to insert an earplug preserves what I have left.
Side ported only brakes kick up less dust than a rifle with no brake at all.

Con's
Must wear hearing protection. I guess. Without a brake I thought I was safe from the occasional shot but now at 49 I can't hardly hear in a crowded room and have to rewind movies a bit to hear what was said.

Adds a little length and weight to the barrel.

+ 1. These are my exact thoughts on the topic.

 

[ZSteinle]

I love um. Have one on my 15 lb 6.5x47 lapua. Wouldn't have it any other way. I wear hearing protection no matter what so I don't really notice any more noise

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

The real advantage to muzzle brakes is they reduce the likelihood of you developing a flinch from your rifle. When sighting a rifle in or practicing, you are wearing hearing protection anyway, so you might as well take advantage of less recoil and better form and trigger pull. When you go to shoot a deer or elk, take the brake off. You won't notice the extra recoil due to the adrenaline in your system, you won't flinch because you haven't been conditioned to, and you won't lose any more hearing since the muzzle brake isn't installed. I would not choose a ported barrel though for the above reason.

 

[Erik Kiser]

My opinion, might smell to some

Muzzle brakes - they SUCK

Too loud and will harm your hearing (and anyone else's close) unless you are wearing hearing protection which I don't like to wear in the field

Blast back will throw dirt and dust back in your face when shooting prone or paper off your bench

Blast will take the paint off your hood or bench (not that I have ever done that but have heard of it)

They collect crap and are hard to clean

FUGLY


My solutions have been to get 26" barrels in all calibers that recoil is not a problems up to 300 win mag. Those I can shoot in the field and not even get any ringing in my ears, don't even remember hearing the shot. Now 24" is OK but at 22" the muzzle blast starts and that is as bad as a muzzle brake. A 20" barrel can be deafening. A 20" or 22" barrel with a muzzle brake will clear several benches on either side of you at the range.

In calibers where I find recoil to be less tolerable I have used other solutions. In my 338RUM I had an integral port put on a 26" #5 contour barrel

Your "integral port" is a muzzle brake.

 

[Jim in Cali]

Do they work? Yes
Are they obnoxious? YES!!!
Are they cool?
Are they worth the $$? Depends?
Shoot someones rifle before you have one installed.

 

[TH]

Forget about the muzzle break buy a suppressor. They do everything a muzzle break does. Which is reduce muzzle jump and recoil. They also eliminate muzzle blast and noise.

 

[bigngreen]

Forget about the muzzle break buy a suppressor. They do everything a muzzle break does. Which is reduce muzzle jump and recoil. They also eliminate muzzle blast and noise.

They do everything except hunt big game in MT, gotta get that changed

 

[reeldawg]

I have one on 300 Win Mag. It is very loud! My 13 year old daughter can shoot it without issue. Mine is also removable.



Jay