muzzlebrake!

[zookman]

do they work ? should i put one on my new build ? what about the noise ?


thanks for input .

 

[sambo3006]

Yes they definitely work. As a rule, the more efficient the muzzle brake, the louder they are to the shooter and bystanders.
Should you put one on your build? That depends on the chambering, weight of the gun, intended use, etc. Give us some details.

 

[zookman]

Rem700 7mm 26" hart barrel 5 contour. 1 in 9 twist

 

[bman73]

Not too sure if this is an option you would like to pursue or not but my best friends older brother who shoots with only 1 arm ( lost the other one is a car accident when he was 17) had magna porting done to his 7mm rem mag. It is a semi auto so that helps with the recoil as well but the magna porting he had done to it made the biggest difference to the contrlability of it. He has shot a moose at over 400 yards with no rest, dumped all 5 rounds into a group less then 2 inches in diameter in under 6 seconds. Yes, I as well as he realize that not that many rounds were needed but he said it never even flinched and he just kept shooting till his clip was empty thinking he had missed. The gun is a little louder but it more than makes up for it with reduced recoil and controllability

 

[demoIL]

They do work, they are loud and I have personally had them affect accuracy in a negative way. Possilby by changing bbl harmonics on a sporter weight bbl. Usually they help the percieved accuracy though..

 

[texan79]

The 7mm's are tame enough to skip the break in my opinion.

 

[JARHEAD1371]

The 7mm's are tame enough to skip the break in my opinion.

I had a lot of people tell me that when I was planning my custom 7 SAUM build a couple of years ago. However, due to injuries I received whilst on active duty I find it much more comfortable to use a muzzle break. And since my wife also shoots and hunts with the rifle, the break has allowed her to become an excellent shooter at distances she never thought were possible.

The report of the rifle is louder with a break, but the way we hunt LR there is always time for earplugs.

With the original CSR break, I can spot my impacts at around 300 yds.

All I'm saying is there is nothing wrong with having a break on a smaller caliber. I will never own another rifle without one.

 

[WyoElk2Hunt]

I have rifles with brakes and rifles without brakes. Brakes make them louder and blow dust and debris off rocks and tables but help in recoil. Personal preference here is most important. Accuracy has not been an issue with my rifles both with and without work good.

 

[liltank]

They do work, they are loud and I have personally had them affect accuracy in a negative way. Possilby by changing bbl harmonics on a sporter weight bbl. Usually they help the percieved accuracy though..

Sounds like you need to take it back to the smith. There is no reason that a break should impact accuracy in a negative way. Most people get better, because recoil is reduced allowing the person to want to stay behind the rifle when it is fired.

As for the OP, it is personal preference, but as stated by Jarhead we have time to plug our ears. The best option of course is an amplified ear muff or the hearing aids that are designed to be amplified ear plugs (the cheapo's at Wal-Mart suck, Don't waist your money). Anyway, I have a .308 Win w/ a break. Is it necessary... no, but I need to be able to spot my own shots when I don't have a spotter. This allows that gun to stay steady. If you know that you are going to be hunting somewhere that you have time to use ear protection I would get the break. If you are shooting in brush, you could always take the break off for short shot hunting scenarios. Just make sure you do some homework to make sure you know how your POA is going to be effected w/ and w/o the break.

Tank

 

[Outlaw6.0]

Muzzle breaks in general cause as much (if not more) debate as Ford vs Chevy, some may denounce breaks with impunity as the single greatest sin of the 20th century while others may claim deception of the faithful .

As with any deliberation, there are pros & cons to be weighed as well as compromises to consider.

Are you willing to wear ear protection before EVERY shot?
If not, are you willing to accept the possibility of permanent hearing damage?
Are you willing to accept the extra bbl length? (Not a very big difference)
Are you ok with the possibility of angering the shooters at the range on the firing line next to you? (you can always have a threaded cap made for range time)

On the other hand:
You WILL be more capable of spotting hits or misses.
You WILL be able to become more efficient with the large magnums as you can withstand more rounds fired per range session.
You WILL have the ability to improve your skill set without the punishment of sometimes extreme recoil.
More focus on your improved skill set, less focus on recoil while making important shots.


Is it worth is to me?? Absolutely, I have breaks on rifles as small as my 6mmAI that weighs nearly 10#, why? Because I have decided that comfort & the ability to call my own shots outweighs all other factors. I have never (to this point)in the game fields NOT had enough time to put my ear plugs in before I take my shot; albeit this has much to do with the terrain I hunt in here in WY, most areas allow you to spot your prey long before you are in shooting range (please remember to warn your new hunting buddies before you fire!) As a landowner i'm not real worried about people next to me on the firing line because if there is actually someone there they are my buddies shooting a similarly designed rifle (with break) and we know how to handle it (read controlled environment ). As to blowing dust/debris all over the place; it can and does happen with breaks ported on the bottom (which makes no sense to me in any way shape or form). My first 2 rigs have ports on the bottom & will absolutely cover you in dirt after a day on the range, so I stopped acquiring that style. The last 2 I had built do not have holes on bottom (2 different styles) & I really don't mind them; do they stir dust? A little, but so does the wind.... I've also started using a shooting mat more & more which completely eliminates dust with any break I have. Make sure you research all of the wonderful breaks on the market before you decide on which one to utilize (if you decide on one at all).

These are my opinion & findings only, meant to provide perspective & facts to ease your decision. The major deliberation is in your hands as only YOU can decide what fits YOUR needs. Hope I answered more question than I created with this post, I would like to hear what your decision turns out to be, keep us posted...

 

[zookman]

Thanks for all the info ! When I post the pics. Yall will c my choice

 

[rscott5028]

I always prefer a brake.

I have a young son that shoots all of my rifles and we even put one on his AR-15 for 3-gun. It works like a dream for double tapping targets.

I always wear proper hearing protection with or without a brake. The noise isn't really worse than shooting pistols. IMO

I can't really concern myself with the poor guy at the bench next to me just like he can't concern himself regarding his rapid fire 338 mag or AK-47 without a brake. Some guys wear proper hearing protection and some just stuff a little piece of tissue in their ears. What's up with that?

Indexed brakes don't stir up as much dust when shooting prone.

Most brakes are removable and can be replaced with a thread protector.

I feel like it improves my comfort, accuracy, and ability to practice more.

But, it all really just comes down to personal preference.

-- richard

 

[roninflag]

they are awesome. i wear muffs and puffs at the range, puffs hunting

 

[Booney]

+1 for brakes. I love them.