Information on muzzle breaks

[Murphy]

Just want to find who likes muzzlebreaks, Personally I have never owned one and to me they seem like a bit of a waste of time. My Stevens 200 in 300 Win Mag is comfortable enough to shoot without one and I really don't see the point in having one on something like a 223. People must like them or makers like Savage would not bother to install them, so come on guys who likes them and how good are they?

[ellobo]

Muzzle brakes will slow down your recoil and speed up your hearing loss.

El Lobo

[memilanuk]

Some people like being able to spot their own shot impact... whether its on steel or rocks, or just getting a good view of the red-mist effect when shooting varmints ;)

Otherwise... some people are more recoil sensitive than others - I know I don't like shooting most 'hunting' rifles in deer/elk calibers because they don't fit me very well, combined with the light weight, which makes them seem to want to jump up and bite when I pull the trigger...

And then there are rounds like the .338LM, which ain't too bad to fire with a brake on... but without a brake, well that just ain't a whole lot of fun :'(

[dcloco]

Echo what memilanuk said.

A GOOD recoil pad makes a LOT of difference. Find a picture of a Remington 721 (long action) and check the angle of the stock. I have a 1947 Rem 721 in 30/06 that would POUND the shooter. Purchased a Remington factory synthetic stock with the R3 recoil pad....ta da!...angle is changed and the recoil pad soaks up the recoil.


Google "Pain Killer" muzzle brakes.......I put one on a 338 RUM that runs 300 gr SMK's at 2950. Without the brake, that rifle was PUNISHING! Tears at round 12...and I am not a small guy or inexperienced shooter. Flat out hurt!

...and wear GOOD ear muffs....or push in plugs and muffs.

[Varget 7-08]

I have a grind to fit Limbsaver on my Manners 300WM combined with a YHM brake, I have pushed 50 rounds in one day through it without feeling the slightest bit sore. I think the loudness that people talk about is exaggerated; my 300WM is loud, but people make it seem as if your ears will bleed if you put a brake on. I'm going to add a brake to my .243 and .260 just so I can spot trace and hits easier.

[bootsmcguire]

I put one of my own design on my 458 Win Mag and it made a huge difference. If you are shooting it the noise is no worse, if you are off to the sides of the gun the noise is punishing. The recoil is less than my 30-06 (without a brake) though and the weight of the two guns is nearly the same. I also put one of mine on my 30-06 and it now it hits like a 243. I am looking forward to trying the one I just put on my 22-250.

Just wear your plugs and muffs at the range (which people should do anyway) and your good to go.


I think the loudness that people talk about is exaggerated; my 300WM is loud, but people make it seem as if your ears will bleed if you put a brake on.

+1

[Stockrex]

don't forget your fellow shooter beside you when you are using one of them evil things.

[Hatari]

I just love muzzle brake, but I had one PH who just hated it when I let go. I was shooting one lion with a 375 H&H, not more than 7.5lb, with muzzle brake. I was also wearing a PAST shoulder pad. The lion rose and ran a big circle. My second shot and my PH's roared as one. On autopsy, both my bullets were found. Without the muzzle brake, I wouldn't have recovered quick enough for the second shot to match my PH's (not the one who hated the brake). Also, I didn't get Weatherby eyebrow from firing 375 H&H in such a light configuration.

[romulus]

Guides hate them
Shooting partners usually hate them

It doesn't make your gun that much louder to you
If you're shooting a super magnum the brake can blow rocks at everyone in a small radius including your fancy optics (depending on design)

I like having them on rifles that kick more than .308 so I can watch my bullet fly and impact to get a good read on the wind and the fact that it's just cool to see a bullet dive into a target.

I could not shoot my magnums 40 times when I go out if I didn't have brakes on them. If you're a hunter that doesn't shoot a lot, I don't see the need for them.

There are effective brakes and cool looking ones and cool looking ones that are effective. :P

[logic factory]

romulus: can you call attention to anyone in particular?

i looked into this topic recently and if i were to eventually purchase a break the symmetry of the venting will be important to me. i have seen many brakes that have the bottom devoid of venting to prevent the gases from kicking up debris but on the same brake have a vent on the top; i would imagine this to impact accuracy in a negative manor but maybe it is negligible? i also stumbled upon an article that mentioned some ideal tolerances for the bore of the break in relation to the bullet calibur.

curious to anyone's experience good, bad or indifferent with breaks to help shape some of our decisions.

[jsimonh]

Some people like being able to spot their own shot impact... whether its on steel or rocks, or just getting a good view of the red-mist effect when shooting varmints ;)


+1 This is the reason I like them on my rifles. Anything I've owned bigger than a 243 has had a brake. Maybe I'm not good enough in my technique, but seeing a hit on steel at 850 yards with my 7 mag was impossible for me without the brake.

[roadkill46]

standard bird cages on my HD AR's, no FH/MB on my hunting AR's or other hunting rifles. yeah guys on the sides hate them, i'm usually one of the guys on the side! use one hunting and it will more than likely scare everything else off for a mile or so. I just wish Arizona would let us hunt with our suppressors, that only makes sense with hearing loss........huh can't hear you cause of your #*$& muzzle break!!! they have their use in the military, but for a predator hunter only like me, i tend to like to be a tad bit more quiet shooting and after the shot. my .04

[Varget 7-08]

I guess the YHM 338 brake is well designed, my girlfriend isn't bothered at all shooting next to me with the brake one my 300WM. I have a Muscle Brake for my next project to see how well it preforms.

[romulus]

Logicfactory, in my experience I think the Weatherby brakes are very efficient. I shot 220 grain pills out of my .30-378 and I literally thought the gun kicked less than my 308 which I feel like is nothing at all. I shot it three times without the brake and let's say the brake was doing a good job. I called Weatherby to ask what tolerances I need for such a "super magnum" because I wanted to switch brakes. I don't know if it was somebody important in the company, but they got really bent out of shape and went on a little rant about how much research and money went into the thing. I just wanted a brake that didn't throw grape sized stones out of the dirt down my shirt and at my friends, lol.

I also called Surefire about the super magnums and they said they would have an engineer work on it for a bit and call me back. They called me the next day and said I should opt for the .338 brake/ suppressor. I didn't ask if that was to make up for recoil or to make up for blast on their end.

I've shot some fish gills like the standard one on Savages and I don't really think they're as effective as the Weatherby style (the internal tolerances seem looser), but man does the Wby kick the dust and make the noise. :( I don't have any proof but I think they opt for the bi-directional brakes on huge calibers over the omni-directional due to debris blast. Just speculation of course.

I also have a Tromix brake (link below) that I bought just because it is ridiculous looking (plus I have a friend obsessed with breach devices), and against my expectations I think it performs better than the Savage fish gill although they are very similar design.

I have some friends who shoot the suppressor style brakes like the Surefire and they seem to help a little, but less than brakes with gas contact closer to the bore hole.

I'm probably going to buy one of the larger Painkiller brakes for a 300 WM in the next few months. They look real cool and are supposedly real effective. I mean, they're on Allen Xpress cartridges.

I would love to try a lot of different ones out, especially the tank looking ones. If they make the rifle drop a .25" MOA but they make you shoot .5 MOA better aren't they worth it? Even the rifles loss and the shooter's gain were even it still would be IMO.

I don't want to offend anyone, but I played with one of those BOSS tuner brakes a few years ago and man that was a waste of ammo and barrel life. Maybe you can get it to work, but I'd assume tune loads instead of a brake.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=tromix+brake&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1676&bih=916&tbm=isch&tbnid=dx_SKTwQJlO-dM:&imgrefurl=http://www.mississippiautoarms.com/tromix-m-3.html&docid=0-oikB3dWTy0mM&w=299&h=417&ei=FVGTTrHPHKKEsALdzqjJAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=174&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=104&start=0&ndsp=40&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=99&ty=59

[Mbarnes72]

EVerything I currently shoot from 7mag up has one on it and all factory savage brakes. By far the most effective is the old "shock suppressor" from savage that I don't thinik they make anymore. It is far louder than the current on/off brake but cuts recoill much more. And I agree there is no way I could put 80-rounds through a magnum in a day without it, but I have on several occasions without flinch taking over my lifestyle.

[tyler.woodard04]

a must on specialty pistols also. use double protection at the range and single in the field. my pro ears are on order we will see how they work soon

[DonArkie]

breaks come in all configurations. When I decided to have a long range rifle in a mag caliber built, I was going to have a break on it. I wanted one that works well. I've done 3 months of looking and talking with different companies.....I settled on the JP Recoil Eliminator. It does everything I wanted it to. Calms down the recoil, were I could have a faster 2nd shot if needed, and it does everything they state it does.
When I'm shooting a target out at 800 yards I want a quick target acquisition / with sufficient accuracy to permit continued monitoring if needed I can make my adjustments quickly. My 7mm Mag has the recoil of a 25-06, if that. As of the shooter next to you, thats why ear safety is a must anyhow.

[Locosmith]

The Best is, Gentry Quiet break. I use them on my 308 and my 300 WSM they are great and quiet as breaks go.Loco

[barthmonster]

Love them. My 7mm RUM was beating me up first time out so it got a brake. I don't think it's louder as mentioned except for the guy next to you at the range...

I want to put one on my Encore Pro-Hunter '06 barrel. It's not that bad but I shoot better with the reduced recoil. If I could shoot every rifle like I can my .243 nothin would be safe !

[bowhunter42]

I have a defensive edge tri port design on my 116 in 300 win mag and I love it. I can put 100 rounds thru it in a day and not feel any discomfort at all. My girlfriend and her 12 year old daughter also shoot it with no problem. It allows me to spot my own shots, and reduces the recoil to less than my rem 788 in 243. my partner has a factory break on his bear hunter also in 300 win and he says my rifle kicks less. I wont own a rifle larger then 243 with out a break!