Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting No brake, no light rifle!

With all that's been posted, I will continue to use brakes on everything except .22 LR. Guns are loud at the range. Guns with suppressors are still loud.

The .22LR auto with the Thunderbeast 9 is so quiet one hears the action and the impact of the bullet. That is fun.

Brakes suck. If you think suppressors are loud compared to a muzzle brake then you're out of your freaking mind.

They're about the same to me. When I'm at the range I use ear plugs and ear muffs. When I hunt I use the muffs. Enhances woods sounds and quiets muzzle blast. Win win.

Yep…..a light or relatively light high recoil rifle needs to be firmly held! I dud the same as you, I was holding it as you would a new baby……I got beat-up and shot poor groups for a while before figuring it out!

Just out of curiosity……what it the recoil in ft/lbs and the recoil velocity on your rifle? I’m guess’n pretty sporty! memtb

Good morning, memtb,

The recoil velocity is 17.89 feet per second and the recoil energy is 36.91 ft lb according to a 'net chart.

lolololol

I have 2 rifles that came with brakes. They now wear thread protectors.

lolololol (I copied that from your post.)

I guess a good brake reduces felt recoil by 50% That's why a 25 lb Barrett 50 cal with a brake has almost nonexistent recoil. My 500 Jeffery weighing in at 12lbs with scope shooting a 570g TSX at 2300 fps. Now that's a different matter

[img]http://i.imgur.com/BD0shRU.jpg?1[/img]

I am a sissy boy when it comes to recoil and coffee. When I go to a restaurant I want half hot water and half coffee. No cream, no sugar, just half hot water.

I guess I'm just too old to be embarrassed about things that I won't put up with.

That actually sounds a bit low, considering the cartridge! If correct, that’s pretty tame…….unless you’re shooting a lot! Of course, felt recoil is very dependent upon stock fit, quality of recoil pad, ect.! memtb

I think the pad is a little thin. It's only about a half inch thick.

With all due respect, why not shoot an unbaked rifle in a smaller cartridge? With today's bullet selection, I don't see the need to shoot big cartridges and big bullets, short of packy-derms.

An example - my plain Jane 270. It likes 52 gr of Re16 under a Nos AB at 2900. Recoil calculates at 14 ft/sec velocity, 21.5 ft/lbs in a 7.1 lb Kimber MT. That's not 243 recoil but it sure isn't bad for such a light rifle. My Kimber 308 weighs 6.7 lbs, recoil almost identical in a 6.6 lb package shooting a 165 NAB at 2700. Both shoot MOA or better. I've killed alot of game with those 2 cartridges over the years.

I personally moved away from 'bigger' cartridges because I didn't see much difference between those shot with lesser 270-7mm-30 cal cartridges vs those I shot with various 300 magnums. And I'm not all that fond of forehead scars from shooting bigger cartridges nor muzzle brakes - I've had plenty of both before arriving where I am now.

I could live with an 8lb rifle shooting a high BC bullet, something like a 6.5 PRC, 280/AI, 7 SAUM, etc. I've had 8lb 280s and 7 SAUMs and recoil is very tolerable w/o a brake, and 8lbs is not burdensome in the mountains.

A brake transfers shoulder hurt to hurting ears. I would rather take it on the shoulder.

I need you to talk all of your learned experience, common sense and snarky little cartridge attitude and park it Bill

Totally kidding of course cause I still like the big guys, but this past year and a half I have gotten the Montanas in 6.5 CM, 308 and 7-08, along with the Kimber Classic in 338 Federal and man, even with sorta heavy scopes on them, those little buggers are really fun.

I will say our group took elk from 490 to 605 this year and it was a nice feeling to have a bit bigger gun (the 8lb 7 Mag with a higher BC'ed bullet) than I would have felt comfortable with the 6.5, 7-08 or 308. I know they would have worked but I still don't have the cojones to push them that far on elk.

Replace the pad with a Pachmyar Decellerator or similar, making sure you have proper stock fit…..and recoil without a brake should be a none issue. A non-issue unless…..you plan on shooting more than 20 or 30 rounds at each sitting! memtb

Yes sir - parked.

I guess I have the brake disease. I use a brake on my .257 wildcat. It uses 95 grain bullets. I used to have a .17 Remington and it had a brake. See the hits without fighting with a rifle and trying to bruise my shoulder before I even fire it makes no sense.

Someone said we exchange pain at the shoulder for pain in the ears. Not if one uses electronic hearing protection.

No brakes on my 7 1/2 lb (with scope) 375 Weatherby or my 12 lb 500 Jeffery. Not a big fan of recoil, but I don't like brakes, don't have issues with folks that do. If my 375 Weatherby recoil bothers me, I just shoot 2 or 3 round through the 500 Jeffery then go back to the 375 Bee. Then it doesn't recoil at all lol

Your post made me smile.