Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Muzzle brakes

I have never liked them, but due to shoulder injury that can't be fixed, I need to do something.

A few questions.

Looking at several, they all claim to direct more of the gases forward thus limiting the extra noise that was prevalent in the past. Anyone find this to be true or not?

What percentage of recoil reduction can one expect, say for a KDF as an example? I'm shooting a 30-06 , 180 gr bullet at about 2700fps.

Please don't tell me to change to this or that weight bullet or different gun or different chambering. If you don't know the answer to my questions, no need to respond.

Probably to 243 level...I stuck one (one of their old flash hider looking brakes) on a 338 WM & it went from wild to mild. Probably .270 level, but not as sharp.

There is no such thing as a "quiet" brake. Even a 30-06 without a break is hard on your ears. The best thing is to get a brake that works and that would be a Vais style brake. They work exceptionally well with the gasses moving forward out the end of the brake as well as out the sides.

A brake that is larger than the barrel diameter has more surface area for the gas to work on to give the brake it's full benefit. If you want a brake that fits the taper of the barrel, they do look nicer but they won't reduce as much recoil. There really isn't any way to eliminate hearing damage without muffs, whether the rifle has a brake or not...

The biggest part of my business is muzzle brakes. The so called quiet brakes are still way to loud for shooting without hearing protection. I personally like them as the good ones really tame down recoil and promotes shooting practice which leads to better hunting accuracy. I would recommend those electronic game ear.. That cancel out high noise. I have never used them but hear they work..

With all due respect to Sharpnel I tested just about every brake I could get my hands on when developing my brakes. The vias is cool looking but was dead last in recoil reduction. The top 2 were JP. And the Holland. I patterned one of my designs after the holland.. The JP was just too ugly..

I had a model 57 I was going to offer you at a good price, but you can forget it now...

Oh Man I take it all back...........please forgive me...

If you've never been around one, you need to understand that "loud" doesn't fully explain it. I've been 10' behind a .223 with a brake without earpro before and it wasn't just loud-It was painful. You'll feel actual pain if you shoot it without hearing protection. Even one shot.

I realize that brakes add to the noise. I have been adamant against them for years, and detested those guys that came to the range with them and never said a damn word about having one on and blasted you right next to them. However, reading all the hype in the advertisements,I wanted to get other's opinions. Thanks for that. Hopefully all that responded had actual experience with them.

It is not my intention to forgo ear protection, however when out hunting, that gets to be problematic. Now my situation is changed and I need something to help me out. I am going to check into having one that could be remove for hunting.

Off topic, but I quit paying attention to Shrapnel's advice after he admonished me saying elk never bugle over their shoulders and then quietly went away after several members posted photos of them doing so.

My .338 WM has a muzzle brake. Its a good brake and it reduces recoil down to around 270 Winchester levels. I'll remove it for hunting season.

Put a suppresor on it and get less recoil and less noise

So true!! I have one braked rifle, a 270 that was braked when I bought it. I used hearing protection when shooting off the bench, then forgot to do the same when I went hunting. Shot a doe and my ears rang for the next 2 days! Think I'm going to have a cap made for it so I can remove the brake for hunting purposes.

That said, the brake does work. It kicks less than my 243. I've also shot braked rifles in 300RUM and 338 Lapua. Both were very mild in the recoil dept but the blast was intense!

I agree that one should warn others when he's about to light off a braked arm.

I do the same as well before torching off an 18 1/2' barreled 6mm Rem. That thing is painfully loud as well.

My only braked unit is a 30-378 and the brake is effective. Out on open ground I have no issues hunting with it. Put any sort of structure like rims, boulders, or even just Christmas trees to the side or front and within 10 feet of the muzzle, and one will not want to take a second shot. Mostly I sit and wait where there are long range opportunities with that one, and I plug the ears as soon as I get to station.

I took it to the smith today to have the brake installed. This model is suppose to reduce recoil 70%. Smith explained that the more recoil reduction, the more noise.
So next question.

Ear Protection.
At the range, I wear foam plus with muffs over top.

What can I use during hunting season if this one won't come off? How do the "Game Ears" work? Are they cumbersome?

Would foam ear plugs be enough?.

Thoughts and recomendations would be appreciated?

I had a brake installed on a 338-378. It worked to reduce recoil but wasn't worth the noise.
It was a modified version of a KDF
The damn thing used to set off car alarms at the range.
Absolutely I will never own another

Reply I have muzzle break on all my hunting rifles 300 win mag less than 243 recoil 30-06 270 7m-08 about the same as 223/5.56 swear by them just make sure your wearing ear protection while on the range the breaks all work about the same hope this help my 12 year old daughter shoot my 300 win mag with no problem that should tell you something that browning weighing at 7.5 pounds with scope

This really is your best solution. They are very good at recoil reduction and of course noise reduction. I realize you can't get one processed for this fall, but you might want to consider it for next year. It is not a difficult process. Remember that one suppressor can be used on lots of different rifles.

Bob

I am totally ignorant here. Please explain a suppressor vs muzzle brake

I can understand why you feel it necessary, but I absolutely DESPISE the freaking things.

The suppressor will make it quite and reduce the recoil. (also known as a silencer) to people that do not know what they are.