Muzzle Brake?

[Velo Dog]

Muzzle brakes are actually painful to my ears right through proper hearing protection.
So, even if they were not as buttugly as they most certainly are, I would not have one.

 

[CAustin]

I have it on my Ruger Guide Gun in 416 ruger. Honestly the gun kicks less than my 45-70. Is it loud yes but not so that it hurts. When you are out in the open it's not bad at all. Now when under cover firing range work is being done you better wear protection.

 

[JimP]

I have a removable brake on my .340 Weatherby and love it for when I am shooting off of the bench or plan on doing a lot of shooting at the range.

But when I take it out hunting the brake comes off and the thread protector goes on.

I have been close by other hunters that have fixed muzzle brakes on their rifles and I learned a long time ago to stay quite a ways away from them and to the rear just to avoid the noise that they put out.

 

[Jaco Zeeman]

I was a range officer on a Big Bore shoot on Saturday 18 April, held by the Big Bore Association of Southern Africa. About 55 big bore guns of various calibres (375H&H up to 500 Jeffery and 500 A-Squire) were used within two meters from me. Only one participant used a muzzle brake and that was on a 375 H&H. The backward blast put dust in every ones eyes around him, including his! The "shock wave" or whatever you call it, does not have any effect on those right behind him but my assistant got a face full at 45 degrees and 2 meters back. It is unpleasant for those around the shooter. I shoot a 375H&H, a 458 3" Express an a 470 NE, none with muzzle breaks. It is as someone said above: Use Big Bores if you can handle it. (I wonder how a 470 NE double rifle will look with a muzzle brake, or double muzzle break?!)

 

[spike.t]

I was a range officer on a Big Bore shoot on Saturday 18 April, held by the Big Bore Association of Southern Africa. About 55 big bore guns of various calibres (375H&H up to 500 Jeffery and 500 A-Squire) were used within two meters from me. Only one participant used a muzzle brake and that was on a 375 H&H. The backward blast put dust in every ones eyes around him, including his! The "shock wave" or whatever you call it, does not have any effect on those right behind him but my assistant got a face full at 45 degrees and 2 meters back. It is unpleasant for those around the shooter. I shoot a 375H&H, a 458 3" Express an a 470 NE, none with muzzle breaks. It is as someone said above: Use Big Bores if you can handle it. (I wonder how a 470 NE double rifle will look with a muzzle brake, or double muzzle break?!)

hi jaco got any photos of the shoot?

 

[Velo Dog]

I was a range officer on a Big Bore shoot on Saturday 18 April, held by the Big Bore Association of Southern Africa. About 55 big bore guns of various calibres (375H&H up to 500 Jeffery and 500 A-Squire) were used within two meters from me. Only one participant used a muzzle brake and that was on a 375 H&H. The backward blast put dust in every ones eyes around him, including his! The "shock wave" or whatever you call it, does not have any effect on those right behind him but my assistant got a face full at 45 degrees and 2 meters back. It is unpleasant for those around the shooter. I shoot a 375H&H, a 458 3" Express an a 470 NE, none with muzzle breaks. It is as someone said above: Use Big Bores if you can handle it. (I wonder how a 470 NE double rifle will look with a muzzle brake, or double muzzle break?!)

Double .470 With Muzzle Brakes

Twice as ugly, twice as loud.
Throws dust in your eyes.
Plus those in the crowd.
They ruin resale value.
They ruin the look.
They put a sad face on PH's faces you book.

 

[Big5]

'Jaco Zeeman' . . . I am one who is in 100% agreement with what you said.

I'm amazed at how in only a few short years the justification for using what I consider to be these unnecessary and ear shatter devices has grown to the point where they have become common even on smaller caliber firearms. Many shooters today can't seem to handle anything without a muzzle brake.

To each his own, but I don't want to be anywhere near one of the damn things.

 

[Velo Dog]

Hallo fellow Rifle Enthusiasts,

Evidently, I am a sissy.
Especially heavy recoil turns my shoulder purple from only a relatively few shots, and it stays that way for many days.

Once or twice every year I pop a blood vessel in the white of one eye or the other, from simply sneezing.

More than one Doctor has told me it is just my misfortune to have plenty of blood vessels close to the surface.
One Doctor told me he suffers the same condition.

That being said, I cannot abide muzzle brakes, due to their hurting my ears right through proper hearing protection. (Look up "sissy" in the dictionary).

I deal with recoil by keeping my rifle weight on the slightly heavy side (average weight in the days of Theodore Roosevelt and if he could handle such rifles, so can I).
Plus if they don't fit me, I have the stocks modified until they do.

I put gel type recoil pads on them and I proudly load my cartridges down a bit.
One in particular - my .458 Lott is not too bad at around 2100 fps as compared to the factory specs of about 2300 fps.

I also have a .500 Jeffery with a Mercury tube in the buttstock and I load it down to "only" .500 NE ballistics.
I expect it will do for any beast yet I do not need a muzzle brake on it in spite of the fact that again, I am a sissy.

Muzzle brakes are a loud gadget / sales gimmic that even a sissy like me doesn't need.

Cheers,
Velo dog

 

[AkMike]

My objections to them are that they're fugly and the noise factor. Hearing loss is forever.

 

[Rob404]

Maybe they need a rule at Rifle ranges that if you use a Brake on your Rifle you also had to wear a Dress and serve Tea

 

[Velo Dog]

Maybe they need a rule at Rifle ranges that if you use a Brake on your Rifle you also had to wear a Dress and serve Tea

Or at least charge extra for those Inspector Gadget types who show up with intent to use them on public rifle ranges.

A character I worked with in a gun shop once, proudly told me he had bought a Ruger #1 in .300 Weatherby but that he had some local yocal install a muzzle brake on it that looked like a miniature Coke bottle with holes in it.

"And so now, it is like shooting a .308".

He became mildly grouchy with me when I asked why he did not just get a .308 and put the money he would've saved from the brake (not to mention higher priced ammunition) toward a decent scope, instead of that Simmons brand thing he had put on it.

I don't know why some people call me a smartass, it's a real puzzle sometimes.

 

[Big5]

Maybe they need a rule at Rifle ranges that if you use a Brake on your Rifle you also had to wear a Dress and serve Tea

I don't know about that, but it would be nice if shooters with a brake were identified in some manner whereby you could spot them from far off and not waste time unloading gear and setting things up near them during a line break.

. . . He became mildly grouchy with me when I asked why he did not just get a .308 and put the money he would've saved from the brake (not to mention higher priced ammunition) toward a decent scope, instead of that Simmons brand thing he had put on it.

I agree with that.

 

[JimP]

Muzzle brakes have their place and in my opinion the range is one. But the one with the brake should be considerate of his fellow shooters and move to a location where they will be by themselves. I know that I enjoy the brake on my .340 Weatherby when I am working up a load or just shooting targets, but when I am shooting at my range the closest person might be over a mile away so I don't have to look around to see if everyone has their hearing protection on before I pull the trigger.

 

[AkMike]

There's a well known guide up here by the name of Phil Shoemaker, His daughter calls them sissy slots.

 

[Big5]

JimP . . . you sound very considerate. I wish others had your same mindset.

Good hunting to you.

 

[Odinsraven]

Prefer supressors ....quietly does it as they say...

 

[AkMike]

Mufflers would be great except our government doesn't like the idea of it's subjects having them. There are very few in use here.

 

[matt85]

you all know my opinion on muzzle brakes but here goes...

i hate them! the fastest way to pick a fight with me would be to shoot a rifle with a muzzle brake next to me. i have told more then a few people off for shooting guns with muzzle brakes at my local rifle range. if i come to the range and every one is using brakes and i cant find a secluded spot then i leave.

using a muzzle brake on a safari is simply selfish and rude to all the other people in your group. by having a muzzle brake on your rifle, your saying that your own personal comfort is more important then the hearing of the people with you. many PH's will tell you they dont mind if you use a muzzle brake but that would be because they dont want to lose you as a client (better to go deaf then poor).

ok rant over.

-matt

 

[Odinsraven]

Mufflers would be great except our government doesn't like the idea of it's subjects having them. There are very few in use here.

My government has the following logic ....you can own one fitting it to your rifle is illegal ........ so have just become a collector of supressors ....... and threaded rifle barrels ....

 

[lcq]

you all know my opinion on muzzle brakes but here goes...

i hate them! the fastest way to pick a fight with me would be to shoot a rifle with a muzzle brake next to me. i have told more then a few people off for shooting guns with muzzle brakes at my local rifle range. if i come to the range and every one is using brakes and i cant find a secluded spot then i leave.

using a muzzle brake on a safari is simply selfish and rude to all the other people in your group. by having a muzzle brake on your rifle, your saying that your own personal comfort is more important then the hearing of the people with you. many PH's will tell you they dont mind if you use a muzzle brake but that would be because they dont want to lose you as a client (better to go deaf then poor).

ok rant over.

-matt

My PH said he hated muzzle brakes and with good reason. Just think where the PH is standing when you shoot. He is usually beside you so he can see the hit and follow the animal. Bad place to be beside a braked gun