Muzzle break or no?

[IvW]

Brakes have no place on a rifle intended for use on an African safari.

If you cannot handle the recoil step down in caliber to something you can actually handle and shoot well without the need for a brake.

 

[Von S.]

I believe that " brakes " have no place in any hunting situations anywhere in the world and not just Africa.

Put a can on the end and no one can complain....or become deaf either.

Of course if you're hunting or shooting by yourself who would care?

Well...maybe some will anyway.......

 

[Hogpatrol]

Whaaa??? No ear protection??? Personally, I have no problem with brakes or shooters with brakes. Half my rifles have them, radial and ported types. If I was concerned about noise, I'd take up knitting. YMMV.

 

[Eric Anderson]

I believe that " brakes " have no place in any hunting situations anywhere in the world and not just Africa.

Put a can on the end and no one can complain....or become deaf either.

Of course if you're hunting or shooting by yourself who would care?

Well...maybe some will anyway.......

Some US states do not allow you to hunt with a can. North Carolina just allowed them a few years ago. Some do not allow you you to own a can at all. A can in the states can cost about 1k including sales taxes and NFA tax. For us that hunt Africa, not a huge expense. For most of my buddies, that is 2-3x the cost of their rifle and scope. Otherwise, great post.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Some US states do not allow you to hunt with a can. North Carolina just allowed them a few years ago. Some do not allow you you to own a can at all. A can in the states can cost about 1k including sales taxes and NFA tax. For us that hunt Africa, not a huge expense. For most of my buddies, that is 2-3x the cost of their rifle and scope. Otherwise, great post.

I get caught with a can in my state, my guns are gone. It's a felony. Same goes for full auto.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I get caught with a can in my state, my guns are gone. It's a felony. Same goes for full auto.

Both are Prohibited up here.

 

[Von S.]

True!

In some states cans are illegal, especially NJ where a BB gun gets you a jail term.

I almost have an alternative approved.

The problem is that a silencer does cost too much and the the 200 tax is ridiculously for something that on a rifle doesn't really silence much.

 

[tarbe]

Interesting thread.

After reading it all, I feel like I have been sitting in English 101, Psych 210 and Physics 101.

I understand the OP wants an unusual toy. Nothing would be more unusual than a 10 lb un-braked .577 Nitro!

NO BRAKE is my vote. FWIW!

 

[Desert Dog]

I get caught with a can in my state, my guns are gone. It's a felony. Same goes for full auto.

Yep, same here. Wish I could use a can. I would use it on everything.

That being said, I do 99% of my hunting with 6.5, 30-06, 300 mag, 375. I never install brakes on hunting rifles. I honestly never hear the shot or feel the recoil when I am taking an animal. Most other hunters I talk to feel the same.

I used to hunt with a buddy that shot a 7mm mag with a brake. As most hunting buddies do, I would stay on the binos at the shot so I could spot and track the animal after the shot; but that braked rifle would just blow me away with noise and concussion. It is a free country, so I exercise my freedom by choosing NOT to hunt with folks that use muzzle brakes!

In the big picture, a typical hunting rifle doesn't recoil that much. The problem is that people practice too much off the bench at the rifle range where felt recoil is 10 times greater. They take their awesome new 6# "mountain rifle" in 7mm mag to the range, put a box of ammo through it off the bench, go home with a sore shoulder, and insist that they need a muzzle brake. In reality, they should have got a cheap PAST shoulder pad to zero their rifle on the bench, then start practicing from field positions and off the sticks (where felt recoil is much less).

Like stated before; the OP of this thread is simply building a conversation piece, not a hunting rifle.