My days of shooting rifle without a brake has long since gone as I have gotten older with injuries along the way.
I have found besides the brake, still must do your part of control of the rifle, to be able to see your shots and fire your follow-up shots with a lighter rifle. Rifle fitment does play a huge part for me, there is an optimal length of pull for me and with my bad neck I have found a cheek riser helps me to stay on target and helps me with my consistency on quick followup shots.
There are multiple aspects of the recoil, one is the concussion caused when you use a large brake, sound component to that. My opinion is the radial style brakes seem to disperse both sound and concussion associated muzzle rise as well as recoil. I have had a brockman brake which is similar to a radial style brake only you can turn it off and on. The ability to shoot a rifle with and without a brake helps me adjust my technique to what my rifle does when I shoot it.
However on a couple of my calibers I have chosen to go with a five port brake the concussion aspect is significant, they work well I have forgotten the vendor, but will update and send the info.
On rifles that I use a heavier brake I use an Indian Creek blast shield. This device diverts the sound forward (limits the concussion aspect and the muzzle rise to a point) as well as localizing the felt recoil into my shoulder, seems like more of a hard push on my larger calibers. Still have to practice technique and just get accustomed to how the rifle produces the felt recoil and associated muzzle rise, and concussion with these devices on it. The ability to throw the sound forward lessens the impact of the brake on shooters next to me at a range. But been told by shooters farther away sounds like a cannon.
