Brake Question?

[Clay Target Guy]

Hey Slicky (its pullit form the fire)
You can ask Ronny about my light weight 260 (6 lbs scoped) I don't feel the need for a brake on it.
It is not a high volume shooter, just a toting gun for hunting. High volume, and heavy bullets might change my mind.

 

[jrock]

Your rifle will be a bit lighter than normal but not by much. Certianly no need for a brake from a practical stand point. If you want one, go for it. Recoil without a brake should be slightly more than a .243 if your gun is >6.5. I like this site to put things in persepctive. http://www.shooterscalculator.com/

I just got done builidng a 6mm Dasher in a 5.5 rifle with MPI stock. I can spot my shots and its like shooting a varmint rig. Stocks do make a difference in flet recoil.

 

[338 dude]

Im in the process of building a fairly lightweight rifle as strictly a toting around hunting rifle. 6.5x47L, Bighorn Origin, Proof CF barrel, AG Composites Stock (leaning heavily this way, but not 100% yet), so it should be light. So my question is, would you put a brake on a dedicated lightweight hunting rifle? I've never had one on any rifle before, and just wondering how the lightweight would affect shot accuracy, follow up shot if needed, and also sound from the brake concerns me.

With the 6.5 x 47 round it is accurate and fairly soft shooting I personally would not use a break save a little weight not to mention the blast being diverted rearward towards Shooter from a break a hunting rifle you're only going to shoot one or two rounds at a time and with that cartridge recoil is not a problem

 

[lancetkenyon]

I would brake it. I brake all my rifles (except my .223AR and. 22LRs.
Even my 6 Creed has a brake. Makes shooting it easy, and spotting my own hits easy.

 

[slickyboyboo]

Hey Slicky (its pullit form the fire)
You can ask Ronny about my light weight 260 (6 lbs scoped) I don't feel the need for a brake on it.
It is not a high volume shooter, just a toting gun for hunting. High volume, and heavy bullets might change my mind.

That makes perfect sense, and is pretty much my plan for this gun. A low volume toting rifle.

 

[skipglo]

Im in the process of building a fairly lightweight rifle as strictly a toting around hunting rifle. 6.5x47L, Bighorn Origin, Proof CF barrel, AG Composites Stock (leaning heavily this way, but not 100% yet), so it should be light. So my question is, would you put a brake on a dedicated lightweight hunting rifle? I've never had one on any rifle before, and just wondering how the lightweight would affect shot accuracy, follow up shot if needed, and also sound from the brake concerns me.

Have whatever you buy or build...threaded. Then shoot it and decide..but I certainly can see needing one!

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

Why not suppress it?

 

[338 dude]

Why not suppress it?

Don't get me wrong I love suppressors been around them quite a bit but don't own one yet take that for what it's worth but the thread was talking about a lightweight totable rifle A suppressor would add considerable weight to that

 

[FIGJAM]

My two sons both shoot Weatherby magnums. One has a .300 and the other
has a .340. Both have brakes. Both are a pleasure to shoot. When they shoot
across a bench they wear ear protection. When they hunt they usually only
have to take one shot. Both those calibers have excellent killing power.
I shoot a custom .338 and I don't even have a recoil pad on my rifle or
a brake. The stock is shaped so well that the recoil doesn't bother me.
Zeke

All it takes is one shot - I still remember the one shot that gave me tinitus - why it was that one, who knows, but I remember it well and have to go to sleep listening to a podcast or something to take an edge off the ringing. Had it for 14 years now (I was 23 at the time and it was while I was hunting). My son will never shoot a braked rifle - too many temptations to skip the hearing protection while out hunting.

 

[ATH]

Shooting any gun without hearing protection is not the best idea and can harm hearing. But many do it particularly in a hunting situation. I know I have, particularly when I was younger. These days I try to get the ears in if I can.

If you put a brake on ear protection becomes absolutely mandatory. Unless I really NEED to spot hits (prairie dog hunting) I don't want a brake unless recoil is an issue. Only my Edge is braked. My 300WM will get a brake when I rebarrel, but it will be taken off for hunting season.

A couple years ago I got a shot at an elk with my Edge and in my excitement and focus on calculating the longish shot I forgot my ears. Oh boy did I know it when I pulled the trigger. I got lucky and the ringing went away. After that I bought SoundGear. They take the level down safe enough for hunting while allowing you to keep them in all day but on the range I still wear plugs AND muffs.

 

[Andrew Cowling]

I have a brake on all of my hunting guns including my 22lr. They are there more for muzzle protection. One fall and muzzle in the ground can ruin the whole hunting trip.

 

[J E Custom]

There are studies that show a muzzle brake increases the db level anywhere from 2-9 dbs for a shooter behind the rifle depending on the brake due to the redirection of the muzzle blast. The damage to your hearing can definitely be worse if you use a muzzle brake.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/muzzle-brakes-sound-test.23590/

It is a good study and I can't confirm or deny their results because I did some testing to find out were the "Quite Brakes " were realy quieter and Videoed the test. We also tested some brakes that we perceived to be louder but the DB meter did not concur with that perception.

I included the video in this post and if you go about half way to the end where we started testing a 450 Bushmaster, we started using a DB meter located 3 feet behind the shooter to test different styles of
muzzle attachments. the meter was not moved and the readings did show different readings. The numbers may not be as precision as a $10,000 dollar instrument, But it did show consistent differences.

As to perceived sound heard by the shooter, we found the same results as the study did that it is not measurable (Just like perceived recoil because people are different and there nervous system react differently.

We also learned that slight changes in the direction of the ports, and the internal volume of a brake can increase or reduce both sound levels and recoil. also the load/ammo quality consistency had a large effect on the DB consistency Because older factory loads were not as consistent as hand loads (Because of pressure differences).

Watch the Video and decide for your selves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBfPrlE5SX0

Not to start an argument, just showing our test results that proved to us that the sound levels (DB) could be changed and the perceived was dependent on the design of the brake and the person firing the weapon.

J E CUSTOM

 

[J E Custom]

I have a brake on all of my hunting guns including my 22lr. They are there more for muzzle protection. One fall and muzzle in the ground can ruin the whole hunting trip.

Ok. So I am not the only one that has placed a muzzle brake on a 22.

My reasoning was different in that I wanted to settle the question in my mind that muzzle brakes improved accuracy by making better shooters of us or because of the added weight. Also interested in finding out if the harmonics are improved.

I am just about finished with a 22 Magnum rifle that will be shot for group and Velocity with SD readings. These test will be done with out any thing on the muzzle, with a thread protector and a tuned muzzle brake. With a brake that calculated (To be confirmed by testing actual recoil) to reduce the recoil by 49.4 % that should change the harmonics enough to tell the difference.

Recoil obviously was not the reason for the brake because this rifle should produce .04 ft/lbs of recoil and with the brake somewhere around .02 ft/lbs of recoil.

Will post my findings when test are complete. (Will try to make a video of this test also).

J E CUSTOM

 

[WildBillG]

This may sound like a dumb question but how does the brake make the rifle louder. To me it may seem louder because the noise is coming back toward you. It is not a mega phone of any description just a redirector of muzzle blast.