Least effective brake

[FEENIX]

An effective muzzle brake design serves two purposes, reduction in felt recoil, and reduction in muzzle rise. The latter is often overlooked. Radials and linear compensators does not offer reduction in muzzle rise and reduction in recoilis not as effective esp. on heavy recoiling rifles.

If you want a combination of linear and side ported designs, Seekins and Benchmark make them. I have one of Benchmark's MB on my.300 WSM. I considered the Kaw linear comp on my handguns but went a different route.

 

[65WSM]

I have a collection of 3 dozen different muzzle brakes that date back to the 1970s. The "Answer Brake" was always the quietest. It is very light weight and well designed. We have a muzzle device engineer, that is a member of our range club, and works for a manufacturer of AR platform rifles whose name you might recognize. According to him, there is a mathematical model he has developed and tuned for design. That means there is a unique solution to the question "What is the best brake" but you have to agree on the definition of "Best". There are three parts to a brake. There are baffles, chambers and ports. It is the baffle quantity and shape that determines the recoil reduction and muzzle shock. The Answer brake has ports facing away from the shooters ears in the first chamber the bullet enters. The second chamber has perpendicular ports and the final chamber, before the muzzle, when the bulk of the escaping gases are gone, angled toward the shooters ears. I wish that this brake was included in the Precision Rifle Shooter Blog tests, but it wasn't. The Answer Brake is not the "best" for taming big magnums, but it does reduce recoil and I have it on rifles chambered in .204 Ruger, .20 BR, three .22-250 Ackley Improved, .22 BR, 6.5 WSM, 6.5- 06 Ackley Improved, 7mm Remington Magnum, .300 WSM and .300 Ultra Magnum. Basically any rifle that I take into the field, shooting at animals with foam ear plugs only. I do not wear hearing aids.

Also note, a very similar brake was designed and factory installed by Weatherby on their big African magnums, .460 and .378 Weatherby Magnums, starting in the 1970s.

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[ohiohunter]

I'm more concerned with the occasional unprotected shot than recoil. So I'm ok with 20% recoil reduction for the sake of my ears compared to 80% reduction and needing plugs.

 

[FEENIX]

I'm more concerned with the occasional unprotected shot than recoil. So I'm ok with 20% recoil reduction for the sake of my ears compared to 80% reduction and needing plugs.

With or without muzzle brakes, "l" always wear hearing protection. "I" also wear PPEs when operating household machines, such as mower, snow blower, chain saw, etc., but that is just me. I worked on the flight line working on F-4s and A-10s the first 10 years in the USAF without hearing loss because "I" did my part in protecting my ears from 130+ decibels around aircraft esp. during generations.

 

[joseph singleton]

Witt Machine makes a brake SME sound mitigation equipment that has a cover similar to a suppressor which forces the sound forward away from the shooter. I have them on three of my hunting rifles.

PICS OR you don't have them LOL funning.....

 

[esshup]

Ear protection should be de rigueur every time a gun is fired. Even a .22LR can produce damge when used longterm without protection. Even non-braked CF rifles can do damage in just a few unprotected shots and hearing loss is non-reversible; you won't get it back. I double up when shooting a CF at the range, and use muffs when hunting.

I agree with this whole heartedly. I have a 20% hearing loss in my left ear from shooting a single shot .22lr indoors for a week with only Sonic II hearing protection (advertised as a 5 db reduction). I was shooting 500 rounds a week while on the rifle team in College.

Now I wear electronic muffs when hunting and electronic muffs and ear plugs when shooting at the bench. When shooting Sporting Clays, I have a set of "made in your ear" ear plugs that I wear. The electronic muffs really help when I am hunting, I can turn the volume up and hear better than no muffs. Brownells makes a earmuff fabric slip-on cover so the earmuffs don't get your ears all sweaty.

 

[ohiohunter]

When hiking sometimes 10mi+ a day, head gear really isn't very high on my list of needs, nor wants.

 

[skipglo]

I am not a brake fan, but considering one on my next build. I want some of the advantages without the deafening shockwave as I'm not very likely to earplug, though I'll try. I want the majority of the blast to go about 35-60*, 0* being the bore. What are some things to consider?

No such thing as a break unless it's on a.22 that isn't going to need hearing protection if you plan to shoot it more than once in a day! But there are a number of exercises you can do for a few weeks prior to shooting your rifle without hearing protection that will lessen the reactions you will have.
1- push a knitting needle into your ears ONLY HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE YOUR KNEES BUCKLE
2- From a freehand standing position....practice dropping your rifle and catching it before it hits the ground ( this will save damaging your scope)
3- Hold an air horn at arms length pointing at your left ear and push the button...repeat on the right side..do this daily several times a day until you get the break....by then you won't hear it
4- lastly..but most importantly...everytime your WIFE SPEAKS TO YOU for the next month....say " WHAAAAAT" loudly....so she can get used to it too!

 

[GLTaylor]

X2 on the Vais. Have several diff brands. Vais on 2 riles, including 7 RUM. like them best. About to try a Harrell's on a 30 Sherman Mag. Alwys wear HP.

 

[ohiohunter]

I love all these responses that think I'm going to the range without hearing protection to lay down 200rnds of lead... with a brake. I appreciate your concern for my hearing, but I'm not worried about the 0-3 unprotected shots a year.

 

[IHFarmer07]

I have this on my ar15……looks goofy but it does it's job. I'd like to try it on something else but never had. My father-in-law has a Remington 300win mag that a local smith put a muzzle brake on it that I believe the smith himself made it because I've never seen one like it…..if memory is correct, it was a radial brake with a shroud over top of the brake where the sound went away from the shooter.

Similar to this. This is what I have on my ar15.

AR - 15 - Muzzle Brakes - Kineti-Tech

www.kineti-tech.com

 

[Kiwi Greg]

Ear protection should be de rigueur every time a gun is fired. Even a .22LR can produce damge when used longterm without protection. Even non-braked CF rifles can do damage in just a few unprotected shots and hearing loss is non-reversible; you won't get it back. I double up when shooting a CF at the range, and use muffs when hunting.

Unless using subsonic ammo with a suppressor, adequate hearing protection should always be worn when using any firearm to avoid hearing loss/damage, even one shot causes permanent damage that slowly builds up over the years

 

[MT-Shooter]

The quiet brake is a radial brakes (holes all around like the Vais brake) made by Gentry (https://gentrycustom.com/) here in MT. There us nothing quiet about it. Radial brakes are the least effective brakes I have.

What about using a self timing muzzlebrake, which only take seconds to remove or remount and simply taking them off when you are hunting? I have brakes from APA and Area 419 that are very effective in reducing both felt recoil and muzzle jump. Anyone else want to weigh in on this? When shooting at an animal, I don't even notice the recoil from a 300 WM.

 

[asd9055]

I have this on my ar15……looks goofy but it does it's job. I'd like to try it on something else but never had. My father-in-law has a Remington 300win mag that a local smith put a muzzle brake on it that I believe the smith himself made it because I've never seen one like it…..if memory is correct, it was a radial brake with a shroud over top of the brake where the sound went away from the shooter.

Similar to this. This is what I have on my ar15.

AR - 15 - Muzzle Brakes - Kineti-Tech

www.kineti-tech.com

That is very interesting design