To brake or not to brake

[Mram10us]

I still don't understand the "loudness" argument. If you want a can, great, I get that. Regardless of brake, you should wear hearing protection anyway. My 6.5cm without a brake is still damaging to your hearing.

 

[palerider3]

PredatorSlayer is 100% correct. Putting on a brake to stay on target is akin to slapping an 8 oz trigger because you have no trigger control. To some degree you can buy a solution. Or instead you can improve upon your fundamentals. It doesn't bother me what other folks decide is the correct answer for them.

As a professional engineer, I can say without pause that brakes do not increase the level of precision and/or accuracy of a rifle - not one bit. They merely help a shooter that is having problems staying on target, which starts and stops as a shooter problem.

So, you're saying a brake is a crutch for poor form? All those PRS shooters must have terrible form then, because 98% of them run a brake at the professional level, and those other two are just old school still running suppressors. You can spot your impacts without a brake on a 7 mag or 300 RUM huh? From field positions too you say? Good for you. Spot a miss on a snowbank then or out into a field of sage and tell me where it went? Having a brake gives you a much better chance of being able to follow trace. And sometimes that's all you get. I get the downside of the difference in noise, which is why I usually hunt suppressed, but I don't get people talking down to someone who wants the best chance they can get of spotting an impact or following trace. To the OP, in your situation I'd run a can or a brake without thinking twice about it. And don't let anyone give you a hard time about using a brake. Shooting without a brake doesn't make anyone tougher or cooler or more of a man than anyone else, no matter what they might think.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Just get a side port brake and not a radial, as mentioned.

The only way to go.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

Wow, a simple question with so many responses in such a short time. It seems I've asked something that ruffled a few feathers between forum members! And reading all these responses I'm more confused now than before I asked..LOL
I was hoping to get a firm solid answer. I guess I'll just go get one and see for myself whether there is a benefit or not. I thank all of you for your opinions.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I put a break on my Bergara Premier HMR PRO and groups at 100 yards off the bench tightened up by enough to measure the difference. Overall if feel its a benefit to getting better hits. Could I have better fundamentals? Sure and I am always working to better and in PRS a break makes it easier to stay on target and get off subsequent shots.

I have a friend who purchased a .338 RUM and was getting 1 1/2" at 100 yards. This guy is a shooter. He already had a brake so I told him to hold it like a BB gun. Instantly his groups went to 1/2".

 

[High Country]

The only way to go.

Why side vs. Radial? (Just looking to understand, not challenging the statement)

 

[FlyGuy11]

How about an $80 break you can use today and have the feeling of Christmas when the Fed approves your suppressor that attaches to said break

 

[Pointman]

I'm not recoil shy having been taught how to shoot by some really good DI's using the great M14. When I arrived in Nam, we were issued the "Matel-o-matic M16 which had 0 recoil and **** poor knock down at close range. Traded mine for a Thompson.. I do shoot my 338LM from a sled with 25#'s of lead in the base. 3 of my rifles have brakes 2 factory and 1 forced on me by the idiots in Calif. I had to commieforniaise my AR10 by adding a stupidd shark fin on the grip and remover the flash hider. The smith added that brake. As far as hearing protection, don't care if it;s required or not I use it. In the NAM, noboby used, ear protectioin. In a firer fight you need to hear instructions or use the radio. Probably why my hearing is a bit dicey. I'd love to have a supressor but the fools that run Calf won't allow them. Posistion fundamentals are key to aleviating recoil, granted the really high recoil weapons do benefit from a brake. Bottom line for me atleast, if your not comfortable shooting a given weapon, you will not shhot weel articilarly on repeat shots. Anything that mitigates recoil is a plus.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

None of those calibers need a brake, for sure. None would make anyone recoil shy except the rum. The rum .... a brake would definitely help. When I see guys saying 1/4-1/2 moa rifle, in a big caliber without a brake, I want to go to the range with them and see it.

It probably helps that I am 6'5" 240...shrug. A brake doesn't make a rifle more accurate - a brake can help recoil shy people shoot a rifle more accurately. If you have good fundamentals, you shouldnt need a brake.

 

[geocodyrgia]

I have a Griffin Armament brake on my 6mm Creedmoor, not for recoil reduction but as a taper mount for my suppressor. There is more than one reason to run a brake.

 

[skipglo]

Why side vs. Radial? (Just looking to understand, not challenging the statement)

If you get a radial brake then you won't want to shoot prone as it will blow a ton of dust or debris up off the ground... therefore..side discharge ...blows away from you and the ground

 

[DSheetz]

For me it's also the shock waves if there is something to my side or behind me not just the noise . Too many explosions close to me in the past and the shock waves make my body hurt internally now .

 

[jasonco]

If muzzle brakes are only for the cool factor, I'm the coolest kid on my block...muzzle brake everything!

 

[Yeager]

I am going to take this in a slightly different direction. I break everything and use a Silencer Co Omega 300 on everything from .223 to 28 Nosler. I use the ASR break, this gives me the best of both worlds:
1. The ability to use 1 suppressor on many rifles.
2. A muzzle break or flash suppressor if you should so choose on all of my rifles.

Just my 2 cents. I am a huge suppressor fan so my break choices reflect the type of suppressor I intend to use as well as the versatility.

10-4 FlyGuy! 4 rifles, same set-up with Omega Can: range folks love it. Little long, but I think it helps my accuracy.



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