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Muzzle Brakes

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JF4545 View Drop Down
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    Posted: September/04/2009 at 00:18
So, How many of you guys have had muzzle brakes put on your rifles, I know they make the rifle louder, Can you shoot them while hunting with out ear protection? Are you glad you had it done? What were the results?
 
Thanks Guys!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trays 7940 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 00:55
Yippee  OK, I am first to respond this time....
 
Had one put on my 300 Ultra Mag, by Shillen.  The firstime I shot it I shot without ear plugs... Stupidist damn thing I ever did.  My ears are still ringing from that stupid stunt.  The rifle shot great, I had no problems at the range but always wear ear protection....
Good luck


I don't shoot innocent animals, just the one's who look guilty.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JF4545 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 01:05
Im just thinking it would be a real hinderance plus irritating to have to wear ear plugs (protectors) while you are hunting, especially if you were huntin in the woods where you need to listen as much as you need to see.....If its out in the open, like the wheatfield country or open sagebrush type places I sometimes go, it would not be that big of a deal to wear ear protection....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trays 7940 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 01:16
Yes sir, In fact, as much as I liked that rifle- I sold it to a buddy of mine. 
Got an older friend who used a MBrake last year.  Said when he shot it in the valley he was standing in, that it made him deaf for 5 hrs.  He went down and had it cut off...
 
Funny thing is, I was talking to a guy who built my Tactical 300WSM.  He was telling me that the muzzle brake can be buit, or cut, to not blow your ears off.  Atleast that was what he was trying to sell me when I was buying the rifle.  I trusted the guy but I didnt want to go through that pain again, so I opted to leave it off my rifle.
 
If you want to talk at him, I think I can get you a number.  Let me know.
 


I don't shoot innocent animals, just the one's who look guilty.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 01:30
 While the noise inherent from a muzzle brake can be ameliorated by changing the direction/angle of the brake openings, an unsuppressed rifle with a brake will always be significantly LOUDER than one without.  A rifle without a brake is too loud to shoot without hearing protection.  If you want to prematurely lose your hearing, listen to the hype...
Get electronic hearing protection designed for hunting... with sound activated compression, sudden loud noises are filtered and low sounds are amplified. 
Yes, they require getting used to, but your hearing is worth the trouble...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JF4545 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 01:57
I did not plan on shooting the rifle with a Muzzle Brake without hearing protection. Im just weighing the pros and cons of it.  If I should bother having one installed. I do not want to ruin my hearing any more than I want to ruin the value of the rifle!!! The Electronic hearing protection deal sounds interesting, I may look into that....What do you guys know of this outfit? -http://www.hillcountryrifles.com  I hear they are very good and I was told to watch out for the local yokals who install MB's and call themselves Gunsmithes. We have several of those in my area of the country.. They are usually very opinionated  and a real pain in the ass. Everything they do and have is always the best, and everyone elses stuff sucks.. Great bunch of guys to deal with.....

Edited by JF4545 - September/04/2009 at 02:00
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 02:05
Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trays 7940 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 05:05
JF4545, I actualy baught a rifle from hill country rifles.  I baught a 300 ultra mag from them.  They were good people.  I got a good rifle built on time and sent to me in great condition.  The rifle did everything they promised it would do.  It did not have a muzzle brake and I can't tell you what kind of work they would do in this area but I would do business with them again. 


I don't shoot innocent animals, just the one's who look guilty.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 06:01
my 300 win mag is a browning abolt. so it came with the boss, which is a brake. i made the mistake of shooting it in the field at a deer once. i never will do that again. yes they help eliminate recoil, but damn are they loud. i wear ear plugs when i hunt and i hunt in some pretty nasty woods up here. the ear plugs dont imo, hinder me at all.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 06:43
For hunting I hate the damn things. You have to wear ear protection and I can't stand that in the field.
If it a recoil issue, I would shoot a lesser but suitable caliber.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 07:05
I'm not a fan of brakes on hunting rifles, I too hate wearing hearing protection on the hunt.

That said, my favorite rifle does have a brake, so I bought really good hunting hearing protection - and it works great.  Sometimes a fellow hunter or guide isn't impressed, but the damn thing shoots.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 08:49
Given the choice, I would prefer not to have a brake on a rifle.  But, a brake is the best, most effective option for controlling punishing recoil.  If this pertains to a discussion you and I had, even though you do pay a penalty in noise, having a brake may be the only alternative to allow you to continue shooting the rifle in question.
 
In my experience, you don't notice recoil too much when you are in the field shooting at game, so you can always unscrew the brake while hunting and screw it back on while at the range.  A good gunsmith can provide you with a protective cap to screw onto the exposed threads while you don't have the brake installed.  Often, the brake will change the point of impact, but I've never seen one hinder accuracy when properly installed.
 
I like the VAIS brake the best.  It is extremely effective, and it isn't as ugly as some other brakes. 
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bugsNbows Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 10:15
Unless it's a real banger, I don't care for brakes on normal hunting rifles. I seldom shoot anything powerful enough to benefit from the reduced recoil (at the expense of increased noise). Just my $.02.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 13:09
 I hate them.
 I wish I had half the hearing they cost me.
 
edited to delete a disparaging comment about a prominent manufacturer of said devices.


Edited by RONK - September/04/2009 at 13:12
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 13:35
If asked to choose between partial hearing loss and a detached retina, I'd choose partial hearing loss.

True, you don't feel recoil when shooting on game, but you can feel the cut above your eye from the recoil you failed to manage.

I am no fan of brakes on hunting rifles; however, when my 7-pound 300WM launches a 208-grain bullet at about 2850FPS, I'd rather have a brake than not, even if the brake means wearing hearing protection while hunting.

If you invest in good hearing protection, it can provide benefits:
better hearing acuity
warmth in the ear regions
no threat of hearing damage due to sound-related events
no need to turn off one's ipod while shooting at game


There are advantages to hearing protection and brakes.

If you need a brake, I know a guy that makes a fantastic one, it ain't quite, but it works great, much better than those with holes all the way around (which obscure your view of the target for a least a second or 2.)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 14:04
If I was going to hunt with a brake on a rifle I would invest in some nice in the ear hearing protection that also amplifies normal sounds.  They are expensive, but would be worth it to save your hearing.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote magshooter1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 14:50
A guy fromour camp went down to Texas a couple of years ago and I remember him telling us that the outfitter told him he could bing any caliber gun he wanted AS LONG AS IT DID NOT HAVE A BREAK.  They would not let you hunt with a muzzle braked gun on that ranch.  It was too much for the guides.  Personally I believe that if you need a brake to shoot a particular rifle/caliber combination you need a rifle/caliber with less recoil.  But that's just MHO.  And everybody has one.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 16:08
i for one really do feel that some factory rifles require a brake. the .30-378wby is one that certainly comes to mind, the .300rum probably needs one too. the wby i do believe comes with one from the factory. i suppose one could always "customize" a rifle to make it heavier and dampen the recoil without a brake.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 16:09
What if you already have a nice rifle that you'd rather not get rid of, and you have medical conditions that prevent you from shooting rifles with much recoil?  So, basically, you're faced with either parting with the rifle or getting a brake.

I believe that's the case here.
Ted


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JF4545 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/04/2009 at 16:44
Im seriously  looking at a 7mm-08, 25-06 or 260, and if I shoot one of em before I buy first, I should be ok as Im not gonna be using it on a bench its a huntin rifle thats used once or twice a year, plus a little target shootin from time to time.. So thats my plan.. Just in case my physical condition gets worse I may even buy a more reasonably priced rifle like the X Bolt Browning in 7mm-08 in stainless that Im lookin at online now.. And guys Im not even beyond buying a nice little 243 because in all honesty my serious Elk huntin days are over. If I draw a tag I may sit and watch a hillside somewhere, here in Oregon we call em crossings or still hunting...Lots of old guys hunt this way..I guess this means I now qualify as OLD GUY... As far as the Muzzle Brake goes, I was thinking about installing one on my Kimber SA 270 WSM....This is because my Doc told me to not shoot the harder kickers.. Keep it mild he said, so I do not make myself any worse. I will probably just park the Kimber and give it to my Son or Grandson, It cost just a tad under 2,000 and I do not think anyone would pay that today for it. Although the good part about buying a NEW used rifle is you can shoot it and see for yourself that it will shoot a 1" group at 100. Also another possibility I may have is buying a Encore Pistol as Wes suggested and use it for Deer Hunting, If ALL else fails I can always go that route, although even though I own several hand guns Im a horrible shot with one. I do appreciate all the input as alwaysWink JF

Edited by JF4545 - September/04/2009 at 17:06
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