RE: muzzle break good or bad?
I have been wearing hearing aids since age 38. Nothing gets one's attention, concerning hearing loss like needing hearing aids just to carry on normal business in one's life. That said, no one should engage in shooting without wearing the best hearing protection available. I wear foam ear plugs and ear muffs when I shoot.
The real value in using a muzzle brake is that using one lessens the chance of getting the crescent cut in one's eyebrow, caused by rapidly mounting and shooting the rifle, without having same seated tightly into the shoulder. I can handle firing magnum rifles without a muzzle brake, but I prefer the brake for effect of damping down that sharp recoil.