Muzzle Breaks
 

Anyone out there use one? Or have anything to say about them? Just curious.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

They tame recoil some, but add to the report alot. The sound is now jetted up and back toward your ears. Always wear your earplugs.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

I have a break on a 308 handgun. I doubt I could use full power loads in it without the break.
I see no reason to put a break on most rifles

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

On light rifles say in the 375, 458, 378wby range they can reduce recoil by quite a bit. I have a friend who has one on a 338-378 wby and it's tamed that bad boy down.. BUT, you can feel the shock from it now standing ten feet away and you better wear some hearing protection. Your guide on a big game hunt will not like you either.. lol
some can be put on for practicing and taken off while hunting...

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

I have one on a .416 Rigby. It is ugly, cumbersome, etc. etc. However, it does a good job of reducing recoil, and this particular make (Vais) does not raise the sound or muzzleblast level to any noticeable degree.

The rifle had it on when I bought it. I would NOT buy one for any of my other rifles, but I will continue to use the rifle with the thing in place..

(BTW, these things are BRAKES, as they apply a braking effect to the rearward movement of the gun. To me, the term "break" implies that something is broken, or hinged in the middle, like a "break-open shotgun", etc.)

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

They work well. They cut felt recoil enormously and destroy your hearing at the same time. If the recoil is uncomfortable move down to a different round.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

I use mine on my Browning A-Bolt Boss. I think its great at reducing the recoil. My buddies make fun that you can hear me shooting in the next city but they are believers of it now too. I would never shoot it without hearing protection, but my hearing is bad enough so I always use plugs.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

Had one on a Browning A-bolt .338 Win Mag that came with a Boss sytem on it. Hated that break. Gun was nice, but the brake was only a headache to me. Would never have one again.
Too loud( sets off car alarms at the range!) Blows dust in your face when you shoot prone with a bipod and just looks ugly!!!
If I wanted a recoil reduction, I'd choose a top of the line recoil pad and also a mercury or spring reducer installed in the stock.
Just for FYI purposes. I asked Santa for a Caldwell Lead Sled for Xmas. He got me one. I added two 25lbs bags of shot to it and shot my 12 ga with slugs and my .338 Win Mag with 225grain pills off of the bench. Never even noticed the recoil!!!! Reduced by a significant margin! Makes all day sessions at the range with bigger guns a breeze. Now, you can sight in at 100 yds with any gun or load and play until your guns' doing exactly what you want it to. Then, when you hunt, one or two shots at an animal will
nevereven phaseyou.
Good luck!:)

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

I had a BRAKE on my 300 WinMag, but got rid of it because I didn't want to damage my ears while hunting. (Even a few shots w/o ear muffs can permanently damage your hearing.)

I just put a BRAKE on my 22-250 varmit rifle (so I can see the hits), but I always wear my muffs when doing that.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

BTM- Do you feel any recoil at all with a break on that small cartridge??
Must be like a .22LR.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

TheGameHunter:

If you think installing a muzzlebrake will enhance your shooting, go for it. A "Walkers Game Ear" will protect your hearingin the field, and on the bench. Good luck.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

I put one on my PLR-16 Kel-Tec 223.helped steady the pistol when shooting 20-30 round clips,but its loud now.Ear protection is the KEY,just let people along side you know your shooting.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

I agree with what has been said, if you think it will improve your shooting go for it, but, muzzle breaks have consequences, they can ruin your hearing, and can injure people standing to the side, but, if you want one, go for it.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

I have one on my 7mm mag. I think it looks awesome on the end of the barrel. Is is the same contour as the barrel and there is no seam where they meet. Reduced recoil A LOT and the noise isn't much louder. You should ALWAYS have hearing protection when firing a gun anyway, so if they hurt your ears thats your fault for not wearing hearing peotection.

358WINMAG- As for the Lead Sled, you better be careful with that thing. All that recoil is now being tranferred right into your stock, mounts, rings, and scope.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

Jeepkid-

Has this been verified and proven? The reason I ask is that there's no idication of this with the paper work that came with the lead sled. If what you say is valid, I would limit the quantity of shots with big guns and do a ring, scope, etc. check when finished.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

358WINMAN- sorry I thought it was WINMAG. As for Lead Sled, I was doing some research on it and thats what other people were saying about it. It makes sense to me, all that recoil has to be transfered somewhere. They recommended using it on smaller calibers, but not for big guns.

RE: Muzzle Breaks
 

A brake will hurt your ears only if you let it. Same deal with guns without a brake. If you go to the range with no plugs or muffs to shoot a centerfire rifle...you're going to damage hearing. The key with a brake is to be smart about it in the field and at the bench. Muffs on plugs at the range, and banded plugs or walker's game ears in the field.

Its not rocket surgery