Picked up a Ruger Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor last weekend at the Lewisville gun show for my son. I'm thinking about putting a brake on it. What brake would you recommend for mostly a hunting gun?

Homework:

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/08/21/muzzle-brake-summary-of-field-test-results/

I use JEC.

I had a harrels brake on one of my rifles. If you open the website it was the one on the left. I shot it a few times with no ears hunting and it didn't rock my world

The apa's are good but I'm not sure how loud they are.

Yes I shoot my guns while hunting with no ears,

One that is not listed in the precisionblog test, but has been in other tests and usually places top 3 is the Precision Armmament M-11.

Apa little b is awesome but sucks for everyone around you. The new area 419 is similar too.

S&S precision in Denton makes muzzle brakes of all different types . I'm sure he can tailor one to your specific needs.I have had them make specific brakes for different guns of mine.it all depends upon what you want and need.

Save your money and hearing. I shoot 140 Amax and it barely moves my shoulder.

Pretty sure they closed shop, which s*cks

Wow, that blog is thorough. I've said it before, I kind of like it when people really nerd out on things. Obviously it's easily to question the exact methodology but I'm impressed by the thoughtfulness of the blog.

Another non-scientific but useful resource I used was the following YouTube video. I have a 308 and my specific need was also had a length limit requirement. So ended up with the tbac one with the secondary benefit of hopefully getting a thunderbeast can one day.

https://youtu.be/0qDf6Xf0rR4

Not correct. White Wing closed, S and S did not. I spoke with Mikael for an hour on Tuesday, while he was holding together parts he had just bedded.

Harrells port break (done for Chad) is cheap enough and just as good as any out there.

If money is not an issue get a suppressor. Reduces recoil without needing to bring ear pro while hunting.
If you have a budget the world is your oyster. I like the griffin armament flash comp because the blast isn't too bad and it doesn't make a massive fireball.

I have a JP Recoil Eliminator on my custom .308 AR. It ain't the prettiest thing to look at and it's loud as heck for anyone around you, but I can watch my shots hit the target, deer, etc. at 100-500 yds.

If you have a threaded barrel, can you just order a muzzle break and install it yourself, or you need a gunsmith to do that?

If it is a timed brake, you will need a shim kit. A timed brake has a 12 o'clock, so you'll need the top to be on top when the brake is tightened on. If you don't want to see shims, you need a gunsmith.

Or a design like Fat Basta*d that has a swivel nut you tighten one you get the brake timed the way you want.

A Vias style break is concentric, so it does not matter how it times, but they tend to cause more debris kick up from the ground, if you are prone.

I put a brake on 556. I know recoil isn't a biggie and not installed to stay on target I did it due to the spray and pray persons at the range I went to! They would pepper every target down range including those not on their lane of fire! I would break out the "brake out" and run mag through real fast! They left and then I could shoot my handgun!

jeeez most of these recommendations are the ugliest barrel tumors I have ever seen. They look like something you would bolt on a tank barrel.

If you are going to even add an brake to your Ruger, spend the money and make it a Vais "style" . If you were shooting prone, then MAYBE a timed horizontal brake.

make a FLUSH fit to the diameter of your muzzle. Michal at S&S should be able to make it happen.

if your gonna do it at least make it look good.

they all work very well

exactly what buzz said I couldn't agree more

Don't look at my 6.5 Creedmoor. The brake is parallel, and a larger O.D. than the barrel. That way when that barrel is done, the brake goes on the next one, and looks the same.

X2

My 7mm wears a fat bast%÷&= and it's huge but absolutely effective. The 6mm wears either a jec or Little bast%÷&= and neither are barrel contour but effectiveness trumps beauty.

not really but to each his own , beauty is in the eye of the beholder

A center hit is more beautiful, to me, than a profiled brake on a rifle that will get another barrel one day.

The 7 Rem Mag wears a JEC brake as well. It was built to hunt, and target shoot a little bit. We figured the barrel on that one would last me ten years. So the brake tapers down to meet the barrel.

The perfect brakes









OK one with big ugly horizontal discharge

...and when I be-holdin' my rifle, beauty is what I say it is.

I have two APA Gen 1 LB brakes. One has a home - waiting for me to get it to a gunsmith. The other has no home yet. FiremanJG already linked the brake test at Precision Rifle Blog which was one of a few valuable resources I used for my selection. Function over form for me though I don't think the LB is unattractive.