Any pros or cons?? Have heard different stories just thought I would ask the group. Thanks

They cut down the recoil of any given caliber tremedously, but you pay the price with the extremely loud muzzle blast!

Wear ear protection for sure!

What he said.....

They do have their place, in spite of what some peole might say. I used to be anti-brake. Then I caved and had one installed on my rifle so I could see the bullet hit target while PD shooting. AWESOME! The recoil reduction was great. The 7-08 shooting a 100gr bullet has a recoil about equal to my 222. Which is pretty much non-existent. Before the brake it would lift the muzzle just enough to take me off target. Now I can watch bullets hit at 100 yards and beyond with the scope on any setting to about 16x.

I'll be getting one on my primary Encore barrel, when I make the leap (soon). It'll be a 280 ackley improved, dedicated big game rifle. But I also want something I can enjoy shooting all day long.

I say, if you've thought it through then go for it. But it won't make you any friends at the range. But I kinda like that too. In the rare case I do go to the range, I kinda like the fact that after I start shooting the two benches to either side of me seem to be mysteriously vacated. So now I don't have to deal with their muzzle blast either.


Jay

I was thinking of compensating the barrel on a 12 guage I plan on cutting down. I was going to mill 3 holes on the left and right sides to reduce recoil (and shoot fire out the sides of the barrel at night as a bonus). Anybody done this? I don't own a compensated firearm at all.

Not trying to hijack your post LEVERGUN, I thought this was on topic.

not problem FiremanJG, thanks for the input from all. I always wear hearing protection, but I had also heard that due to the increased sound back to shooter and anyone nearby, a few guide services were not letting you use a gun with a brake, anybody heard that? unless you have a threaded brake that can be taken off, it could present a problem on guided hunts.

Although all the 'braked guns I have shot are military, we are told that they will reduce accuracy over a longer (longer than most hunting shots) distance because the air never escapes the same twice. Not really my opinion, just what I have been told.

Grey I think you were mislead on that.

I use this brake exclusively because I can control the harmonics of the barrel
http://www.superiorshootingsystems.com/T2K_ADD_ON_ITEMS-T2K_Muzzle_Brake.html

What do you know

If I need a muzzle break to handle a gun's recoil... I need to step down to a lesser caliber..IMO

I have a break on my .308 so I can shoot for a longer period of time with out wearing out my back and sholder and see where my shots hit and it allows my 115lbs wife shoot it with no issues.

Yes they make the shock wave move to the side and the rear of the gun and for any one around you it sucks and if you shoot it in a box stand you wont beable to hear for a day or so. IMO they are worth it for some one who likes to shoot more than a few rounds at a time.

also, what is cool about brakes besides multiple hits....

You can see where your bullet impacts and make quick corrections graphed on a mil or moa reticle at distance.

But the best part about keeping the rifle still are head shots on hogs. You can watch the vapor trail of the bullet into the animal and the pink mist erupt from it.... I have some friends with infrared shooting equipment that it is even more impressive on. They are braked too.

Check your ego at the door. Being a tough guy who can take the recoil is one thing. It is another to be a precision shooter who sends the round and watches the impact in the <1sec bullet flight time.

also.... check these out, they are a must for most of my crew
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?pr...tm_campaign=655

You can talk normal under fire, hear game 3 times better than with a naked ear, and your ears stay warm. No target is worth hearing damage on a one-way range. Some of my friends use them on the two-way ranges in Iraq with good success as well.

i am looking at having one put on my ruger m77 .30-06. i live in mid cities and work in ft. worth. who do yall recommend for installing or "build a custom". don't reccomend Euless gun and ammo. i won't do business there. not going to bash, i'll just leave it at that. i use Bill carlson down at alpine for some things. he is more into pistols though.

I would say that is not usually the case anymore.

Example...

We went on a hunt in South Texas, several guys showed up with old 243's and 4 and 6 power fixed scopes that they have used forever for 75 yard kills. But, They couldnt handle the distance that a shot requires, and ended up badly hitting or missing their animals. This was due to inadequate equipment and not enough practice.

However, I shoot all the time, and am comfortable shooting at distances up to 500 yards with my 270. It has a "fancy" Nikon Monarch scope, and a muzzle brake.

So to sum it up, equipment and practice are the keys, and a muzzle brake is one thing that can help you shoot better. BUT, if you dont practice, it doesnt matter what you take into the field, you are only going to do yourself and the animal you are hunting a huge disservice.

If you get one, please be considerate to the people next to you when you are at the range. I was shooting earlier this year and was the only person there. A guy comes in with a muzzle braked 340 Weatherby and sits at the bench right next to me (I guess the other 20 open benches didn't work for him). I didn't realize what he was shooting since I was minding my own business but when he pulled the trigger the first time it felt like someone hit me in the side of the head with a tennis racquet. After recovering I moved about seven or eight benches away and it was just fine, other than being really loud.

When I was younger, I thought I needed the biggest caliber that I could buy on layaway. I used brakes to make the recoil more managable. I have always shot a lot and the brakes definitely helped with long range sessions. I have used a muzzle brake on 375H&H, 300 Win Mag, 45/70, and a few others. As I grew up(too slowly), I began to realize that 243,308,etc with correctly placed shots will cleanly take any game that I am likely to hunt. Nothing wrong with big calibers if you like them. Nothing wrong with brakes. I just got sick of the noise and blast.

Well, as you on the fence can see, there are lovers and haters. Not many in the middle. Most of the people who are so against them, never really had a need for one. Once they do, and see their benefit, they will change their outlook.

Like I said originally, I used to dislike them, and felt the same way as some here. "If someone needs a brake, their shooting too much gun". But my views changed when I "needed" one for a specific purpose, and then saw the benefit first hand. Mine serves that purpose well.

As for going to the range...When I do, rarely, the range I go to assigns the bench you shoot on. So I have no control on that. I always tell them if I've got my braked gun with me. But, I am left handed, so their choices of where to put me are usually very limited. But on that note; I never shoot a group while anyone on either side of me is shooting anyway. It's just rude for anyone to that whether or not a muzzle brake is involved. Anyone who does this needs a lesson in range etiquette. Kinda like not throwing a bowling ball while someone is on the lane to either side. I wait until the people on either side are finished with a group, then I sit down and shoot mine. If they sit down and start shooting while I am, they deserve the shockwave their definitely gonna get. While mine is not even on a big rifle, it will set off car alarms in the parking lot 20yds behind the firing line. So it usually only takes one shot for them to learn their lesson.

As for what kind of brake to get...Mine is custom made. I took the rifle to Rudy at Bluing Brothers in Mesquite. He farmed out the machine work to a source unknown to me, and did the bluing job himself. I couldn't be happier with mine. I know there are several highly recommended makers out there. Vias being one of them. So you just have to follow your gut on that one.


Jay

some of you uninformed will hate me
i have a brake on a 257 weatherby mag. reason is, I like to see the bullet hit the animal in the scope w/o losing the sight picture.

gun kicks a little without it, none with it.

i have a 375 w/o a brake. I dont mind shooting it, a brake doesnt keep the sight picture, so i dont use one, has nothing to do with being recoil shy...

id like to put one on one of my rifles but i dont want it on all of them just for the fact that if you can really watch your bullet strike and not be all dissoriented for 3 seconds that would be cool

I had a Vais Brake on a Ruger 270. It worked well, and it was loud. I sold the gun later, but not because of the noisy brake. I have thought about adding them to two of my other rifles. I also am more interested in a quick follow up shot and watching for the red mist.

They are great. Get ahold of David Gentry - the best IMO.