Muzzle brake effectiveness.
- Thread starter jerrard
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Yes and no. While I'm sure a muzzle brake on a 20" heavy barrel .308 does reduce felt recoil, it can also dramatically increase both felt and heard muzzle blast to both you and anyone around you.
I have a 20" heavy barrel .308 (Ruger Hawkeye Tactical) and honestly see no need to have a muzzle break on it to reduce what little recoil there is after the weight of the rifle, scope, bipod, ammo (over 10lbs. at this point) and the recoil pad take the oomph out out it.
I do admit that everyone's level of tolerance is different however.
Personally I would look at it this way, if it comes with a muzzle brake, and you don't like it, then at least you still have a threaded barrel to hang whatever else you want off of it, either a flash hider, a suppressor, both a flash hider with a suppressor on it (same with a muzzle break depending on types for everything involved) or even just a thread protector.
Unless you'd rather have a completely 'clean' barrel.
I have a 20" heavy barrel .308 (Ruger Hawkeye Tactical) and honestly see no need to have a muzzle break on it to reduce what little recoil there is after the weight of the rifle, scope, bipod, ammo (over 10lbs. at this point) and the recoil pad take the oomph out out it.
I do admit that everyone's level of tolerance is different however.
Personally I would look at it this way, if it comes with a muzzle brake, and you don't like it, then at least you still have a threaded barrel to hang whatever else you want off of it, either a flash hider, a suppressor, both a flash hider with a suppressor on it (same with a muzzle break depending on types for everything involved) or even just a thread protector.
Unless you'd rather have a completely 'clean' barrel.
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Hit_Factor
Member
I have a compensator on several competition guns and they definitely help with faster followup shots.
I have fired a Glock 23c and while the recoil impulse is different, the extra concussion wasn't worth it.
I must admit that the difference between a muzzle break and compensator is not some thing i can explain.
I have fired a Glock 23c and while the recoil impulse is different, the extra concussion wasn't worth it.
I must admit that the difference between a muzzle break and compensator is not some thing i can explain.
stubbicatt
Member
I put a Cooley Compensator on my Heavy Metal rifle and while it *may* have ameliorated recoil impulse, it definitely kept the muzzle deflection down to a barely perceptible shift, making fast followup shots much easier.
YMMV.
YMMV.
chrome_austex
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I love the brake on my 308 Remington bolt gun. It does significantly reduce the recoil, maybe 40-50%. My range is usually close to empty, so noise (which isn't much worse from the shooter's position) is less of an issue.
My 20" .308 bolt gun with a Cooley brake is much less obnoxious than the 16" .223 Evolution barreled AR that I have with the brake machined into the end. That AR is abusive WRT noise. The .308 really isn't that bad.
Most of the muzzle devices that I've seen on AR10s are flash hiders, not brakes or comps.
Most of the muzzle devices that I've seen on AR10s are flash hiders, not brakes or comps.
MilsurpShooter
Member
Savage 110ba in .338 Lapua. I had that thing in a death grip not knowing what to expect. Kicks less then my 8mm Mauser and Mosin Nagant it seems.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Well, I would certainly hope it kicks less.
It weighs almost 16 pounds without a scope or bipod on it!
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/110BA
With that kind of weight, it should barely kick at all, if you don't throw your back out getting it to the range.
rc
It weighs almost 16 pounds without a scope or bipod on it!
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/110BA
With that kind of weight, it should barely kick at all, if you don't throw your back out getting it to the range.
rc
MilsurpShooter
Member
lol RC, understandable, what I was trying to say was after long range sessions resulting in black and blues from my Mauser and nagant, shooting that thing was a shock considering the numbers of the cartridge.
45crittergitter
Member
Note that it's muzzle BRAKE (as in slow down), not BREAK (as in broken). Personally I've had no desire for one due to the extra noise and cost, at least until you get into the elephant calibers and I don't have one on those either. Opinions vary.
Kachok
Member
308s just don't kick hard enough to justify those darn noise makers. I rather deal with a little recoil then a bunch of muzzle blast, that is why most production rifles come without them.
buckhorn_cortez
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I take a blood thinner, and without the muzzle brake on my .308, the shooting sessions would be short. The brake reduces the recoil to about equal to my 6mm. I also have one on my AR15 and find that the follow up shots are much faster as the muzzle rise is nearly zero.
stubbicatt
Member
Some that intrigue me are the Surefire brakes that double as a mounting point for a sound suppressor.
longdayjake
Member
Muzzle brakes are awesome. Unless you only shoot your gun on a bench next to other people. Then they are just annoying. But what they do for the shooter is awesome. Ear protection is a must though. But it should be anyway.
Stubbicatt said:
There are Surefire flash hiders that offer the same capability as well, along with AAC's 18 and 51 T flash hiders and Smith's Vortex flash hider (with their own respective company's silencers).
Using either a muzzle brake or a flash hider as the mounting point for a silencer will allow the muzzle brake or flash hider to act as an additional initial baffle that will help increase the life of the silencer's actual baffles.
Have the factory installed brake on my Armalite AR-30 338 LM and it brings it down to what I perceive a 30-06 level.
Not at all punishing.
Now, what it does to anyone or anything nearby is a different story.
I use double ear protection-foam plugs and electronic muffs. I have enough hearing loss without adding to it exponentially.
Unless you have mitigating factors like an orthopedic shoulder problem or as previously stated, are on an anti-coagulant and bruise like a ripe peach, I don't see the need for a MB on a 308.
Just my $.02
Gary
Not at all punishing.
Now, what it does to anyone or anything nearby is a different story.
I use double ear protection-foam plugs and electronic muffs. I have enough hearing loss without adding to it exponentially.
Unless you have mitigating factors like an orthopedic shoulder problem or as previously stated, are on an anti-coagulant and bruise like a ripe peach, I don't see the need for a MB on a 308.
Just my $.02
Gary
tryshoot
Member
I want more brakes on more of my guns. My .300 wtby mag is reduced greatly. I want one on my .243. I would not have one at a range. Noise is no diff to shooter. If around stand right behind shooter. If off to side much it will rattle ribs.
chris in va
Member
A brake made a huge difference with my friend's FAL. Rather enjoyable shooting it prone now.
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
In cases where shooters are concerned with speed, target transitions and split times a good compensator can be a fundamentally useful feature in a rifle.
I fail to understand the folks who, though they may not be able to justify the addition of a compensator to their rifle, are unable to understand that there are times when they can and do make a demonstrable difference.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk. Hence all the misspellings and goofy word choices.
I fail to understand the folks who, though they may not be able to justify the addition of a compensator to their rifle, are unable to understand that there are times when they can and do make a demonstrable difference.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk. Hence all the misspellings and goofy word choices.
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