Muzzle Brake for 6.5 (Patriot Valley Arms Jet Blast?)

[DougB]

I'm looking for a muzzle brake for my Tikka T3x CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor. I know that whatever I get will be a compromise of various desirable features, including:
- Compact size (under 2.5").
- Self-timing (can be easily put on & taken off by user - no crush washer or shims).
- Effective at reducing recoil.
- Minimizing extra noise and concussion for shooter & others.
- Light weight.
- Reasonable cost.

I'm looking seriously at the Patriot Valley Arms (PVA) Jet Blast brakes. They claim to have very good recoil reduction, while minimizing the extra noise and concussion directed back toward the shooter (due to a "patent-pending" new port design). They are also self-timing (easy on and off) and relatively compact. I know that the most effective muzzle brakes tend to be the most noisy.

PVA also offers this break in an "ultralight" version made of an "ultra-high-strength" aluminum alloy. It weight only 1.37 oz (about 2 oz. less than the steel version), while offering the same performance. I've read concerns about aluminum brakes wearing out quickly and/or coming loose because of differences in expansion rates between aluminum and steel. PVA says that their ultralight brake have been tested to last about twice as long as the barrel on a .300 Mag. There is one very positive review of this brake (1,000+ rounds with no issues), but not much more I can find about this brake.

One reason I think the light version might be a good choice for me is that I'll probably remove the muzzle brake if I hunt with this rifle. I'm guessing that replacing a lighter brake with a steel thread protector is less likely to change the point of impact significantly compared with removing a heavier brake. But that's just a guess.

Anyone tried the Jet Blast brakes? Thoughts about the ultralight version? Other brakes I should consider?

Thanks

 

[rayatphonix]

I have 2 Jet Blast brakes. One on a Bergara Creedmoor. I did lots of internet research and ended up with these and I’m very happy. They are a good choice.

 

[Walkalong]

The only one I have experience with is the APA Little Bastard, which seems to work very well.

https://precisionrifleblog.com/2019/02/02/best-suppressor/

 

[Skylerbone]

A brake always comes down to features you find desirable vs what each has to offer. For me it was a bit of recoil reduction for younger kids while protecting their ears as much as possible. To those ends I chose the Seekins Precision ATC for a 6.5CM.

What sold me was the ability to review pertinent information on multiple devices in a side by side comparison found here: https://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/08/07/muzzle-brakes-sound-test/

It may not be for you so I encourage the read before taking out your wallet.

 

[wbbh]

I got a Jet Blast on my PVA JHR in 6.5 CM, works very well. So well I got one for my AR-10 in 7mm-08, what a difference in recoil it makes. Like all effective brakes, there is a blast of gassing either side when fired, but it more like a blast of air than the face/ear slap some brakes generate.

 

[Varminterror]

The way things have gone the last year with PVA, I don’t think I’d send money that direction.

I use: APA Little Bastard & Fat Bastard, Area419 Hellfire, Impact Precision 2 port, Seekins ATC, Piercision 5 Port Muscle Brake, Holland QD radial, PRI Quiet Control (cheap), SilencerCo ASR, and Kaw Valley Precision Linear Compensator (quiet). Of these, I prefer the Little Bastard and the Muscle Brake, but all are good brakes.

- Effective at reducing recoil.
- Minimizing extra noise and concussion for shooter & others.

These two really don’t go hand in hand. You’re bringing flow, mass at a velocity, exerting pressure, backwards with the intent to reduce its influence in the opposite direction. As demonstrated by the PRB test @Skylerbone linked, the more flow you redirect rearward, the more you reduce recoil, AND the more you increase sound to the shooter.

Personally, I use brakes to reduce my recoil. If I’m spending $100-200 on a brake for a reason - I want to reduce my recoil.

I can tell you, I generally love having an APA Little Bastard or Fat Bastard out front when I’m shooting, but I hate laying beside one on the line.

When I build a rifle with an idea of reducing recoil a little while significantly reducing report/blast, especially in the context of potential “unprotected firing,” I use a linear compensator. These don’t redirect the gases to reduce recoil, but rather strip off and slow down (“Let Down” in terms of systems engineering) the gases to reduce their contribution to recoil - which also reduces the gas pressure upon release to our environment - significantly reducing the sound to the shooter, as well as reducing recoil.

 

[Skylerbone]

I’ll further add that once @Varminterror pointed me toward linear comps there was no ignoring their effectiveness. I’m set to order a 3rd for my son’s first AR build, the others now mounted on my 7.5” pistol and 16” midlength ARs.