Whats the deal with muzzle brakes on everything these days??

There's always at least one gunslinger on every forum lookin to get into a verbal firefight. The old "who swings the biggest pair in the jungle" kind of thing. After a while you can sorta tell who are the really experienced shooters--they usually don't have an ego at stake when they share their valuable knowledge. On the other hand, a lot of posts start out as provocative to begin with--this one sorta does.
 
I have a Winchester 270 boss that was printing phenomenally with Federal ammo. I have' shot in years and was considering sell/trade but this thread has me seriously reconsidering.
 
Oh My, how things have changed over the years...

When I joined this site years ago, one of my initial questions had to do with installing a muzzle brake on a .308 target rifle. I got criticized for even suggesting such a thing...
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=261111

Now it seems that it is acceptable by many to put a brake on pretty much anything...
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Yeah, people want to tell you want you do and don't "need" and if you do it or the manufacturer does it to be cool, that is frowned up, but a pretty gun is okay. Weird standards when it comes to accessories and acceptability.

Complaining about brakes at the gun range reminds me of people complaining when guns are too loud at a gun range. Its a gun range, not a serenity picnic club.
 
Rifles are loud. That is what hearing protection is for. I had full shoulder reconstruction. I shoot brakes. I have no shoulder pain. If I do not shoot brakes (on the harder recoilers) I am at the O.S. getting steroid injections in my shoulder. If someone does not like the sound my rifle makes, they can wear better hearing protection or take up archery.
 
You dern kids and your muzzle brakes and your camo dips and your music...why in my day, we didn't even have stocks like you sissies do. We just held them things in the web of our hands --called 'em 'hand-gonnes' -- so you youngerns today take note of just how good you have it, and knock off all that loud racket...Eh?...What's that? You say somethin'? You'll have to speak up!

TCB
 
Double Naught Spy wrote:
Complaining about brakes at the gun range reminds me of people complaining when guns are too loud at a gun range. Its a gun range, not a serenity picnic club.
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That sums this whole thread up perfectly.
 
I understand them for certain applications

Particularly semi-autos rifles for defense or competition. Not really a big fan of them for handguns or hunting rifles.
 
Muzzle brakes, as far as I know, are not allowed in NRA competitions.

But brakes, as well as supressors, are much like other "wannabe" trends in society. Such as:

Not tying your shoestrings.

Wearing your curved shirttails outside your pants.

Wearing your pant's beltline closer to your knees than your belly button.

Wearing billed caps backwards.

Saying the word "like" once out of every five you speak.

...and the list could go on for ever....

If you're not doing it, you're not "in" with the others.
 
Bart, your list of pet peeves and mine are very similar. Having said that, I was shooting brakes long before they were "cool." I had a .458 Win mag that beat the fool out of me. It had no brake. My friend bought a .460 WBY with a factory brake. It kicked about half as much as my .458 Win mag. A light went off in my head and I said "these holes at the end of the muzzle might be a good idea." My .458 Win mag got a brake. Then the trickle down factor occurred. Then, I hurt my shoulder and brakes made even more sense.
 
Quote:
Recoil hurts guns recoil short barrels don't get loud from brakes there is no time for gases to build velocity to be effective
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This just makes no sense to me...
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Read it like this and it helps a little:
Recoil hurts.
Guns recoil.
Short barrels don't get loud from brakes.
There is no time for gases to build velocity to be effective
 
My .22-250 sports a muzzle brake. :D

It's a varmint rig and having the brake allows me to spot my hits (or misses) in my scope. It's loud and abnoxious if I'm shooting next to someone (which is rare) but in my case the pros outweigh the cons.
 
I like em I don't I like em I don't....

Unless anyone can prove that brakes are a bad idea and actually have no benefits at all--this thread will continue to be the proverbial dog chasing it's tail.:rolleyes:
 
what power of optics are you running on that .22-250? and how light is it?

My Model 70 varmint, with a 6-18x, on a rest, with me not particularly holding it on target, and at 18x, impact is still in the viewfield. At the outer edge, but still visible.
 
44 AMP said:
what power of optics are you running on that .22-250? and how light is it?

My Model 70 varmint, with a 6-18x, on a rest, with me not particularly holding it on target, and at 18x, impact is still in the viewfield. At the outer edge, but still visible.
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It's a Rem 700 with a 26in Kreiger #7 contour with a bell&carlson medalist a5 varmint stock. So it isn't too light, around 12lbs-13lbs fully dressed I'd say. I've got a 6-24x Vortex PST on it. Cranked all the way up at 24x I can spot my hits in the center of the scope without any troubles at all. The difference the brake makes is night and day.

This is prone on a bipod by the way. The brake I have is custom made by a great local smith/machinist. It's just side slots so it doesn't really kick up any dust or debris either.
 
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I shoot with a muzzle brake, Rem. 700 308 20" brl. Benchrest only, had it installed due to muzzle jump. Shoot with a rear bag & Harris Bi pod. Medium hold. I am concerned about the person to the right & left of me. Start off with some conversation, then I wait until they take their shot,works for us & no excuse for a screwed up shot.
 
Designed originally for Full Auto's. I suspect now~~ a muzzle brake is nothing more than cool looking add/on accessory to many. It does change the outward appearance of one's common place cloned weaponry. It adding a little extra pizazz!! to his/her weapon. __Whoopie!! it's now a one of a kind individual piece. :rolleyes:

What to expect next at those benchrest lanes 98 220 swift.
How's about a >Fixed bayonet!! now that would really enhance a weapons external look. If the owner miss's his/her 50 yard target they have the option to run out and stab it. :cool:__:)
 
I first put a muzzle brake on my mini14 that I used for hunting.

At night I hunted low to the ground. The muzzle blast would kick up lots if dust that obscured my vision.. Also, even though it's .223 the recoil would move you off target... You should come out of the scope as soon as possible, but it woulda been nice to see more in the moment after the shot.

So I put a brake on my mini14. It did what I wanted... Kept the dust cloud down.. And noticeable reduced rifle movement. Accuracy seemed better, but definitely had no negative effect. It's louder, at least in certain positions...

Some are purely cosmetic, it seems.
I well designed brake can serve a purpose. Especially for a nightime pig and coyote hunter. If it works as intended, why not? After the shot visibility and quick follow up shots are an advantage if your putting metal into meat.... A paper punching range you could be debatable, especially if people are beside you

Funny thing is, no one ever sees my rifles
 
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I suspect now~~ a muzzle brake is nothing more than cool looking add/on accessory to many
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That's kinda what I was getting at with this post. That's what I believe it is for the young man that blasted me with his that day.
 
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