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The guy I was shooting next to on Saturday was using a short barreled .308 with a muzzle brake.
It was painfull every time he pulled the trigger my head hurt. I moved onto another firing point in the end.
But not before I told him what I thought and were to fit his .308. LOL

Alpha1 wrote:The guy I was shooting next to on Saturday was using a short barreled .308 with a muzzle brake.
It was painfull every time he pulled the trigger my head hurt. I moved onto another firing point in the end.
But not before I told him what I thought and were to fit his .308. LOL

that is anti social, I must admit I prefer shooting with my moderator on to be more social, I must have been lucky with people shooting MB's on the lane next to me as it was loud but not too bad.

Alpha1 wrote:The guy I was shooting next to on Saturday was using a short barreled .308 with a muzzle brake.
It was painfull every time he pulled the trigger my head hurt. I moved onto another firing point in the end.
But not before I told him what I thought and were to fit his .308. LOL

The purpose of a muzzle brake is to reduce 'felt recoil' for the shooter. The rifle is a little more pleasant to shoot if you are 'recoil shy' but, it also permits more rapid follow-up shots - if that's required.

A sound-moderator does the same but also reduces noise. But, the effects of it heating up may be disadvantageous - which is why you rarely see them on comp. guns.

Neither will make a rifle more accurate - unless it is abysmally inaccurate. Then, the addition of a 'weight' on the end of the barrel can sometimes alter the harmonics favorably.

Honestly, if shooting next to a brake is making your head hurt you need better hearing protection. Brakes are widely used in some comps and we all accept that as part of the game.

The Gun Pimp wrote: The purpose of a muzzle brake is to reduce 'felt recoil' for the shooter. The rifle is a little more pleasant to shoot if you are 'recoil shy' but, it also permits more rapid follow-up shots - if that's required.

In this country, there's no real need for rapid follow up shots. Or rather, we cannot make rapid follow up shots given that we need to manipulate the bolt or press a lever or some other such manipulation that has more effect to our firing position than the recoil.

TattooedGun wrote:

The Gun Pimp wrote: The purpose of a muzzle brake is to reduce 'felt recoil' for the shooter. The rifle is a little more pleasant to shoot if you are 'recoil shy' but, it also permits more rapid follow-up shots - if that's required.

In this country, there's no real need for rapid follow up shots. Or rather, we cannot make rapid follow up shots given that we need to manipulate the bolt or press a lever or some other such manipulation that has more effect to our firing position than the recoil.

You ain't never shot (or seen) 600/1000 yard benchrest - five shots in 12 to 15 seconds with a boly-gun is what I'd call 'rapid'.

The Gun Pimp wrote:

TattooedGun wrote:

The Gun Pimp wrote: The purpose of a muzzle brake is to reduce 'felt recoil' for the shooter. The rifle is a little more pleasant to shoot if you are 'recoil shy' but, it also permits more rapid follow-up shots - if that's required.

In this country, there's no real need for rapid follow up shots. Or rather, we cannot make rapid follow up shots given that we need to manipulate the bolt or press a lever or some other such manipulation that has more effect to our firing position than the recoil.

You ain't never shot (or seen) 600/1000 yard benchrest - five shots in 12 to 15 seconds with a boly-gun is what I'd call 'rapid'.

Whilst that is rapid, a muzzle break is still not necessary unless you've got a particularly light rifle.

Most of the benchrest rifles I've seen don't need a muzzle break because of the sheer mass of rifle/stock negating the recoil.

My opinion (It's free and you don't have to agree, or take it): The only real justifications in this country I can see for a muzzle break (Not that we need to justify it) would be to keep the sights on target to watch for bullet trace/impact or to reduce recoil - where weight is a factor. Both of which can be accomplished with a suppressor/moderator and are much more neighbour friendly, albeit at a cost of weight.

My Mossberg MVP LC .308 came with a muzzle brake as standard, but it was anti social to those shooting either side.. or even further down the line.
I've now gone to a Moderator to be more social with the same reduction in felt recoil.

I don't think that better hearing protection is the answer to muzzle brakes causing problems... I think its actually the concussive blast that makes peoples heads hurt, rather than the actual noise.

By the sound of it we will all be using mod's and shooting sub sonic ammo because the little darlings' lugs are a little sensitive. Personally I have a muzzle break on my 300wm and my 6.5x47 if you don't like it then you are free to move; i put up with things that interfere with my shooting without bleating perhaps other shooters should try the same.

There is absolutely no way I shall be fitting moderators or muzzle brakes to my collection of classic firearms.

s.stimson wrote:By the sound of it we will all be using mod's and shooting sub sonic ammo because the little darlings' lugs are a little sensitive. Personally I have a muzzle break on my 300wm and my 6.5x47 if you don't like it then you are free to move; i put up with things that interfere with my shooting without bleating perhaps other shooters should try the same.

I think people like you should be made to lie beside your own rifle being blasted 15-20 times whilst you're trying to shoot competitively and see if you're still of the same opinion.