Most Effective Muzzle Brake

[1972RedNeck]

Have a lightweight 7mm Rem Mag that I don't like shooting. It doesn't kick hard per se, but it it nasty sharp. Fancy butt pads, etc. Doesn't really hurt the shoulder, but it rattles the brain.

I don't like the looks of muzzle brakes, but after only putting about 10 rounds through it in the last 5 years, I need to do something.

If I'm going to deal with the looks and noise, I want the most recoil reduction possible. Also would like a tuner brake as well.

Any suggestions on the best brand of tuner brake?

[Colorado Redneck]

Google "best muzzle brakes." Just a thought, a brake can help with recoil and muzzle rise. There are many different ones available. If your rifles barrel isn't threaded you will have to pay a smith unless you are a skilled machinist and have the tools.

[1972RedNeck]

Google "best muzzle brakes." Just a thought, a brake can help with recoil and muzzle rise. There are many different ones available. If your rifles barrel isn't threaded you will have to pay a smith unless you are a skilled machinist and have the tools.

Yes, I was planning on having the barrel threaded by a local smith that does good work.

I have read through a lot of forums about brakes and have decided that either all brakes are about the same, or most everyone has confirmation bias.

[FrankenMauser]

I've seen a lot of brakes used. I've fired rifles with various styles and types.
I don't think the differences matter much, as long as it is a pure brake -- not a hybrid compensator/flash-hider, flash-hider/brake, etc.

My opinion is:
The more holes or gills, the better.
Reputation of a brand can help make a person feel at ease, but doesn't seem necessary.

--

My old gunsmith built a sled for testing and developing muzzle brakes. He showed me some prototypes about 14 years ago and said that he found the sweet spot for maximum port effectiveness to be angled 9.5 to 11.5 degrees back from perpendicular.
Most brakes that people rave about seem to be in that ballpark.

But, that gunsmith is dead, I have never tested it myself, and I only have one rifle with a brake, now. -Because I run suppressors on anything threaded. Suppressors are the best brakes I have ever used.
That one remaining brake is used as a thread protector, and on the rare occasion that I shoot that rifle without a can. It is a heavy-recoiling, big-bore, short-barreled AR-15, and that brake (Tromix fish gill): A) is timed to the barrel threads; B) is an uncommon thread; and C) makes a HUGE difference.

[Paul B.]

Guess I have to ask a few questions. Are you using some kind of hearing protection? What kind of recoil pad do you use on your rifle?

Many years ago I bought my first rifle in .308 Win. That Remington 660 kicked worse than one very POed mule. My kids bought me a set of hearing muff for shooting and damn me? Where did all the kick go.

Muzzle brakes can be extremely loud which doesn't help. Currently I only have one rifle, a Winchester M70 stainless classic that just beats me to death and I'm not all that recoil shy. FWIW, until fairly recently I was shooting a .375 wildcat that duplicates the .375 H&H, a .404 Jeffery and .416 Rigby, all guns suitable for taking game like Cale Buffalo and elephant. They weren't all that pleasant but didn't hurt me. Even the addition of a muzzle brake didn't help, at least that I could notice.

I don't shoot those rifles anymore but when I did, I used a Past recoil pad. They spread the felt recoil over a larger area of your body. I have the magnum size. You put it on like a shoulder holster. These days, party due to my age, I don't shoot my hard kickers anymore. They're just not the fun/challenge for me so stick to nicer rounds like the 7x57 and .308 Win. The only time the .35 Whelen gets out anymore is if and when I draw an elk tag.
Paul B.

[1972RedNeck]

Yes, I always wear earplugs at a minimum, a lot of times I use plugs and muffs. I have learned from operating heavy equipment that noise plays a huge part in fatigue, at least for me.

I have a fancy gel pad on the stock and then another slip on pad over that. It's completely tolerable, but I just don't enjoy it unless I load it down to mild 270 performance, at which point a 270 uses less powder.

It's great to shoot standing, but over the bench it's just not that enjoyable, which defeats the purpose for me.

[1972RedNeck]

I run suppressors on anything threaded. Suppressors are the best brakes I have ever used.

I have thought about a suppressor but have read and been told they don't reduce recoil nearly as much as a good brake - does your experience say otherwise?

[hammie]

@Redneck: I believe that "Franken" is right. My sons and I have used a smattering of different muzzle brakes, and there doesn't seem to be much difference in performance between major brands. However, the manufacturer which I have finally settled on is "Area 419". I like them, mainly, because they are self timing. Installation is easy. No crush washers or shims. They are a two piece brake, with the base piece being a tapered cone, which inserts into the muzzle brake. Simply tap the correctly timed brake part onto the tapered mount, tighten the lock ring, and you're good to go. If you're so inclined, you can buy another mounting base, and switch the muzzle brake to another rifle of the same caliber.

[reynolds357]

The brakes that look like brakes on 50BMG work best IMO. I call them Tanker brakes.

[mehavey]

...decided that either all brakes are about the same,...

Actually not quite.
THIS type of backward/upward thrust brake (i.e., with "Gills") has significant effect
on both recoil and muzzle jump on my Woof.

.

[Shadow9mm]

Cortina Precision tuner break. https://www.shootsmallgroups.com/pro...c-tuner-brake/

[44caliberkid]

Mag-na-port Arms makes a good rifle brake. Scroll down to the Mag-na-brake.
https://magnaport.com/rifle.html

They blend it in so it doesn’t look like a device hanging on the end of your barrel, more like just a swell.

[FrankenMauser]

I have thought about a suppressor but have read and been told they don't reduce recoil nearly as much as a good brake - does your experience say otherwise?

It depends on the suppressor, rifle, cartridge, and load that you are shooting.
Recoil is not reduced the same, across the board.

My "primary" suppressors are SilencerCo Harvester .300s -- which are now, unfortunately, discontinued.
6.5 PRC, 6.5-284 Norma, .243 Win, and more all have noticeably reduced recoil. You absolutely can feel it.

All of my AR cartridges (except that aforementioned big bore) also run through those .30 cal cans. .300 Blk, 6x45mm, .223 Rem, 5.56mm, and .17-223. It makes them plenty quiet (especially subsonic .300 Blk, of course). But it also turns them into the softest shooting ARs you'll try. My son was so recoil shy that he wouldn't shoot a 5.56 AR, because the recoil scared him, for every shot. He tried it, and it was too much for him.

I finally screwed a suppressor on to the end of each AR, over the course of a couple months, and had him shoot them. I had to talk him into it, every time. And every time, he would pull the trigger, show a wide smile and bright eyes, and say, "I like that! Is this one mine now?!" I perceive less recoil and can get back on target faster with those suppressed ARs than I can with the 10/22 that my son runs in competition.

But the real sweethearts, for me, are my brother's .308 Win and my .270 Win. It makes his .308 feel like you're shooting .223.
My .270 is a Ruger 77 Mk II "Sporter" (stainless/laminate).
I had the barrel cut to 19" and threaded.
I only shoot full power ammo.
With the short(er) barrel, it is a little snappier, louder, and more prone to fireballs, than it used to be.
But put one of those Harvesters on it, and it is suddenly a tamed pussycat. To me and a couple other shooters than have run it that way, we describe the recoil as somewhere between ".22 Mag" and ".223".
It absolutely changes the recoil impulse of that rifle, reducing it so much that even my 9 year old daughters could shoot it without complaint.
Of course, you get sound attenuation along with that. I have had bystanders 100-300 yards away, on multiple occasions, hear the bullet impact, but never the muzzle report.

Every rifle/ammo/cartridge/suppressor combination is different.
But it always make some difference, in my experience.
(Also tightens groups for several of my rifles, and only makes them worse for one (luckily, just a 10/22 and my only rimfire can).)

If I had to put forth a theory based on experience, I'd say that I believe the volume of gas matters. The closer a cartridge is to "over-bore", or the more "over-bore" a cartridge is, the greater recoil reduction potential.
But, of course, the closer you get the diameter of the bullet to the diameter of the hole bored through the baffles, the better it works, too.

[rickyrick]

The kind with “gills” work best for me, but good lawd they are loud for the shooter and bystanders lol

[taylorce1]

Originally Posted by 1972RedNeck

I have thought about a suppressor but have read and been told they don't reduce recoil nearly as much as a good brake - does your experience say otherwise?

Do muzzle brakes mitigate recoil better than a suppressor? I don't know, I've seen anecdotal evidence by guys selling muzzle brakes that they do. I've not seen any independent testing by a third party to confirm this. Nor have I seen much third party testing of muzzle brakes that lead me to a definitive answer as to which brake mitigates recoil the best.

I can tell you that a suppressor does reduce felt recoil. It basically does the same thing as a break, it slows down and redirects hot gases escaping the barrel. It also adds mass to the rifle, my suppressor weighs between 14-17 ounces depending on how I configure it. Adding 1 lb of weight to any rifle is going to change the recoil energy, there are calculators to back that up.

The only real downside to a suppressor is the paperwork and the wait to get it, from my perspective. You get recoil and sound signature reduction all in the same package. What's not to like about that? I didn't mind shorter barrels and velocity loss, it hasn't changed much for me. I still use hearing protection with supersonic rounds at the range. I should hunting as well, but I dont.

I'm not against brakes they do work. They're cheaper, easier to get, and don't involve the ATF at the end user. They can also cause problems, like flinching.

I had a .280 GNR (7mm-405 Win AI) Encore barrel that had a radial brake on it. It is about equivalent to a .280 AI on a rimmed cartridge. Shooting it as a 17" pistol I had to wear plugs and muffs to tolerate the report. If was wearing a ball cap while shooting, the muzzle blast would peel it and the muffs off my head every time I pulled the trigger. I'd hoped to use it as a carbine, but quickly sold it off before my rifle stock set arrived.

Now the only braked rifles I shoot are ones with my suppressor attached. I use the SilencerCO ASR 1&3 port brakes used to attach my suppressor. I've not seen the need to shoot the rifles without my Omega 300 attached.

[50 shooter]

https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/do-...il%20reduction

Good article on muzzle brake technology.

[NEPrepper]

a suppressor is the best muzzle device!

[lurchenstein]

I have the Muzzle Brakes and More BEAST on my 308. This one works great and was very affordable< as well as customizable.

[Nathan]

Muzzle Brakes and More

What he said! I’m not just saying it. I personally have one on a 300 WSM.