Jeez BJ, you're kind of an angry person aren't you? At the very least a little crabby. I'll bet its a joy to be around your house during the holidays.

Actually, I'm a pretty easy going guy. But I have little patience with people who write about things they know nothing about and then try to convince others that they are 'experts'.

Muzzle brakes are one of those "Ooooh, they're just too loud!" type of nonsense! It's B.S. Muzzle brakes really work and keep recoil very acceptable on a hard kicking rifle.

Oh, by-the-way Have a Merry Christmas!

I agree with RatherBe, you seem wound out Beefy. I have enjoyed some of your posts, but you always got an edge just for the sake of having an edge. Maybe this is part of the "real man" persona, but it comes off like your just constipated or something.

Anyway, I've used muzzle brakes and they increase the blast no if-ands-or-buts-about-it, especially if your shooting in close cover or happen to be standing next to your buddy while he is shooting. If your at a range with a tin-roof you can definitely hear the difference when muzzle-braked guns go off, largely because the precussion wave goes sideways and reflects off the roof. In open mountain air with nothing around the blast is less as you say. Its that simple, nothing that a pair of ear plugs can't remedy if you can't tolerate it.

Its subjective what "too loud" is, but I agree that folks shouldn't be scared off from a brake simply because it increases blast. The benefits out weigh the noise, if you are having trouble handling the kick of your gun or just want less recoil.

[ This Message was edited by: bitmasher on 2003-12-10 22:28 ]

See this is what I mean, by your post.

Muzzle blast is louder. This is just a bunch of crap! If you touch off a magnum rifle, you have muzzle blast regardless if it has a muzzle brake or not. But with the brake on, the recoil is substantially reduced.

They are both noisy, so what? You wear hearing protection when at the range, in the field you don't. But heeerees the BIGGY, you shoot much better because of the reduced recoil.

I've been 'chew'n corn a long time' and I'm not recoil sensitive, but I waited years before using muzzle brakes because of some less informed "Wise Guys" wrote a lot of nonsense about muzzle brakes. Brakes work and work very well!!!

BTW, your comment about shooting a rifle next to your buddy, if some bozo shoots his rifle next to me or my ears, muzzle braked or not, I'll knock him on his ass. Period.

Yeah, we can all tell what an easy going guy you are. Calling anyone who disagrees with you a sissy and telling us all how you're going to knock people on their ass. Real easy going!

SHEESH!

As far as muzzle brakes, give ME a break! So when you shot it while hunting it didn't seem any louder to you? That's about as useful as the claims from guys who put the latest snake oil in their cars and then say they can really FEEL the increased horsepower!

UH OH! Did I hurt your feelings? Now are you going to call me a sissy and threaten to knock me on my ass? Oh brother!

Give it a rest and go try some decaf.

DonMillion

Nah, you didnt hurt my feelings. I'd take more than that to steam me'.

Just blowing-off some steam. I think I'm really P.O. at myself, because I listened so long guys who wrote about muzzle brakes damaging your hearing....

They will if you dont use hearing protection, but ANY rifle will hurt your hearing if you dont use protection, regardless if muzzle braked or not.

Actually, I recently read a dB test on 'braked' rifles and the dB levels werent any louder than some .357 & .44 magnum handgun loads.

In one breath, anti-muzzle brake guys decry rifles with muzzle brakes, then they'll go out and shoot a handgun with a report as loud as a braked rifle, and think nothing of it....

That why a person has to watch what some of the so call "PROS" have to write about.

Now you see why I get P.O.'d.

If you can't tell the difference between a braked and unbraked gun, then your ears are going out. Just saying "there both loud" or they both "cause damage" doesn't cut it. A braked gun is louder than one without a brake at starting at base of 100 db's an extra 10 db isn't good. End of story. Telling people it sounds the same and letting them get an earful is simply wrong.

Also I have no problem with brakes and wouldn't turn people off of them just for noise reasons. For some the reduction in recoil is better than the increased noise. For some folks that shoot a 300 wthby mag and jerk like they are about to get kicked into the next decade, a muzzle brake would be a definite improvement.

I don't use a muzzle brake but, having shot at the range next to a guy that was shooting one I can tell you that every time he fired a shot the side of my face next to him got indented to the bone! After 3 shots I moved to the other end of the range.

Bitmaster

Why don't you go back and reread my last post. Read it slow, then maybe you can figure it out.

Also, I have a question for you....
With a hunting rifle, what is your acceptable level of report. In other words, when is a rifle to loud to the point that it causes hearing damage?

Your statements make no sense. I read how you say a brake is loud, well yah, NO DA! But is what you are saying that a rifle without a brake makes acceptable sound for your ears at the shot....Come on Give me a "brake".

This is utter NONSENSE. My guess is that you never had or used one personally, and that you only like to 'parrot' what other less informed hunters/shooters are saying.

The truth is:
1. Brakes are loud (as are non-braked rifles,so use proper hearing protection, this is a NO BRAINER!)

2. On hard kicking rifles, they reduce felt recoil SUBSTANCIALLY. (A .300 mag to the point of about a .243 win.)

3. They increase hit ability of a target, because the produce a greater amount of confidence in the shooter.

4. Under hunting conditions, with any rifle, only 1 or 2 shots are fired at game, and though hearing protection should be use, it commonly isn't....This isn't going to destroy anyone's hearing. 40 years of hunting has bore this out.

Finally, go petal your B.S. somewhere else. You make think your a Big Shot here, but I know and use muzzle brakes and what your saying is PHONY....You never once address hearing protection or back up anything you say with fact!!!!

"...when is a rifle to loud to the point that it causes hearing damage?"

Frankly, I'm amazed that there is anyone left shooting any kind of firearm these days who doesn't already know the answer to this question. It's pretty simple. Every rifle, every shotgun, and every handgun, from .22 short on up, will cause permanent hearing damage everytime you fire it. The damage from any one shot is small, but they add up. Every shot that you fire without hearing protection causes hearing damage. Period.

This is why only an idiot (or someone who's already deaf!) would go to the shooting range without hearing protection.