I hate muzzle brakes!

[wind gypsy]

Is the general consensus that shooting a bare muzzle is much safer than shooting a brake?

I don’t know about much better but it feels much less intense on my ears.

From an article linked previously in this thread:

 

[K9kodi]

I read the blog. I'm not a mathematician but what he's saying seems to contradict itself..

no muzzle device is 150.6db with the apa fat bastard its jumps 164.5db.... then he goes on to say the lowest brake which is the ops scored at 155.5db is 41% increase in perceived loudness and says the fat bastard is 162% increase in perceived loudness..... when the difference is 15db..

I’m trying to recall from a podcast with steve rinella and some hearing doctor lady professor. She said at a certain level over a certain decibel , the impact in effectiveness is compounded for every decible. Something like tbat

 

[Turkeytider]

I don’t know about much better but it feels much less intense on my ears.

From an article linked previously in this thread:
View attachment 894285

I’ve just made wearing double hearing protection my regular routine, regardless of what I or anyone else is shooting.

 

[Mike Islander]

Whoops! Got careless and took a shot with my little muzzle braked 5.56. 14.5" barrel. Holy smokes that thing is loud without a suppressor.

 

[K9kodi]

Hahaha never had a muzzle break on a rifle before. The 300wm was my first. I set up targets to dope in my rifle. To get a little elevation in prone position I laid in my truck bed with the gate down. The bed sides did a very good job of capturing all that muzzle stuff exiting haha

 

[Harvey_NW]

Hahaha never had a muzzle break on a rifle before. The 300wm was my first. I set up targets to dope in my rifle. To get a little elevation in prone position I laid in my truck bed with the gate down. The bed sides did a very good job of capturing all that muzzle stuff exiting haha

This makes my ears ring louder just imagining that lol. That's like a literal sound vortex.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

Hahaha never had a muzzle break on a rifle before. The 300wm was my first. I set up targets to dope in my rifle. To get a little elevation in prone position I laid in my truck bed with the gate down. The bed sides did a very good job of capturing all that muzzle stuff exiting haha

I was shooting just off to the side of my truck laid prone to keep glare of the sun off me.
Was sighting in my dads 30-378 (obviously had a brake) and pulled the trigger on the first shot all the blast and sound traveled through my body. That one hurt.
I don’t use the truck as a sun shade anymore while shooting.

I also told him he can do all his own work on that rifle

 

[Ramem7mm]

they are loud but do help with recoil and unfortunately in California they wont let us have a suppressor.

Long time ago I did have a muzzle to close to a taillight once and needless to say the taillight lens shattered when I shot. Never thought about it until after it happened and I am pretty cognizant about it now.

 

[Southern Lights]

I'd much rather use a smaller caliber without a muzzle brake than a larger one with one. They generate so much extra noise that even if you use plugs and muffs, they are well above safety limits for causing permanent hearing damage. When hunting, if you touch off a round without hearing protection you are definitely going to have hearing damage. It's all cumulative.

 

[K9kodi]

The awesome part about our country thus far, you have options. Yiur choice may not be another’s choice and mine may not be yours, but it might be another’s! Legally Shoot what you wanna!

 

[2weak2flex]

Suppressed or nothing in my opinion.

 

[K9kodi]

That’s a great opinion to have. It’s also pretty cool you have the option to do it! I enjoy some of my firearms w suppressors as well, it’s not beneficial to me on my hunting rigs, but we all have diff preferences!

 

[UKwildcatfan]

Have brakes on several rifles, never been an issue as I've always worn hearing protection. If anyone is with me, I make sure they're behind me with hearing protection.

 

[K9kodi]

Hockey players wear pads, racers drivers wear fire suits, just gear up I reckon.

 

[HandgunHTR]

I’m trying to recall from a podcast with steve rinella and some hearing doctor lady professor. She said at a certain level over a certain decibel , the impact in effectiveness is compounded for every decible. Something like tbat

The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale.

If you want to learn more about it, here is some light reading. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel

As for those who always wear hearing protection, the decibel level of a 20” 308 with an APA Fat Bastard is 164 dB. If you are using foamies, which have a NRR of 26-29 (provided you are using them 100% effectively) that means you are getting 135-138 into the ear. 140 is the max threshold for “hearing safe”. Which means if you aren’t putting those foamies in exactly as you are supposed to, which is pretty hard to do even when not in a hunting situation, you are causing damage to your ear.
A larger cartridge makes it even worse.
That doesn’t even address the things we are now learning about the damage that the muzzle blast does to the head/brain.

 

[PALlew86]

I use public ranges and there are more and more are every time I go.

 

[K9kodi]

My dad seems to enjoy hearing aids, as he can turn them down or off when he chooses not to hear anyone. Just a joke seriously!

 

[Southern Lights]

The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale.

If you want to learn more about it, here is some light reading. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel

As for those who always wear hearing protection, the decibel level of a 20” 308 with an APA Fat Bastard is 164 dB. If you are using foamies, which have a NRR of 26-29 (provided you are using them 100% effectively) that means you are getting 135-138 into the ear. 140 is the max threshold for “hearing safe”. Which means if you aren’t putting those foamies in exactly as you are supposed to, which is pretty hard to do even when not in a hunting situation, you are causing damage to your ear.
A larger cartridge makes it even worse.
That doesn’t even address the things we are now learning about the damage that the muzzle blast does to the head/brain.

I installed a muzzle brake that did 45 degree venting back towards the shooter on a 338LM. I did one ELR match with it where we shot a lot of rounds out to 2K. I had a headache for about two days after. My conclusion is likely minor concussion from it. I will never shoot any rifle with a muzzle brake again. And I get nowhere near anyone using one on their rifle.

You can't stack hearing protection enough to prevent damage and I definitely feel the blast wave has other effects as you state.

I know guys like to joke about it, but if you are using a brake you should know about the real risks and not discount them. Get a suppressor and save your hearing.

 

[Turkeytider]

I installed a muzzle brake that did 45 degree venting back towards the shooter on a 338LM. I did one ELR match with it where we shot a lot of rounds out to 2K. I had a headache for about two days after. My conclusion is likely minor concussion from it. I will never shoot any rifle with a muzzle brake again. And I get nowhere near anyone using one on their rifle.

You can't stack hearing protection enough to prevent damage and I definitely feel the blast wave has other effects as you state.

I know guys like to joke about it, but if you are using a brake you should know about the real risks and not discount them. Get a suppressor and save your hearing.

You could try a 90 degree brake. I don’t feel a thing with mine . I ‘ve made it routine now to wear double hearing protection regardless of what I or anyone else might be shooting.

 

[Southern Lights]

I had a 90 at first before trying the 45. There is mild difference, but in the end I just put a suppressor on the 338LM and don't run brakes on anything now.