Old School: Who Doesn't Hunt with a Muzzle Brake or Suppressor?

[General RE LEE]

Anyone hunting without a brake or suppressor on their barrels? My Tikkas are the T3x Lite models and none are threaded. I prefer to not wear hearing pro when hunting and I'm not really motivated to do the suppressor process and expense since the traditional rifle muzzle works for me.

 

[bmart2622]

I dont on some calibers

 

[hiker270]

My Tikka 300 mag has a muzzle brake which is awesome for sight-in or load development. It comes off when I hunt with the rifle. In a hunting situation I don't want to deal with the extra muzzle blast. Best thing is the POI on my rifle don't change when I take the brake off.

 

[prm]

The suppressor process seems onerous. Too lazy to work through.

I do have a brake that clamps on the barrel of my T3X. Works really well! I got it after I screwed up my shoulder but still wanted to shoot. I took it off, but thinking about reattaching it since it did work so well.

 

[General RE LEE]

The suppressor process seems onerous. Too lazy to work through.

I do have a brake that clamps on the barrel of my T3X. Works really well! I got it after I screwed up my shoulder but still wanted to shoot. I took it off, but thinking about reattaching it since it dod work so well.

I had one of those Witt clamp on brakes. They do work but it makes even a 6.5 Creedmoor an ear ringer.

 

[CorbLand]

Only one of my rifles is threaded and I will get a brake for it one of these days. I don’t want to go to the expense of getting all my rifles threaded and getting adapters for a can but they are pretty sweet.

 

[BigNate]

Both.
I use a can for the ARs, nothing else is threaded. Adding 20oz on the end of a good handling bolt gun seems pretty counter productive.

 

[bsnedeker]

Muzzle brakes have no place on public shooting ranges or on rifles of guys who ever want to hunt with another human being.

 

[nobody]

All of my rifles are currently threaded, and in today's day and age, I'm not sure why every company doesn't just thread from the factory and put a thread protector on the end. Like them or not, brakes and cans are what the vast majority of hunters want, and I think companies should offer options in all models for both.

With all that rambling out of the way, only one of my rifles (so far) has a brake. I like being able to spot my own impacts in field, and a brake just increases my hit rate. I carry a pair of around-the-neck hearing pro that I'll throw in before pulling the trigger, it's really not a big deal. One day I'll get a can to accomplish the same result, but until then, my primary hunting rifles will always have a brake.

 

[S-3 ranch]

Nope, I can’t use a break for medical reasons
and a cann is a PIA in red tape and wait time
I might change my mind on a break for a 35 whelen , but I got enough governmental crap and buying a suppressor will add more

 

[General RE LEE]

All of my rifles are currently threaded, and in today's day and age, I'm not sure why every company doesn't just thread from the factory and put a thread protector on the end. Like them or not, brakes and cans are what the vast majority of hunters want, and I think companies should offer options in all models for both.

With all that rambling out of the way, only one of my rifles (so far) has a brake. I like being able to spot my own impacts in field, and a brake just increases my hit rate. I carry a pair of around-the-neck hearing pro that I'll throw in before pulling the trigger, it's really not a big deal. One day I'll get a can to accomplish the same result, but until then, my primary hunting rifles will always have a brake.

My experience has been many shot opportunities have happened suddenly, especially during the rut here in Tennessee, that the hearing pro never makes it in my ears.

 

[nobody]

My experience has been many shot opportunities have happened suddenly, especially during the rut here in Tennessee, that the hearing pro never makes it in my ears.

Then my solution won't work for you. That's why there's options. Living out west my experience and opinion is different. I'm not jump-shooting whitetails in the woods. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with hunting that way, it's just not how I hunt out here. So in your case, I can see why running a braked rifle doesn't make sense.

The other option is to add weight to a non-braked rifle to accomplish the same goal I have of being able to spot impacts and minimize movement under recoil. My new hunting rifle is a Tikka T3X CTR in 6.5 creed, weighs 11 lbs all up. And yes, I'll be backpacking with it. The number one most important thing you can do is increase your probability of a hit, I'll pack an extra few pounds in a rifle to do that and cut weight elsewhere.

 

[General RE LEE]

Then my solution won't work for you. That's why there's options. Living out west my experience and opinion is different. I'm not jump-shooting whitetails in the woods.

It’s more like a buck chasing a doe that comes out of nowhere and only seconds count to get rifle up, take safety off, get him in sight picture and stop him with a “Meah” then fire. More than once when it goes down like this and adrenaline is pumping, that hearing pro is going to be an after thought.

 

[KenLee]

I wear earplugs hunting... and never use brakes.
Too deaf on one side to tell what direction sounds come from anyway.

 

[Lawnboi]

A “traditional rifle muzzle” is damaging your hearing every shot you take without ear pro.

If you’re okay with that then good for you.

Let’s make a thread acting like it’s okay though.

 

[Svivian]

 

[bsnedeker]

A “traditional rifle muzzle” is damaging your hearing every shot you take without ear pro.

If you’re okay with that then good for you.

Let’s make a thread acting like it’s okay though.

And with a brake you are damaging your ears even WITH earpro. If you're ok with that then good for you.....

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[KenLee]

It’s more like a buck chasing a doe that comes out of nowhere and only seconds count to get rifle up, take safety off, get him in sight picture and stop him with a “Meah” then fire. More than once when it goes down like this and adrenaline is pumping, that hearing pro is going to be an after thought.

I usually don't try to stop him unless he's way yonder.

 

[Lawnboi]

And with a brake you are damaging your ears even WITH earpro. If you're ok with that then good for you.....

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I don’t use a brake or a bare muzzle hunting.

With how easy it is to get a suppressor and the number of cans that are built for our specific need I don’t see a reason not to have one, as long as your in a free state.

I use a muzzle brake for matches still but I’d be happy if they said suppressors only on that end too.

Edit. I agree with you. Same could be said for bare muzzle and the ear pro I see commonly used. I can say my smaller calibers, with a brake, doubled up on ear pro are still significantly quieter to my protected ear than a bare muzzle magnum.

A muzzle braked magnum is never going below that limit.

 

[Megalodon]

Wow, I had to scroll up and check which forum I was in.... These posts are really kinda surprising, especially for long range hunting. I get that can be different for everyone, but that starts around 500 yards to me. Get a f-ing can, it requires minimal effort.

I also call BS on only having 5 seconds to get a shot off at over 500 yards.