Muzzle Brakes on a 6BR ??????????
- Thread starter dreever
- Start date
While I don't use brakes myself except on 50's they really are handy. One, properly designed they lessen torque which at the very least allows you to retain your sight picture. Two, recoil, besides being annoying really IS bad for the body. Almost 35 years of shooting has taken it's toll on my shoulder to the point that a few dozen rounds out of my .243 keeps me sore for days. 20 years ago I'd never have noticed it at all. Three, the less recoil, the less work you need to do to get back on target.
The downside of course is the increased blast. Most ranges frown on brakes. Some ban them entirely. It seems strange that a guy shooting on a range should have to remove his brake because of the blast, even though the blast is LESS than the naked 7mm two benches down. -Rod-
The downside of course is the increased blast. Most ranges frown on brakes. Some ban them entirely. It seems strange that a guy shooting on a range should have to remove his brake because of the blast, even though the blast is LESS than the naked 7mm two benches down. -Rod-
I put a brake on my Tikaa 223. Yes, I'm a wimp, but I also have a partial retina detachment. I shoot most of my rifles free recoil, but the sporter styles are hard to shoot that way.
It does reduce recoil to about half. That is the up side. The down side is that its very loud,my 223 sounds like a 30-06), the blast is now sideways and up/down, so the tip of the barrel must hang over the shooting bench and you can't shoot off of the hood of your truck. But the worse thing for me, and this doesn't seem to both a lot of other people, it that shooting with a brake make me blink a lot afterwards and my sinus's feel like someone punched me in the nose or I took a face dive into the pool. I very seldom use it anymore. I now use a SIMS Limb Saver Slip-On recoil pad and that makes a huge difference in the felt recoil.
Regards,
Kory
It does reduce recoil to about half. That is the up side. The down side is that its very loud,my 223 sounds like a 30-06), the blast is now sideways and up/down, so the tip of the barrel must hang over the shooting bench and you can't shoot off of the hood of your truck. But the worse thing for me, and this doesn't seem to both a lot of other people, it that shooting with a brake make me blink a lot afterwards and my sinus's feel like someone punched me in the nose or I took a face dive into the pool. I very seldom use it anymore. I now use a SIMS Limb Saver Slip-On recoil pad and that makes a huge difference in the felt recoil.
Regards,
Kory
I have 3 6mm BRs...All are custom made and each has a muzzle brake. I've never shot any of them with the brake off. I can think of no downside to a brake's installation except that they're illegal for 100 yd bench rest competition. They make the rifles a dream to shoot and the lesser recoil, I'm convinced, adds significantly to the accuracy if you have any tendency to flinch. I shoot maximum loads and have never had any complaint from an adjacent shooter or even a mention of the muzzle blast.
The muzzle blast from a braked 223 or 6mm BR doesen't even approach the blast from a bare barrel 308, 30-06,. 7mm or 270 WSM. My recomendation, obviously is, go for the brake. You won't regret it. And they aren't expensive....
The muzzle blast from a braked 223 or 6mm BR doesen't even approach the blast from a bare barrel 308, 30-06,. 7mm or 270 WSM. My recomendation, obviously is, go for the brake. You won't regret it. And they aren't expensive....
kory said:
He, he, Kory, your story reminds me of the first time I fired my 6.5/284 with a brake on it. I had left a whole pile of used cleaning patches lying near the front of the bench earlier when shooting my 6BR. When I switched to the 6.5 barrel with the brake on it, the first shot just had this "explosion" of stuff flying everywhere in front of me. I thought the barrel had exploded. It took me a few seconds to work out what was going on and check I still had all my bits and pieces. Turns out the end of the muzzle was barely in front of the front of the bench and the sideways blast from the brake had sent patches flying everywhere. It looked like it was snowing. The guys sitting next to me got quite a laugh out of it.
Caduceus said:
Greg,
That's very funny. I can just picture it. Once when I wasn't paying too much attention and pulled the rifle back a bit, I blew a box of 223 ammo clear of the bench. It ended up about 2 benches over!
I know one not-so-intelligent person who shot off the hood of his truck without thinking. Cracked his front windshield and etched a nice pattern in the paint on the hood. I think he said he was shooting a 25-06.
Regards,
Kory
I have been using the Varmint/Sniper brake from Answer Products. I have found them to not have the "Bite" on the concussion from them that I have from using designs that have larger holes in them. I am assuming that the very small holes do a better job of dispersing the blast wave than the larger holes. I have been using this brake on a .22-250AI for several years, and I consider it to be one of the best brakes that I have ever used, and I recommend them highly! I will use them on all of my rifles, unless something comes out that would prove better in actual testing.
Cordially,
Bob Blaine
Cordially,
Bob Blaine
dmoran said:
Donovan,
Yes, I think we're talking about the same thing then. I've been very tempted to try one to see if the concussion wave and blinking is less. However, I haven't found any for a 223 yet that will fit the existing threads. There probably isn't a huge maker for 224 caliber brakes.
Regards,
Kory
Hi JB,
I would imagine that the .308 lets off with a good "bark". I have used one of the open design brakes on my .22-250AI and it was much harsher on the report. My gunsmith tried a design based on the IPSC style expansion brakes he builds for the handguns, and the blast off of it was tremendous, even though it was one of the most effective brakes at controlling recoil that I have shot. I will continue to use brakes since they allow me to keep shooting with the problems that Polio left me with, as well as the Arthritis.
Cordially,
Bob Blaine
I would imagine that the .308 lets off with a good "bark". I have used one of the open design brakes on my .22-250AI and it was much harsher on the report. My gunsmith tried a design based on the IPSC style expansion brakes he builds for the handguns, and the blast off of it was tremendous, even though it was one of the most effective brakes at controlling recoil that I have shot. I will continue to use brakes since they allow me to keep shooting with the problems that Polio left me with, as well as the Arthritis.
Cordially,
Bob Blaine
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.