DaveT wrote:I have to be honest and say that I would not want to shoot my 338LM WITHOUT a brake but I appreciate that its best to only do so in similar company where its known that a big calibre + MB is going to be used.
As Ovenpaa says ... just leave a lane or so in between.
I also don't really get the logic of , for example, 308 Win users having a MB rather than a nice moderator fitted....... am I missing something?
For my 308 and 260 rem I use Mods as a recoil reducer ...... is there a valid reason for a MB on these?
the only two reasons I can come up with is,weight/balance a number of people prefer the rifle without a mod on for stalking, and will use it on the range as they stalk, ie with brake, the other is heat haze, yesterday after a couple of the details I could barely see the target (I did try a neoprene cover, but it blew off first shot ) that said, I still use a mod all the time on my rifle.
I shot next to someone with an AI .308 with a muzzle break today and it was VERY unpleasant.
It wasn't a standard AI MB, it was some fancy shmancy thing the size of a pine cone... Compare that to the other side of me a .308 AI with standard MB on it and it was just offensive... I can't see why you'd need anything like that, ever.
I have a .308 and shoot it slung and the recoil is not a problem... why from a bipod would you need that crap?
Seemed like the guy was an "all the gear and no idea" type too as he didn't stop moaning the entire detail that "he couldnt get comfortable behind the rifle"... sorry, did you just pick a rifle that seems to be popular at the minute with all the bells and whistles? ffs!
The reason muzzle brakes are used is not to reduce felt recoil although that is a second beneficial effect. The primary purpose is to get back on target as quickly as possible for a subsequent shot, my muzzle brake on a .260 Remington allows me to see the bullet impact on the target at 300 to 500 yards dependent on light conditions. If shooting rapid fire at 600 yards a brake affords you a better chance of well aimed shots without the haze produced by a suppressor.
As I said earlier I wouldn't shoot it with a bunch of Target Rifle Shooters 3 to a lane, and when running matches I try to put all the muzzle brakes at one end.
Saturday, a I like them. However, there were many others shooting the same competition who were also using them and there were no TR shooters on the adjacent lanes.
Chuck wrote:Buy a MUCH bigger calibre rifle, fit muzzle break and shoot beside aforementioned offender next time..
or just ask them politely to move, or move to another point away from everyone else if you can.....or fit a moderator.
Strangely last time i was at my outdoor range the guy next to me was using a .223 then a .308 both with brakes and the .223 was MUCH worse, must have just been the design of it i guess.
I used to have a muzzle brake on my .308 and i did get some 'light-hearted' objections to it, i didn't realise how unpleasant it was until i was giving someone a go of it and i was spotting for them. I put a moderator on my .223 and .308 now whenever i go to the range
Ex Skydiver of this forum has been working on some MB designs for a while now and I have shot next to him when he was using his first version. Noticeable was the smell but certainly not the blast or noise, he has gone on to build a second and I have a feeling he is working on a third build now.
What this does demonstrate is with time and a structured approach to MB design it is possible to produce a muzzle brake that both works and does not impact fellow shooters and I can say this as I was right next to him when he was shooting whilst to my left were a couple of TRG shooters with MB's that meant I had to time my shots to coincide with when they were reloading so as not to be put off.
/d
Du lytter aldrig til de ord jeg siger. Du ser mig kun for det tøj jeg har paa ...
I've had people set up right next to me when I'm shooting the para FAL fitted with a DNTC brake (v effective but evil blast to either side) & then they complain. I pick an end bench deliberately when using a brake to lessen the issues whenever possible.
Considering that there are 30 benches & only a few usually occupied, I think it's up to them to relocate, not me.
A .50 with a brake needs rather more than ONE bench clear each side - even with plugs AND muffs.
While the initial wording in my question was deliberately extreme it has provoked a good exchange into the correct procedures when shooting with a muzzle brake, I think all the problems could be eliminated if the shooters using a brake would inform the office before the day of the shoot so allowing the N.R.A to segregate the shooters as per regs.