so over muzzle brakes

[nightforcenxs]

so normally i dont complain about things but the other weekend at the range i was working on running my new 308 tikka in and doing some load development then out of nowhere im stuck between two guys with muzzle brakes shooting like mad men i dont know about the rest of you guys but it started to piss me off couldnt concentrate and ended up with a headache for the rest of the day tell me what your thoughts are on muzzle brakes for 223 or 308 i personally dont think there needed as 308 and 223 hardly kick... rant over

[Tripod]

I regularly shoot beside a 300 with a muzzle brake and other than the first shot it doesn't bother me at all. Decent hearing protection and learn to maintain focus.

[Xerox]

I dunno mate.

I mean, does the guy who is just shooting a .22 get annoyed at the guys shooting .308s without a break? Kinda the same.

It sucks a bit, but it's shooting and all our toys go bang after all.

[Browning]

They annoy the piss outta me as well, but I’m lucky that I don’t need a range anymore.
One of those things though you’ve just gotta put up with.
It’s like people who don’t know how to use round abouts, or people who sit in the right lane and aren’t overtaking, or people who pay with coins and spend 20mins counting it at the register.
You might not always like it, but I’m sure I do things that piss other people off as well lol

[nightforcenxs]

i totally understand that i need to get use to it but i just seem to always get stuck next to some one with a brake on or they will have 7mm rem mag with a big 4 port brake its just something that got me annoyed that day ill have to invest in some of those moulded ear plugs and some better ear muffs those howard leight muffs arent doing it for me

[Member-Deleted]

Nightforcenxs you are doing the right thing Brakes are like Politicians you have to wear the right ear protection to get
some piece and quiet at times

Cheers

[Corn]

At the range I go to, the Muzzle Brake area is at one end of the gallery. (meaning MBs at one end and shooters using firearms without MBs at the other.) Which is good for those who aren't using MBs, unless you're sitting on the last table next to the MB area.

I might put a muzzle brake on my 22lr, you know, just for sh1ts n giggles

[Smiley]

Yeah it's like browning said. Not much you can do but move to another bench?
I often shoot between blokes with brakes, but I have one too.
My personal pissoff is rev heads with loud mufflers who love burn outs. I would love to throw a brick at them.

[Daddybang]

OK this is probably a stupid question but are they that much louder. Not being a smart arse it's just that I've never used one and don't know anybody that has one so I'm genuinely interested??

[gazza]

I bought a cheap savage scout with one on it. First brake I've ever owned, I like it.

[bigfellascott]

Just use ear plugs and muffs together - that usually makes them more tolerable.

[Browning]

OK this is probably a stupid question but are they that much louder. Not being a smart arse it's just that I've never used one and don't know anybody that has one so I'm genuinely interested??

Go to the range and sit next to one for s**ts and giggles.
I guarantee you’ll be mostly s**ts and no giggles.

[juststarting]

Suck it up princess or join the greens.

[juststarting]

I shoot next to people with MB, I shoot with MB, often I shoot without... Sometimes I shoot next to black powder folk. BOOM and an unofficial cease fire follows, as everyone giggles and waits for the smoke to clear. Never had an issue and enjoy the fact that we have a variety to choose from, as limited as it is. Seriously though, not too hard to ask for a different bench, instead of bitching about shooters doing shooting at a shooting range. Maybe that 300wm is too loud or that tactical gun is too black or that 22 is spitting brass everywhere and you don't like how those cases feel under your feet? FFS.

Just enjoy blokey skin exfoliating service, for free - everyone loves good looking skin.

[monbeg]

Read something recently where someone did a few tests around muzzle brakes on and off a 308, only an average of 4 decibels louder with the brake but the blast when close is what makes it feel worse.

[Apollo]

Just use ear plugs and muffs together - that usually makes them more tolerable.

They don't help much when the main problem is the Blast in the Face that gets you just when you are about to pull your trigger.

One place I have seen in the USA has shields mounted between their shooting benches to divert the blast from the next bench. Okay if there is enough room but here the benches are too close to each other to allow that.

Short barrels, muzzle brakes ... I just move down a few benches away and let them have their own fun.

BTW.. I have 2 Muzzle Brakes that I have tested ... one on a 243W and the other for a .223R / 204Ruger... They work great, especially making the later easy to see shots fall but not as I found out shooting the .243W next to a vehicle when you cop the blast. Both are sitting on my bench never used again.

[Oaker260]

OK this is probably a stupid question but are they that much louder. Not being a smart arse it's just that I've never used one and don't know anybody that has one so I'm genuinely interested??

They are not louder. They dont change the volume just the direction of the sounds travelling, side ways and up not straight down range.

[Daddybang]

OK this is probably a stupid question but are they that much louder. Not being a smart arse it's just that I've never used one and don't know anybody that has one so I'm genuinely interested??

They are not louder. They dont change the volume just the direction of the sounds travelling, side ways and up not straight down range.

Thanks for the info . I have only ever shot at a range once on the day I did my saftey course(5rounds thru a .22) so range shooting is a bit of a mystery to me!

[bigfellascott]

Just use ear plugs and muffs together - that usually makes them more tolerable.

They don't help much when the main problem is the Blast in the Face that gets you just when you are about to pull your trigger.

One place I have seen in the USA has shields mounted between their shooting benches to divert the blast from the next bench. Okay if there is enough room but here the benches are too close to each other to allow that.

Short barrels, muzzle brakes ... I just move down a few benches away and let them have their own fun.

BTW.. I have 2 Muzzle Brakes that I have tested ... one on a 243W and the other for a .223R / 204Ruger... They work great, especially making the later easy to see shots fall but not as I found out shooting the .243W next to a vehicle when you cop the blast. Both are sitting on my bench never used again.

Yeah the blast is definitely a big issue with em, you want to feel blast get beside a 50cal I was in my tent about 50-60m away and the tent got hit by the blast

[Geech]

Read something recently where someone did a few tests around muzzle brakes on and off a 308, only an average of 4 decibels louder with the brake but the blast when close is what makes it feel worse.

4dB louder means it's going to sound more than twice as loud as it did without the brake.....

[brett1868]

The smell from 212.5gr of AR2218 being blown back by a brake is awesome for clearing out the sinus's

[pomemax]

Download a sound meter on to your phone from the play store then you will know just how loud or not they are .
As some one said 'suck it up princess ' you chose shooting as a sport it get loud, why didn't you ask if you could move benches?

[bladeracer]

Download a sound meter on to your phone from the play store then you will know just how loud or not they are .
As some one said 'suck it up princess ' you chose shooting as a sport it get loud, why didn't you ask if you could move benches?

Should you really have to move because somebody comes and shoots next to you? If you use a brake you should have the decency to know that not many people enjoy the hammering so go and find somewhere further away.

[brett1868]

Agreed...a little consideration for others is good manners. I try to stay away from others but if I'm there first then tough titties if you don't like the noise

[Archie]

Does anyone know what they do in terms of sound impact on the guy actually using the brake?

I don't enjoy being next to someone using a brake on a big rifle, but to be honest it doesn't even make my list of top 5 range gripes. And personally I don't own anything big enough to need one.

However, I recently got a new .308 and while I don't think a .308 normally needs a muzzle brake, this one is carbon fibre, short barrelled and weighs less than my wooden sporter .22 . So it's great to carry but it kicks like a bastard, and I was thinking maybe it could use a brake to take the edge off.

[juststarting]

Little River does that... Brakes on one end. Black powder on the other. Rest in the middle. But if you're late and get a bench between two brakes, well, buckle up

[Harper]

or people who pay with coins and spend 20mins counting it at the register

I heard an interesting bit on the radio about that the other day actually.

Coins are legal tender of course, but under the Currency Act there are limits.

not exceeding 20c if 1c and/or 2c coins are offered;
not exceeding $5 if any combination of 5c, 10c, 20c and 50c coins are offered; and
not exceeding 10 times the face value of the coin if $1 or $2 coins are offered.

So there's that.

[Harper]

OK this is probably a stupid question but are they that much louder.

They are not louder. They dont change the volume just the direction of the sounds travelling, side ways and up not straight down range.

The effect of which iiiiiiis?

Yes, it's a lot louder to you

More helpful, less smarty pants answers

So yeah Daddybang, being next to one they sound a lot louder. I Googled a proper test where they took readings and depending on a number of factors seems to range between 40% - 100% louder for common cartridges.

[monbeg]

Read something recently where someone did a few tests around muzzle brakes on and off a 308, only an average of 4 decibels louder with the brake but the blast when close is what makes it feel worse.

4dB louder means it's going to sound more than twice as loud as it did without the brake.....

Huh ?

According to the NRA:"Gunshot decibel levels, measured by John S. Odess, M.D., ranged between 143.5 from a .22 short to 174.4 from a .458 Win. Mag (American Rifleman, "Hear No Evil," March, 1996)."Subsonic "gallery" rounds can be as low as 90 decibels, but the average is 133 for all calibers as measured at certifiedreloader dotcom.

[marksman]

depends where you are taking the measurement from,
at little river when they did the testing it was from where the shooters on the benches next to the brake would be, where it would effect you
the 308 tikka lite tested I think about 92 decibels and the 338 lap with brake tested 96, as I said I think, it was a while ago when they wanted to ban them
I do remember it was 4 decibels different and was the reason the brakes were not banned
the initial reason for putting the brakes up the other end of the little river range was that if they were to close to the office the girls who work there ended up with head aches as the office is not sound proof, wonder why they get away with no hearing protection? LOL

IMO if you are at the range you are joining in with a lot of different people shooting a lot of different things and noise is part of it,
the brake users are entitled to be able to use them, it is where they can test there gear
I do not have any brakes