How much noise reduction from a muzzle brake?

[Prettybird]

Howdy all,

I'm considering putting a muzzle break on my .223 for the noise reduction. Do they make a good difference?

Any opinions from those who have them would be great, or any advice.

Cheers.

[Blackened]

You've got some information backwards there friend.

Muzzle brake makes a rifle discharge louder.

[Norton]

Muzzle brakes are for recoil reduction Prettybird, not sound.

Look up some muzzle brake pictures and look how they're shaped. You'll see the vents/holes/slots face either sidewards of the barrel or angle back towards the shooter.

Normally all the energy goes out the front of the barrel pushing it back into the shooter like a rocket. A muzzle brake redirects some of the energy to the sides or back towards the shooter to reduce the rocket effect.

The more energy you redirect towards the shooter, the louder it gets for them.

[Member-Deleted]

You've got that backwards pretty.

Recoil goes down - Noise goes up. A lot.

The only reason to put one on a rifle is to reduce recoil. Not that a .223 has much recoil, but people do put them on .223's to reduce the muzzle rise a little when firing. It helps keep the target in sight when the shots fires so they can see the impact.

Check out Hinterland Shooting Supplies for a brake - http://www.hss.net.au/product_info.php?products_id=1012

Not really worth it for a .223 IMO. I don't think you can really safe a rifle "needs" a brake until you get into .308 + territory.

If you have a 30-06 or 300 win mag etc. sure. But I wouldn't bother spending the cash for a .223.

[Prettybird]

I see.

Thanks all. Had my information backwards obviously.

I wanted one for noise only, so I didn't have to worry about carting earmuffs around.

Wasn't worried about the recoil.

Thanks again.

[Lorgar]

If you do end up getting a brake for recoil reduction, be aware that in addition to the increase in noise a lot of the muzzle blast is redirected to around the shooter.

If you go shooting with others, or at the range, a brake can often piss people off as they obviously won't like getting a blast of air in the face every time you pull the trigger.

In my experience the volume increase is about 40-50% maybe? But the thing that kills you is the blast wave. If someone's shooting larger calibre stuff with a break you can be standing 5-6 metres to their side and still cop a whack of air when they pull the trigger.

[Prettybird]

Thanks Lorgar,

It was all about noise for me so a brake is the opposite of what I want anyway. Won't be shooting anything other than my .223 rem for the future anyway so don't need to worry about larger calibres.

Cheers.

[Lorgar]

No worries.

[RealNick]

It was all about noise for me so a brake is the opposite of what I want anyway. Won't be shooting anything other than my .223 rem for the future anyway so don't need to worry about larger calibres.

They can still be useful on a .223.

As already discussed above, .223 obviously doesn't have much recoil to start but a brake should take out enough of the muzzle rise that you can see your shot impact which is nice.

The increase in noise isn't too bad from a .223 either as it's not burning much powder.

Stand next to a .338 mag with a muzzle brake if you wanna hear loud

[Prettybird]

The increase in noise isn't too bad from a .223 either as it's not burning much powder.

Stand next to a .338 mag with a muzzle brake if you wanna hear loud

I couldn't say what calibre it was exactly, but I've been at the range when someone was shooting some big black monster of a rifle with a huge brake.

I was standing about 5-6 metres to the side of him and every time he fired I still copped a shockwave to the face

[TPCKRT]

Muzzlebrake only increases "perceived" noise.

[inspector]

Muzzlebrake only increases "perceived" noise.

True. No more noise is created, only more of the noise is directed toward you.

Not that it really matters, the end result is still that it's louder for the shooter and his companions.

[malleeboy]

I think it has been said enough. Not sure you need one on a 223....works a treat on a 308