Hankbrass,
Muzzle Brakes do increase the noise, but they do reduce recoil considerably. Ive heard people say that you have to wear hearing protectors with a muzzle brake. We should always wear hearing protectors. While hunting, it is a choice. I use electronic muffs.
I have 4 barrels with muzzle brakes and I cant shoot them without the break. I also, have one 7-30 waters with the Muzzle Tamer. The muzzle tamer does not work as efficiently as a Daryl Holland Muzzle Brake or the custom made Van Horn. I have two of each. Plus I have one muzzle tamer.
I shoot twice a week and sometimes on Saturdays. The Contenders and Encores are my primary firearms. I shoot over 200 rounds a week and sometimes more. We shoot from 200 to 500 meter silhouettes with our TC Handguns.
I cant say which brake reduces the recoil the most, but the amount of recoil is reduced up to 70% by both Daryl Holland and the Van Horns. The muzzle tamer reduces muzzle rise, but the recoil comes straight back in your hand. Painful!!!!!
My 7-30 Waters is a factory barrel. I have fired it, but Im working up reduced loads to minimize the recoil.
I have a 308 Winchester Van Horn Custom barrel and I shoot a 180 grain bullet in it. The recoil is nearly zero. I am older than most and my wrists cant take any more punishment. I have to shoot 22s or use muzzle brakes. I shoot the heavy bullets to take Rams at 500 meters and that increases the recoil considerable.
I have a buddy that has been shooting with me for over 5 years (we are retired). He bought a 7-30 Waters barrel from Bullberry about 4 years ago. He tried every bullet weight down to a 120 grain and up to a 162 Amax Hornady. He put a Daryl Holland Brake on it and now it is very tolerable.
I have another friend that has a 7mm BR custom SSK barrel from J D Jones and Company. It is a standard Encore configuration with a muzzle brake similar to the Muzzle Tamer. There again, the muzzle rise is nearly eliminated, but it kicks like a jackass and he is trying to sell it.
Another brake that works great, but is even noisier is the J P Howitzer Brake. I have one that I took off of a factory Encore barrel and replaced with a Daryl Holland. It is probably the most effective brake on the market. E A Brown Company carries them and installs them.
Shooting neighbors: I have a friend that has an 18.5 barrel with a Howitzer Muzzle Tamer and it is a 6.5 mm WSSM caliber. This is definitely not neighborly. The one I had on my 308 barrel was not as bad as the WSSM. The Holland and Van Horn brakes are very neighborly.
Harold Clark
