Thread: Gong shooting : can vs brake

Went to a NZDA gong shoot today. Previously I had always used a DPT can on my7-08. With the new Shillen barrel, I opted to leave it bare, but today I noticed it was quite a bit harder to keep track of where the shot impact was. Seemed to have a bit more hop off the bipod. For the longer shots I managed to get the rifle back on the target before impact, and could see where the shot was falling. Shot with another rifle in 260 and same thing.

So my question is this : which would you recommend to reducing recoil to the point where you have a higher chance of seeing the impact on or near a target ? Can or brake ? With the brake does the blast cause any other issues ?

@Gillie @Kiwi Greg

Originally Posted by ebf

Went to a NZDA gong shoot today. Previously I had always used a DPT can on my7-08. With the new Shillen barrel, I opted to leave it bare, but today I noticed it was quite a bit harder to keep track of where the shot impact was. Seemed to have a bit more hop off the bipod. For the longer shots I managed to get the rifle back on the target before impact, and could see where the shot was falling. Shot with another rifle in 260 and same thing.

So my question is this : which would you recommend to reducing recoil to the point where you have a higher chance of seeing the impact on or near a target ? Can or brake ? With the brake does the blast cause any other issues ?
@Gillie @kiwigreg

Brake. No question. Heaps easier to follow a shot through depending on cal.

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Well I'm not as experienced as either of those two Jedi's Ebf but have spent many years shooting steel and I'd pick brake.
Even a 8lb 338 edge at 600 will settle enough with the brake to spot your own splash.
In saying that wouldn't a can on a 708 be enough to achieve what your asking, but then you have heat mirage....
The brake blast from the guy beside you will cause you issues but not your own brake blast.


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Good point about heat BRADS, couple of the guys today had real problems with that. We had a little comp at the end with up to 30 fairly rapid fire shots...

Can causes it to heat much faster, brake causes you to lose your shooting mates faster! If your mates can put up with the brake, go for the brake

Brake will reduce recoil more than a suppressor and hence a well designed brake will make it easier to see your own impacts.

You still require good shooting technique to be able to spot your shots consistently.

Suppressors are much more comfortable to be around and I prefer them for a hunting rifle. Suppressors can be used to spot your own shots as well though and the heat mirage is easily dealt with by using a proper mirage cover.

At a bunch of competitions more and more competitors are using brakes where a few years ago they were not seen so often. A few ranges still prohibit brakes in competitions although I haven't heard of a gong shoot doing this. More than a few competition organisers try and put competitors using brakes all in their own squads.

A decent side ported brake hands down over a suppressor for recoil reduction on any calibre.

The amount of my brakes that go on 223 to 260's would surprise you.

I would go with a brake, I have a T2 on my 6.5-284, first braked rifle I have owned and im still trying to figure out if it actually recoils at all, very very soft to shoot even with it stoked up pushing a 140 amax.
The thread on both my rifles is the same so I have swapped around the suppresor off my 270wsm and shot that with the brake also, it was unpleasantly loud, but nothing hearing protection doesnt fix and again huge improvement in recoil reduction over the suppresor.

I shoot my 300wm with brake and spot my own shots. i had a suppressed remmag and could only half of the time.

To me on a range you have to use muffs with both and brake works better for recoil so its a no brainer

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Cheers guys, much appreciated.

Gillie, I use a different (much shorter) barrel on that rifle for hunting, and it is pretty much always with a can.

For gong comps I can cope with the occasional evil eye from folks who don't like brakes :-)

Looks like I am going shopping at uncle Greg's....

Originally Posted by ebf

For gong comps I can cope with the occasional evil eye from folks who don't like brakes :-)

The very reason a few of my clients like them, puts their competitors in a tail spin

I would never do such a thing Greg

Originally Posted by ebf

I would never do such a thing Greg

Neither would I

Yep, expect a loop hole stage at the next competition you of mine you attend ebf that has walls angled to deflect the muzzle blast back at the shooter...

I have nothing against brakes but everything is a compromise of sorts :p