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

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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

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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....

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Originally Posted by ebf

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

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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 :P

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Originally Posted by ebf

I would never do such a thing Greg :P

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Neither would I :D

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

Note to self : before the next Gillie comp check if earmuffs fit and you can get a decent eye relief while wearing a welding mask

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Originally Posted by ebf

Note to self : before the next Gillie comp check if earmuffs fit and you can get a decent eye relief while wearing a welding mask

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And you have ear plugs to bung in your anti social ears before you put on the muffs. :D

@ebf
Shot a braked 50 cal in a booth during a motorcycle tour back in 2013.
Earplugs and muffs didn't stop near-terminal ear failure.
$11K worth of hearing aids later and I'm barely able to hear nearby conversations in a noisy environment.
Despite that, I'd probably use a brake on an open mound, but a suppressor in a booth situation.
Just haven't tried to get a brake to suit the 308, that our mutual friend in Norfolk Road built for me.
Might get him to copy a brake for me.

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Originally Posted by Mauser308

If shooting more than a couple of rounds, best not to use an overbarrel design as the heat retention can cause the barrel to bow (it's a real bitch when it does it cause it's the last thing you think of). Muzzle cans keep the heat off the barrel which helps.
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With an over barrel suppressor, it depends on the design of the supressor, on how tight or loose are the threading tolerances and rear bush dimensions, on how true the portion of the bore covered by the suppressor is with its outside contour, on what sort of stress relief the barrel had during its manufacture ...etc
Enough people use them with great satisfaction proving that the system can work ( pun intended:-)

I've only ever experienced one muzzle brake, and hated absolutely hated it.
Probably because I was not behind the trigger but behind a spotting scope.

I have a can and would say that the recoil has been somewhat reduced, but not needing ear protection is great.
For a dedicated range rifle a brake would be good, but if it was a hunting/range rifle then I'd go for a break

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Originally Posted by WallyR

@ebf
Shot a braked 50 cal in a booth during a motorcycle tour back in 2013.
Earplugs and muffs didn't stop near-terminal ear failure.
$11K worth of hearing aids later and I'm barely able to hear nearby conversations in a noisy environment.
Despite that, I'd probably use a brake on an open mound, but a suppressor in a booth situation.
Just haven't tried to get a brake to suit the 308, that our mutual friend in Norfolk Road built for me.
Might get him to copy a brake for me.

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What muffs did you have

I was spotting when greg was shooting his 50cal and was inline with blast and 40 rounds later my hearing wasnt damaged.

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I know the 22 and 6mm PPC are kings of accuracy because of design but the 308 could almost match them if it wasnt for that dam kick.
WAVER ( everyone handles recoil differently and im not judging ) its just that smaller recoiling guns are easier to shoot. A 7mm08 with a DPT should be fine for shooting steel though, maybe look at gun fit ( too big of a scope too high or similar )
Ask to shoot someones braked gun before you commit. They might reduce recoil more but are not as user friendly as many make out.
I have one MAE, five DPT managed guns and two braked guns of which i have just suppressed one of them also because i got sick of the blast nonsense and it was only a 338 win mag and the DPT is fine for it.
Im just home from shooting two redskins at 500yds with the 338 FX (338Lapua IMP) shooting the 300gr Berger @ close to 3,000 fps and from a field rest, Bi-pod/daypack i only spotted one of the drop on spot kills anyway and had to put up with a dust storm at the shots. I film all shots with it because every spotter so far has missed the impacts because of the blast. This is my only gun that a brakes recoil advantage out ways the weight/length/muzzle jump disadvantages of a suppressor.
I hope my ramble helps but if not, its just my opinion

@199p
Both provided by the range controller - afterwards, he admitted that they were 'cheapies' as his good ones had been permanently 'borrowed' by some mean looking Harley riders.
He decided that shooting them would cause more problems in South Dakota, than back home in Texas, so let them ride away - wearing them, on bikes with open pipes.
As we'd all signed waivers, no comeback, at least not that I had the funds - or interest - in taking it any further.
It's the result of not having your own trusted gear and travelling light on a long distance ride.
Too late now, but 'shutting the gate after the horse has bolted' isn't going to make me hear any better mate. :yaeh am not durnk:

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Originally Posted by WallyR

@199p
Both provided by the range controller - afterwards, he admitted that they were 'cheapies' as his good ones had been permanently 'borrowed' by some mean looking Harley riders.
He decided that shooting them would cause more problems in South Dakota, than back home in Texas, so let them ride away - wearing them, on bikes with open pipes.

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That will do it, I love my msr's they are expensive but not compaired to hearing aids