I totally agree, and teach my students to protect their hearing. I am a proponent of suppressors. I am annoyed that it takes the current process to acquire something that makes shooting safer.

100% agree. Your shoulder can always heal even from the worst brusing gun. When your hearings gone its gone.

This has become my favorite gun channel. Great advice from someone who has a wealth of experience and knows what he is talking about. Thank you so much for this high quality content.

I also have hearing loss. I hate it when someone next to me has a muzzle brake, hurts even with double hearing protection.

You Sir are a wealth of seasoned knowledge that is missing from a lot of current "experts" on KZfaq.

I use muzzle brakes all the time, but I double up on hearing protection. I have been using suppressors lately and I would recommend them to everyone.

As a former communications specialist, this is extremely poignant and often, underrated point made. Being able to hear is one of our greatest senses. It’s emotional, physical (as it can affect balance) and first line of defense (hearing is 360, vision is 270).

Couldn’t agree more…love the no nonsense presentation and the wealth of knowledge you bring to the shooting community 👍 God bless.

What a great knowledge. I always learn something new. Protect your hearing regardless of what your more experienced buddies are saying.

This guy is great. I’ve learned so much over the last couple years watching this channel. The information alone is very useful. But he’s such a good presenter that it’s easy to listen to and follow.

You are absolutely correct! I have the same problem with the tenitis. It can drive a person crazy. I will not have a muzzle brake at all.

AGREED!! I have been using Linear Compensators. They re direct the harshest of the report of a rifle away from the shooter and make short barrels more comfortable.

I didn't need to watch more than 30 seconds of this video because i completely agree, however i always enjoy your insight and sharing of knowledge on all things shooting and hunting. Thanks again for a great video, sir.

I take proper precautions for hearing (which you should be doing anyway). I provide blast deflector plates when shooting on a bench next to others. Muzzle brakes are an excellent accessory for recoil reduction.

I'm an old blue jacket sailor and "snipe" with hearing loss from standing engine room watches and training with 5"/38 caliber naval guns , Browning 50 cal and depth charge explosions without hearing protection. Hearing loss puts stress on the brain and puts humans at higher risk for dementia. Reconsider wearing your hearing aid more often. Enjoy all your videos.

I agree captain. You covered all of what is important. I have two large displacement magnum rifles; both are threaded for muzzle devices and in both cases, I took the brakes off for all the reasons you covered. I'd rather get hammered by the recoil and I have gotten more used to that than sound! This was excellent coverage of an excellent topic. Thank you for your effort in producing this video and may God bless you this Christmas.

Whenever I was on the flightline we were required to wear both soft foam inserts and large clamshell ear muffs. Despite this, hearing loss was common by the time aircrews and flightline crews reached retirement age.

Excellent topic and excellent coverage of the topic. Thanks for posting. Now, maybe we should be pushing the government to eliminate their onerous fee and paperwork for sound suppressors.

Very well said Sir. I totally agree with you and I will not tolerate excessive noise around me.

Love my Muzzle brake. 6.5 Creed Tikka Arctic. I'm 64 years old.

I got a solid slap when I told my wife that hearing loss has it's benefits. (the tinnitus part does not)

I have tinnitus badly. I worked in areas and machinery. And wore ear plugs daily. I got a suppressor for my 308 and it is much better than a break on the ears. Thanks for the information and video.

This is such a great channel. Thank you so much for sharing your endless knowledge with us.

I think there's a place for brakes... but if you're only taking responsible shots then I'm not sure there's much validity for them in most hunting situations. A minor point of nerdiness, for anyone who may care and doesn't want to google it... an increase of 10dB is equivalent to an increase by a factor of 10 (so 20dB is x100). Also, an increase in 3dB is equivalent to an increase by a factor of 2. Love your videos, sir. You speak with wisdom, and I am grateful that you spare us the loud music, bright colors, and out of control presentations that most gun channels drown us in. It always a good day when you post. God bless!

I’m in line for suppressors for just this reason. I wish they weren’t so complicated to get. Even 10-15 years ago when I started shooting, hearing protection wasn’t what it is now. I fired a lot of guns with no ear pro and some had to go. The shorter length carbine Mausers and Mosins are BRUTAL with no protection. I gave 2 Mosins away years ago because they were so obnoxiously loud. Man, I really loved those rifles, but they were zero fun to shoot. They weren’t worth hardly anything then, prices have come up on those old surplus rifles. Oh well. I really love your channel, brother. Very calm and relaxing to listen to. Tons of knowledge in that head of yours.

Thank you for this, Mr GB. I suffered from tinnitus already before I began shooting. I always double up on hearing protection, unless shooting .22LR. Tinnitus is one of the great annoyances we humans must suffer, it's hard to explain to those who don't have it. Protecting one's hearing is very much worth it.

Once again, GunBlue490 offers deep insight, and experience. I would add, that eye and ear protection was mandatory at every factory job I ever worked (since the late 2000's). Ear pro is less comfortable, but if the task requires it, you deal with it. Humans can adapt to anything. Older workers hated it: they just "got used to" the sound (went deaf). I've almost never shot without hearing protection on. Unthinkable for me, at 33 years old. Though my generation is used to ear buds, and loud music that will keep audiologists a busy part of healthcare for the rest of my life. Active hearing protection is great these days. Game changer. I shot a deer at 100m, noise cancelled, and the audio kicked back on so I HEARD the bullet slap the fur and boiler room. TWACK! 100% confirmation of shot on target. -30C for hours and hours, with crappy off brand batteries. It seems the technology peaked/plateaued years ago. Make sure you have stereo, omni-directional, automatic power shut off... and they're great. Another thing I like about active hearing protection is you can turn up the volume, and have super human hearing (to some extent). You're more aware of the noise you're making pushing bush. A snapping twig can de-activate the audio (briefly), so you know any deer around you heard that. I doubt they can work like hearing aids do, but it's similar technology. Active hearing protection is the future for military applications; need to be able to hear people around you. Bad shots are unethical, therefore flinches are unacceptable. Muzzle brakes should be the last tool in the toolbox. People should try limbsavers first, but they might need brakes, at least until they get used to recoil. They and everyone around them MUST use ear protection. Hearing loss makes people tired because your brain has to adapt to lower input to process the sounds. Hearing aids make a big difference in overall quality of life. I am very thankful for your channel. Greetings from Saskatchewan and God Bless!

I am a retired printer and have some hearing loss, I appreciate the conversation.

Great info. Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise.

This is by far my favorite KZfaq channel. Sound advice for any shooter of any level…!

Yes sir, worked in the heavy press industry by both building heavy machinery and service and repair for General Motors company. 50 years combined. So, I was diagnosed with tinnitus. So I know what you’re going through, Wear both ear plugs and ear muffs when at the range. So my my friends in our wonderful hobby. Protect your hearing!

I enjoy your videos and appreciate your perspectives. Muzzle brakes are not just for recoil as most people assume and many are poorly designed and do have a noise level and concussion that is not tolerable. There are some good ones on the market these days though and an overlooked advantage is to be able to spot your impacts, especially at longer distances, and then make a correction. Myself and many others use them in competition simply for that reason, even on smaller caliber rifles (6mm). If you can't spot your impact, you can't correct for follow up shots. Of course we use quality hearing protection as well.

I just watched your video and found it very informative . I to suffer from severe hearing loss my left is dead and my right only functions at 37% . however I had surgery on 4 disc in my lower neck and between my shoulder blades and without the use of a muzzle break I cannot handle the recoil of many long action calibers . I have a 270 win. , a 30-06 , a 7mm rem mag , and a 300win mag . all have muzzle breaks and I can comfortably shoot each one . without the muzzle break I could not enjoy these rifles . I wear ear plugs and muffs when shooting these rifles and the combination works well . Thank you for the video I always enjoy the subject matter you discus and watching all

Oh hell, my hearing aids are in 18 hrs day, I’d forgotten that the turn signal in the vehicles makes noise. My tinnitus is knocked down by 90% when I’m wearing my hearing aids

I wish I had heard this a couple of years ago as a first time gun owner, I have hearing damage now due to a muzzle brake and my inexperience. It only took 2 rounds and not simultaneously to give me tinnitus in my left ear. I discharged my AR platform rifle on 2 separate occasions failing to put my hearing protection over my ears properly. Let's just say it was an extremely painful mistake with lasting consequences.

Excellent video GunBlue490 hopefully this will help save the hearing of some of your young viewers.

I’m right there with you. Hearing loss and tinnitus. Even if I bruise my shoulder, it will recover. My hearing will not. Ever.

I'm in total agreement with your position on muzzle brakes. The first thing I did when I brought home my new .30-06 Browning X-Bolt (a fine rifle, BTW) was to remove the factory-installed brake and put on the supplied thread protector. When at the range shooting from a bench I take a beanie, fold it in half, and put it between my shoulder and the rifle butt. Although it's not absolutely necessary to do this, it does take the edge off of the recoil, especially when shooting multiple rounds during load testing. (I learned about this trick from another KZfaqr, Desert Dog Outdoors.) One thing I noticed with another .30-06 I owned was that since I started going to the gym I have built up a bit of chest muscle (I'm a relatively thin guy) and that helped with recoil immensely. Now, no one is going to accuse me of being a bodybuilder, but I've found routine resistance training really helped with rifle kick, among other things. I've been enjoying your channel for the last several years; thanks for your labor of love.

Great video sir as always. Legendary!

I had a hunting partner that used to shoot a 300 Win Mag with a muzzle brake. I stood behind him when he was sighting it in once. I was just off his left shoulder, about 3 or 4 foot behind him. I was shocked when he touched off the 1st round. It felt like someone slapped me in the chest fairly soundly. I gave him plenty of room after that... Thankfully, I had excellent hearing protection...which wasn't always the case. But he had advised that we use hearing protection before he got started.

Thank you for your knowledge and service!!!

My new favorite KZfaq channel. Love your content!

You described my hearing 100%

At our range we used to have tent screening between our lanes to keep hot brass from hitting other shooters. A few years ago we added plexiglass to cut down in noise from obnoxious muzzle brakes. When we installed the first one to test it, a shooter sat down next to it, fired a few shots from his AR and got annoyed by his own noise and moved to another bench. We said, yup, that works like a charm. And how ironic that the guy got to experience what he had been subjecting other shooters to.

I don't use muzzle breaks either. However I greatly look forward to the day when the NFA is repealed and suppressors (silencers) become common use items just like they are all over the rest of the world. Make suppressors great again.

Very informative video as always, thanks for posting.

I totally agree! When I first bought my 7MM RM I heard all the horror stories of heavy recoil so I was looking into putting a muzzle break on the gun to relieve this. I then sat next to someone at the range that had a muzzle break and realized there was no way I could put up with the noise. Turns out the recoil was very manageable and very glad I didn’t go through with the muzzle break. It’s another reason why I subscribe to the idea of magnum guns should be heavier and should have longer barrels, both will help in reduction of recoil.

A guy ony the range bench next to me was shooting a 416 Rigby with a muzzle brake. Even with hearing protection on, it made my ears ring.

I always tell my kids to take care of your eyes, ears and teeth! That is an important factor for a long happy life.

Thanks for the video about muzzle brake. I learned something new today.

Living on a ranch, the worst thing about hearing damage is when you hear a rattlesnake rattle, and you can't tell which direction it's coming from. I have to turn my head around like a hoot owl so I can generally locate it. Other frequencies I don't have problems with the very high pitches I only can hear with my left ear. What I do enjoy about this is if there is a cricket loose in the house at night I just sleep on my left ear and that cricket is GONE! 😂😂😂

I recently bought a CVA Scout in 444Marlin. I asked the dealer to remove the brake before shipping because I'd had issues removing muzzle devices in the past on other rifles.

First time I shot a .50 bmg with a large aggressive muzzle brake I was 12 years old (right before the California .50 ban my father was shopping for one) and it was lets say a religious experience! The blast coming off the brake blew everything off the table even loaded 20rd rifle ammo boxes. Sadly being 12 I didn’t know better and only had soft foam insertable ear plugs and they stood no chance at mitigating the sound pressure. As I am sure you know due to the unique power of the BMG cartridge especially when paired with a muzzle brake the military came up with specific hearing protection protocols (dual ear pro, foamies plus over the ear muffs like you described I use peltor with built in coms similar to yours) for firing the Barrett .50 as it was one of loudest shoulder fired weapons in the inventory due to the muzzle brake. Whenever I shoot any rifle with an effective muzzle brake I always go with double layer protection just like is recommended with the .50. With the peltor headsets that magnify ambient sounds it makes it so you can hear quite conversations even with the foam inserts so no one has an excuse to not protect their hearing anymore. When I was younger it was a safety issue as when doubled up with ear pro you couldn’t hear sh*t and electronic ear pro was unobtainium and prohibitively expensive if you could find a shop that stocked them. I hope people new to shooting use the proper hearing protection from the start as you and I both know from experience it just takes one mistake when shooting and you will have to live with the hearing damage forever.

Lived it.. and because of You, I know more!

You're absolutely right. And yes I have tinnitus in my left ear, being a right hand shooter.

Great video. I have shot a lot with muzzle breaks but not anymore. Some fairly popular CF Rifles (eg my Kimber 7mm Rem Mag Mountain Ascent) come with a factory muzzle break. I use a suppressor on every CF Rifle now. The loudest muzzle break I ever used was a factory fitted from new one on a 1957 BSA Royal 7x57. Actually quite a beautifully (hand) engineered piece of barrelling, but it killed everyone’s hearing!!

Great advice. This is such valuable information for new shooters and the misinformed. Semper Fi

Hearing loss is cumulative and permanent! I am CONSTANTLY preaching to young people to protect their hearing, even when doing things that don't seem loud like using power tools.

Wow you completely changed my mind. Thanks

Thanks Again! Another straight forward informative video. I'm pretty sure Santa has you on the nice list!

There's a reason why Winchester and Browning quietly discontinued the BOSS combination adjustable vibration damper and muzzle brake just a few years after introducing it with much fanfare. A friend of mine who had it on his Browning .330 Win Mag told me the half MOA gain he obtained in accuracy off the bench wasn't worth the debilitating sound intensity that even ear plugs and ear muffs could not adequately attenuate. He found that what had been a cost-adding feature resulted in a rifle he couldn't give away let alone work a trade for a replacement.

I'm an old timer that has good hearing. I love muzzle brakes. I wear plugs and ear muffs for all my shooting.

Thanks for another great video Sir!

Thanks GunBlue, enjoyed the video. I don't shoot any heavy recoiling rifles anyway so no muzzle brake in my future.

I started using these fancy electronic hearing protectors while hunting maybe 6ish years ago. I'll take a tiny disadvantage at pinpointing which direction sounds are coming from over rinning ears. It took a while to get used to them but wouldnt go bck anymore.

M-110 self propelled Heavy Howitzers did my ears in after many Rock Concerts . Oh and the the old 110 had one Hella muzzle brake.

Your description of hearing loss fits what Im going thru perfectly, had I known what old age would be like when I was young, I would have done a lot of things differently. I despise muzzle brakes and IMHO unless you are shooting things like the heavy Weatherby mags or something like 50 bng you are better off not using a muzzle brake or at least using triple hearing protection...but you have to consider the guy next door to you that does not have that....or the guys your shooting/hunting with....shoot something where you can stand the recoil and forget using a muzzle brake...

Ive got an ACE .308 that came with an INSANE muzzle brake. With hearing protection i felt the blast in my nazal cavity and chest and often made a pretty nasty flash. Very quickly i swapped it out for a smith vortex flash hider. No flash, no issues, highly recommend the vortex.

You do make a point. I too have a bad hearing loss and have to wear hearing aids. I do like muzzle brakes though. They have different designs some are better than others and some do not direct the gas back but to the side some even a little forward. The recoil reduction has a factor in eliminating flinches as well. I don't seem to have a problem shooting with hearing protection on. Any more I will use hearing muffs when hunting. I primarily hunt from a Muddy Bull blind. I have even used brakes on low caliber rifles to see the bullet hit target because of the reduction in barrel jump. But that's me. I can't get my hearing back, but I think with muffs even with a brake I am not making it any worse. But you do have good advice for those that have good ears and want to keep them that way. Love your videos.

My new rifle came equipped with one. I took it off and put on the thread protector.

Very..., VERY good to hear -- no pun intended, Master GunSmith! -- a Shooter that Cares so well for ThemSelves, an' for Others. That Care..., It's so 'in-grained' in You that, You just Naturally describe some o' the "counter-measures" to recoil that prevent it, without a brake. 🙂 Rick Bonner Pennsyltucky

Muzzles breaks provide a significant reduction in recoil for rounds that have a high powder weight to bullet ratio. I love my brakes and they make shooting more enjoyable. They also allow me to stay on target much easier. Putting in ear plugs is something I do when or not I use a brake or not. Some of hearing loss is from age. So they are not for you but they are definitely for me!

I was shocked by the concussion/blast produced by a VG6 when I installed one on my .223... first time I had ever heard a .223 with a brake/comp

30 some years ago I bought a new Browning 30/06 with factory adjustable muzzle brake. Wow that an accurate rifle once dialed in it would shoot five rounds in same hole no problem. Loved shooting it from my bench with hearing protection. My first deer hunting with it opening morning at first light a eight came walking over the ridge walked to about 80 yards turned and gave a beautiful target I squeezed the trigger my deer dropped straight to ground stone cold dead. I yelled omg that thing with no hearing protection sounds like a bomb going off inches from my head. You guessed it immediately sold it bought my Remington 700 BDL which shoots exactly the same groups without the noise.

I made the mistake of getting a smith enterprise good iron muzzle brake for my M1A . Horribly loud ,blew some of my shooting gear off the range table. That was 25years ago. Sitting on a shelf in the basement.Can,t seem to sell it. My ears start ringing every time I look at it. Need to pour some holy water on it.

I have hearing loss also and it comes from shooting rifles and shotguns when I was a young boy. We didn't use hearing protection when shooting clay pigeons or sighting in rifles. I didn't realize the extent of my hearing loss until I tried to enlist in the military and they wouldn't allow me in because I failed both of my hearing tests.

I have learned to wear both ear plugs and ear cover when I go into the indoor gun range. Makes a huge difference :)

When I was in the Navy, working down in the diesel engine room, we were required to wear single hearing protection when in the engine room with no engines running. Just the supplementary, additional equipment in the engine room was above the threshold for permanent hearing loss. When the engines were running we had to wear double hearing protection. When underway the Main Reduction Gear (equivalent to a really large transmission), which turned the shaft, would whine with a high pitch. I did not realize how loud it was until I was up on the flight deck once when we were going flank speed and I could hear the high-pitched whine of the MRG from up there! When dealing with a constant noise it takes less decibels to give you permanent hearing loss than when dealing with a single loud "crack, bang or boom" noise. Many of the guys I worked with ignored the Naval hearing regulations and now have significant hearing loss - and they are only in their 30s. Protect your hearing, folks! Listen to GunBlue490.

Thank you for sharing.

A new breed of muzzlebrake that sends sound downrange using adjustable exhaust nozzles.

I agree. Some brakes make you feel like you were slapped in the nose. At my range the roof makes it even worse.

The constant ringing in my ears 🥳

Yep! That’s why I love my suppressors 😁

Thanks again for sharing

Enjoy watching you sir very good information..

As a Californian I am always surrounded by muzzle brakes in firearms training classes. It’s beyond annoying.

I am in the same boat as you. My hearing is very poor and my wife gets upset about repeating everything. I too dislike hearing aides for daily wear. I became a police officer in late 70s and used cigarette butts to try to stop the ringing from 357 magnum revolver shooting, to no avail. I have never fired rifle with a muzzle break but am sure I would not like it.🙄

I’d love to have a hk51 full auto for these reasons…fun…fire…and a blast…just goes to show different strokes for different folks…I’ve heard they made a 5” version…yes a 5” .308..absolutely love yer channel….btw .222 rem mag has my interest at the moment and would love your knowledge on one…thanks matt.

I definitely understand this. My dad is deaf almost. I hate when we go to the range. I gave him ear plugs, and he puts them in his pocket. 🙄 but I'm always about some ear plugs 🤗 and muffs if needed, but I have two braked rifles. And I won't shoot without both. 🤷🏼‍♂️ and I don't shoot them with dad

Once again, you gave ve the answer I needed. I was strongly considering the benefit of porting my 12g shotgun to mitigate muzzle rise and recoil. Your warning of hearing loss and legit anger of those nearby is so important. Not worth the trade-off.

You should check out the flow through suppressors. They are excellent for gas operated carbines and rifles.

Now at age 67, I can recall the times at the target range as a young teenager. It was a gun club that had both trap and skeet ranges. At 13 I became a certified skeet referee, and was at the range whenever it was open thru the age of 24. That there were some shooters that used CUTTS COMPENSATORS. Those compensators would cause me to flinch as well as other members of the squad. I have hearing loss just as you do with the same deficits. I used Clark foam plugs,and now see the necessity of proper hearing protection. I can recall all the older trap shooters using release triggers to "prevent" the flinch. Things sure have changed.

I'm the same way! I can't stand wearing my hearing aids. Thanks for the video!

You hit this out of the park. We shot skeet for many years with and without hearing protection. We finally went with the mold forming plugs that worked for but the damage had been done. We developed a major Flinch. It got so bad we would follow the target down to the ground without firing. A good friend let me try his shotgun with a double release on his over and under, it worked. The gunsmith who worked on our triggers set it to lock at 4 lbs and fired at 2lbs. He also put a big red "R" on our pistol grip, for safety reasons. This isn't for everyone but it kept me shooting . Thanks for a great video

One of my favorite lines, "I never heard my wife complain until I got hearing aids. Now, it seems she complains all the time!"

Thanks for this video! I was at Knob Creek several years ago casually shooting and a guy set up two benches from me with a .50 BMG with a huge muzzle brake. First shot…he set off vehicle alarms and cleared the benches around him! Luckily, he wasn’t there long! Found another gun range after that!

I hate muzzle brakes too. Suppressors should not only be legal, but encouraged. If our government had people's health in mind, there would be a wide array of inexpensive sound control devices on the market and a whole lot less hearing loss in this country.

Thanks for your words. I agree that having a 20khz sound at all times, is sometimes distracting. Fortunately I can still hear the twig cracks, and leaf swish myself. My return of the bushmaster Mini-Y comp saved a lot of my hearing, and brain. I also fear that my chihuahau barks, yorkies, and others will make me deaf as s**t before I reach 60.

Goods points. Protect your hearing while you can! Thanks for the video.

I use muzzle break all the time and I have a very good earing for my age! I protect my ears, it's not that hard. If I could, I would use suppressor but it prohibited.