My childhood rifle, a 30-06, had a muzzle brake. I liked it before it had a brakeI guess I liked it better after my step dad had one added. When I saw that the Ruger American Ranch had a factory brake at the end of the barrel, I was stoked. Maybe my wife will be able to fire it too, I happily mused.
As I wait for scope and ammo to arrive to start zeroing, I did some research on ear protection and scared myself silly. If the internets are correct, this rifle needs muffs plus plugs to prevent hearing loss—even outdoors. That’s fine. I don’t mind covering my ears at the range. But my hope with this rifle is to begin hunting. Many of the folks in the hunting forums seem to leave their ear pro at home when they head out into the field.
Just how bad is the noise from a braked RAR? If I get electronically assisted muffs so that I can “hear the deer,” is 26db DRR enough to protect my hearing?
About how much lower are the decibles if I take the brake off? Could I get way with hunting without ear pro without doing damage if I unscrew it before I start zeroing? Should I be looking into things like linear compensators? Not sure I want to fuss with a suppressor.
Just how bad is the recoil if I take the brake off before I zero? Should I be looking at limb savors or other devices?