Lots of people seem very negative on muzzle brakes. I understand that, but mine has allowed me to keep hunting. I was suffering from a torn retina. Scary thing if you have never had it. The Dr said if it severs completely, I would have 24 hours to get it reattached or I would go permanently blind.
I could just see myself in a foreign land in the bush going blind. I got a muzzle brake.
I have used it now in Africa and made my PH and trackers aware of it. They usually plugged their ears before I fired. If anyone was at the range when I was there, I let them know as well.
Things seem to be improving now, so I have purchased a second 375 H&H with no brake. I have been shooting it occasionally and am gaining confidence that I will not tear the retina again. It will probably be going with me the next time I take a rifle to Africa.
You have to do what you have to do for yourself, not for everyone else. If you need one, get it . Just let those around you be aware. JMO
I also have had a torn retina episode, in Nov 2018. Not shooting related, but . . .
A few tiny drops of ocular fluid got behind the retinal tear (upper left quadrant of my left eye) and settled through gravity (to lower right quadrant) and became trapped when my retinal tissue was stich-welded back in place via laser surgery. My vision when I close my right eye distorts edges in all directions in a wavy funhouse mirror style effect. Fortunately, my right eye is my dominant eye.
As a consequence I've been receiving monthly injections of medication directly into my left eyeball (topical anasthesia only) for the past year. I had some imaging done last week showing these"dimples" are still there and maybe reduced in size by 50% or so (subjective comparison vs first imaging that revealed this complication). So I figure I probably have 12 more or so months to go if, and this a big if, the response to the medicine is linear and not a decaying exponential (diminishing returns). No way to better predict, and I just have to hang on for the full ride.
I have a .264 Win Mag with a muzzle brake that I have shot without incident, and my plan (which is purely subjective) is to take steps to reduce tecoil in calibers with greater recoil than .30-06 Springfield going forward to reduce risk of another retinal event. If I get a torn retina in my right eye, I'm housebound until it heals, and I know first hand "healed" can take quite a while if there are complications.
This is a major factor in my use of a .25-06 rifle instead of a .30-06 rifle for my (successful) recent hunting in Texas. The .25-06 has killed game just as dead with good bullet placement in my hands on deer and feral hogs, with 60% or so of the recoil of a .30-06.
I have already corresponded with one outfitter in SA that is glad to accomodate me for plains game hunting, but also assured me .270 Winchester and up is sufficient for plains game on their property with good shot placement. I have electronic hearing protection for myself, and a second set my guide is welcome to use during a hunt when I book, that I'm glad to leave as an extra bonus with a good supply of (standard AAA) batteries as part of good service, on top of monetary tips.
So my experience is I had no difficulty locating an outfitter that will accomodate me if I bring a rifle with a muzzle brake. The more difficult adjustment may be to not require I use sticks as I was taught rifle shooting with a sling for stability in what the NRA defined as four standard positions back in the 1970's, so my non-dominant arm is used in conjunction with a sling not only for stability but also to keep the rifle butt snug to my shoulder leaving my dominant arm and hand devoted to smooth trigger work. There's an agreement to have me shoot to the outfitter's satisfaction at their range before hunting, which I find reasonable and acceptable.
JM2C, YMMV
and its bad,
www.africahunting.com
