Not to get into a
Less Filling! Tasts Great! debate, but I love my 20". With my handloads, it delivers sub MOA at 100 yards. I toted it through some God awful thickets this past deer season and the 4 inches were a non-issue. I do not engage in CQB, so I just prefer my rifles to have rifle length barrels. Free velocity is always it's own reward. Since I never shot one in 16", I can not contrast the muzzle blast or perceived recoil difference. Whatever you get,make sure you set aside $40.00 for one of Ross' excellent brakes.
His brake puts that izzy flash hider that comes with the rifle to shame.
Previously Posted:I'm not ripping on Bushmaster for no good reason. They make a great rifle. I just resent putting accessories on guns for the sake of
eye candy. All they had to do to that
flash hider was weld a flat washer on the end with a hole ~.010 over bore and it would have made a good brake. Folks with flash hiders have been doing that for a while to turn them into a brake.
Bushmaster Flash Hider:
Izzy:
Bushmaster Brake:
You be the judge...
The closer the size of the hole on the end to the bullet's diameter, the more effective a brake will be as it lets the bullet pass without gasses leaking around it until it's clear of the hole. Those microseconds from when it enters the hole until it clears the hole is the time when the path of least resistance for the gas is sideways. That's also why brakes with multiple constriction chambers or baffles are more effective. Each transition through a choke point diverts more gas. If like in a flash hider, there is no resistance to the gas blowing past the bullet during the time when the sideways exit is available, not much gas will go sideways. Some will, but most just continues forward with the bullet. There is a lot of good reference material on this subject available online, including hyper-speed photography showing what I just said.
A decent brake and a Sims slip-on Limbsaver recoil pad make the 450b comfortable enough to shoot that my friend's 10 year-old who shot it said, "Wow, That's it!? Can i get one Dad!!!?"
Hoot