Re: AE MKII muzzle break needed?
It's going to be easier to stay on target through the shot with a brake, but that's also a function of proper position behind the rifle - it just helps out. Recoil isn't an issue with an AE regardless of configuration, and even the blastiest (is that a word?) brake on a .308 isn't going to compare to something like a .338 on the firing line. It's going to cost a few hundred more up front for the braked model, but then again you'd still wind up spending money to have a 'smith cut and thread a plain barrel if you decided to add a suppressor later on. If your priority is minimizing cost, and you don't want/can't own a suppressor, then you might prefer to go with a plain barrel.