Bangsticks, guns, other?

[Ishie]

1. ehhhh, not really, sharks are not vicious killers, they dont't just see you and make a bee line at you and try to bite you.

I'm not that concerned about them. I have no real desire to see a great white while I'm diving, but realize that if I've seen it, I'm probably all right, but I generally like them as long as the visibility stays poor enough for me to not realize they're near me. My mom, despite being a much more experienced, skilled diver did not share my love of sea-hungries, particularly not in that region.

Though, don't GWs on the attack actually tend to make a beeline for you (from under you)? They're ambush predators that go after food-shapes at the surface. I've heard that when GWs have checked out divers underwater, they almost never act aggressively. Underwater, we're awkward, noisy, and un-foody.

2. Actually it's not that hard loading a power head. I get the bullet in the power head, put it in a ziplock bag, when it come time, just slide it on to the spearshaft, take 5 seconds and you are done.

Her hands were too cold to do it. Plus what you're describing doesn't sound like what she was talking about...

3. I don't just shoot something because there were a shadow or such a thing. Using the power head is the last resort. Once you shoot, you make sure you get a kill shot, an injured animal underwater is not something you want to deal with, so, no you don't see a shadow and start shooting like John Wayne. You pick your battle and chose the target and do it right.

The type of bangstick she was using in the 70s required actually touching the creature with the tip of the bangstick with you holding the other end, so I'm assuming she'd have figured out the thing was a sea lion once she was close enough to touch it. In fact, she figured it out sooner than that, but the "dark shadow zooming in after the fish in the area had suddenly disappeared" stage was apparently unnerving.


Ishie

 

[ChrisA]

The way I see it, you don't go hiking around the woods with out some kind of protection.
Thanks guys

Then you'd better not go hiking in the woods in any national park. If they catch you in the backcountry with a firearm there you are likely going to jail.

conventional firearms don't work underwater. If fact you'd be lucky if it didn't blow up in your face. A barrel filled with water is not much different from a barrel filled with cement When explosive charges are used it is always on the tip of a harpoon or spear type device.

Because drag in water is some power of the speed (Either the third or fourth, I forget) a UW projectile needs to be slow and masive, like an arrow or spear not fast and light as a bullet.
If you could fire a bullet it's range would be very short, only a few feet

 

[try2dive]

I really dont see why you would need a gun underwater. I would take a spear gun to spear a nice halibut or something. I have never even worried about fending away anything underwater with a gun, I hear it is a rare occasion to see a shark on a dive and I think it would actually be kinda cool to see a blue or a less agressive shark, and people have safely dove with great white sharks only when conditions permit. The only time I wish I had a stick was when I was kicking back to shore after a dive and this BIG sealion came up to me and brushed up against me a few times and started making those sounds that seals make, but in the end he left me alone. So not a whole lot to be afraid of.

 

[Keysdrifter454]

The size of the bullet does not matter at all. The small size of the bullet will do very little damage to a fish. The powder gas expansion and the water column that gas force through the fish, now, that's the killer shot.
So, .223 bullet even thought smaller projectile than .357, it has much more powder burn with it and it is much more deadlier than the .357.
And no, when you shoot under water, the gas expansion and the sound will travel away from the shooter so you will not get any concussion period.... well, unless your power head acted like a torpedo and turn around and head toward you .

And the brass ring goes to the diver from Austin.

It's not the projectile, which has squat for velocity out of the powerhead, it's it's the gas expansion in the recipient.

I once saw someone pump 14 rounds of .45ACP into a shark, and it went over the transom of the boat and split (it was previously allegedly dead, and woke up and at a cooler).

So it isn't the projectile, fer sure.

I used to do hook ups and vehicle locations in Florida canals, and I had two .223 powerheads for gators on a Biller.

You never see the gators (or at least I didn't) until they spooked.

It dawned on me that the Biller would never swing in time, so I made a self actuating .223 powerhead on an M-6 bayonet handle.

Never had to use it, it's a miracle I didn't blow my leg off with the thing.

Gators see you and then take off.

 

[coyotekiller]

Then you'd better not go hiking in the woods in any national park. If they catch you in the backcountry with a firearm there you are likely going to jail.

Chris, I havn't done to many hikes in cali so I don't know what the laws are. I have though hiked in Alaska, Colorado,wyoming and Canada. Many of these hikes have been in national parks. In which 1 or more of our hiking party carrys. I have yet to see a national park baning any firearms for the use of PROTECTION abouslty. They have certin laws in certin parks that regulate this. Such things as no concealed or carrying longguns that could be used for hunting. As for one other thing, my dad is a Divsion of wildlife officer and always carrys everywhere, and I havn't done a hunt or hike without him to this day.

On a postive point, Thank you everyone for there advise, I am still way out of my relm on this diving stuff, yet to do a dive in anything but freshwater. Agian thank you everyone for squaring me away on this.

 

[scubasean]

Then you'd better not go hiking in the woods in any national park. If they catch you in the backcountry with a firearm there you are likely going to jail.

Chris, I havn't done to many hikes in cali so I don't know what the laws are. I have though hiked in Alaska, Colorado,wyoming and Canada. Many of these hikes have been in national parks. In which 1 or more of our hiking party carrys. I have yet to see a national park baning any firearms for the use of PROTECTION abouslty. They have certin laws in certin parks that regulate this. Such things as no concealed or carrying longguns that could be used for hunting. As for one other thing, my dad is a Divsion of wildlife officer and always carrys everywhere, and I havn't done a hunt or hike without him to this day.

On a postive point, Thank you everyone for there advise, I am still way out of my relm on this diving stuff, yet to do a dive in anything but freshwater. Agian thank you everyone for squaring me away on this.

In part...Seems you can carry in places designated for hunting...but prohibited elsewhere...
=================================
Codes of Federal Regulations, Title 36, Volume 1, Parts 1 to 199 [revised as of 07-01-98].

Chapter 1-National Park Service, Dept. of the Interior. Part 2-Resource Protection, Public Use and Recreation:

Section 2.4 Weapons, Traps, and Nets: (a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and parts 7 (special regulations), and 13 (Alaska regulations), the following are prohibited:

(i) Possessing a weapon, trap or net (ii) Carrying a weapon, trap or net (iii) Using a weapon, trap or net (2) Weapons, traps or nets may be carried, possessed or used: (i) At designated times and locations in park areas where: (A) The taking of wildlife is authorized by law in accordance with Sec. 2.2 of this chapter: (B) The taking of fish is authorized by law in accordance with Sec. 2.3 of this part. (ii) When used for target practice at designated times and at facilities or locations designed and constructed specifically for this purpose and designated pursuant to special regulations. (iii) Within a residential dwelling.

 

[ChrisA]

You are right. IF hunting were allowed a rifle would be permitted But in practice hunting
is not alowed. Fishing is in some places, so you would be allowed to cary a net in those places but not a
bow and arrows or a fire arm. Also the Regulation quoted below applies
only to National Park lands, not Nation Forest lands or BLM Lands.

In part...Seems you can carry in places designated for hunting...but prohibited elsewhere...
=================================
Codes of Federal Regulations, Title 36, Volume 1, Parts 1 to 199 [revised as of 07-01-98].

Chapter 1-National Park Service, Dept. of the Interior. Part 2-Resource Protection, Public Use and Recreation:

Section 2.4 Weapons, Traps, and Nets: (a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and parts 7 (special regulations), and 13 (Alaska regulations), the following are prohibited:

(i) Possessing a weapon, trap or net (ii) Carrying a weapon, trap or net (iii) Using a weapon, trap or net (2) Weapons, traps or nets may be carried, possessed or used: (i) At designated times and locations in park areas where: (A) The taking of wildlife is authorized by law in accordance with Sec. 2.2 of this chapter: (B) The taking of fish is authorized by law in accordance with Sec. 2.3 of this part. (ii) When used for target practice at designated times and at facilities or locations designed and constructed specifically for this purpose and designated pursuant to special regulations. (iii) Within a residential dwelling.

 

[Keysdrifter454]

Then you'd better not go hiking in the woods in any national park. If they catch you in the backcountry with a firearm there you are likely going to jail.

Must be a California thing. I hike solo (and off trail, which truly hacks them off) in National Parks all the time.

I -always- carry a firearm (bears recently [2002] killed a hiker just a few miles from my house).

The one time I got caught (a mag fell out while I was getting ID from my daypack) I got a written mail-in fine. They were madder about where I had parked overnite than the fact that I was carrying.

 

[The Great Orca]

Must be a California thing. I hike solo (and off trail, which truly hacks them off) in National Parks all the time.

I -always- carry a firearm (bears recently [2002] killed a hiker just a few miles from my house).

The one time I got caught (a mag fell out while I was getting ID from my daypack) I got a written mail-in fine. They were madder about where I had parked overnite than the fact that I was carrying.

LOL, yea I think firearms are always neccessary, but if a bear or shark approach you and do nothing don't pull out your firearm thinking he will kill you automatically. Will you go in a gang invested neighberhood without some kind of weapon ??? Carry a bee bee gun, saver and just gives the_____ (w/e is threating you) a little hit., and for water carry a spear gun.

 

[Aquadoc68]

OMGosh. I skiped a lot BUT I have to answer. Someone said it a bang stick is not a gun in the conventional sense. It is the gas that jacks a fish up, and the projectile. I was diving in UCLA(Upper Class Lower Alabama) 26 bull shark Attacks in one year.I speared every time in the Gulf. we had one diver carry a 357 Bang stick because he would hit a huge grouper or a shark with it. It is not the same thing as a suface gun. If you are hiting a 300# blue with it you may want a bang tip. If you are scared of sharks you may want to carry a BS. but if a shark wants to kick your *** guess what he will. You are not fast enough. I have had a bull bow up and when me and my dive buddy made ourselves look bigger than him he moved out. Yes it is a good idea to carry when in very bad areas. I was a forrester in WA and I packed a 45. I had a lisence to carry anywhere. You cannot carry in a state or fed park without a lisence to do so. If you are really that scared check with the local laws and dive within the rules. Nobody will call you a pussy for packing but you add a bit of danger when you dive with a Bang stick. Make sure you know what you are doing.