Gun Advice Needed

[TSherman]

I own a 60" sea hornet, an JBL NW Hunter and a Teak Biller 48". All 3 guns have their purpose, and all three are set up different. I have 2 different pole spears.

I only mention this because you really need to learn to use different guns for different fishing and fish. Keep in mind your cord/line should only be as long as your viz. Nothing worse than riding back in to shore with the guy you shoot!

Its fun, its exciting, and if your not happy with the gun after a bit, you can unload them for a decent price. Something in the 36-48" is a good all around gun to start, but you will soon see the need and or use for different weapons based on where and what you hunt.

When I can talk my wife into working overtime I want to get a Riffe.

 

[PatMyGreen]

I have hunted in all the waters you mentioned, and as you said you are new so bear with me on this. Save your money and buy a 60" Biller or a 52" spearfishing specialties gun. Both shoot a 60" shaft, and it is shaft length that determines range, not powerbands. If you overpower a shorter shaft it will flex and not shoot consistent or accurate. Buying the right gun that you will grow into is cheaper than buying 3 guns that you out grow. Having seen the fish off SC, NC and Fl you are going to want a long shaft to get the penetration and range on those fish. If you are shooting sheepshead you are still relatively close to shore but trust me it won't be long before you are diving further from shore and targeting larger fish, in clearer water.

Most of the commercial shooters on the Gulf Coast use a 52" spearfishing specialties gun, which are modeled after Biller but refined by a retired commercial spearfisherman. First pic is my friends here in PCB, we all freeshaft with 52" Spearfishing Specialties guns, pic 2 is from Wilmington, NC on SpearIt Charters.

And I wouldn't mess with a slip tip either, they take way too much time to reload when they get fouled up in a gill plate/rakers. You could shoot 2 more fish in the time it takes you to get that mess squared away. In spearfishing the answer is usually found through simplicity as opposed to adding another piece of gear to th equation, IMHO.
Sliptips are useful if you want to shoot a big fish like when you are on a deep dive in a tournament or freediving, but that is a different forum and a way different optimal gun.

 

[PatMyGreen]

I just noticed this is a month old thread, my bad.

 

[Trey9123]

Thanks for all of the advice. I'd kind of decided that the guns which would best suit my needs (and price range) were either the JBL Woody Sawed Off Magnum Speargun at Divers Direct - Scuba gear & equipment online dive catalog! or the AB Biller Mahogany 48" Floridian (AB Biller Lowest Prices). I have just been watching e-bay looking for a good deal. Now that summer is almost here though I guess it is time to just bite the bullet and get one so that I can get in the water. I am curious about this latest advice though, getting a much longer 60" gun. It seems to me that something like that would be very hard to handle underwater, around reefs especially. What kind of range improvement are you talking about when moving from what I am looking at to one of these larger guns, and how often will you actually need this extra range. If you have time to answer, just pretend I don't know anything and explain these finer points to me. To reiterate, I want something I can use on the southeaster coast of the US both inshore around bridges, jetties, and pylons, and offshore whenever I decide to hop a charter boat.
Thanks,
Trey

 

[PatMyGreen]

For a lineshaft gun without an enclosed track 2.5x the length of the shaft from the muzzle of the gun is your effective range. I suspect some people will try and argue this point. I suggested a Biller 60 because at some point recently they changed their lineup so that the number is a reflection of shaftlength an not stock length. These guns are not really hard to move in the water at all since you tend to have better success hovering over a reef at first and being mellow, and taking the shots that present themselves as opposed to kicking up and down an area along the bottom, effectively communicating your ill intentions to every denizen of the reef. Point being you aren't in a hurry to swing your gun through the water if you are doing it right. Slow and easy wins the race, also it prevents skip breathing, and exertion at depth which makes narcosis worse, an issue if you are judging size. Range and accuracy is further much improved by freeshafting, since your shaft doesn't have the drag of the line and slide ring to deal with. Freeshafting is of little value in lower vis situations but is the only way to go offshore IMHO. JBL used to have two different slides on their shafts exacerbating this issue, I don't know if they still do. Of the two choices you have listed PICK THE BILLER it is a fine gun and a good marriage of the two styles of hunting you are looking for, but as a result it isn't the best for either. Frankly from what you are describing I think you will want two different guns. I also think if you start diving on the deeper stuff in clearer water you will get hooked and not be as happy diving the inshore stuff. That at least was my own experience (Champagne taste, Natural Light budget). I have a link here to me when I first went to NC on a charter, it was my first time using big steel tanks (with a jacket style BCD at that), first time past 130', second time freeshafting, first time lobstering and quite possibly the worst I have ever shot. We did awesome in all though despite my horrible form. I now use this video as an example of what not to do. Even so you may see what I mean about range and getting hooked on clearer offshore water, although video always makes it hard to judge size and distance.

http://www.charlestondiving.com/pics/pat.wmv

FYI my buddy got the grouper I shot that seems to get away.

 

[PatMyGreen]

God thats funny video! Its painful to watch the early days, painful but funny.