Need some input choosing the right gun for me

ok well i live in boca raton in southeast fl, and i have a cressi comanche 60 that i pulled out of a trash pile. it had been underwater for a while, and had barnacles on it and everything. after replacing the bands and spear i have been using it it pretty good results. but the more i use it the more i see it sucks (saftey jams, trigger jams, the little hook that holds the rope gets stuck inside the gun so i cant reload the gun without fishing it out with my knife, the rope gets caught on the bands when i fire and it slows the spear down...)

so im ready for a better gun, i like the small size, i dont like the difficulty of the chest load, i dont like all the plastic parts, and i want more than 1 band.

i have been looking at the jbl 38 special xhd, or northwest, but recently i read some bad stuff about JBL which makes me second guess this pick. but i cant tell if its people who can buy the high end stuff like riffe and wong that just saying it is not as good, or if its not as good as other affordable guns.

so i guess i wanted to know if you agree with the 38 special, and if not what should i look into.

oh yea, i dive mostly just to look around, but i love to bring a fresh dinner home, so i dont want to be bothered with anything much bigger than this gun, i shoot mainly hogs and similar fish, maybe a few grouper.

thankls so much for the help
-James

help us out:

are you freediving or scuba?

what are you shooting mainly, size and species?

what is your normal vis and shooting distance?

freeshafting or lineshafting?

price range?

are you freediving or scuba? scuba 90% of the time

what are you shooting mainly, size and species? hogfish 12-16'', mutton 16-20", black grouper 24-30"

what is your normal vis and shooting distance? normal vis is between 25 and 80, everything i have shot has been within 6 feet of the tip of the gun.

freeshafting or lineshafting? lineshafting

price range? under 250 but will consider others

thanks for the help, im also looking at the sawed off woody magnum, becasue its still kinda small but has decent range, and the bands are probobly easier to use than the xhd

Commander Coo1:

, im also looking at the sawed off woody magnum, becasue its still kinda small but has decent range,

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Range and accuracy is more a function of gun/shaft length. The guns you are looking at are considered small for the areas you are diving and IMHO you would outgrow it in a matter of a couple of months. The smallest gun you should be looking at is 48 inches to give you range when in the stronger currents unless all you do is shore diving, then the smaller 36 inch might be for you.

I don't like metal guns because they 'seem' loud to me and I prefer wood guns. The JBL woody's and the Biller 48's can all be purchased for under $200.

Again these are just my opinions and not correct for different hunting styles. I personallly shoot an SS 52 commercial freeshaft, but that's not in your price range.

There is nothing wrong with JBLs top model guns like magnums and woodys. The 38 is on the small side of things if you ask me. Try one just a bit bigger or you'll be up-grading very soon.
Yes there are more expensive guns and there are better guns made but for the $ you can't go wrong. I own several JBLs for the last 15 years and they get used alot and never ever had a problem other than replacing rubber. Some of us spearos think that you need a 1,000.oo dollar gun to spear a 10 lb. fish and that's not so!

ok so i went to a shop and found a gun that i really really liked, it was a sea hornet 42, i just liked all the little things it had that the jbl/biller didnt. do you think 42 is better for out here?

Commander Coo1:

....and found a gun that i really really liked......

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Ask the shop if you can take if for a 'test dive' this weekend and if you come home with fish then buy it !! Buying the gun is just the beginning. Next comes fish ID, stalking, shot placement, and a bunch of other things.

Since you found a gun you like, I'd say your already hooked. Enjoy the sport it's a lot of fun !!

42" for hogs and grouper...just fine! Get a tip that holds the fish like a 4" long winged spinner rock point or another fish will be eating your dinner.

I agree with Johnoly, get at least a 48". I started with a 36 Biller for rocks, then moved up to a 48" Biller, then a 48" Spearfishing Specialties commercial (upgraded Sea Hornet). And I've been upgrading ever since.

With the vis you describe, get at least a 48". Sea Hornet would be great.

You may be able to find a Spearfishing Specialties sea hornet 48" model used on Spearfishing Planet or Spearboard or eBay cheap.

Good luck.

Check out this sight, lots of good gun info.

Commercial Spearguns & Accessories