JBL vs Riffe

Pretty new to spearing looking to buy a new gun for this summer. Had an old Sea Hornet, but its time to upgrade. Im looking at ethier a JBL or Riffe, I live in Oregon so spearing Lings and rock fish.

Thanks For The Help,
Kyle

That is kind of a Ford versus Ferrari kind of comparison.

Riffe is in a different class - they make excellent guns but then they cost 3 times as much as well for the stock guns and it goes up from there.

JBL guns vary a bit within the brand. The basic guns do not impress me much, the magnums are generally a little better and the woodies have some advantages as well. They can be a good value for the money , but again none of them will compare to a Riffe.

DA makes an excellent point with the car analogy - both will get you from point "A" to point "B." Likewise, both guns will kill fish. However, you won't really understand the difference until you hold the Riffe underwater and fire it. A sudden epiphany will come over your entire body and you will come to the true meaning within yourself in a manner that can not be spoken, only experienced.

Fit, craftsmanship, balance, these subtle things are generally only appreciated by those with a little experience, a true appreciation for quality and an eye for beauty.

Most of my underwater hunter students start with a cheaper gun. Those who choose to stay with the sport, take the path of enlightenment and move to the next level eventually step up and buy a nicer gun.

Live. Love. Shoot Fish. Eat Well. Enjoy.

Wes

Thats what I was kind of thinking, and im new enough to the sport that if someone told JBL was the best guns ever I might belive them so thank you for the help. The dive shop I go through sales the JBL so I hope he doesnt get pissed if I ask him to order me a Riffe. Out of the riffes what gun would best suit me? Whats the price range of there guns.

For spearing in the kelp your Sea Hornet or a JBL are just great. Riffe and others in its class are, IMHO, ovekill for that application.

Here's a rather good article: Choosing the Appropriate Speargun by Ray Klefsta

and some other guns: Custom Spearguns

I never got into blue water spearing but for freshwater spearfishing and rock and reef spearfishing I preferred the Scubapro Panther in both the 36" and 48" lenghts. The gun was last made by Bandito an I don't think they make it anymore.

The trigger was much better than a JBL, the safety was silent and given the strenght of the gun and the track in the stock you could add a third band and maintain excellent accuracy. It was also an open muzzle design which made reloading faster and easier and the gun was positve without the spear so it would float up above you and stay out of the way while you put the fish on the stringer. It was well suited to the hunting I did with it.

Some of the JBL variants offer some of the above features and the woodies I think have the same float when empty characteristic. Plus wood just feels and sounds better than aluminum.

Riffe now has some less expensive entry level guns and has them in shorter lenghts in the $350-$450 range - about half the price of their mid handle guns, and only about $100 more than a similar sized JBL, so I'd still go with a Riffe even if you do not want to spend big bucks.

JBL has a wide range of guns, some very underpowered, capable of taking only small soft skinned fish at close range. There are other guns from JBL with more range and more power. I have the 38 special woody and used their mini magnum, they have their limitations but are a good value. Both worked well for the average fish in my waters. For the bigger fish, I needed the flexibility and power of the Riffe, and I paid for the better gun. Did I need it to put more fish on the table? no, does the Riffe get more fish that are not ideal shots? Definitely.

If the price difference will keep you out of the water, go with the JBL. It will work fine for the good shots you'll find in those extra dives. If you dive enough anyway, the riffe will get those fish that are a little faster, further away, bigger.

I have recently switched to railguns. Enclosed tracks are also good. I have a carbon railgun, but there are many good 75-90mm railguns that work very well for Lings, Cabs, and Rockfish. I use a 7mm threaded shaft when hunting groundfish and JBL speartips that can take the abuse. Check SpearBoard California Section for Riffe as well as DeeperBlue Equipment section for more info on Euroguns.

Good Railguns
MAKO Spearguns and Spearfishing Gear

I currently shoot a Riffe and love it. But I started with a Rob Allen railgun and it suited me very well until I got the Riffe as a gift.
I think the best beginner gun is a railgun. You can get a Rob Allen or Mako speargun for about $200.00 that would most likely be way better than the JBL and probably shoot as good as the Riffe. (Not nearly as pretty or quite though. )
The slide-ring design found on most JBL's and ABbillers is a bad design IMO.

I have both a AB Biller and a Riffe. The Riffe is the obvious better of the two for spearing big, fast game such as White Sea Bass and Tuna in the open blue water. But for short Oregon Ling Cod shots? I use my AB Biller when targeting Cod. I use my Riffe with going after "Blue Water" game. If you buy a Riffe, be "really" sure you understand the pain in the aX$s that it is to reload the thing. You have to damn near restring the entire gun. It "is" a pain. So, if you imagine taking one or two big blue water fish during a one hour dive--get the Riffe. If you imagine shooting four of five cod and lings during a dive from close range, get the JBL ar AB Biller.