Daryl Wong 50" Carbon Fiber Hybrid

[Austin]

Greetings,

I am looking to purchase a new gun soon. I currenly have a Riffe Island gun that is too big and hard to track fish. I mainly dive Hawaii reefs between 10-50 feet and sometimes there is a lot of surge. I mostly go for reef fish and the occational Ulua (Jack). I have spoken with Daryl Wong about his Carbon Fiber Hybrid gun. This is the gun he would reccomend. This sounds like a good gun for the diving I currently do. I was wondering if anyone could share there experieces with the Wong guns, preferably the hybrids.

I know the triggers are housed in plastic. Daryl says he started making his own triggers because he and other have gotten hurt when a riffe or alexander trigger failed. Has anyone had problems with this trigger? Daryl says all his triggers are test fired with 600# pressure.

Thanks,

Austin

[Abriapnea]

Originally posted by Austin
I currenly have a Riffe Island gun that is too big and hard to track fish. ... he and other have gotten hurt when a riffe or alexander trigger failed. Has anyone had problems...

Your cue ,Sven .

[Dogmatrix]

*grins* before uncle Sven gets in on the action....

Originally posted by Austin

Daryl says he started making his own triggers because he and other have gotten hurt when a riffe or alexander trigger failed

never heard of a riffe trigger mech failing before...

[Hapakid808]

i didnt get to use it much, but i used my yokooji 55 inch hybrid for 3 months on the reefs. Even though there wernt much fish where i went, it was still super acurate, smooth trigger pull just alittle on the week range side. I didnt do much tinkering with it but i like the hybrid kine, it swings nice but still pretty solid. a nailed a few small fish but didnt really have a chance to REALLY use it yet. The wong ones look nice too. i like how it takes 3 bands. Check hanaapa's for both the hybrid models.

[Murat]

You may want to try MT`s shorter versions for reef hunting. Jay produce new enclosed track for them which may increase the accuracy (i didn`t buy one yet so no comment on enclosed track) but the one thing i know if Jay had produced it, must be work.I aslo never heard the failure of the riffe`s trigger before. You must understand the Riffe guns has the wider flexibilty. If you don`t like its perform just change band and shaft config. There must be something that suitable for you.
Last word left to our experianced Sven

[Mako]

I have a Wong Hybrid and love it. It's fast, accurate, and swings better than any other gun of equal length. For a little less money, you might want to consider the Riffe Metal Tech #3 so that your grip/shaft angles are similar to the Island and you won't have to change the way you aim when you switch guns. On the other hand, you could get a Rob Allen 110 for half the price...

[Iyadiver]

Hi Austin,

Are you sure Dr Wong said that ?

Daryl says he started making his own triggers because he and other have gotten hurt when a riffe or alexander trigger failed.

I sure wants to know at what rubber loading or how this occured ?


I read different in an interview of Richard Bettua the co-owner of Aimrite/Wong.

http://www.hanapaahawaii.com/equipme...ard_bettua.asp


Cheers,
IYA

[Austin]

IYA,

I sure wants to know at what rubber loading or how this occured ?

Daryl did not say how many bands it took. But he did say that it was because the Riffe and Alexander triggers are not tested.

I have also read that article. I do like the warrenty and the testing that Aimrite does on their parts.

Mako,

The reason I am looking away from the Riffe is that it does not move too well in the water. I understand that my aim will need to adjust. I think it will be worth it to get the extra movement. I was originally looking at the MT3, but it feels really heavy and I prefer mid handle guns and therefore I think the RA is out.

Hapa,
The gun I am looking at is only a 50" and I think the 50's only take 2 bands. In my experience I have never needed 3 bands on my Island and only use 2. What range did not get from the gun?. What was the specifications of the power bands?

Thanks for all your comments. I think I will call Richard Bettua and asking him about the triggers more since he is the designer.

Austin

[Austin]

IYA,

This is a quote from the article.

Another example, is that we got tired of triggers hurting us so we designed our own.

Austin

[icarus pacific]

Hey, thanks for the love guys.

On the Wong hybrid, I have hybrid of my own that I built after looking at both the Wong and the Yakooji, and for the type of diving that most of us do, that is nearshore, fish to 25 kgs and not real deep, as in 80 feet and up, I honestly think that a hybrid is the way to go. There, I said it. And I say that having three Riffes, one of which is an Island

The mass of a lumber gun is the only thing that I've experienced as a downside to them, and the replacement of the wood muzzle with a piece of pipe, titanium no less, is pretty sweet, dare I say smooth The bummer is that you end up going with a euro wishbone setup which is good for keeping the ooomph at the same plane as the shaft and all, but face it...

While I've not used the Wong Carbon specifically, I'd give it try but realize that carbon, for all it's pluses has some serious downsides, chiefly that it doesn't take to dings and dents, the fibers encapsulated in the resin rely on their continuous lengths to maintain strength. You nick the thing on the rocks, you got troubles down the road Then you load the thing up and the fibers don't like it and then you got headaches, as in duck! One thing you'll want to ask and consider is that some mass to the gun will reduce the recoil, thats' why we add lead and wings to the longer guns like the Island and Daryl's Tuna Picks. Reduction of the gun with tubes and carbon will give you a faster tracking gun and all, but you go to pull the trigger and the muzzle ends up saying "Howdy" to your mask.

On the Aimrite triggers, I've not had one go South on me. Then too, I've NEVER had a Riffe and/or an Alexander even look like it was in need of anything more than a rinse. And I'm not easy on my gear. I've got to think that the sales guy just spoke out of his arse to appear knowlegable. While I'm not reall warm and fuzzy with plastic walls for the trigger housing, ala Aimrite, if it's installed right, and it's got a Lifetime Guarentee, like Wong gives, what's the issue?

See if you can try out a demo there or get a hold of Sterling to let you demo one with the deal that if you like it, you buy it. You're looking in the right direction by going the hybrid route for your hunting, and I appreciate you being pretty BS-less about your needs. There are a lot of people around with guns that will never do more than sit on the wall because their owners bought with their balls rather than their noggins.

But ferchrissakes, avoid an RA...


sven

[Iyadiver]

I'll let you guys in a secret........

There are a few cases ( very rare ) of Riffe trigger units which failed but ONLY on the meanest Blue Water. How it failed is because this gun uses 3/8" x 72" long shaft which weighs 2 pounds. Since this gun is VERY long, many spearo tends to slam the shaft hard into the trigger unit, unlike the correct way of slow and confirmed insertion. This happened a few years back. Since then Riffe have extra hardened the sear and kept telling owners not to slam the shaft in. At 2 pounds it is like a hammer. Now no more problem. I know at least 5 Blue Water owners in Jakarta and never heard of this problem, I guess they are careful guys, not crude slamming ones. With probably a few ten thousand units sold worlwide, Riffe trigger must be one of the most time tested of all the high perfromance trigger unit in the world.


Alexander trigger probably rated 1 st choice and Riffe 2nd choice of custom gun builders or experimenters. I am not surprised if these 2 units failed if the experimenters load it all the way to crazy loading.

As for Aimrite trigger being as good as the Riffe and Alexander ( I have both trigger units ), my logic tells me, it is not possible. Plastic is plastic (polymer), it can not yet beat metal for friction area like triggers, not today. I seen their video on how they carry out testing on each trigger unit to 600 pounds, but the way it is tested only a few seconds does not simulate actual use. With very limited circulation of Wong/Aimrite worldwide compared to a Riffe, they do not have the track record like the Riffe or Alexander triggers. I personaly will not want to load a Wong trigger to 440 pounds for long term use. YES, I do not own a Wong yet, the plastic trigger is what scare me. If I am done collecting all the Riffes I like ( a few more to go ) , I will want a Wong and RA too.
I enjoy studying what different brands have to offer, reading about one without owning it does not tell much.

If you see the complete line of the Wong/Aimrite, very few are using more than 400+ pound of rubber presssure. As for the Riffe, they have so many models that are being rigged all the way to 400+ pound of pressure. As for the Alexander triggers, they are used to GOD knows what kind of trigger pressure on custom guns.

However, as with any friction material like the triggers, we have to replace them after some time if wear and tear is high, especialy if the rubbers are pumping 400+ pounds of pressure. I don't believe anything last forever and trigger sears do not get protection from high pressure grease , plus they live in hostile sea water.........so there is a limit to its life.

I think for Austin aside from a hybrid, a Riffe Competitor #2 or a mid-handle Mid-Range is good enough for reef work. Even the MT3 or Hawaiian is still way too powerful ( if rigged to max ). A Riffe Island is WAY overkill. If only 2 band is used on the Island, that is a waste of a good engineering design.

On the weakness of Carbon Fiber, I must agree with Sven. He builts boat so he knows the property of this aramid fibers. I personaly would go for a titanium barrel.


IYA

[Hapakid808]

to tell you the truth, i didnt go too many times with it (i do more 3 prong fishing). I went out a few times but it was great, i didnt test many long shots but i made a good 15 foot shot im guessing, on a little uhu and dinged a rock but the impact seemed pretty good. the bands are 2 black 9/16 bands. it seems ok for it but i may try adding 2 5/8 bands or mebe even 3/4s.

whatever you choose wong or riffe, im sure youll be happy with either.

[rigdvr]

[quote]Originally posted by Iyadiver
[unlike the correct way of slow and confirmed insertion.

...Sven is my father...

[icarus pacific]

[Iyadiver]

he he he he.....creative dudes.... ............kinky !!!!!