Band diameter/number of bands on Riffe Euro 90X

[Anders]

My gun came with two 19mm bands and I find it very hard to load. So for that reason I've been wondering if it is really necessary to use two 19mm bands, and am thinking of changing it.
In addition to my current two 19mm bands it has the options of two 16mm or three 14mm bands. I was thinking of switching to two 16mm bands as my standard setup with small shark fin tabs/hawaiian flopper spear, and use a spear with a rest tab/large shark fin tabs and slip tip when I go halibut hunting. For the last setup I'm undecided with regards to which bands I should use, but am leaning towards 2*19mm bands with rest tab on the spear for ease of loading.
Any thoughts on what would be the best options (and why) would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mr. X]

Depends on what size/type of fish you expect to shoot & the diameter/mass of your spear. I would go with 1x19mm or 1x16mm (I have 3 spearguns equipped with 1x18mm, 1x18mm and 1x20mm - but the latter will be changed back to 1x16mm when the rubber expires - 16mm bulk rubber is plenty powerful). Too much power can spoil a speargun IMHO. A single rubber is quicker to load. If you have trouble getting your spear to penetrate large fish, then 2x16mm should be enough for almost anything - 2x14mm would be easier to load (esp. for small person e.g. youth/woman). 3x14mm - sounds like an American configuration, fine if you have a lot time to reload and lots of wishbones and need power & easy loading.

I'd be interested to know what people recommend for a youth starting out? Could 1x14mm be enough? If so, what spear would you recommend (6mm-6.3mm?).

 

[blaiz]

I have found that on my riffe euro 110 I like the 2 14mm band set up. I find that most of the larger bands are too powerful and make the gun grosely inaccurate. I use 2 9/16 amber (14mm) on all my reef guns. What I have also found is that riffe's bands tend to be cut too long so if you do size down on the band you need to shorten them as well.

(gun length X 2)-wishbone length/3.5

and then add 1 inch for your constrictor knot

 

[Anders]

The thing is that I think I want as much power as I can possibly get for one of my setups. It will be solely for hunting large halibut at anything from 2-5 meters distance. The spear has to have enough power to penetrate the thickest part of the operculum (gill cover/lid) of a 200 lbs halibut and still be able to go all the way through the fish and far enough into the sandy/gravely bottom for the flopper or slip tip to engage. I have had problems with the spear not penetrating on an operculum of a halibut of ~100 lbs with 2x15mm bands and would not like to experience that again. Here I don't mind if it takes me some time to load the gun because I won't get more than a few shots a day at the best, but would not like to loose to much accuracy.
I was thinking of using a 7.1mm spear for this purpose to have more penetrating power when the spear hits the fish.
Which option would be the best choice for this application?

My other (general) setup will be for all other hunting in Norway, meaning everything from small flatfish to large cod, pollock or coalfish at distances up to 5-6 meters. I think the spear on my gun today is a standard riffe euro spear (6.75mm?). So maybe the 2x15mm JBL bands I have today will do just fine here? Maybe getting shorter ones will help?

 

[speareasy]

I am surprised that the Riffe comes with such thick bands. Usually it comes with maximum 5/8" bands which I think are 15.8mm. Obviously 19mm will be difficult to load, but for your description of your shooting conditions you do need the maximum power possible. Maybe if you simply cut a fresh set of the same diameter rubber band but have the bands a little longer things will turn out OK. Otherwise you could try and make the wishbone a little longer. You can do that easily by cutting your existing wishbone you have now and making each end into a loop, you can then retie the size of wishbone that works with you by attaching it to the twin loops.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Interesting thread, not so much about the gun or bands but that you are or intend to shoot 100lb to 200lb halibut.

There is a halibut in the Hall of Fame caught by a DB member but it isn't 100lb and apart from that I have not seen any tales of halibut spearing.

Are you going to be freediving or scuba and how deep? Do halibut rest on the bottom like most flatfish? Unless they are a lot different from other flatfish then I would have thought the range would be less than a metre.

I would have thought a heavy spear of about 8mm diameter would be a good choice and then multiple 14mm bands. Heavy spears are needed for punch and penetration and thin bands are easier to load if you have 3 or more.

I'd like to hear about your experience or your plans in detail.

Dave.

 

[Anders]

I am surprised that the Riffe comes with such thick bands. Usually it comes with maximum 5/8" bands which I think are 15.8mm. Obviously 19mm will be difficult to load, but for your description of your shooting conditions you do need the maximum power possible. Maybe if you simply cut a fresh set of the same diameter rubber band but have the bands a little longer things will turn out OK. Otherwise you could try and make the wishbone a little longer. You can do that easily by cutting your existing wishbone you have now and making each end into a loop, you can then retie the size of wishbone that works with you by attaching it to the twin loops.

The thick bands on the riffe may be due to special requirements by the retailer, as I think the gun has 2*16mm as standard. Thanks for the wishbone tip, I'll definitely look into that if I don't get new bands any time soon.

As for my halibut hunting, I feel quite lucky that I have stumbled across an area that have halibut and is shallow enough for freediving. The area seems quite unique, mostly because of the amount of halibut you can find, and the fact that they go as shallow as 4 meters. They all lie on the bottom, and are usually found much deeper, likely way too deep for spearos I'd think. Sport fisherman regularly catch 2m+ fish in the area. I was thinking of posting a catch report from my first (and so far only) trip to the area, I'll try to get it out in not too long..

The problem with approaching a near 2 meter long halibut in 4-6 meters of water with good visibility is that the large fish tend to be skittish.The biggest one I've seen, roughly 1,8 meters long, actually took off as I fired, and I missed... When the fish are that skittish, I can't afford diving down towards them if they're shallower than around 6 meters, hence the ~5m range. Smaller fish I've gotten very close to and shot without problem.

An 8mm spear will have more power I guess, but more power needed to fire it too.. Well I might just need it, especially since the halibut's body is much thicker than your regular flatfish, they're almost like a sleek coalfish turned on its side and given larger fins.. Very thick for a flatfish. So maybe 3*14mm bands and an 8mm spear is the solution then..

As for my plans, I'm buying gear for a setup that looks much like the ones used for large pelagics like tuna, only I don't need the extreme range used in blue water and can get away with a smaller gun. The area is far north, so the next chance I'll get will be next year when the light comes back again, and by then I'll be ready for the big ones for sure

 

[speareasy]

If you are shooting from a distance, maybe a 90 is not the best choice. I have the 120X and once you cut the default bands a little from 29" to 27" and 28" respectively, it is a very powerful gun with the 7.1mm shaft. I have shot it through a thick aluminium pipe at a distance of 6 meters and it penetrated with no problems. Stick a Mori slip tip on it and those 2 meter Halibut will have no chance . At 6 meters with a Euro 120X you can expect to hit a 5cm square every time.

 

[Anders]

The 90X may not be ideal, but it's the best thing I've got, and with the right band configuration I hope it will be up to the job... As for the slip tip I'm undecided between a mori and steve alexander. I do like the tri-cut on the alexander... Tri-cut suture needles are way better on tough skin than the round ones, so I figure the same will apply to slip tips and halibut

 

[willloomy]

on my woodie i use 8 mm and 3 14 mm bands
it is very effective/ easy to load but i have a longer gun than you which gives you alot more range. it's nice to have the three bands because you can just take one off and just shoot with 2 if you want to shoot in holes.

 

[devondave]

on my woodie i use 8 mm and 3 14 mm bands
it is very effective/ easy to load but i have a longer gun than you which gives you alot more range. it's nice to have the three bands because you can just take one off and just shoot with 2 if you want to shoot in holes.

Umm , is this kind of thing legal on db ?
I thought we had a thirteen certificate , I mean this stuff is X rated at least , not to mention extremely painful sounding .
Tut , tut and there I was thinking what a nice young man you were .
Shame on you . :naughty

 

[hteas]

Anders,
You are very lucky with your find. We've been searching for large Pacific halibut for several years, and no one has had a shot yet. Thye tend to be beyond 30 m here, with very few above that.
The 3*14 and 8 mm set up should be really good. Just be sure to hold your other hand behind the stock to block the recoil.
I think the tri-cut tips perform much better than round tips. I see the size of the ragged holes that Strangelove's shafts leave in fish compared to the minimal holes my Rob Allen tri-cuts leave. No comparison.
good luck getting one.

 

[hteas]

Also, I am planning to aim for the lateral line when I finally find one. I would much rather immobilize the fish right off than have to follow it around for hours as it drags me out into the Gulf of Alaska.

 

[Anders]

Thanks for the advice , I agree that the spine would be the ideal shot.. It's either that or a good head shot I think. I'll see if I can get a hold of a halibut head from a fish shop and dissect it to see exactly where the brain is..

Anyone know where I can get a Steve Alexander slip tip in Europe? Or an American online store with decent shipping rates?