Cheap slip tip for BIG tuna

Fernando,
The two things I look for in a slip tip is how straight it stays (doesn’t wobble) on the shaft and how well it stays on the shaft when you are diving and swimming. I think the reason Alexander and the other tips have a pointed adapter (male end) and funnel back end of the slip tip is so they self center and straighten themselves. But even that doesn’t work perfectly if they are not tight when fired, because they will steer the shaft the direction they are leaning. Riffe’s Ice Pikes can be bad for this.

The overlap of the adapter and slip tip look large, so if its machine with close tolerances it could stay pretty straight, but I also wonder if its in a bind will it let go as easy as pointed and funnel setup?

Kitto makes a nice supper strong slip tip which is less expensive than Alexander, Wong, and some others. My only problem with that tip was getting it to stay on when diving and swimming. Believe me there is nothing more frustrating than having the tip constantly fall off. I tried all kinds of rubber bands and surgical tubing. I finally settled on running a thin rubber band from the cable attachment on the tip down the shaft to the rest tab. This worked pretty good until I lost the whole shaft with bad cable connection. I kept a supply of rubber bands on the gun so I could replace it each time I fired.

Now I am using a Patco slip tip that has a built-in magnet. Its not as heavy built as the Kitto and it has more play than I like, but it does stay on the shaft while swimming and diving.

I have also starting playing with spectra instead of cable on the slip tip. I haven’t come to a conclusion yet about that, but I do like how it doesn’t kink up and need replacing all the time like cable. I am not targeting tuna and so I want something that works well for multiple shoots.

Good luck in manufacturing your tips!
don

Don, Where did you get the pacto slip tip, and do you have a pic of it? I'm using the Alexander tip my self now, but would like to mess around with alternatives.

Thanks,

Gerald

Gerald,
Here is the web site picture http://www.patcoinc.com/aquaguns/NP.html You order by phone. Usually it’s Tony, the owner who takes your call. They do take credit cards.
don