Choosing a gun

[Massin]

Hi,
I am just getting in to the sport and have found myself stuck trying to decide which gun to buy. I live in the UK ( Devon to be precise) so I'll only be hunting off reefs and probably not absurdly deep just yet, from what i can gather a 75 looks to be the right choice in length though I was tempted with a 90.... As for budget I'm looking to spend up to about £150 max, i dont want to end up with a cheap under performing gun that will put me off the sport before ive even started but if there is a decent gun for much cheaper than £150 i would still apreciate the pennies saved to get myself another knife or something can never have too many knives....

 

[martin366]

Look for 75-90cm
Omer guns are very good.
Thats nice for that money: Omer Cayman HF Camu 3D. Spear guns Spear guns, Scubastore.com, buy, offers, dive
I use that same, 75cm
Good quality and performance
Everybody are happy with this gun!

 

[Massin]

Thanks Martin, I have heard a lot of good things about Omer actually, and if that gun has good reccomendation I cant really go wrong for £100! still just stuck on whether I want a 75 or 90...I expect a 75 would be better around the Uk as i prob wont be able to see the end of anything longer with the vis Ive encountered here!
Cant wait to get all of my gear together and get hunting!

 

[martin366]

U can choose 75 and use it for while, if its weak then u can add one rubber for extra power
75 is a bit easier to handle

 

[scallywag]

It all depends on the type of ground you're fishing on. If you're in and out the rocks at closer quaters then a 75 is best, but for more open ground the longer gun is nice (but not essential). I started off with a 75 then made myself a 90 and have now made an 84!. You cant go wrong with a 75, its a good all round size.

 

[Massin]

Thanks for the feedback, 75 it is then!
I was wondering, is the standard configuration in the Uk no reel and just a length of shooting line?

 

[scallywag]

My personal mantra is keep it simple. Just the fact of being under water holding your breath trying to deal with a writhing fish can be hard enough without the added complication of a reel and yards of line! My advice would be to have a few sessions, bag a few fish and then decide weather a reel would be benificial to your type of fishing. Watch as many clips on you tube as you can and see how reels are used and the type of fish they are used for.

 

[Massin]

Haha yea I thought a reel probably wouldnt be much help with the sort of fish I'd be chasing. Ive been meaning to watch youtube for some tips but it's blocked on my work computer and I dont often surf the net at home (might as well get payed while I'm doing it ) .How much shooting line is normal to use? I guess everyone has a preference but is there a kind of rule of thumb?

 

[scallywag]

Yeah my You tube has been blocked too. Bummer!.
I tend to use 1 wrap of line on my 75 ie from the back of the spear forward through the muzzle back to the line release and forward to a bungee attached to the anchor point at the front of the gun. On the new 84 I'm building I'll be using 2 bands and 2 wraps just because I can!

 

[Massin]

Yeah its annoying that a lot of the good sites are blocked at work but at least DB hasnt been touched yet! And I hope it doesnt, burnt many a dull hour at work on here! How long is one wrap of line?
84 seems a very specific measurement ? I was wondering why all of the commercial guns seem to go up in size by 10cm but then it usually goes 75-90 and misses the 85 mark, which I thought would be perfect as I was stuck between getting a 75 or a 90! Is it because of the standard lengths of spear you buy or something like that?

 

[scallywag]

Its 84 because thats the size it ended up as! I wanted it roughly mid way between 75 and 90 and after a bit of shaping it turned out to be 84 and I saw no real reason to make it any shorter. I class a wrap of line to be from the muzzle to the line release and back, so the shooting range of a 75 would be the length of your arm + gun(about 1m for a 75) + length of spear(115 approx) + 225cm of line.

 

[roadrunnerdk]

about the reel
i only use a wheel on my guns if i hunt in deep waters where i can shoot fish at sizes that can cause me problems getting back to the surface
its never nice to let go of your gun to be able to return to the surface and then dive again to look for the fish and the gun
this mostly happens when we go fishing for big cod and similar species in Norway
always keep it as simple as possible

 

[Broseidon]

A reel for UK waters is pointless, in my opinion - just attach your gun to your float line and you're good to go! Why this is not a universal practice is utterly beyond me!

I'm going to buy an 80 and a 60 for this season - I fish in N. Wales and the water is often murky. I really found my 90 too long last year.

 

[scottwilson]

Hey Bro, I use a reel on my 90 for pollack as I find the float line gets tangled around my legs and pulls the gun in a swell. I like the option of taking the gun back to the surface when a fish is stuck in the kelp or under a ledge. I guess its down to what you comfortable with really.

In the summer when the bass are in the stringweed I like a 75. no float line, no reel just a barebones 75 to sniper the bass while they snooze in the weed :martial