Newbie needs advice on band upgrade

[schlegs]

Hi all. My first post - looks like a great board. Very new to the sport.

I have a 75cm Beuchat that is used around the reefs here in Okinawa. Mostly going after parrot fish and snapper. The velocity is good but I want to increase the range a bit.

I am considering upgrading the bands from 14mm to 18mm to get more range (and maybe more velocity).

Question: Would it be effective and safe to do so?

I'm leary of overloading the trigger mechanism on such a small gun and/or the 14mm threads. Omer makes 18mm bands w/14mm threads, which should do the trick but this is uncharted water for me. I don't want to invest the effort/money if this will not yield any performance results.

The real solution, I know, is a different gun in the future. Problem is, I just went for an "upgrade" in buying a JBL 38 Special Magnum XHD - a complete waste of money, IMO. The thing is noisy and the spear has no velocity (but the recoil sure is effective at jarring my wrist..). I need to spend some time in the water and on this board before getting another gun..

Thanks in advance.

Kevin

 

[miles]

Hiya

The 75cm is rather small, so powering it up might not give you the desired result. The mechanism should hold a single 18mm band with-out much hassle. Try it out first, since its much cheaper than acquiring another gun!!

Regards
miles

 

[schlegs]

Thanks, Miles. I think I'll go ahead and order some. Good to see your reply, too - I was just (literally) reading your "Dummies guide" a few minutes ago trying to soak up as much info as possible. Good stuff - thanks.

Schlegs

ps Do you have a take on Rob Allen guns? I need a good all-around reef gun for the very clear water we have around here and have come across a few posts now on the gun's quality.

 

[miles]

Hiya

The Rob Allan range of guns is a EXCELLENT choice. Very good gun for larger sized fish. Be warned though, you're going to find loading it a tad bit difficult!! Here's a thread with some good links to proper loading technique: [ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?p=607579#post607579"]First Post, Newbie Experience - The Virgin Shot[/ame]

You biggest problem is deciding what size gun to buy!! Like you've said in an earlier thread, you have 30lb class fish, in very clean waters, so possibly a 120-130cm gun with 2x16mm's and a minimum 7mm spear. If you're keen on a RA, look at a 7.5mm spear. I can also recommend RABITECH'S, with a 8mm spear, for that size fish.

There WILL be a HUGE range increase when going from a 75cm gun to a 130cm gun. Realistically, your gun will have the range of roughly 3 times the gun's length. So your 75cm gun would have a range of about 4m from your hand, whilst the 130cm would have a range of about 7m from your hand!!

Regards
miles

 

[schlegs]

I've learned the hard way that these things can be tricky to load - loading the JBL on my belly left me pretty marred up (no chest plate - never heard of these before yesterday).. The link is much appreciated.

For the gun, your info is definitely what I needed to hear. I recall in some of your other posts that you use a Rabitech. Looked over the Rabitech website last night and also looked for prices (in US$) without much luck. Price is a factor, to be sure b/c at this point, after purchasing 2 guns in <1mo, I'm $300 into this hobby w/o a gun that is sufficient for these conditions/fish (at my low skill level). I jumped at the JBL 38 special XHD b/c it advertised a "17' range" with it's 3 bands. Hogwash! The spear is slow and the whole experience is like driving a tank through a neighborhood, very rough w/no sense of finesse.. Now, I've got to decide on the right gun at a decent price. Your info helps the process along considerably.

You're right,too, that the gun length is a big concern. The more I think of it, though, the 30lbers are less frequently seen than the 5-10lbers. Seems I could go with a bit shorter gun, maybe a 90cm - 110cm, and get the job done while still allowing me to crawl along the reefs w/o too much fuss.

Schlegs