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Question about accuracy in long vs short spear

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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John Marr

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2007
67
9
98
Hello,
I am still optimizing my selfmade railgun, trying to figure out if a longer or a shorter spear delivers better accuracy if given the same barrel length and rubbers.
I am comparing 115 vs 85 cm at the moment. Obviously with the longer one I can get a bit closer but the shorter one has way better maneuverability, especially with fish like Cero which might come very close at times.
I guess the longer spear would hold its path in the water a bit better, right?
 
Might be the opposite as the 85 cm spear will have less shaft wobble.
 
Shorter will be more rigid and less prone to shaft whip, but have less mass and sometimes people don't like the short overhang because it gives a different sight picture. On personal guns I usually prefer to go to a short overhang but slightly larger diameter shafts
 
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Hmm, also I am a rather small guy, so loading shorter guns is easier.
I shall try a 7mm maybe.
Did you do some comparisons?
 
I thought you were asking whether a longer or shorter spear in the same size gun made a difference
 
Come to any conclusions?
For me, the gun and shaft length both can cause instability. I tried to use a 120x6.5 shaft on a 90cm Rob Allen gun with horrible results. It was both inaccurate and noisy. I shifted to a 130x6.5 and suddenly everything was back to wonderful.
I have a 60cm Rob Allen for poor vis, and it has a 90x6.3 that is very accurate.
My guess is that changing the power of a gun, brand and model, shaft length and diameter, probably shaft material, and magic all play a role.
 
Subjectively I feel more accurate when using a longer gun/spear. But I often spear in poor vis., In such conditions a shorter gun/spear feels more manoeuvrable and a better choice. I think 40cm longer than the barrel length is normal to prevent droop in the middle but obviously less critical for railguns and shorter barrel lengths. But I note that RA railguns ship with +40cm spears.

My current spearguns came with, I believe, +35cm spears. I like that for my 75cm speargun, seems less appropriate for the 90cm speargun but both work well.
 
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