• Welcome to the DeeperBlue.com Forums, the largest online community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing. To gain full access to the DeeperBlue.com Forums you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:

    • Join over 44,280+ fellow diving enthusiasts from around the world on this forum
    • Participate in and browse from over 516,210+ posts.
    • Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
    • Post your own photos or view from 7,441+ user submitted images.
    • All this and much more...

    You can gain access to all this absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!

Riffe Standard Series #2 Accuracy Test - My version

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

Iyadiver

Mr. Long Post
Apr 22, 2002
998
74
0
Guys,

I been wanting to do extensive testing for my gun and I managed to do it last Saturday. Unfortunately the water visibility got worst thru the day. It started with a "can-see-so-so" the target at 20 feet ( 6 meters ) but as the day progress I was having difficulty aiming at 16.5 feet ( 5 meters ). The test depth is 11 feet. There was a mild surge.

I wanted 2 do this test because I just received my 8mm Hawaiian shaft and I never like this configuration, so I am curious. I also used a 400 lbs mono, something I never tried before, I have been a cable guy. The shooting line is 6 meters ( 20 feet ) or 3 double wraps.

The bands are 9/16" (14mm). The target board is a 6mm ( /4" ) plywood to gauge penetration power. The target sheet is a clear plastic so that I can keep it after the test. The clear plastic is better when I put a white paper underneath, it created the constrast I needed cause the plywood is rather dark underwater.

The 2 shots are taken with 3 bands, not 4 bands. Distance was 4 meters ( 13 feet ) measured from the shaft sharp tip to the target board. Shots taken with 1 hand.

I hope the test will give new guys some idea and hopefully it helps. The penetration at this distance was +-25" (+- 60 cm ). Please don't get me wrong the plywood is only 6mm thick and after the initial +-5" penetration where the flopper ends, it wasn't that difficult to penetrate the plywood because the hole was already created by the sharp point. I am using the 6mm plywood because I think it give a rough idea or comparison to a fish gill. I mean those under 40-50 pounds.

Notice that I drew a circle to indicate "aiming area". I initially wanted to shoot the middle of the + (cross) area but I wanted to shoot more per target sheet, so I aim at the top and for the second photo I aim at the bottom.

What I learn from the test is :

01. The 8mm Hawaiian shaft is superfast, compared to my usual Ice Pick spearhead, also on 8mm (5/16) shaft. It shoot a bit further too. Impact wise I don't know but penetration is better with Hawaiian shaft. Holding power I still like the Ice Pick way far.

02. It is true lighter overall shaft weight does produce less recoil.

03. Mono filament is nice to use but at least twice I it got entangled on my swivel when fired. How it happened, I don't know, never happened 2 me with a 500 lbs coated cable.

04. In order to get maximum accuracy, I think this Hawaiian shaft need a little different aiming technique compared to the Ice Pick. I got to find better water visibility to learn more of this, aiming was a problem last Saturday.



Regards,
IYA:p
 
Second Photo

This test on the same target sheet ( lower portion ) are 4 pencil marked shots with 4 bands and single hand hold at 5 meters ( 16.5 feet ). The penetration on the 6mm plywood is about the same as with the 3 bands. There are 2 other actual shots which falls outside the area of the target sheet. Both are to the right of the target sheet.

There are 2 other shot holes, unmarked with pencil near the + (cross ) intersection. These are 6 meter ( 20 feet ) shots. The first one in the middle of the cross is a beautiful round becuase the shaft penetrated but never far enough to the flopper, in fact if I remember correctly only like 1" ( 2.5 cm ) penetration. This is a very funny finding because the second shot a little to the right did penetrate untill a little of the flopper, that is why the plastic had the ugly damaged hole. I then figured it out that the first shot fell on the area where I placed two black sticker paper to make the cross. Just because of the two extra thickness of sticker paper, it retards penetration ? Or is it because of wood grain on plywood does not have even area of toughness ? I don't know.:confused:

The single hand 4 band shot does produce a significant increase in recoill but since I do it all the time, I find it overall within limits.

I am rather unhappy with the accuracy grouping but power wise I am very happy. I'll try 2 hands shot next time.

Have fun guys. At least I get to pull my trigger quite a few times last weekend. :duh

IYA :martial
 
He he he ....

The second target looks like your shooting's about as good as Griff's ... hee hee heeee ..... mwhaa ha ha ha ha ..... :D

Pretty good testing you've done there. Thanks for the info !

Have the hawaian shaft you used got a diamond shaped or round tip? I've found that the diamond or tri-cut tips aren't very accurate if they're not done well or have been abused. Post some pics of your rig as well - just to give us an idea of what exactly you've got.

And tell me alittle more about the cable - sounds hectic. Why / how etc ...

Shot bru,
Riaan
 
SAS/Riaan,

Will take some photo of my rig to show you for info. In the mean time I scan the atual parts below with my scanner. I do not yet have a digital camera, all 35mm SLR.

I am curious on the RA accuracy. Have u ever done actual test like this to document its accuracy ?

Don't you think it will be best for all of us to show how our different guns perform for entertainment and info sake. Even the same gun shooting different shaft,spearhead and shooting line configuration will turn out differently. Distance too play a big part.

This way we can combine the best of everyone's brains on rigging and perhaps how to hold a powerful speargun.


I am trying to figure out how to aim correctly. I mean shooting from 4 meters is not the same as from 6 meters. For the time being I aim with the shaft tip rather upwards to compensate for 4 powerband recoil/muzzle kick upwards. With 2 or 3 bands milder power this seems not the best way to aim. I want to find an aiming method like how we shoot real guns where the trajectory compensation can be done with ease. The problem is speargun has no sighting units like land guns. Any idea ??

3 items on photo. All from Riffe parts.

01. Hawaiian shaft 8mm

02. 400 lbs Mono, I crimped myself. I like leaving a little of the end cause mono slipped easily and always failed at the crimp during tug of war.

03. 500 lbs coated cable, I crimped myself. This cable have taken A LOT of fish on the wrecks. Easy on the hand but not on the pocket. Doesn't kink unless like mine after so much abuse and fishes landed.





Enjoy,
IYA
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oops ...

Looks like I nuke your photo .... let's retry .....
 

Attachments

  • riffe- cable mono hawaiian.jpg
    riffe- cable mono hawaiian.jpg
    48.6 KB · Views: 350
DeeperBlue.com - The Worlds Largest Community Dedicated To Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing

ABOUT US

ISSN 1469-865X | Copyright © 1996 - 2024 deeperblue.net limited.

DeeperBlue.com is the World's Largest Community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving, Ocean Advocacy and Diving Travel.

We've been dedicated to bringing you the freshest news, features and discussions from around the underwater world since 1996.

ADVERT