Rob Allen 70

[Erik]

I bought this new this year. I can't hit the broad side of a barn with it. I am a good shot for the most part, very accurate with an OMER T-20 and a Beuchat Carbon 95. Hell I could even shoot stuff with my JBL 22! 6 shots I've taken with this RA and every shot was high; 3 fish now swimming around with little notches just behind their heads and 3 others still roaming unscathed
I have since talked to 2 other owners of the same gun who report the same thing. Is there a fix? Am I out 200$ and change?
Thanks for any help.

 

[Spear0Joe]

You say it shoots high, have you adjusted the barb/flopper at all? my friend had a rob allen with a double barb spear that shot high. Try tweaking the barb.

My 2 cents

Joe

 

[Erik]

Thanks Joe; it's got a single flopper that is underneath I believe.

 

[jtkwest]

constuct an under water target. a 2 liter bottle 1/2 full of water tied to a string and a weight works well once, (till you put a hole in it) have someone watch from the side view position to make sure everything is normal ,(muzzle flip, etc.) then you will know exactly what is going on. or you COULD just aim lower! (kidding(sorta)) seriously, building a target is a great idea. you can improve your aim more in one hour, than most people do all season.

 

[Erik]

I'll do that jtkwest. I have done some target shooting in the past and it was helpful.

In any case, I still have a gun that I know shoots high, based on mine and others' experiences. I wonder if I could change the muzzle or change the shaft to a flopper-on-top or anything else anyone's done or thought of? It feels like a good gun in my hands... just needs a twist to make it a Machine Of Death.

 

[Tomy Suero]

Hello! Which diameter band are you using? If it is 19mm or 18mm, try a 17 mm or a good 16mm band such as dessault or riffe. I think it will help a lot.

Tomy

 

[TOOmas]

I have the same gun and shoot with a single 20mm band. Seems to shoot right on target for me. Although maybe I'm a horrible shot and the high shot is helping me without me realizing

 

[kevind]

Hi Erik
I have about 12 Rob Allens ranging from 70cm to 1.4m. For the shorter guns (70cm to 1m) I had the same problem at first. The lip of the barb on the RA spears is quite pronounced. Like Joe said, try tweaking it a bit. I use a +-7mm spear with either the barb on top, or flatten the lip of the barb a bit if using an RA spear. These are now very accurate. I havn't had good results with thinner spears (6.5mm and under).
I only find this necessary on the short guns. I think the longer guns have a nice flat trajectory with the existing RA spears. I also always use a single thick rubber (18-20mm). This is what works for me.
Of course target practice is always good advise to see how adjustments are working.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Kevin

 

[Erik]

Thanks agian dudes, that's all good stuff there. I bought the gun because of how good they are touted to be, and want it to work.

 

[Amphibious]

Erik & I discussed this on our recent north island trip. I have an RA 70 as well that consistently shoots high. my 110RA was a lazer and stoned everything I pointed it at.

I've since put a Hammer Head Reef muzzle on it with 2x 14mm bands, and while I'm satisfied with the power and ease of loading, it still shoot high.

 

[hteas]

I've run into 2 problems that have had me shooting my RAs high.
The first was that I aimed along the side of the gun with an old RA 140, and focused on the upper band, not the tube. Since the band isn't parallel with the spear, the spear went high. On my new RA90 I shot high the first time I used it. It has a 120 cm shaft (shorter and easier to manuver) with a 6.5 shaft and a 16 mm band. I flattened the lip on the flopper and am waiting for decent weather to test it. Based on an adjustment made to RA shafts during Hawaii Skin Diver gun tests, it should now be doing fine.

 

[hteas]

I used my RA 90 on Saturday, having made really sure that the flopper was pounded down flat. it still shot high. I guess my next step is to contact Rob and see whether he has any ideas.
On the other side, I had one shot on a 10 lb (4.5 kg) rockfish that was trying to swim away. The shaft went through over a foot (30 cm) of tissue. He didn't get away, and I was really impressed with the penetration with a 16 mm band and a 6.5 mm shaft.

 

[Erik]

I've made some adjustments too, but haven't had the gun out yet.
A 10 lb Rockfish? Very nice sir. Which rockfish? The biggest Black I've shot was half that- I'd love to see something bigger.

 

[hteas]

It was a black (S. melanops). They do get big up here, and there's less fishing pressure than further south. I should admit, though, that its' the largest, by a couple of pounds, that I've speared here. Mostly we get 5-7 lb fish (blacks and duskys), with a few up to 8 lb.

 

[DafyddRees]

RA does not make spearguns, he makes laserguns. I have a 90 which shoots a very rapid spear and true to the penny. It may be a case of adjusting to individual guns.

 

[Erik]

RA does not make spearguns, he makes laserguns.

Maybe he does for the most part, then again maybe the odd one has a flaw. 6 people on this thread agreed that these guns can shoot high. My Beuchat is the closest thing to a laser I've used- I point it at things and they die, but if 6 people say their Beuchat shoots high, I wouldn't declare all Beuchat guns perfect based on my own experience with my one gun.

I'm determined to work on it- I've changed the angles on the spear and shaved down the barb. I'll take it out and target-practice it and hopefully after that it proves that it's a weapon.

 

[DafyddRees]

I wouldn't declare all Beuchat guns perfect based on my own experience with my one gun.

Neither would I mate and I did not mean to cause offence? I know my Seatec (which is my first choice gun) took me along time to get the accuracy right but now I know I have to aim about an inch above in order to hit a target at ~2m now. I am just saying, maybe that is how your gun shoots and maybe you need to adjust your style to it.

 

[Erik]

Neither would I mate and I did not mean to cause offence? I know my Seatec (which is my first choice gun) took me along time to get the accuracy right but now I know I have to aim about an inch above in order to hit a target at ~2m now. I am just saying, maybe that is how your gun shoots and maybe you need to adjust your style to it.

Thanks amigo!
Believe me, I'm the first to say that it's me, not RA at fault, based on his reputation: I bought this gun because of all the positive stuff I've read.
I know that all weapons take adjusting to, but in my mind, I should be able to look down the shaft at a target and hit it, right out of the box.
Next time I'm out I'll work on it and see where I get.
Cheers,
Erik

 

[hteas]

After shooting high again last week with my 90 I started really looking at it. The middle of the spear was not touching the rail, it was up by a couple of centimeters. I exchanged the shaft with the spare and found no float. I haven't tried it yet, but hope this will cure the problem. Both shafts were new, and there is no obvious bend to the problematic one. Threre's just enough apparent bend to it to lift the middle, and presumably cause problems while in flight. We'll see when I get a chance to get it out again.
The other possiblilty for me is that I'm using 120 x 6.5 shafts. They are supposed to be fine, but may be causing some sort of problem.
Howard

 

[Mr. X]

I would tend to suspect myself first before the gun. Although barbs are sometimes out & spears can be bent in transit, I would think long and hard before starting to hammer away at them. The factories usually do a good job. Also, humans are surprisingly adaptable, it took me a while to get used to using the Omer XXV after the RA railgun.

Erik do you normally shoot guns this short? A short gun would exaggerate any vertical issues you might get away with on a longer gun. Also, you aiming technique might assume a certain length of gun. Do you aim down the side of the barrel? That's the normal way with an RA, although "hip shots" and both eyes open are probably universal. Are you more used to guns with a loading butt? Loading butts usually require you to aim along the top of the barrel as the loading butt will mess-up along-the-side aiming.

I would drop Rob Allen a line before getting the hammer out (via www.roballen.co.za). I think he may have already posted on a similar issue on this forum.