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Shooting line length

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 just have been re-rigging my gun and I was wondering if I should extend the shooting line beyond the three times barrel length.
The gun has a 1,10m spear and a reel, thus with the »normal« shooting line configuration the line would be roughly 3m long before being connected to the shock absorber and than the reel.
Even though I have a two rubber configuration which generates quite some force I am not sure if any shot beyond the 3m would be possible with some reasonable precision, if dealing with regular, non giant, fish....
Any ideas?
 
Hey mate, A double wrap is definitely an option, but it does come with a fair few setbacks. On my old Freedivers gun I had a double wrap, but since upgrading to a Pathos, I'm going to stick with a standard single wrap. If you have an open muzzle on your gun, it does make loading a lot more awkward, as you have to hold pressure along the line whilst loading. If you have a closed muzzle, you don't have to worry as much. Also check where your line release is, and what type. If it is a small rod sticking out of the top, don't bother, it is super annoying to wrap the mono on those things. If your release is on the side or bottom though, look into it. Even if you can't shoot the whole double wrap, it is still peace of mind that you did not miss that fish because your mono is to short.
 
Thanks.
Well I am toting a Rob Allen style rail gun, so open muzzle.
I just realized that to test, I'd just need to fire it underwater and see if I get a significant jerk once the line is fully extended, no?
If no jerk, line is long enough. Or am I missing something?
cheers!
 
Thanks.
Well I am toting a Rob Allen style rail gun, so open muzzle.
I just realized that to test, I'd just need to fire it underwater and see if I get a significant jerk once the line is fully extended, no?
If no jerk, line is long enough. Or am I missing something?
cheers!
I doubt you would be able to shoot to the end of the line anyway, you might get an extra meter or so max. How long is your gun?
 
Ok. Honestly, with that length, I would not bother. the range of that gun is made to shoot smaller fish on a reef. If you upgrade to say, a 110 or 120, then I would consider it, but just not worth the extra effort for that sized gun.
 
Well, I do get some bluewater fish with it. However, there I can usually get close.
Btw: I made the gun from Rob Allen parts to my liking, so it was made not only with smaller reef fish in mind :)
Will check for the jerking and then see.
 
Sure. Good luck mate, let me know how it goes. What rubbers do you have on the thing?
 
I have two 14mm blue rob allen rubbers. fully stretched to the end of the spear on it.
Optionally I have 16mm rubbers at hand, but they did not feel lke adding too much of more punch when I tried them.
 
I think that for that gun one wrap is probably enough, but I struggle with the same question. On a couple of my longer guns, I feel that one wrap is enough for most shots I'd take, but I worry that sometimes I might want just a bit more shooting line. But two wraps is way more than I'd ever need, and its just more mess to deal with, especially if its all wrapped up in thick kelp on the bottom. So on my Ulusub 155 (about 61" gun length for those of us in the backward colonies) I've gone for 1.5 wraps by putting a line anchor about half way up the bottom of the gun.

Of course you need a wood gun to screw stuff like that on, but that's one more reason I prefer wood guns. I've drilled multiple holes in every gun I've owned for years.

But that's another discussion. :)
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I think that for that gun one wrap is probably enough, but I struggle with the same question. On a couple of my longer guns, I feel that one wrap is enough for most shots I'd take, but I worry that sometimes I might want just a bit more shooting line. But two wraps is way more than I'd ever need, and its just more mess to deal with, especially if its all wrapped up in thick kelp on the bottom. So on my Ulusub 155 (about 61" gun length for those of us in the backward colonies) I've gone for 1.5 wraps by putting a line anchor about half way up the bottom of the gun.

Of course you need a wood gun to screw stuff like that on, but that's one more reason I prefer wood guns. I've drilled multiple holes in every gun I've owned for years.

But that's another discussion. :)View attachment 53742

Mate, that's genius. looking at building a bluewater canon soon, and might have to consider this.
 
Of course you need a wood gun to screw stuff like that on, but that's one more reason I prefer wood guns. I've drilled multiple holes in every gun I've owned for years.

But that's another discussion
Hello Bill. Thanks for the input. I will definitely try this in case I will still feel a significant jerk once the line is extended.
As for the wood: Well, yes, I surely would prefer a wooden gun, but I am currently using my travel gun which can be broken down in smaller pieces.
I can however use screws as well and just fill the holes with epoxy glue in case I decide otherwise.
 
Re. 1.5 wraps, some years ago I saw a plastic/composite "sharkfin" product designed to be attached under the barrel, much like Bill's little metal "bracket". I think it was intended for euroguns/railguns, rather than Woodies. Don't recall how it was attached, epoxy perhaps or maybe screws sealed with silicone?

I think it was on a Hawaiian or other American website but I may be mistaken.
 
Here is a photo of a shark fin line guide from Neptonics, although it screws on just like the other one on the bottom of the gun. Its a loading helper. I usually use the ones like the one on the bottom for this purpose but this case I thought I might try an articulated wishbone on the third band to improve the sight line, and I thought the metal wishbone would sit on it better than on the other wider line guide.

About 22 years ago when I got my first guns from Daryl Wong in Hawaii, he was sticking a stainless half wrap pin in the front of the wood butts on his hybrids. I liked it, but he quit doing it, possibly because he started cutting the front of the butts at a nice angle. As long as you could seal it, something like these would work fine on a pipe gun.

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So, I did the test today and when shooting I can definitely feel the pull when the line is extended. However it dos not feel strong enough to believe it still would have enough power to penetrate a fish.
But it still could make the difference of getting the flopper through, so I am going to try to incorporate the mentionend half-turn thingy.
 
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