Some questions for Aquiles

[GoblinShark]

Hey Aquiles, I have a couple of questions that I hope you don't mind answering for me in regard to the rabitech and rob allen guns. You stated that you bought a 120 cm rabitech and Andrsn said that you like the rabitech much better than the rob allen rail gun. What about the rabitech do you like better other than the more comfortable grip? I am looking into getting my first band gun pretty soon and I had a couple of guns in mind to choose from such as the Rob Allen 120 cm or 130 cm, or a Riffe comp 3 but I might include the rabitech in the list. What size fish were you guys shooting with the euro guns over there at the keys? Also what gun do you think I would be more appropriate for keys type spear fishing, a 120 cm - 130 cm euro gun or a Riffe comp 3? Thanks a bunch.
P.S. If anyone else wants to give there opinions please do not hesitate to post them since it could possibly save me a lot of money.

 

[Murat]

My advice is MT4 with 9/32 shaft, enclosed track, 2 or 3 5/8 bands, which suits better environment...Of course its not the cheapest way but think about the how many setup can you do with this gun.If you need more powerfull gun for pelagic hunting just change the shaft for
5/16 and here you go..Always you can add alluminium muzzle wings and so so.....On the other hand with euro gun you have two choice either 6.5 mm shaft with one 20mm or 7mm shaft with twin 16mm(only the top quality euros can handle this).If you think that you will have some swing problem with it then go for Wong Hybrid.If you really want euro, my advice is OMER Alluminium which is as expensive as riffe and wong hybrid.I am also euro gun owner.I bought mine year ago and if i want to change my power bands next summer i must pay 40 dollars for one 20mm....So you see, euro is not as chep as it seen.

 

[Aquiles]

The best gun is the one that works for you. I don't personally
like the Metal tech cause they are negatively bouyant and they are too heavy for a little guy like me to bring up from deep water.
I have both the Rabi, and the C3 riffe. I like the versatility and the quickness of the rabi. I like it better than the RA cause it is much quieter. It has a coating on the barrel and a plastic track that keeps the noise down. I stalk so I need quiet. I hunt grouper and snapper. I also get the occasional kingfish. The shaft that I don't like is the 6.5 I like the 7.0 of the Rabi. I have taken grouper up to thirty pounds on the Riffe c3. The only problem is that any fish if shot wrong will bend any shaft. The longer the gun the easier the shaft will bend. I like the rabi for shallow 30 -80 feet of water cause I have it set up with a reel . Guys like to use floats so I don't like to get tangled. I compromised. For the deep water I set up the C3 with a float and bouy. I like this for the pelagics and other big boys. I will write later. I have a big test tommorrow. So far PassiNG everything. Damn dental school is hard! I will write again later. Thanks for D questions..


Aquiles

 

[icarus pacific]

Different jobs, different hammers. Different fish/depth, different guns. As el cubano poquito, training for Chief of the Chiclets, said, and quite correctly, having two or more guns for different quarry is the way to go. Get a paper route.

If you anticipate needing to swing fast and be quiet about it, give a looong look at a hybrid. If you need to reach out and touch something larger than what's hiding in the holes, and kill it, you can do a lot worse than a Riffe C3.


sven

 

[Iyadiver]

Yep, listen to Uncle Sven. Different "girlfriends" suit different functions and parties.... There's never wrong having more than one. Get one tall blonde , one petite brunette and so on.....

Isn't Aquiles selling his Omer and 130cm Sten pneu ??

 

[GoblinShark]

Guys, I want to thank you all for your input. I don't mind buying an expensive gun as long as it works and the money I spent wasn't wasted on inferior gear. I don't have enough dough to buy both guns; a euro and a Riffe, since I will have to drop a few grand come December to pay for my spring term classes. The reasons that the Rob Allen guns appeal to me is because they are quick under water and from what I've read deadly accurate. I like the Riffe guns because you get a lot of awesome quality gun for the money and you can use a lot of different size shafts, bands, and there are a bunch of add-ons that you can later buy. I liked the metal tech because of all the add-ons mostly like the muzzle and enclosed track. The thing is that I have to pick a gun right now that will work for almost everything that I am going to do while spearing and then after I've been shooting it a while I can get another gun for more specific things. I am only doing about 40 or 50 feet right now while hunting but I hope to get better with time. How accurate is the Riffe effective range chart for their guns? I am hopefully going to give my little bro's euro gun another test run on Saturday if this damn tropical storm doesn't affect the weather too much. I love my little pneumatic for close shots. This thing will shoot about 8 or 9 feet with no problem and is deadly accurate but I don't like all the noise it makes when a shot is made.

 

[Iyadiver]

Riffe shooting range chart is honest, just like Kitto and Alexander. The JBLs are the clowns. However, I would want you to take it as though as a 20 lbs is the target not some big and thick fish. I have 3 Riffes and I know a bit of the truth of their range. If u want safety, use that range chart but add another band, that shud be fine.

No manufaturer yet tell us what is the term of effective means, 6 mm plywood penetration as reference or 10mm plywood ?? Hit a 30 lbs fish ?, where?, spine ?....gills ?, or some soft flesh ?

Do bear in mind that thinner shaft has little impact, thus the effective range is based on a fish size to suit that thin shaft. It will be ironic if we were to assume a Comp #1 effective range were to assume to shoot say a 40 lbs tuna. On the other hand the Riffe #Island would do that without problem based on its chart.

I am one of the sick person here that uses plywood penetration as my own reference and I tell you one thing :

Given the same bands configuration on a gun, if those bands are PLENTY enough, 9/32 shaft swapped with a 3/8" will turn ur gun from a 22 caliber to a 45 caliber.....YEP. Then u gun will be muzzle heavy ( some models ), swing slower & significant recoil ( all models ).....can't win everything.

Experiment is the key. I have some good data of my own if u need any.

Good Luck.

 

[Murat]

Single Wrap -2 Bands Double Wraps- 3 Bands

Comp 3: 13.5 feet-4.11 meter 20 feet-6.10 meter
Comp 4: 15.5feet- 4.72 meter 23 feet- 7.01 meer
MT 3 : 13.5-4.11 20-6.10
MT4 : 15.5-4.11 23-7.01



These are taken from Riffe Catalog and not tested by myself :duh

 

[icarus pacific]

for the time being

go look on ebay.

Give a gander at the OMER website, as their guns seem to be pretty wel liked by those that use them :girlie t ) and by all means go look long at the Wong and Yakooji hybrids at HanaPaa and hawaiian Skin Diver. They're rapidly becoming my tool for the close-in stuff.


sven

 

[Murat]

I wrote a mail to the both Daryl Wong and Rick Bettua two week ago and still no info.May be i should ask some of these questions to you; good and reliable speros....

1-Is it possible to order closed track Hybrid from Wong?
2-Can 55 inch Wong hybrid can reach 20 feet accurate range with suitable config?
3-Since it will cost lot of money to ship the gun from hawaii to here.I must look some international dealers if they have?If they haven't. What will be the shipping price to ship the gun to London?I have parents there.

I found new dive buddy.He has a zodiac boat.If i covince him to use it...I may need new long range gun soon
MY first choice was Wong Hybrid but i really feel bad that they don't reply me back.

Second option is RIFFE they have dealer here but i am not allowed to pass the beyond of the border and visit the dealer to buy the gun.Some poletical shits here...

I am thinking about the MT4.My question is:I think to put two 5/8 bands with 9/32 shaft as a general seteup.But in some cases i may want to put three 5/8 bands on it.But if i load 9/32 shaft that much it will loose accuracy.So does the enclosed track ignore this?It must, but i wanted to ask more experianced speros before the decision.

 

[rigdvr]

Murat...food for thought, the Wong hybrid and the MT #4 are 2 different worlds of guns...you may ask Sven as I believe he has both an MT4 with aluminum muzzle and a hybrid of his own creation that looks very similar to a wong. Just be aware of how large the MT4 really is...it is a stout gun for sure! I just added the aluminum muzzle to mine and it is now a full fledged beast. Anyway, your choices seemed so different and that usually means you are not really sure what would suit you best and you should evaluate your needs further! It would be like saying...hmmm, should I get the Hummer or the Ferrari?

 

[icarus pacific]

Very good observation, Rig, though having a Ferrari will get you an occasional Hummer.


sven

 

[Murat]

I know they are completly different but it`s the only option for
me since coldn`t reach wong.As you said MT4 is a bit monster
but i think i can handle it coz i am not a small guy.At least i hope so......

Actually its better to buy comp. series for me but i don`t wanna spend all of my money euro like gun.I really want mid handle gun.
If you think how much setup and upgrade can you do to MT4 rather than comp series.

I am still wanting Wong Hybrid so i must find a way to reach him.
It must be best for me; mid-handle,swet swing,9/32 shaft,multiple bands unfortunatelly doesn`t have enclosed track but no one is perfect.

 

[donmoore]

why JBL are bad?

Iya and all,
What specifically is so bad about JBL? After reading this form, I bought a Riffe Metal Tech for my first gun, and although I am happy with it, I have had the opportunity to use a JBL XHD, on a long-term borrow, since the purchase, as well. I can’t find any quality or design flaw in it. Its accurate, powerful, easy to operate and the flopper tips are much less bulky and heavy than Riffe’s. The accessories are also significantly less expensive.

Sure they make some cheap models and accessories, but is their top-of-line stuff junk?

At this point I would say my Riffe is a better gun, but from my experience now, I couldn’t say it’s worth twice the price.

I don’t mean to ruffle anyone’s feathers. I know that Riffe has a cult like following here. I’m just really curious as to the reasons you don’t like JBL.
Don

 

[icarus pacific]

No sweat, Don.

I have both Riffe and JBL gear and the JBL stuff is the first to get wet when I'm down your way. It's affordable, parts are easy to get, and with the HD and XHD retrofits, the JBL long range stuff is tough tools. I think it's kind of like using a Craftsman wrench or a Snap-On...purely a matter of application, feel and quality. Both will do the job, and after that it's a matter of smoothness.


sven

 

[thin_air]

Originally posted by icarus pacific
...I think it's kind of like using a Craftsman wrench or a Snap-On...purely a matter of application, feel and quality. Both will do the job, and after that it's a matter of smoothness.

craftsman has a better warranty, snap-on has the smoothness factor... and a snap-on just feels good in the hand...

 

[rigdvr]

Don, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the JBL's! Especially for us rig divers where as you know, our gear takes quite a beating. They are that work truck you leave in the field and abuse the hell out of it but it never quits. Riffe and the like, however, are a higher quality of gun(component and construction). Anyways some days you need to drive the pickup truck and leave the Ferrari in the garage...but I'll always take a Hummer
BTW - I still use my JBL Gulf magnum often

 

[Amphibious]

I've used the same JBL NW .38 as my primary shallow reef gun for over 6 years. you can beat that gun up as much as you want and it will still work - for up-close-and-personal stuff I love it. don't care if it gets scratched up. I can hit it with some spray-paint later.

range sucks but more then once it has gone through the side of an oildrum (oops - missed!)- mucho penetration.

Cheap, effective, built to take abuse. not all pretty like my beauchat...

Willer

 

[Murat]

Hummer or Ferrari?

Neither.....

Diablo plz...

Anyway as i mentioned before the winter sesion had came and i must buy my first wetsuit and long blade fins.I went to buy Cressi Grara 200 ld but god damn things don't fit.Actually they did, 44-45 fit well with out booties.45-46 fit well with booties.The problem is i can't dive here with 3mm boots in summer and can't afford the two pair fin.I will go and try OMER Millenium fins 44-46 and hope to fit with both case.Is it possible?I mean all of you guys have two pair of long blade fin?One for with boots and other for summer?

 

[Bill]

booties

Murat
Old trick from S. Californa where the water temperature seldom gets below 15. Take the neoprene sock and cut 8 cm off the front. Put the cut off piece over your toes, put on the fin and put the rest over the fin. Almost as warm and same fin winter and summer.
Bill