Specialized guns

[Oldsarge]

Since I now have what I think is a really general gun, suitable for most everything off the California Coast, I an now giving some little thought to more specific types/styles/sizes/etc. Even though I will likely in the next couple of years cut my gun safe down to two rifles and two or three shotguns, I am a little worried about acquiring a whole damned garage-full of spearguns so I am trying to stay a flexible as possible. The day I need a Bluewater cannon is either far off or will never come but I can see real use for a rock-and-cave gun. I would see this as one that can throw a short but heavy spear into grouper/snapper/hogfish and the like at short ranges and without too much worry of seeing the spear bent into expensive uselessness. Any suggestions for either a off-the-shelf or ideas about a custom built? What about rollerguns?

Thanx,

 

[OregonSpearo]

Any suggestions for either a off-the-shelf or ideas about a custom built? What about rollerguns?
Thanx,

90 cm gun are a good compromise between range and handling. For the NW which is similar to NorCal I use a 90cm Beuchat Mundial, a JBL rail and an Imersion reel. For shore hunting the stock band is plenty. With the JBL rail two bands give extra range if needed.
If you have wood working tools, also make yourself a mahogany or teak 100-110 cm barrel with a rail, and drill 2 holes for double bands. You can then swap out the stock Beuchat handle, 130 spear and reel to use on either barrels. The Beuchat handles are female so wood barrels fit in nicely, and they are bulletproof. Rather than a second speargun, a spare barrel takes little room in storage.

 

[Old Man Dave]

What the f##ks going on

[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=66020"]Specialized guns[/ame]

 

[Oldsarge]

I posted the same question in both threads so as to get answers from both sides of the Atlantic. It seemed like a good idea at the time . . .

 

[sickbugs]

the rock and cave gun, allways a puzzler

i have a 90cm beuchat also, with single dessault 16mm bands, definately not a rock and cave gun !! let me relate a short story about what happened to me 3 days ago.

the sea was clear, calm, and we were diving a 55 foot ledge thats a fairly short swim away, i saw a really nice snapper, but didnt take the shot, bad range and my 35 foot floatline was bone tight to the surface, so, i came up, unclipped the floatline and looped it through a rock at the top of the ledge, and went down to the bottom, to do a short wall aspetto, with the wishbone hooked into the first notch of the spear. well, the snapper was hiding right next to me literally, in a small cave, and as soon as i started to head back for the surface, i saw him swim out and head into a larger cave, this was good, i figured, because now i knew exactly where he was, and he still wasnt acting very spooked, just a bit cautious of me. i set the gun to the 2nd notch, did my breathup, went back down, and came along the bottom of the ledge and put myself in position looking into the cave, well, it was deeper than i thought, and i didnt want to get too close because i didnt know how deep it was, and about 20 seconds into the aspetto, a black margate (we call 'em porgys here) showed his face.. i took the shot, straight through his head and into the rock, went to retrieve him (stoned) and found that the spear had punched through the rock, into a cave inside, the flopper toggled open, and, despite my attempts to retrieve it with 6 dives, i couldnt get it out.. the spear is still out there stuck in the rock

i didnt expect that to happen, its never happened to me before, and might never happen again, but i dont think i'll be using the 90 as a cave gun anymore, i have a short beuchat, i think about 55-60cm barrel length, with a 6.5mm stainless steel spear, and single 16mm bands, with a single wrap of cord, i feel comfortable shooting anything 4 feet away from the speartip, and even though i worry about it a lot, i allways get great penetration, ive taken some really nice sized snappers on it, along with some big (5 lb) margates, all of my bigger fish have been head shots so far, with the flopper getting all the way through the fish. my friend uses a beuchat 75 as a cave gun, 6.5 spear, single 16mm bands also, and hasnt had any problems with it, and even uses it regularly for mackerel and other free swimming fish. i'd say that the 75 could take on anything that the 90 could, and is much better in a cave, and the shorter one is even better in a cave, but a bit of a bother when trying to get closer to fish in the open.