Looking for some Euro Gun advice

No experience in your waters but a minimum 120cm, 2 5/8 bands, short wishbone with a 7mm shaft. 20ft from the gun will be tough without adding more mass to or overpowering it.

Who knows, in the end you might end up with something approximating a wood gun.

Where do you measure 20' from?

I've never seen a euro take more than two bands. Except for the Aimrite king venom. If you put enough lead into the barrel the gun will handle the recoil. But then you're defeating the purpose of a euro in terms of maneuverability, and might as well go with a wood gun. I think two 16mm bands and a 7 - 7.5mm shaft is as far as a pipe gun can go. Then to increase power and range all you can do is increase band stretch to as much as you can comfortably load and track. So basically what Davie said. And I don't have experience in your waters either.

if you are talking about 20' from your shoulder, you are fine, 20 from the spear tip and, no sir.

I re-itterate the above advice...I like two 5/8 bands and a 7.5 mm spear.

I have hit mack as they were leaving the scene at about 20-22' from my body, but then i have my outstretched arm (2-3') my 120cm gun and the 40cm of spear overhang...so it i a lot more like a 10-12' shot.

I would suggest that you borrow a 120 rob allen, aimright, or pelaj and dive with it...ifyou find it does what you want as far as ease of hiking out of water and tracking in the water, then see if meets your expectations underwater. The gun will have the accuracy to hit those shot, but possibly not the punch at that range.

I am not experienced w the riffe euros, but they might be the best compromise for you, still more like a pipegun than a gil or other teak slab, but still enough mass to power it up a bit.

length depends on what you're comfortable with, i don't like anything longer than a 130cm because i have a hard time turning it but i know people that swear by long rear handle guns.

if by "euro" you mean a pipe gun i think 130-140cm range will get you close to that range with a 7 or 7.5mm shaft and 2 16mm bands. there are a few "euros" that shoot 3 14mm bands.

if you want the most power you can get form a "euro" you're going to have to step up to a cf or wood version that has some mass and can handle 3 16mm bands but it's going to cost you plenty.

steve

i like the new Rob Allens w the steal sear. Monster Slayer loves his Venom.

hau dove with a 130 RA carbon for a while, maybe he'll chime in about it

Quote from LunkerBuster

i like the new Rob Allens w the steal sear. Monster Slayer loves his Venom.

hau dove with a 130 RA carbon for a while, maybe he'll chime in about it

Lunkerbuster, can you tell me a little more about the new Rob Allen steal sear? I don't know if we are talking about the same thing but I thought the Rob Allen Vecta handle came with it it.

correct, I was just saying a new Rob Allen, not one of the older ones

doesnt the vecta bring a ss sear??? i thought only the cartridge housing and line release were plastic.

From the RA website.

nice Dan, thanks.

I like longer 140 and 150 Euros a lot for most all bluewater fish except for Big Tuna. 2 x 5/8 bands and a 7.5 or 8 mm shaft.

I would consider the Mako Oceanic 140 with 3 14mm bands and open muzzle. I would NOT get that shaft - I would try to find one with a full shark fin, 7mm or 7.2mm

Mako Oceanic has the larger barrel - 28 mm ID - and that helps with the recoil.

Mako has shafts with regular size fins, he just hasn't updated his website yet but he does.

Mike, for your purposes, I'd say 120 or 130cm. 130 if you're anticipating better vis.
There's only one spot I can think of where I've seen YT somewhat consistently off PV... I could see using a 130 there.

For general railguns, brand really doesn't matter too much - they're pretty homogenous as far as shooting ability. They're all very similar in the band/shaft configurations. There are some nuances - I like the Mako barrel for strength, but it's also really heavy relative to others. I like the RA open muzzle better than the Mako. Both have good shafts. Lots of personal preferences.

fuzz, do you prefer a carbon or an aluminum barrel, and why?

Quote from Dan

fuzz, do you prefer a carbon or an aluminum barrel, and why?

Carbon, cause it's pretty.

Really, it doesn't matter so much. As anal as I am about gear, it's performance first. At the end of the day, I just want a balanced gun that shoots consistently. The band/shaft configuration is what's really important. The balance is the second in my priorities. My ideal gun is a stiff carbon fiber gun, but balanced to be more neutral.

What kind of balance do you look for? Do you expect a carbon gun to be balanced the way you like out of the box or will you add ballast if necessary?