Riffe 4x

You are a little confused and I'll try to clear it up.

The competitor series (C) is a line of lighter guns as opposed to the standard series, the stock is thinner. So the model you're looking at is C4X

The X stands for the butt extension which means the C4X is a hip loading gun as opposed to the C4 which would be a chest loading gun. I like hip loaders.

The S stands for an upgrade of a 5/16 shaft, a threaded tip, and a third power band. All of which you don't need so forget about the S. The threaded tip is too heavy and so is the shaft. A 9/32 is good for our kind of hunting unless you're consistently going after fish in the 50lb range and even then there are advantages to the 9/32. You can buy a third band at minimal cost for the 9/32 shaft set up, it works very well. You could also scrap the 9/16 bands and use two 5/8 bands like some of us do. It reduces loading time and has almost the same power as three 9/16 bands. The range is also dependent on the number of wraps of mono. You can easily re rig the gun for two wraps of mono instead of the one that comes with the C4X (no S).

So in conclusion you should be looking at the C4X if at all.

Next thing is how tall are you? I'm 6ft and the C4X is just outside my comfort range for hip loading. Meaning when I put the butt on my hip I can't reach the bands.

The C4 is also the only gun out of the competitor series that has a beefier stock than the rest. This means swimming with it for a long time your grip will get more tired than with the other competitor series guns.

I would use the C4 for blue water hunting here in Florida not reef hunting. It may however be a little light for that application.

The classic gun for our waters out of the Riffe lineup is the C3 or the C3X depending on whether you like hip or chest loading.

Used Riffe guns are just as good as new. You may want to look at a used one and save yourself some money. Maybe Oscar will want to sell his.

Dan has pointed out very important features about the c4 and c4x. I have the C3, and i am very happy with it, i guess i would be happier with the butt extension of the x series. I think the C4 would be an awesome all around gun, with both reef and bluewater hunting capabilities. The only downside is that´s a gun for big fishes (over 50 pounds) so it´s a bit overkill in must situations. I have a Standard 4 that is 61, and is a dust collector, I seldom use it, yet is a pretty capable and accurate gun. If you have the dough, go for the standard 3. That´s the best all around speargun ever produced, and still it will hold a candle against ANY production or even must custom guns around.

By the way, don´t buy the 3 bands myth. Most spearguns shoot perfect with 2 5/8 bands and a 9/32 shaft. Time after time, World records had been broken with that set up (Marlin, dogthoot, Wahoo, pargo, grouper and such) 3 9/16 are the next best thing, but you need a beefer gun. An expensive custom gun will allow you to fire a 3/8 shaft, propelled by 6 bands with ease, but it´s too cumbersome and intented for tuna hunting.

Lets get this on track. Do you want to chest or hip load?

Then why would you need a rest tab and finish loading with your chest? Hip loading is done in one motion. You can feasibly use the same technique as chest loading and grab the bands then push the butt into place on your hip (in the case that you can't reach the bands when the butt is already on your hip) but to me that's defeating the purpose which is the convenience of hip loading. I want the longest possible hip loading gun where I can reach the bands when the butt is on my hip. I'm 6' but I have proportionally longer arms. I can go longer than a C3X but the C4X is too long. So I made an in between size (custom gun).

The gun for you would be a C4X then if you can handle the size. I would say the C3X is a better choice. It's not always about power, more often it's about ease of use and besides the C3X has plenty of power. Pantoja on this forum got this 49lb grouper and this 40lb cuda with a C3X and two 5/8 bands. You can see the gun at the bottom of the second pic.

seaweed's friend Kris (apneaspearo) also uses a C3 and got some very big fish.

You can't have a gun that will do everything. I would use three guns. A short 70cm gun for holes and really bad viz, a 120 for reef and occasional big pelagics that might cruise through, and a dedicated bluewater gun which I haven't defined yet but will probably be bigger than a C4X if I ever get around to it.

Don't worry about range at this time. With two wraps of line on a C3 you can get 20' range and good power with two 5/8 bands. You will find however that %99 of your shots will be under 15'.

Quote from monster slayer

I have the C3, and i am very happy with it, i guess i would be happier with the butt extension of the x series.

I think you could easily make an extension for that gun. It will look something like this.

Great post Dan, the C3 is the thing. Riffe´s more versatile and sought after speargun. Every spearo must have one in his arsenal. ( Is there any Floridians that doesn´t have one? ) Great neat mid size gun. By the way, the gun i have was rigged for "light bluewter" And The Hatler- man, has landed a bunch of yelowtail and Wahoo with it.

Quote from seahunter49

You can't have a gun that will do everything. I would use three guns. A short 70cm gun for holes and really bad viz, a 120 for reef and occasional big pelagics that might cruise through, and a dedicated bluewater gun which I haven't defined yet but will probably be bigger than a C4X if I ever get around to it.

Don't worry about range at this time. With two wraps of line on a C3 you can get 20' range and good power with two 5/8 bands. You will find however that %99 of your shots will be under 15'.

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That would be a Riffe Standard 4 or five. Superb spearguns. I traded my Wong Magnum hybrid for it, and i am very happy with the trade.

This is a great article, about a Riffe C4X...

http://www.bluewaterhunter.com…ps/techtips_robriffe.html

congratulations!1 you won´t regret ...

did i mentioned that it is a superb speargun??

Congrats, good choice. Once you familiarize yourself with the gun you'll move on to things like rigging the mono and tying the bands yourself. When you get the gun the first thing you should do is remove the safety. Don't forget to post a pic of the first fish you get with it, even if they're not huge

What happened with the C3x? Did you liked it?

i have 1 SPEARGUN...a Riffe Baja Plus. ive shot almost everything from as small as 2-3lb spanish mackerel up to 400lb grouper. i just find ways to work with what i have so i make the gun work for me, cant complain.................... I LOVE MY RIFFE!:thumbsup2:

I remember when I was awed by Riffe. So much fun I had with my first big boy speargun, some of my best early spearfishing experiences. Riffe does make a good speargun. If they changed the handle it would be almost perfect. Khalel, a Riffe standard is a lot of wood to lug around no? But you're a big guy

it is a lot of wood but as u said Dan....im a big boy...6'6 220lbs with a 7ft wingspan but all in all, i guess i was fortunate to have chosen the right gun and have it work for me. Riffes are expensive here in T&T so ive learnt to use what ive got and make it work....and boy does it work!

It's interesting to read you guy's opinions of the Riffe comp guns. Over hear on the left coast, a lot of the folks I talk to say if you want an accurate gun, go with a Euro pipe gun, and really don't consider the Riffe comps as "accurate" guns. They say if you want an accurate Riffe, go with the Euro series.
I have two Riffes. The first one I bought is a used 44" teak midhandle that I set up with a 9/32" single flopper shaft and two 9/16" bands. Never could get consistently accurate with that gun, but I think it's just that I'm not a good midhandle shooter. The second Riffe I bought last season is a little comp-0 that I use for bad vis and hole hunting in NorCal. I'm more accurate with that than the midhandle, and for me it's been a good little gun.
What a lot of folks over here do is carry two guns on a freedive. One is a short, (60-75cm) gun for holes and bottom fish, and a long, (90cm) gun for free swimming Olive rockfish. I have a pair of Rob Allens, (70 and 90cm), and they're great guns. However I just like the quality, look, and feel of the Riffe teak guns. If I thought I could shoot a comp-2 as accurately as my RA 90, I'd probably make the change.
Ron.