Prematurely Pneumatic

  • So, I never gave much thought to pneumatics before. My first real interest was sparked when Don Paul started his Omer project almost two years ago. Everything he did to it turned out amazing and I really enjoyed following that thread, but all I could do was speculate about how one might shoot. Another big draw has been Greekdiver's earlier, pre-Abellen, videos that exhibit some really nice shots. Anyway, I finally got my hands on one and have shot it now probably 80 times in the pool. *the oceans been a washing machine since I got it


    I shoot very poorly in pool-target type situations but no matter how far I am or how small a target I use I cannot miss with this thing.


    I spent today attaching a reel


    First I bought an innertube and stretched a length of it over the barrel near the handle so the reel mount and SS hose clamps would have something to press into. Then I sanded down the reel so that the hose clamps would grab and bring the body of the clamps flush with the gun



    Then I spent 2 hours respooling dyneema onto the reel (the reel isnt at an angle I just had not put the drag knob on while spooling so it is tilting)


    Then I shot it in the pool 20 more times :rolleyes1:


    Something that is going to drive me absolutely crazy are the SS hose clamps. I painted them black and it makes them tolerable, but the paint will last one or two dives max I imagine. I really hate anything silver or shiny (EVERYTHING should be matte black IMO) Other types of clamps wont work because there is a very minimal amount of space between the reel mount and reel spool so only the thin ss hose clamps fit. If anyone knows a way to paint them or make them black that would last I'd be thrilled to know.


    There's my first impressions on this Pnuematic. I would go into details but theres been several threads already on the pros and cons of these guns. I realize I cannot form a real opinion until I get it out in the ocean and interact with some fish, but I just really love the way this thing shoots and feels in the water.


    Either way I believe I've been born again

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

  • Looks great man, can't wait to see it in action.

  • Steven will get the fish, but you won't like how it scares away your fish.


    I likey this post, even though I prefer band guns. Steven, I think you can mark the clamp strip where it engages the screw, and sheath it in shrink tubing up to that point. Or tape around it with self amalgamating tape.

  • Hahahaha you rule


    Lately a lot of my references have been unappreciated, I thought i was getting to obscure. Glad you are picking up what I'm puttin down. That is hilarious


    Have you thought about using the flex epoxy don used on the airbalete as a way to better seat the reel? You could completely cover the black hose clamps thus protecting them

    i like to spear fish

  • Shooting a pneumatic is a lot of fun. The only reason I stopped using them was the shafts. Big fish bend those shafts. You can get dead on accurate with them probably because of such little recoil. My hole gun will always be a pneumatic.

  • Would some big black heavy duty zip ties work instead of hose clamps? Or would they not be strong enough? Some of them are pretty burly and you can get them pretty tight with a pair of pliers. But might not take the abuse. And I don't know what salt water would do to them.

  • Thats actually what I would of liked to have done, I bought the big zipties. The problem was they were too thick to let the reel spool spin freely (they rubbed between the reel base and the spool)

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

  • The only reason I stopped using them was the shafts. Big fish bend those shafts.

    Do you think there'd be an interest in carbon steel pneumatic shafts? I can source them. Problem is the slide ring will take off the coating I think. The only way would be to put the line attachment hole in front of the muzzle. But if I remember right that's how you had it anyways no?

  • Do you think there'd be an interest in carbon steel pneumatic shafts? I can source them. Problem is the slide ring will take off the coating I think. The only way would be to put the line attachment hole in front of the muzzle. But if I remember right that's how you had it anyways no?


    Even the plastic slide rings?

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

  • Looking nice :cool2: Ive been thinking about a pneumatic hole gun for a while. Just a short one. Ive shot a friends larger cressi and found my loading abilities and technique lacking. But its definitely interesting, especially aiming.


    Coming from a railgun what do you think about the loading?

  • Steven picked up the loading quickly, more so because it's a long gun 110cm. But he got good instruction :atongue: and he's got the reach for it. As long as you can reach the loader and grip it well, loading a pneumatic is a cinch.

  • Congratulations on your new kabomGun, gun traversing any fish, those using 8mm shaft have more power.


    That gune can use without reel, with the method (shaft-boy), Shaft-mono-floatline, is a quick way of fishing used in the championships, due to rapid reload and shoot
    :thumbsup2:


    Felicitaciones por tu nuevo kabomGun, son fusiles que atraviesan cualquier pez, los que usan eje 8mm tienen más poder.


    Ese fusil puedes usarlo sin carrete, con el metodo (shaft-boy), Shaft-mono-floatline, es una forma rapida de pesca utilizada en los campeonatos, debido a la rapidez de volver a cargar y disparar.

    Un Hombre tiene que creer en algo.......
    Creo que me iré de pesca!!!

  • Looking nice :cool2: Ive been thinking about a pneumatic hole gun for a while. Just a short one. Ive shot a friends larger cressi and found my loading abilities and technique lacking. But its definitely interesting, especially aiming.


    Coming from a railgun what do you think about the loading?


    As Dan said, the loading came really easy. I'd much rather load this thing than that 20mm band on my 120. We will see once I get some time shooting fish with it how my outlooks changes, but as of now I'm smitten

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

  • I am curious about how much maintenance and upkeep is required over time compared to zero with a band gun.


    Go kill something


    So you never change out the shooting line or bands?;):D
    I have a friend that tested pneumatic guns with me for ScubaPro that just changed his piston seals and oil last year after 18 years of use. I'm a little better on the maintenance


    Cheers, Don.

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

  • So you never change out the shooting line or bands?;):D
    I have a friend that tested pneumatic guns with me for ScubaPro that just changed his piston seals and oil last year after 18 years of use. I'm a little better on the maintenance


    Cheers, Don.


    thats music to my ears Don :)
    After seeing the internals of a Pneumatic it became a lot less daunting. Piston seals is almost an over-glorified term. I don't mind changing an O-ring when I need to

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

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