Scuba vs. freediving guns

Quote from pargo

First advice, when possible change the seahornet to a good freediving gun.

what is wrong with a sea hornet for freediving?

I use a 54" biller and I have no issues with it at all, it floats and I can move it easily in the water...what else does one need from a freediving gun?

biller and sea hornet are ok beginner guns to shoot hogs and small fish from point blank.

I am happy with the Sea Hornet, it floats and is a very powerful gun and accurate, I added a Rob Allen reel

i understand all the reasons that other guns are better than the biller hornet line and we dont need to get into that.
I was asking only because you added the word freediving in front of gun and I thought there was more behind the comment about the characteristics of the guns.

I have shot a friends riffe and it was a great shooting experience, I have also shot a few cressiguns and liked them a lot.
I figure i'd like to learn what I like and dont like in a gun if possible before I drop serious change on one

I just like the biller floridian for now.

Pargo i know you forgot one name that for us is a blast from the past. Arbalete Caballero. Any old spearo might have run in to those as much as they did to JBL. I used to have a Caballero 38 made out of wood that my cuban instrucor/friend gave me as a gift. For those time a wood speargun was a rarity in Puerto Rico. But it felt so good. from there i went to a AB Biller size 52. I used this one for the longest before getting into Riffe. And my long list of JBL's:0 like everyone else that has been long n the sport. and lost quite a few and found a few. Not mentioning how many shafts we left stuck on rocks growing up. Pargo you might understand all this old school stuff :laughing3:. I know all my cuban friends might remember all those days when the shaft will be all rusted next morning. and you have to go sanded to make it look better. WOW:0 i went down memory lane here:D

jalopy...:D

I knew it that is the missing character in Island Thunder:laughing3::thumbsup2:. That is some funny stuff. BTW that collection of guns might someday worth $$$..:laughing3: That is what i'm talking about. If you started this sport and didnt went trough a stack of those you missed the fun of spearfishing and the evolution of the sport:thumbsup2::thumbsup2:

Respect
:notworthy3::hail1::notworthy3::hail1:

Each gun has it uses. If you can catch everything you want with a JBL that's great. If not then you have to try something else.

Riffes are great guns, accurate, powerful and durable. They would outlast any allu or carbon euro, and are better suited for upgrades. If you go custom then there are better options than Riffe, i´ll give you that. But Riffe´s still hold their own against any similar gun in terms of performance. The Riffe comp 3 would be my favorite gun as an overall shooting piece among all Riffe models, closely followed by the comp 2 and Baja gun for light bluewater.

Take for instance a Riffe comp 3, and a "custom"made Magnum hybrid from Wong of similar size. Riffe is 51", let´s compare it with the 50" M.H. Wong. They shoot exactly the same with the same shaft band configuration. But Wong charges 1000 k usd, while the comp 3 hardly costs 350. I had and shoot plenty both guns, the Wong is gone, i kept the Riffe. For me is way a better option. Wong is prettier and more expensive. They both perform equally, with 2 5/8´s and a 9/32 shaft. But in less of one year i busted twice the handle and one the muzzle of the Wong. The handle came out with a big chunk of wood and Dr. Wong give me the advice " to stick a bunch of thoot picks on the hole with super glue" an example of the greatest service available in the market. I had enough of the Wongs...

I understand what monster is saying. So far my experience with RIFFE is been good, about service i dont know because i have never gone back to them for complaints or changing anything. The only thing i will change on them will be the Butt rubber and the handle, everything else is good for me.

My first gun was an aluminum Arbalette, I shot some fish with it

Quote from pargo

Really, he said that? That's some sage advice Come'on moster, Mexico is a country of craftsmen. You couldn't find a carpenter? It would cost you less than a phone call to Hawaii

Yup it was a super advice from the master craftsman himself :rolleyes1: I know in México there are a bunch of great carpenters and craftsmen. I traded the gun for a Riffe Baja anyway, i feel that i got the best part of the deal sincerely. A lot of people love their Wongs... Good for them. I think Riffe is a way better option hands down.

Quote from Core

I understand what monster is saying. So far my experience with RIFFE is been good, about service i dont know because i have never gone back to them for complaints or changing anything. The only thing i will change on them will be the Butt rubber and the handle, everything else is good for me.

Compared with the Alexander handle, the Riffe handle is huge and odd shaped, i don´t know why he kept that obsolescent design in that superb speargun. Far better than aimrite though. The butt is great, the best ever devised, comfortable and hi vis. i like the wood, shape , butt, line release and overall design of Riffe comps and standards. The handle is a departament that needs help inmediately though !!

Speaking of Wongs. They would be great spearguns if he had choose Alexander hardware instead of Aimrite, that´s just overprized plastic crap. and he wouldn´t charge that much for the spearguns. Even more if he would offer with more down to earth options as 2 5/8´s and 9 /32 shaft configuration instead of the 3 5/8´s and 5/16 shaft that the guns are sold with. It would be a little less frustraiting for people spending a shit load of cash in a speargun that will perform exactly the same as an ol alluminium 200 bucks Rob Allen. Give me a brake !!!