new member from bim

    Hey guys my name is nick and I speardive in badbados .I dive every weekend as long as the water is good and about three nights a week for lobsters .my current speargun is a beuchat mundail 95 I started out with this gun and now my skills have surpassed its usage. Here in bim (barbados) only gun you can buy are mares and beuchat anything else has to be imported. Only problem is to import a gun like a wong or RA you have to acquire a license from the police and it a whole case of red tape .but thanks to my will power I have acquired my license and am in the market for a really good speargun. I can only have one so it must be the right one the first time.most of my dives are on the bar I do some reef too but the 95 mundail can handle the reef I need a weapon for the bigger fish .target fish are cuda wahooo pompano etc. If you guys can give me your thoughts on the guns you used and how well the work would be great from reading reviews and post it seems RA is the leading railgun ?

    Rob Allen is great, so is Mako


    I've owned both and prefer Mako, but you can't go wrong with a 110cm RA Tuna or Mako Oceanic Pro.

    Welcome.


    When it comes to guns, especially if going to a brand you have never used, the biggest concern is going to be ergonomics. Handling- Handle placement; mid-handle, rear-handle or something in between. Barrel shape; wide and flat, tall and skinny, round barrel, double taper, single taper, etc. Unfortunately if you have no experience with the brand, there is no guarantee that it will be to your liking.


    As far as trigger mechs are concerned, I would recommend a brand that machines all the components out of stainless steel, including all the pins. Do not get cast or plastic components. They will break.


    If you can only have one gun, I recommend something that is versatile in configuration. Meaning it will accept a wide variety of shaft diameters and has the capacity to accept multiple bands; a band slot rather than individual holes.


    Another aspect to consider is the handle. There are a few gun makers that use the AR-15 style handle base that will allow a multitude of handles to be emplaced on the same base. As of now the only guns that accept these bases, as far as I know are wood custom guns. This base will give you options for rake, finger grooves, girth, length, palm swell, etc.


    Your best bet is a custom made gun.

    thanks for the info i understand a custom gun is the way to go but as for now i just need an upgrade to the 95 . i have done researched on mako RA and speardiver and was going to make my choice from those three i favor the speardiver phantom more because it has the ss mech and side line release and overall seems to be a good gun from what i have read . i also want to get a trigger mech and ar15 handle so i could try my hand at building my own custom gun

    Among those you mentioned I think the phantom is the best choice for sure. Mako's are junk but usually get the job done. Although mine broke within a few dive trips. RA's are solid guns but the ergonomics of the handle are poor in my opinion. The phantom is an awesome gun with great ergonomics a super solid all stainless trigger mech.


    Also welcome

    Welcome Nick

    "Whiskey don't make liars, it just makes fools. So, I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said."
    -James McMurtry

    Welcome Bimfisher. :)
    I wish I could add to the suggestions but at this point my experience is limited in the guns you're referring to. What I can say, is that if you do find one of these guns to fit your needs, then buy with confidence that your purchasing a quality product from a company that stands behind it's products :toast:

    [quote='Bimfisher','http://spearfishing.world/forums/index.php?thread/&postID=83433#post83433'] I can only have one so it must be the right one the first time.


    I would not ever be buying a Mako if I had to live with one gun to import.




    I need a weapon for the bigger fish .target fish are cuda wahooo pompano etc.


    I would be getting the longest gun possible, your price point will narrow it down to Metal (pipe) wood or carbon.
    One of the best shooters I know (Red Tide) has given Dan's new wood gun very high marks, but I'm a wood gun guy.


    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.

    Welcome to the boards!


    Some very good points to consider in this thread for sure..I am am avid user of both the Speardiver Phantom 120 and an RA 130. Both are excellent guns IMO for aluminum pipe reef guns. The Speardiver handle feels great and is a bit easier to load than the RA since it has the loading butt on the end whereas the RA does not.

    Bim I dive same conditions as you... if your looking to take down Kings and wahoo in our clear water I would really recommend a wood gun due to its versatility and the fact that it can power up from a reef configuration to meet your needs in the blue due to its mass(mass=less recoil)... I have a band stretch of 110 on my reef gun with an enclosed track and it does holes for snapper with two rubbers and when in the blue or areas where big game can unexpectedly show up I throw on a third rubber to get the range and penetration for kings and hoos. For this kind of versatility you would want a shaft of 7.5 mm or more for penetration power... But you can take out a giant with a hole gun if they let u close but in Bim I doubt they will let you close ;)
    Most Caribbean clear water guys love their Rifes... All my friends shoot wooden guns where there is the potential for big game showing up while they reef hunt.
    Dan's speardiver wood guns look great and if I had the spare $$ and I didn't love my present guns so much(Koah custom built) I would love to own one... Pretty sure I will own one in the next few years as it almost looks like art.
    Nothing but bad reviews on Mako pipe guns from guys I know who bought them for their price point... contrast that with nothing but RA lovers and speardiver gun lovers galore.
    Get a wooden gun with at least 110 CM band stretch, enclosed track or deep track with at least a 7.5 shaft!
    Welcome.
    Pssssttt don't tell anyone but shout me when your ready and I will have a gun sailed into Bim for u..lol..

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

    Edited 2 times, last by Dude george ().

    Welcome. If I was in your position I would get something very sturdy, especially since you have such a hard time getting a license to get a speargun, make it count.

    Quote from Dan

    Welcome to the forum.


    With regards to the speargun. I'd first decide if I want a chest or hip loading gun. Then a wood or a pipe gun. Then the length. Then the shaft diameter. Then the power.


    i chest load my gun as i cant seem to do well hip loading . as for gun specs i am thinking lenght 120 cm, 7mm or 7.5mm shaft would take pipe or carbon gun and enough power and range to fully penetrate a 20lbs cuda at 10 to 15 feet as the bigger palagic fish dont come to close in bim


    i took a few cuda with my 95 but have lost to many due to spear not had full penetration of the fish and i hate to injure a fish and cant eat him :laughing:. from reading and gathering info on wood guns i think i can craft a pretty good teak gun at the woodwork shop just need the parts and that may be another problem with customs :(

    I think a 7.5mm shaft is a little heavy for a pipe gun. Otherwise looks like you got it narrowed down. The next thing I'd be concerned about is a comfortable ergonomic handle that will give you good leverage on the gun. And choose a gun that has a full stainless steel trigger mechanism housing/sear/trigger and stainless steel line release over one that doesn't. Flexibility with the shafts that it will accept is another thing to consider.


    RA have a strong following, but they misfire and I've been a witness to it. This is the RA mech.



    I would then consider the style of line release, side, top, bottom. Personal preference here.


    Open or closed muzzle. Another personal preference. Although most experienced guys choose an open muzzle, some are still hanging on to the closed.


    Then tube material, aluminum is cheaper and the gun will shoot just as hard. But carbon has a much nicer feel.

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