Good afternoon, I'm new to this site and new to spearfishing.... ( I went this pass weekend with a short gun ) alot of info on this site.... I plan on building my own gun 36" maple gun.... I have some wood working knowledge and a wood shop... I build bass guitars.. so that part is covered.. the gun will be a little longer then 36"... my Q???s are... band size two bands shaft thickness ... just in case.... I'm in the Miami, Fl area and don't plan on spearing no deeper than 15' of water.... thanks for any info...
36" Maple wood speargun
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If you are diving in Miami I think you are very soon going to want a gun much much bigger than 36"
Either way you'll most likely go with two 16mm bands and a 7 or 7.5mm shaft -
Welcome.
What you are going to try and spear(species) and the biggest size in what structure(sand, reef, rocks) you think possible is important info.
Bands are usually done at 250% or in some guns up to 300%, but you will need to tune band size to your gun as everyone is different. Differences that change band configuration may be things like is it a tracked gun? How big a shaft will you use? ballasted? Light or heavy? Heaver the gun the more recoil it can absorb.
For what you are saying I would think one 19mm rubber and a 6.5 to 7 mm shaft would be cool... But I am a two band 16mm with a 7mm gun man for the reef.
Edit: Just saw sdeisen post, he is from that area and knows what he is talking about, I would have said nothing if I had seen his post..lol -
If you are diving in Miami I think you are very soon going to want a gun much much bigger than 36"
Either way you'll most likely go with two 16mm bands and a 7 or 7.5mm shaft... thanks for the tip.... what size would be best for reefs / patch
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I have built several guns in the 36" overall length. I typically use two 9/16 bands or one 9/16 and one 5/8 bands, and usually 9/32 shafts.
MN
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My 2 cents of advice: You will want around a 48-55 inch gun with as much band stretch as you can design into your build. I would highly recommend a 7.5 mm shaft as it is fast for mid water fish and strong enough to tackle a decent grouper. 8 mm is what most reef hunters with wooden guns and a lot of big fish ambition use like me :).
I like an enclosed track but a deep track will do just as well or better depending on who you talk to. Band slot design in the front of the gun is important as lots of flex and strain goes there, so the less you cut out for your band slot I would think the better.
Here is a thread that I would take a lot of time to look at, it is not a reef gun but its design and thoughtful concept holds true for any type of gun. Smaller with 2 bands and a reel I would highly recommend.
http://spearfishing.world/spea…rida-bluewater-build.html -
My 2 cents of advice: You will want around a 48-55 inch gun with as much band stretch as you can design into your build. I would highly recommend a 7.5 mm shaft as it is fast for mid water fish and strong enough to tackle a decent grouper. 8 mm is what most reef hunters with wooden guns and a lot of big fish ambition use like me :).
I like an enclosed track but a deep track will do just as well or better depending on who you talk to. Band slot design in the front of the gun is important as lots of flex and strain goes there, so the less you cut out for your band slot I would think the better.
Here is a thread that I would take a lot of time to look at, it is not a reef gun but its design and thoughtful concept holds true for any type of gun. Smaller with 2 bands and a reel I would highly recommend.
http://spearfishing.world/spea…rida-bluewater-build.htmlthanks for the tip....I plan on going with a 55" SG.. what size bands/shaft I would need??/ thanks again
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Two 5/8 or 16mm bands will do the trick at 250% stretch or even 300%, I find the heavier bands like the 19mm a pain. With a enclosed track putting a third band option if you ever make it into the blue is a thought but in my experience with a deep track if you put a third band you may lose some accuracy and even range due to shaft whip.
19/64 (7.5mm) shaft would be what I would go with for a reef 55 inch gun.
Cant wait to see what you end up building! :thumbsup2:
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