Sniper gun design for Wahoo/Tuna/Ulua?

jagiugui---Great, thank you sir. :toast2:

Quote from Don Paul

Hau, I'm on the Vicodin a wee bit but I'll try to work through my thoughts.
First question is how long a gun can you cock ? Sure it is technique but that only goes so far. I'll start with my stats 5''11 with a 76'' finger tip to tip wing span. Huge hands that can rip phone books because I work them hard every day. I can can elongate 4 bands of the best grade 16mm rubber to 300% elongation (400%stretch) on a 72'' barrel. This was the length of my longest Blue water canon that I thought I needed to kill fish in super clean water found off shore around the Cook Islands and Polynesian waters when I first dove for wahoo, mac and yf tuna there. The gun with a 3/8 shaft was a true 30' killer and made up for my un-honed skill as a smart stalker and hunter. As I learned more about getting fish closer and getting the fish to swim to me the monster gun went on the rack where it still lives. Yes it has taken 80# hoo but it is over kill.
30 foot kill's can be done with a canon but over the last twenty five years I chose to get much closer to my present 20' max kill zone.
I prefer to kill most blue water fish within 15' off my tip or even closer. The longer the shot the more missed or wounded fish in the long run.
I hunt the blue now with a mid handle barrel 58'' from rubber to mech 5/16'' or 3/8'' depending on mass of the fish. It kills all day at 20 feet.

Those fish your are describing will not need a canon in my opinion just more local knowledge to get you at closer range with the longest barrel you can cock and carry around in the current all day. I would be doing it with 3 bands and something in the 140 to 150 range. Local stone cold killers with skills should be happy with a 130 max. Ho and small tuna will give you 15 foot or closer shots, but after a while may hang out on the edge. We cannot own every fish we see on our terms, one can have twenty tuna sightings a day with out the trigger pulled, that is the nature of the blue dance.
All the gimmicks, flasher tape, flasher rigs,chum, can help speed the process but are not a substitute for close stalking skills. Make the fish seek you, clear your mind only thinking love and fun while you wait for mother ocean's precious gift. In time you will be rewarded and it wont take a monster gun and 30' hail marys.
These are not deer or elk, we need to get closer to insure clean kills, It is not so much about the length of the gun.
Use the local tide and bait knowledge and befriend some hunters there that land the fish you are seeking. Most impotent you need to be in the water when the fish are moving to bait or point to point up current. Good rod and reel fishermen know this science, use them if you can. Any trick or knowledge that will get you on the fish needs to be applied to yield good results, a long gun is not as important when the fish accept you. This is way different than reef and structure hunting of friendly amber jack or grouper or snapper in their cave.

I saw one of Ihab's guns not too long ago and was very impressed at the build quality. Red Tide also speaks highly of Dan's wood gun as well, 3 band are plenty.
Now the good news...the bigger the Hoo the closer they will come to check you out and it only takes a 20'30' dive if that.

Cheers, Don

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Don Paul---PERFECT INFORMATION--thank you sir :toast2:
Answer---I am 5'10, 160lbs, 72in wingspan, can rip a 1/2in thick Guam phone book in half (10 pages at a time) and soon to be 64yr young. I shot my RA 140 2X16 Keys gun off Dania for a while til I got familiar with Dania area then switched down to a 120. I'm hangin out at the Fishermans CoOp every day I can to hitch rides out, buy beers and learn all I can.

Questions:
1. "the longest barrel you can cock and carry around in the current all day. I would be doing it with 3 bands and something in the 140 to 150 range".---Wouldn't a HEAVIER 3band 140/150 gun have less felt recoil / muzzle flip and therefore more accuracy than a lighter 3band 140/150?
2. What slip tip would be best for 25lb tuna/hoos/ulula?

Quote from Dude george

I am no expert, but I almost exclusively dive blue water now and I understand your frustrations in clear water. Spooky wahoos are a pain, a long range gun will be an asset for sure! BUT the problem with long range shots on Wahoo is that if you don't hit them a sold holding shot in the few spots on a wahoo that allow good holding shots I guarantee if you don't stone it, it will rip off. Tuna is the fish I have found range to be the biggest asset for, their hide is thick, tough and pretty much anywhere you shoot them is a holding shot. Problem is getting them to stop their loony tunes motion long enough to get a frigging shot! :D(chum helps!) I have a Koah 65 4 band fully tracked gun and it is laser accurate with almost no recoil, i hear divers throwing that term around allot and it has been an exception not a rule in my experience with several guns. 1-2 band short range guns are easy to be accurate, 3 bands don't have enough penetration power in my experience from any decent range especially with a light shaft. I just commissioned a 70 inch 5 band gun specifically for the blasted 100lb + tuna that here in our crystal clear water seem to always stay just out of good penetration range of my 65. If you get accuracy at range with penetration it has been my experience it requires a big gun.
Everyone goes back to just stalk them right..blah blah blah :rolleyes1: I want results on most situations I find myself in, especially since I suck at breath hold :laughing3:. You don't need a fast tracking gun in the blue for fish as you can see them from far and line up yourself and gun for the shot most times, and I am sure for you swimming along and seeing those fish at the edge of your sight you don't need fast tracking.
What I wanted, and I got was a gun to give me a shot at the times when they are skittish and staying far away. From behind, long shots have been productive for me on tuna. If I get close enough I can spit and kill a fish so who needs a serious gun for close up work?:@;):laughing:

I like your thinking sir. :toast2:
What slip tip do you like?

ladvr---not sure what other area spearos are using yet, as I just went spearin with this 1 spearo so far. He was using a Riffe Padauk #3s, 51in with 3 9/16 bands and had a new Mako AR15 120 in the boat well as a back up. He is talkin about ordering a Ulusub el Bandidito, which is a 66-68in, 4-5 band wood gun as his next gun. The biggest guns I have seen for sale here in dive shops are RA 140cm. As I meet new spearos that hunt the BW I'll learn what guns they prefer.

Don Paul and Dude george---thanks for the Mori 9/32 suggestion. I'll probably end up using the Mori.
I have shot and LOVE the RA 7.5mm slip tube spear, but it is not ss and has band notches, no band fins which I prefer.
Thank you