Cuttle bone shaped barrel

Quote from makoa

Anyone own and shoot an Aimrite Vengeance? Rick has added a new shape in addition to the King Venom and is coming out with the Rage (it's out but not marketed yet) which is different yet. All are cuttle bone shaped. I love the KV we have as it floats horizontally without the shaft and with a reel. I know several manufacturers and builders that have added this design and I don't know why all pipe gun builders don't. I remember standing in Rick's garage/shop in Na'alehu years ago when he showed me his new barrel design that would allow a pipe gun to float horizontal when loaded with a reel...it became the King Venom. My Super Venom roller has become my go to gun for all around hunting and I'm thinking a vengeance 110-115 would be a step up for the reason that it will float horizontal instead of handle down when fired. This is a personal preference and I'm wondering if it's really even "better" since a horizontally floating gun is not as easy to see when you're mostly face down in the water and can see a gun better when the gun is floating muzzle up and the handle/butt end extending way below the surface. This is mostly true in rougher seas.

I'm interested to see what some of your opinions are. Speardiver to come out with a cuttle bone C3 barrel anytime in the future?

Aloha

Aloha Makoa,

Ive looked over the vengance, rage and KV series. Yet to shoot a Rage, but IMO. these shapes are suited to more BW hunting.

While KV are very dense with mass toward the muzzle to accommodate 3 bands and a thick shaft, the vengance are very light and generally only accommodate a double band setup. (still a very nice gun) but i feel that the shape doesnt do very much for the diver in a reef gun, that a regular rail barrel will do. the shape does add volume to the gun, but not much in the way of tracking or actual mass. the belly is also positioned near the handle and in terms of and floatation it functions more like a hybrid rear handle setup.

I have yet to try out the rage, barrel looks nice, even wider than the KV. I believe it is a dedicated roller gun. This barrels belly and cuttle shape is positioned toward the center of the barrel, it looks much more hydrodynamic than the KV or the Vengance.

As far as floatation of guns after a shot... I like my guns to float muzzle down. but with carbon guns with reels,, this is hard to achieve, especially when neutral buoyancy with shaft in is priority.

My technique for making my speargun visible is using high viz, (neon green or yellow) reel line. you can see this stuff a mile away and at depth, really good for locating a gun adrift or a fish in a hole.

Any who. hope this helps,

Dive safe,

Josh

For what its worth cuttlefish shape puts the bands inline with the shaft.

A rattle can of orange paint can help prevent gun loss. Maybe some high vis tape if you don't want to commit to painting. Out here a gun floating horizontally in the kelp can be very hard to find. Especially when shore diving and trying to manage a stringer of fish at sunset. I use this gun for 3-5ft visibility. Mostly bottom crawling technique. My next WSB gun build will be high viz orange. No camo or dark colors for me.

One thing I now ask myself is how does the gun float with a shaft in it? I have noticed that when I drop my gun to mark a spot I like my muzzle to point down. However my 130 carbon pipe gun floats muzzle up while on the reef. That was a nervous retrieve but the viz was good so that was helpful. I know a 130 isn't a reef gun generally and I wont use it as such anymore but if you mark spots with your gun its nice to know the pointy end isnt directed at you when your on the surface breathing up.

Quote from makoa

I like the mass even when reef hunting. I've taken omilu under ledges and out in the open as well as kahala and uku when reef hunting and have always been glad that I had my DIY hybrid with a little more mass for those long shots. After converting my 140 SV to a 110 roller (I never liked a long blue water pipe gun for maneuverability reasons) I began using that gun exclusively once I got the band stretch/preload/ etc dialed in. Maybe if I was headed out to the Ono lane I would take one of my wood or hybrid ET guns, but on this last trip to Mexico I realized that every hunt we went on, with exception of shallow/shore reef hunting for nenue, kala, etc, I only took my 110 roller and landed everything I shot at from small palmilla, to thick jacks at max range, uhu's, kaku, cerra mackerals, nenue, everything. I know the SV has more mass than the thinner carbon barrels which is why I chose that barrel. I'm still wanting to try the cuttle bone shape in a roller. Kiley at Aimrite said the rage is only made as a 125cm roller....too long for my preference in a roller. I still think that the benefit of a roller is best in a shorter barrel, 110-115 max. After that I would prefer my hybrid for tracking and maneuverability.

BTW, what did you shoot your monster mu with? :thumbsup2:

Aloha

Makoa

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Hey Makoa,

I hear what you're saying about the roller being more suited to short guns. I think this as well, with a few reservations.
With a short roller you have better band stretch but the mass of your shaft doesnt change. I think a short roller with a heavy shaft is the ticket. (100cm with a 7.5mm+ shaft).....and maybe an extra wrap for those long shots

that being said.. I shot the majority of my mu with a 120 roller and only a few with a 100cm. roller :laughing::laughing:

If i could only choose one gun for most reef diving situations, it'd be my 100cm roller hands down.

Quote from ladvr

A rattle can of orange paint can help prevent gun loss. Maybe some high vis tape if you don't want to commit to painting. Out here a gun floating horizontally in the kelp can be very hard to find. Especially when shore diving and trying to manage a stringer of fish at sunset. I use this gun for 3-5ft visibility. Mostly bottom crawling technique. My next WSB gun build will be high viz orange. No camo or dark colors for me.

Lol. all i could think of was my old NERF guns and super soakers when I saw that Hali hammah of yours.

That said, good point neon orange is best at surface, neon green at depth.:thumbsup2::thumbsup2:

Quote from ladvr

A rattle can of orange paint can help prevent gun loss. Maybe some high vis tape if you don't want to commit to painting. Out here a gun floating horizontally in the kelp can be very hard to find. Especially when shore diving and trying to manage a stringer of fish at sunset. I use this gun for 3-5ft visibility. Mostly bottom crawling technique. My next WSB gun build will be high viz orange. No camo or dark colors for me.

Nice stringer of "Butts"