# sp. gun reccomendation



## Bigg J

hey guys, i've been certified for several months and love diving. the little bit of spearfishing that i've done consists of hunting flatfish around the jetties and what not in the o.b. area. i'm wanting to get into some big fishes in the near future. right now i use a single hosed jbl explorer, works great on flounder, even speared a small dolphin on a weed line this summer. what would some of you gurus recomend for ajs, snapper, grouper and what not.


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## FenderBender

A wooden gun with 3 bands... Older JBL Woody Magnums are good (don't buy new JBL), Billers, Riffe if you really want a nice gun.


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## Bigg J

alright then. preciate it. what kinda $$$ we looking at? 350?


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## FenderBender

Look around for a used one on the forum... I bought my JBL woody Magnum on here a while back for 100 bucks... never had a problem with it, used it today! New you will spend 300-400 on a Biller, 600+ on a Riffe... good luck!


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## lobsterman

Biller Sea Hornet 48" is an awesome gun for half the money of a riffe


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## Bigg J

preciate guys


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## lobsterman

http://cgi.ebay.com/AB-Biller-Teak-wood-Speargun-spear-gun-New-48-Inch_W0QQitemZ320173436656QQihZ011QQcategoryZ47353QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem


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## BADBOY69

Stay tuned to the for forum, "stressless" gave me a JBL .38 special woody when I was first lookin'! And I have shot the 42", 48", and 54" Billers and they are great guns. I like the JBL line, as well.


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## JOHNJOHN205

PUT MONEY AWAY AND GET A RIFFE


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## Pierce07

http://www.leisurepro.com/Cat/Context_965/Spearguns/967.html


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## Evensplit

"...New you will spend 300-400 on a Biller, 600+ on a Riffe..."

Those numbers are about $100 high in both cases. 

If you know what you're looking for you can find some great deals on used guns. Keep in mind that if you have to "rehab" a used gun with new bands, shock cord, shaft, tip, etc., the cost can quickly approach the cost of a new gun. I've seen a lot of $50 "pawn shop specials" that ended up costing more than a new gun to get them up to par.

Feel free to come by MBT if you need help selecting a gun or if you find a used gun and would likeus to check it out.


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## FelixH

I bought a 42 Biller at the MBT sale this past Spring. It is a GREAT gun, and it's priced pretty good. Especially if you catch it on one of the big sales at MBT.

It's a good "starter" gun, and I've shot some nice fish with it. In recent months, as my confidence and experience has grown, I've been going after bigger fish. Especially during tournaments. There have been a few times when I was wishing for a bigger gun for bigger fish. But even a little 42 Biller can take somedecent fish. 

During the recent Orange Beach Spearfishing Association tournament, my 42 Biller (with upgraded bands)killed the 1st place snapper at 24+ lbs.(Yeah I'm still a little giddy about that one... does it show?) My gun is definitely marginal for a fish like that. The spear didn'tpenetrate the backside so I had to hustle to stringer the fish before hethrashed off the spear. So, I think I'll need to upgrade by next Spring. I'll probably get a bigger Biller.

I really like the wooden Biller guns.A lotof the guys I hunt with shoot Riffes. They seem like great guns, but I've not shot one. Everyone says, "Don't shoot a Riffe unless you're ready to buy a Riffe." Well, with my limited budget, there's no Riffe in my immediate future, so I choose to not shoot one... I don't want to contract a severe case of speargun envy.

Good luck with your selection, and go visit the guys at MBT. They'll surely point you in the right direction.


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## bmoore

I have both a Riffe and Biller and have shot both types of guns for years. The riffe in my opinion, is more powerful and accurate relative to size than the biller but is harder and takes more practice to string/reload quickly.

Currently I have a Riffe midhandle No ka Oi with a 60" shaft. I also have the Biller paduak limited with a 60" shaft. A 42"-48" Biller is a good all around gun. Shot a 48" Biller for 20 years. I guess starting out I would recomend the Biller. Try to get a limited model with the solid wood barrell all the through the gun.

http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?Op=dtSearchhas resonable prices and they are easy to deal with.


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## Pierce07

What are the benefits of a solid wood gun compared to a gun thats still wood but the trigger looks to break the wood in two. Like the one of the JBL sawed off mahogany guns?


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## Telum Pisces

> *Pierce07 (11/15/2007)*What are the benefits of a solid wood gun compared to a gun thats still wood but the trigger looks to break the wood in two. Like the one of the JBL sawed off mahogany guns?


Just as with anything. One solid piece is always better than something that has been joined. Something that has been mechanically or chemically joined has a weakness at that point vs. a solid piece.


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## Pierce07

So does it affect the noise at all? Will the split not absorb the sound as well?


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## JSeaWach

I've owned a 38 JBL sawed-off magnum, 36 Biller mahogany, 48 Biller mahogany and various pole spears. By far my favorite (for the money) is the 48 Biller. Have shot and appreciate the qualities of the Riffe but never used one extensively. It's often hard to beat a long pole spear with a tri-cut tip. My standard weaponry for a killer dive is a 6-7 ft pole spear and 48 Biller and two knives and heavy duty stainless stringer. Don't forget a stainless snap link to clip it all together for your ascent. Good hunting!


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## holy Spear-it

Riffe's are a laminated gun.


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## Brandy

Getthe biggest gun you can comfortably load fast. Diving the gulf, you will shoot 2lb snapper and 40lb Ajs on the same dive.

Smaller guns always get replaced and sit in corneruntil there sold online to the next sucker. 48' in the gulfwould be the minimum in my opinion. Safe shootin!


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## Clay-Doh

What evensplit, brandy, bmoore, felix, and others said.

Do not go anything smaller than 48". You will not have the range, or power. And yes, small gun can take a fish in close...but aint it nice to take 15 foot shots and still get good penatration? 

One thing felix got to mention is the other guy on our team, hatescheese, had the same 42" gun, and he lost a fish or two?? oke

Also, a solid stock gun with the trigger and handle mounted to the bottom is just gonna last way longer, can take more abuse. Besides Riffe, wich are a pain (in my opinion) to string (but I still have one) like bmoore said, the A.B. Biller Limited 60". I am going to buy one of them bad boys. Buy a large 50 to 60" gun, and you will only want a smaller gun for out of town relatives. 

And important thing to remember...the bigger and heavier the gun is, while it does have more "drag" in the water, it is NOT heavier! (if you stay with wood). In fact the bigger the gun, the more bouyant! SO dont hold a big one up with one arm in the store and think "dang, this is too heavy to hold up", cuz it will be a one hander under water!

Good luck man! Before you buy, borrow. I got three guns, and take at least 2 on a trip, so there is always one for someone to borrow during a dive. NAd with three guns, I still use the same gun almost all the time.


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## FelixH

> *Clay-Doh (11/15/2007)*
> 
> One thing felix got to mention is the other guy on our team, hatescheese, had the same 42" gun, and he lost a fish or two?? oke


ha, Yeah, going to have to learn that boy how to finish off a big fish.


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## Clay-Doh

WHat am I talkin crap for....my 23 pounder broke my dang shaft!

Thank god for HolySpearit to get em all for us!


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## Brandy

:reallycrying


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## Bigg J

thanks a bunch you allz. y'all are animals, i mean straight up gurus, thanks for your help.


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## Pierce07

Which would yall get the 63" Magnum (3Band) or the Sawed off Magnum which is 53"?


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## Clay-Doh

Get my 63" magnum!!!!!! Seriously...It is the first speargun I ever shot, and still shootin it. Weather you buy mine or someone elses used, or new, you can take bigger fish from farther away with a bigger gun.

Evenif you just want to get down there and shoot abuttload of small 16" fish, you can still just cock one or 2 bands on the big gun and still have the same poweras the smaller gun and all the time ittook to cock all 3 bands. SO ull still get more quicker shots and reloads for schools of smaller fish with a bigger gun.

BUT...the good thing is...when you seethat 20 pound snapperor big ole AJ from about 15 feet away, wont it be nice to not go to the boat and tell everybody bout the one you saw?

PUT THAT BIIIATCH ON YER STRINGER!!


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## Pierce07

i found a new magnum on leisure pro for 202 dollars and like 210 after ship. How much you selling yours for?


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## Clay-Doh

lesurepro is usually $219 and $13 on shipping.

Thats a dang good price. Mine is listed in the scuba gear fir sale section, but its lot more cuz it has a few goodys on it!:shedevil

Be wary of theNEW JBL's...and if you look up further in this post, you will see fenderbender said that also. They are havin problems with various parts.


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## FenderBender

New JBL = :nonono


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## Clay-Doh

It was asked, so I will paste my answer about hte new JBL's here for anyone else thinking of getting one.

<SPAN id=_ctl1_ctlPrivateMessage_ctlPanelBar_ctlPrivateMessageRepeater__ctl1_lblFullMessage>Yes, it is brand new, and I had to 1st send back the shaft, and get a new one because the shaft near the slide ring stop was not machined down and the slide ring jammed on after the first shot. I also hadthesameproblem with a newsahft I bought last spring for the woody magnum after I broke mine on a big AmberJack. 

After I got the shaft problem straightened out and tried shooting it one more time, the trigger housing got a small crack in it.







I sent the entire gun back to JBL, and over 2 months later got a new one. I fully checked it, and tested it, and it's good.

DKdiver, and Rocklobster do dive charters, and have wholesale acounts with a lot of the suppliers, and have had the same type of problems.

FenderBender and CurtyV worked at BayBreeze Dive, and they had problems with several new guns, one even fired by itself without pulling the trigger!

I dont know what has happened to there quality control there, but it seems like it is hit or miss as far as getting a good piece of equipment, if you get something that doesnt work, or breaks first time, then waiting forever to get it replaced. Assholes even tried to make me pay shipping!

If I were buying a new JBL, I would only buy from a local dive shop, where I could handle the gun, ask to cock it, ect, to make sure you get one of the good ones. The old ones are near indestructable.


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## HateCheese

> *Clay-Doh (11/15/2007)*
> 
> One thing felix got to mention is the other guy on our team, hatescheese, had the same 42" gun, and he lost a fish or two?? oke


The only reason it (only missed 1) didn't get on the stringer isbecause it was bigger than Felix's fish (only by a few pounds) andI REALLY needed to sharpen the spear tip (can you say blunt...). and the sun was in my eyes.and a dog barked when i shot.:doh

42 is a good gun to start with. It will kill big enough fish for a while and won't let you get tempted to get drug around by a 50lb AJ because you'll know you can't shoot too big of a fish. Nothing wrong with progressing from something smaller and going up in size when you get more experience diving and spearing.


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## countryjwh

been reading about a daryll wong speargun. they look alot like a riffe and cost about the same. that is what my dive shop sales. anybody know some pros or cons.


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## BADBOY69

Dunno 'bout Wongs, mostly Cali guys shootin' 'em. Try spearboard.com


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## Brandy

http://spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=53862&highlight=deathstick


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## BADBOY69

Come on, B! I know you've shot the Wong and I see those long shots you can take with your Riffe...tell the boy what he wants to hear! Don't tell me you lean to the Wong!? :doh Maybe if you get a Wong,'craasch' will stop threatenin' to throwthat Riffe overboard! oke


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## Brandy

My next gun is gonna be a Deathstick

http://spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=48235&highlight=deathstick


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## Clay-Doh

That thing got a safety on it brandy? ANd I thought you said you was gonna be usin the lil Leprachan Woody for your primary gun????:letsdrink


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## kTkGreenGo

goin with a free shaft? What kinda spearfishing are you goin to be doin with that?


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## Brandy

My shots are always stoners. I wish.

Im gonna rig it.


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## FenderBender

I tried freeshafting there for a while, ask Clay-do about that... me losing my shaft probably saved both of our lives from a monster bull shark.. get him to tell the story


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## Brandy

Heres a Deathstick rigged up.


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## Big R

I'm glad this got started because I just got into spearfishing and this is the kind of good info this forum provides. A lot of people with a lot of knowledge and experience willing to help. I see a 48" Biller and a new back inflate BC in my future. Thanks everyone and Happy Thanksgiving.:clap


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## Clay-Doh

Welcome to the fun world of spearin! Be prepared to lose your job and have your family leave you as you become consumed by it!:letsdrink

And youll love the rear inflate!


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## Bigg J

hey guys when is the next spearfishing tourny?


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## kTkGreenGo

Shoot i'm having to change jobs just to make more money so i can go more often! This sprot is like crack! but good crack.... haha


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## Bigg J

yeah yeah like that crystal yo, i've been up for 2 weeks straight man thinking bout goin under, and those hell diver videos don't help.


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## kTkGreenGo

They don't helpa bit, i start itching and i get sick to the point of vomiting! :sick man i'm jonesing! gimme another SHOT!


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## Clay-Doh

I wanna shoot right now!


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## CurtyV22

They just don't make em' like they used to, do they clay-doh:doh:banghead



CurtyV


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## Clay-Doh

No they dont Curty! Surpirised no one has got hurt with some o them defective new ones from JBL!


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