# Best type of tip??????



## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

On the last trip, both the AJ and the cuda that ate my AJ decided that my brand new tip that I had just got needed a new home on the bottom of about 135-140 feet, so I need a new one. 

What kind of tip do you guys like to use around here? When I shot that grouper on Monday, it went through him and hit the wreck about 10 feet behind him and flattend out the point on my tricut. This is for my 63" JBL Woody Magnum. With the 3 bands on this gun, I have realized that it has enough power to go through anything even when the point is not sharp.

The gun comes from the factory with a bulletnose, break away tip. Has anyone used the breakaway tips? Do they help when you got the big AJ on the end? How hard is it to thread it back out of the fish? What tip do you like best? Rockpoints, bulletnose, tricut????? 

Just trying to get some opinions on the subject.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

yes I like break aways when I shoot large fish.


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## Sniper Spear-It (Jan 16, 2008)

hey jon,

if you do get another tip don't forget to put the blue locktite on it to keep it from coming off. i think its blue, just don't use the red. Check it out,if itwas me i would order a solid shaft. Not a threaded shaft.They are stronger and just carry a file with you to re-sharpen it when you shoot a rock or a wreck, not that any of us ever do that.

Jeff


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## spearfisher (Oct 3, 2007)

I'm not especially fond of breakaway tips, but I do know alot of folks that use them. My theory is that if you put the shaft all the way through the fish, then the tip doesn't matter so long as it is a sharp one. To me it is more about the gun and the shaft than the tip. Sniper is right though, it is a necessity that you lock tight the tip on. I use the stuff in the blue bottle, but the liquid is red. Whatever that means. So long as your tip is sharp, and your bands are strong, and you take good shots, the type of tip you have on really shouldn't affect it. 

One note about tips. That little piece of rubber under the wings of the tip are VITAL. If that is gone then you're at a real disadvantage. You can cut up an old band to replace that piece if it is worn out. That is what causes the wings to pop open on the other side of the fish. 

If forced to givea personal preference on tips, I would have to go with the Biller tricut or rock point. I shoot a Riffe gun, but I replace the tip with a Biller tip. It's more conducive to what I need it for. Just my .02 Hope it helps.

Rich


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## Brandy (Sep 28, 2007)

I also have broken two Biller tips this year, same way. I have the original Riffe tip that came on my Hawaian. Its bullet proof. The only problem is there is no retainer for the floppers when getting fish off.

I think the Billers and Jbls are heat treated too much which makes them brittle.

I never use locktite on my tips. I found out the hard way thats when you break a tip at 135' its nice to keep one in your BC pocket. I guess if its not a spinner tip the fish could spin it off.

Iusually only shoot two bands and when I need more power I load the third real quick.

PS I probably could shoot one band , Because I put the STUNNER on them every time. Check out my trigger vid Clay has!:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead


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## scubageek (Dec 19, 2007)

I agree with both Rich and Brandy on different points (no pun intended) 



First keep the tips sharp for each dive and a good shaft is important and the rubber springs for the barbs need to be in good shape too.



I am like Brandy though I don't like to loctite my tips on the shaft, I want to change it out easily if I dull the tip on a shot when it happens.



As far as the brand goes billers are nice tips but some JBL's are good too and Riffe's depends on which tip and what you are hunting and how too.

the brand of the shaft to me is more important overall, if it flexs too much or the tip breaks off from it because it is weak on the threading then it won't matter what your tip is like and the day may be over for spearing, bummer...



I don't care for break away tips either and don't know that they would make any difference on larger fish???



But hey come to the spearfishing seminar and workshop and maybe we will all learn some new tricks :-0



It cheap for the experience plus lunch and some nice discounts on scuba gear and a gun if you need or want one...



We will have plenty of Riffe guns plus their new Euro X model in on hand and a few Biller models too.



Had to plug it again 



Rich you should come bro, I think you know Cameron too and would enjoy it...


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks for the recomendations. I was shooting with my JBL tri-cut which just broke the point off when it hit the wreck after it went through the grouper. I guess I had too much power.:banghead I had not put locktite on it and it was loose after each dive. But even though it was blunt, my gun still had enough power to get through a big AJ. And I was able to shoot plenty of flounder with one band. 

I think it was just the combination of the AJ sitting there trying to first not die from me, and then when the cuda was after it, it went nuts and probably spun the tip off. I got to work on them kill shots. When does anyone want to get back out there?????

The tri-cut tip just seemed to have too brittle of a point for my taste. Live and learn I guess.


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## holy Spear-it (Oct 4, 2007)

In my experience I have found that the tip that came on your gun is weak. I shoot the 450 magnum xhd..same tip from factory. I broke 3 of them before I went to just a spinner biller tip. Then I decided I like the jbl tip better because the wings are stronger. I have had fish bend the wings many times. Thats what usually breaks on my tips.I have found the break aways affect my aim. Of coarse, I bought a cheap one to see if I was going to like it before I spent $100 plus bucks on one. Didnt like it. Maybe the Riffe ice pick might change my mind. I have friends that shoot bigger fish than me on a regular basis that love them. 

Keep in mind the shaft on your gun is 3/8 and is thicker than all but one of the Riffe...the biggest one. Well I just realized I am not sure if you shoot the woody or not. All jbl woodies I have seen have a smaller 5/16 shaft which on a larger fish will bend easier without a break away. 

And by the way......No lock tite means...bye bye tip. And usually bye bye big fish. The blue lock tie is just a weaker version of the two. It doesnt take much to keep it on and the blue is easier to get loose to change tips on the boat. I just have too much else on my mind to have to worry about "Is my tip tight?" the whole time I am down. I tell you what I did one time though. I lost the shaft on my gun because I had put a cable on it and it had gotten weak around the slide ring and I didnt catch it. Shot a big grouper and he took my whole shaft...but thats not the story I want to tell. I took the shaft off of my friends gun, same length shaft and put it on mine. He had the jbl break away that you have on it. I shot 1 fish and stoned it. When I pulled him to me the cable had come loose and the tip was still hanging out of the fish. Well I wasnt going to end my dive you know...fish everywhere! So I start shooting the fish with just the socket part on the gun. Believe it or not I didnt lose 1 fish. I shot like 5 more too. I either stoned em or the shaft went all the way through. I tell you what ..it will make you think alot more about your aim if you know the tip will not hold em. Anyway I have got to get to work now. My 2 cents.


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Kevin, I am shooting the JBL Woody Magnum with the 5/16th shaft. I have yet to shoot something big enough to bend my shaft, but I would gladly like to. I just don't want to be replacing tips after every trip. It can get real expensive that way. You can bet, I'll give it a shot of locktite before the next trip.


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## spearfisher (Oct 3, 2007)

I agree that the tip that you chose is dependent on what you are shooting. For quick repetitive shots, you need a collared tip that you can tack the wings back with to slide theshaft back through the fish. For shooting BIG fish, the Riffe tip is excellent. It is a no BS sturdy tip. Like Brandy said, it doesn't have the collar, so you generally have to pull the shaft and shock cord all the way through the fish. This is normally not a problem on a Riffe because they have the quick disconnect for the shock cord at the gun. I have bent a Biller tip before, but I'm pretty sure that the fish that was the culprit would have bent almost any tip (45lb cobia). No matter what fish I am shooting, I have never been a fan of break away tips. Some guys swear by them, and that's ok if they can make them work. I just have not had any luck with them. I think everybody finds what works for them and then goes with it. For me it has been the Biller tips. But I do like the Riffe tip as well. 

Rich


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Personally, I will ONLY use a rotating tip. Secondly, JBL tips are very sturdy, regardless of weather a bullet nose rockpoint, tricut, or them bad ass looking arrowhead ones. Make sure you only get the ones with the 4" wing span, not the samller ones.

Now, that being said about JBL, they are thicker, and I lost a few large fish on longer shots, and switched to AB Biller, wich are very slim, and I have found have WAY better penatraition. I mean WAY better! I still only use rotating 4" wing, and I personally think tricuts have the best penatration for head shots, cuz of the 3 "knife" blades helping to open up the hole and split the bone. 

Also, ask anybody who has seen my tips, KEEP EM SHARP!!!!! Brandy has a semi wad-cutter for a tip...:moon, I take mine to my grinder, and keep them razored up (literally)

I have used a breakaway a few time, and it IS a pain in the ass trying to get it out of the fish.

I havent had a tip break yet, but have broken 3 shafts this summer, and no! Its not frm hittin wrecks! Its from them stne cold crazy skull shots!!:letsdrink:letsdrink:letsdrink


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