How To Choose The Best Speargun

Spearfishing is one of the modern hobbies that’s becoming increasingly popular. Aside from the joy this adventure brings to the hunter, it is also a great way to exercise one’s bones and muscles. Yet, to be genuinely high-performing in this sport, having an excellent speargun is necessary.

 

Suppose you’re planning to buy your first-ever speargun. In that case, you may need to know the different options you may choose from. In addition, you should look into the length, material, and other essential factors you need to consider to select what’s best for you. For that purpose, here’s an article to guide you. So, read on!

• Check The Types

While spearguns can be grouped according to materials such as stainless steel and wood types in spears and bodies, they can also be classified according to structure. To contrast and compare these types, you may look at the following list:

• Rail Gun

This type is known for its thick shaft lengths and walls. Generally, it uses shafts within the range of 7mm and 8mm. It contains a shaft guide that runs through the barrel’s length, ensuring precise shots. In most cases, the rail gun has plastic handles, trigger, and muzzle that paves the way for two to three bands.

Single-band rail guns can take one 20mm-band, while double-band types can take 16 to 18 mm bands. The rail gun also has a stainless-steel system making the gun more impact-resistant and corrosion-resistant. Divers who don’t like rail guns note its ‘noisiness’ as one of its major downsides.

• Pneumatic Gun

This air-pumped speargun may be considered one of the oldest types as its first use dates back to the 1950s. Its strengths are its minimum recoil and better accuracy, whether for short or long distances. In addition, it typically uses an 8mm-shaft—a type that can pierce larger fish because of its more substantial impact.

Smaller pneumatic types are easier to reload, but larger ones may be more challenging and require loading tools. In some cases, pneumatic speargun divers need a loader, especially when diving in deeper waters. Another common issue with this type is its required maintenance to prevent leaks from its compressed air.

• Roller Gun

This type is one of the modern spearguns known for power and precision. In addition, it’s also known for minimal recoil and basic loading. Roller guns generally contain two spinning rollers attached to a leverage point. Furthermore, the longer its barrel is, the more force and range it can provide.

• Consider Your Needs And Skills

In choosing a speargun, you may also consider the fish you are trying to catch. If you’re into large, pelagic fishes, such as tuna and albacore, you may need more powerful guns to penetrate them. If you’re still learning the basics of spear-gunning, you may need to stick with the easy-to-use, compact, and lightweight models.

In addition, you may consider your diving skills as more advanced swimmers may know how to operate and load their guns despite being under high pressure and in deep waters. On the other hand, beginners may opt for easy-to-load and entry-level spearguns.

• Think About The Configurations

Configurations can make or break a speargun or at least one’s plans in spearfishing. For an in-depth take on these, you may consider the following:

• Length

Generally, seasoned speargun users prefer shorter guns in caves and low-visibility areas. These guns range from 50-75cm. On the other hand, spearfishers typically use longer guns—over 75cm—in high-visibility waters and open-water hunting.

• Shaft

Shafts or spears may be classified according to their material. Some common types are galvanized steel, stainless steel, and hardened steel. Galvanized steel has an excellent tensile strength but is prone to rust. Stainless steel is corrosion-resistant but is also malleable. On the other hand, hardened steel is less prone to twisting and generally has decent strength.

• Tips

Shaft tips or points are classified into rock point tip or pencil nose and tri-cut. Pencil-nose tips are more appropriate for thin-skinned species, while tri-cut points are for fishes needing more shaft penetration.

• Bands

Apart from the speargun user’s skills, the bands affect the speargun’s overall power. A 5/8-inch band is considered better than a 9/16-type in terms of power. In addition, more layers of bands combined can provide extra-strong power potential.

• Shooting Line

Shooting lines refer to the string attached to the shaft. Most of these are made of nylon, monofilament, and steel cables. Nylon and monofilament suit most spearfishing situations but steel cables, although rust-prone, are more appropriate for big-game fishing.

 

Wrapping Up

If you’re going to dive and hunt fish with a speargun for the first time, you may need to take into consideration the insights provided in this article. Let the information here serve as a basic guide to selecting the best speargun according to your preferences. Should you wish to know more about spearguns, you may talk to a seasoned speargun enthusiast before taking a deep dive.

 —Staff Report