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All About Guns What's your weapon of choice, and why? Discuss the beloved speargun here!

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Old 09-14-2009, 03:41 AM   #1
spearq8
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Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

I am doing a lot of target shooting in my home pool and improving many little things that help the gun to shoot more accurately. At the moment I use short wishbones on the second band which allows some room for the bands not to croud the vision. But still some guns shoot a little off center and ofcourse elevation is a big thing to compensate for so a target sight might be useful. Not sure if it would be useful for normal spearfishing when shooting fish, but it is always useful to know how accurate your gun is. I am at the moment thinking of doing sort of a square sight all the way back where the butt is and then making another smaller square at the muzzle. The main problem I am worried about is that the front square will not impede the line as it is being shot out, but I have a Cressi Sub gun which has a tiny hole where the line seems to go through with no problems. I am thinking that the front site could have an adjustable notch and the back site could have some sort of circle with cross lines for elevation. Maybe the back site could an acrylic or even tempered glass with etched painted guide lines. Has anyone tried something like that?
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Old 09-14-2009, 08:51 AM   #2
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

I shoot open muzzle guns and base all of my shooting on the line post (not sure if that is the right name) and don't really think that speargun sights are needed as most of your shooting is done close range (as in not 300 yards with 15mph winds). But, try it and post some results
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Old 09-14-2009, 09:20 AM   #3
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

im with spearstudtx I dont see the reason to have sights. I mean the only reason bows came out with sights are because the compound bow was invented and could shoot at alot further distances than recurves and longbows. Now if and when spearguns are modified over the years to shoot out to 50, 75, 100 ft. then ya sights may be needed. but with todays guns shooting an average of 10-20 feet it seems to me sights would just get in the way and slow a persons reaction time down from shooting instinctivly.
thats just my opinion, but then again try it out and let us no how it goes. you may be on to somthing.
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Old 09-14-2009, 10:15 AM   #4
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

It seems to me that the biggest problem with having sights on a speargun is that you then focus on the sights, when you should have your focus on the fish. Given the short distance of most shots, I personally think you give up more than you gain with sights.

About 11 years ago, I used a gun with a laser-point sight. To be honest, it didn't improve my hits one bit.

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Old 09-14-2009, 10:44 AM   #5
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

I don't know but I think it can be useful even for spearfishing. It is amazing how you can improve the accuracy of your gun by changing little things. Improving your crimps, tying the mono in different areas of the spear, the way the bands sit on your gun. All these things can change your impact point by up to 12 inches at 6 meters. I agree that normal sights like on a rifle are probably not useful, but sights like a shotgun could be very useful. At the moment I use the "V" made by the bands and line it up with the tip of the spear and then on the target. I can keep 10 shots within a 1.5" square free hand quite easily at 6 meters and hit that consistently at 7.5 meters (maximum range at 2 loops). This is all with an off the shelf Riffe Euro 120X with some minor modifications. Switching shafts with this gun changes the impact point linearly left with thinner shafts. I am guessing this is because the wrap over the shaft pulls the shaft left due to having more of a gap with a thinner shaft.
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Old 09-14-2009, 12:32 PM   #6
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

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Originally Posted by spearq8 View Post
I don't know but I think it can be useful even for spearfishing. It is amazing how you can improve the accuracy of your gun by changing little things. Improving your crimps, tying the mono in different areas of the spear, the way the bands sit on your gun. All these things can change your impact point by up to 12 inches at 6 meters. I agree that normal sights like on a rifle are probably not useful, but sights like a shotgun could be very useful. At the moment I use the "V" made by the bands and line it up with the tip of the spear and then on the target. I can keep 10 shots within a 1.5" square free hand quite easily at 6 meters and hit that consistently at 7.5 meters (maximum range at 2 loops). This is all with an off the shelf Riffe Euro 120X with some minor modifications. Switching shafts with this gun changes the impact point linearly left with thinner shafts. I am guessing this is because the wrap over the shaft pulls the shaft left due to having more of a gap with a thinner shaft.
I shoot my speargun the same way I shoot my 1911 colt, off the tip of the barrel. Target shooting in the pool is a great sport in Europe and is loads of fun, but if your trying to improve you spine shots on fish in the wild it is of little use. I have spent hundreds of hours of very unsafe pool testingdeveloping my personal guns over the last 25 years and have enjoyed it almost as much as the hunting. Be safe and have fun with your hydrodynamic journey.
All the best, Don Paul
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Old 09-14-2009, 01:18 PM   #7
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

Some pneumatic guns have rifle style sights.
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Old 09-14-2009, 03:15 PM   #8
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

Not to derail this thread, but I think more important than sights would be knowing your gun groups shots effectivly. the only way I no how to do this accuratly would be to sink some kind of gun vise or clamp in a pool and shoot multiple times whithout the gun moving like you would sighting in a highpower. has anyone ever tried somthing like this? I havnt but have often wondered how my guns would shoot if I did.
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Old 09-14-2009, 03:36 PM   #9
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

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Originally Posted by IAGUY View Post
Not to derail this thread, but I think more important than sights would be knowing your gun groups shots effectivly. the only way I no how to do this accuratly would be to sink some kind of gun vise or clamp in a pool and shoot multiple times whithout the gun moving like you would sighting in a highpower. has anyone ever tried somthing like this? I havnt but have often wondered how my guns would shoot if I did.
Many guys have done this but it is only one tool in the gun testing box, you still
have to get the gun to shoot well from '' your'' hand. I'm not going to talk too much about pool testing as I don't some kid launching one into the neighbors house.
Cheers, Don
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Old 09-14-2009, 03:55 PM   #10
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

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Many guys have done this but it is only one tool in the gun testing box, you still
have to get the gun to shoot well from '' your'' hand. I'm not going to talk too much about pool testing as I don't some kid launching one into the neighbors house.
Cheers, Don

Ive never worried much about that, maby taking some chuncks of concrete out of the pool. But it sounds like maby you or someone you no have had some close calls.

what have you used to stabalize your gun underwater, Im sure I can design somthing but the simpler the better.
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Old 09-14-2009, 05:27 PM   #11
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

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Ive never worried much about that, maby taking some chuncks of concrete out of the pool. But it sounds like maby you or someone you no have had some close calls.

what have you used to stabalize your gun underwater, Im sure I can design somthing but the simpler the better.
My under h20 gun bench was plastic milk crates with the handle part cut out,my test guns were secured with a cam lock and latch system. Two crates were held together with heavy cable ties, I used dive weights to control platform mass. I would hang lead weighted clear plastic notebook sleeves with + marks from PVC pipe placed across my narrow pool @ 10' 15' and 20'. If you align all the targets to the same axis you can learn what that 9/32 shaft with 3 bands is doing @ 10' 15' and 20' with or without the closed track, or that new sliptip profile. Kid's do not ever try this at Home.
Cheers, Don Paul
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Old 09-15-2009, 06:01 AM   #12
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

I have a pretty elaborate setup in my home pool and I ended up paying over $2000 for it. I am lucky in that when I designed my pool, I designed it in such a way where I have a long area which I had done to allow for doing laps comfortably. It is 25 meters long which is plenty for any gun testing. I have the target stand made from welded aluminium with concrete inside and then I use high density foam to stick the targets on. I have it setup with guides at 4 meters, 5 meters, 6 meters ... and every once in a while I put a 7.5 meter marker.

I have used a stand to stabilize the gun when shooting but I found this counterproductive as you can't really hold the tip without moving. The best way to test gun accuracy is to test it free hand and look at your groups. For some reason my freehand groups seem more accurate than my groups when I put the gun on a stand. Anyway a properly balanced gun is really just like shooting on a stand. Just like target shooting with a powder gun, accuracy on the human side is all about controlling your trigger pull and avoiding recoil anticipating flinch.

Shooting your speargun in your pool can be addictive especially if you are a powder gun target shooter to begin with. I disagree that it does not improve your spearfishing skills as it has helped me understand much better the dynamics of what happens when a shaft leaves your gun. Ofcourse when you shoot a fish it usually is moving, and elevation impact changes if you are shooting down or up on your target. However knowing how your shaft reacts when a flopper is added or a slip tip is added greatly improves your ability to get a decent shot at a fish.
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Old 09-15-2009, 06:53 AM   #13
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

Quote:
Originally Posted by spearq8 View Post
I disagree that it does not improve your spearfishing skills as it has helped me understand much better the dynamics of what happens when a shaft leaves your gun. Ofcourse when you shoot a fish it usually is moving, and elevation impact changes if you are shooting down or up on your target. However knowing how your shaft reacts when a flopper is added or a slip tip is added greatly improves your ability to get a decent shot at a fish.
I agree with this wholeheartedly and honestly think that there is a certain level of skill in this that cannot be gained in the open water when concerned with breath hold, fish size, fish movement, fish position, depth, stalking (you get the point)... Back to the point of this thread though, I still believe that speargun sights are of minimal importance and think that if a guy can find some way to look down his gun the same way every time he can hit anything. For example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUka-5qYFus
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Old 09-16-2009, 11:37 AM   #14
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

To be honest that video does not impress me. The range was only a couple of feet and it was a one time shot. I would be more impressed if he could hit a 2 inch target 10 times in a row from 6 meters. Something that would be very difficult to do with a flopper and even without a flopper.

Back on the subject, don't laugh but I actually am looking at the possiblity of trying a holographic sight. I found one that is designed for pistols and is waterproof to 33 feet, which would be enough to test it as a proof of concept idea in the pool. Not sure it would work but maybe worth a shot.

I always wondered how far you can take speargun accuracy, and I feel that at 6 meters (the range that target matches are done) the accuracy can be improved to around 1/2 an inch for a 5 shot group. At the moment the most accurate off the shelf gun that I have tested from maybe 10 different guns is the Riffe Euro 120X. It can group 5 shots inside 1.5 inches quite easily with some minor modifications to the bands and rope and ofcourse removal of flopper. That is quite remarkable considering it is an open muzzle gun and has no rail or no enclosed track. I would love to make a build based on the Riffe Euro but with an enclosed track and some modifications to how the bands load. If someone has the skills and equipment to make such a build please let me know and we can work out something.
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Old 09-18-2009, 08:45 PM   #15
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Re: Has anyone worked on developing speargun sights?

well , when the snows on the ground , rednecks will play. I fabricated a rear aluminum sight for mine and a red dot on the muzzle. Its super fast to get on the head shot.
Being from near the Artic circle, I dont get south but every 6 months or so. for me open gun sights are second nature and they help me get my head shots. I dont have to guess.

I aligned it in the basement @ 15 ft w/ a laser gun bore sight. WELL.........it was snowing a lot and I needed to play w/ the dive toys.
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