Small powerful pneumatic?

[the_milkman]

Hi all,

I've been diving piers and holes with my 90cm gun all last summer and it's getting a real pain, banging into everything, unmaneuverable etc. etc.

I tried diving without it, or leaving it on the float until I need it, but whenever I do that I look under some kelp for a lobbie and see a lunking bass hanging there, just aching for a spear! Soooooooo frustrating! So I've been thinking about getting a small pneumatic. 40 cm or something.

Mares do something called a 'mini sten' or something that has a leg holster, which seems like a cool idea, so you could have the gun on you whilst hunting for lobster or crab but stashed out of the way.

Only thing is, I have no idea if these things are:

a) any good - are some brands better than others?
b) powerful enough to take a big bass
c) safe

Can anyone help? Thanks!

[spaghetti]

Hi Milkman.
the Mini-ministen with holster looks cool indeed but is very unpracticle: don't buy it, and I tell you why:
1) the holster is annoying for swimming
2) you can't keep the gun loaded at the leg holster: too dangerous. And as a consequence:
3) if you freedive, you have to surface when you need to load it, so what use a holster?
..
This aid I also have doubts that, hunting in English waters, a very short pneumatic (40 to 55cm) can be any useful for you. Being their range very short, in the mediterranean we use them ONLY for close shots into holes (skorpionfish, white breams, groupers, eels), or for corvinas in the kelp, but you don't have such fish in England, do you?
...
If you simply need a gun to be shorter than your 90, get a 75cm bandgun or an 85 airgun. Notice that airguns are measured differently than bandguns. An 85 airgun is as shorrt as a 75 bandgun, but shoots as long and powerful as a 100 bandgun! You could try a Mares Spark 85 or a Sporasub Steath 85.
Hope this helps, and hope you milkmen will keep your hands off my wife!

[the_milkman]

hey thanks spaghetti - very useful info there. I have a 75 band gun already but it is a real cheapo and the spear is warped so maybe a better quality 75 would be in order. I just thought that having a hyper short gun would be really maneuverable for tight spaces, but if the range is very poor then you're right it would be no use! Thanks again...

p.s. I am not really a milkman and will not steal your wife!!!