NorCal Gun Shoot Out (Part 1)
Video and reviews by Eric Keener; Filmed and Edited by Ryan Gentry
Fin + Forage is grateful for our relationship with Bamboo Reef Dive Centers in Monterey. They are easily the top spearfishing dive shop for our area and have a knowledgable staff comprised of talented freediving spearos. They recently loaned us 3 guns in the 75cm range to do a comprehensive review on and even more exciting, they gave us one of the guns as a prize for Fin + Forage’s August 2020 giveaway promotion! Bamboo Reef is a huge asset to the dive community and deserving of our support. Mention Fin + Forage while checking out and their locations and get a discount on your purchase!
The Target: We used two, 2’x2’ sheets of foam board with a 3/4” playwood backing. It took over 60 pounds of lead and a rock to sink it! In hindsight, we probably should have made smaller targets. It did, however, allow us to use the same sheets for all the guns which was great for comparisons. In the pool, I placed my left hand on the midway tile line and extended the gun toward the target which was right about 13’ away from the muzzle of each gun.
Reviews: We reviewed materials, factory build, component set up, trigger location, buoyancy, ergonomics, aiming, power, accuracy, recoil, ease of reload and everything else in between. We shot each gun 5 times to gain an understanding of grouping, penetration and consistency. Here is what we found…
Epsealon - Striker 75
Price: $260.00 to $290.00 DOL ($219 at Bamboo Reef in Monterey)
Avail Lengths: 60 - 110 cm
Muzzle: Open with optional, removable metal bridge
Barrell: 1 mm Aluminum - 28mm wide
Shaft: 7 mm Mini Shark Fin
Loading Pad: Yes
Trigger Mech: 316L stainless steel mechanism
Shaft: Sandvik steel shaft dia.6.25mm with mini shark fins
Number of Bands: 2, 18mm Mono rubber
Reel Attachment: Dove Tail
Safety: In trigger guard
Line Release: Top Right
Epsealon - French Company
In Water Review
The Striker 75 looked like the cheapest of all the guns we were going to try. It had all the right parts you want to see, I might have just been biased with the color scheme they chose. Boy was I wrong. It was by far the best feeling gun to shoot. It fit great in my hand (which is of course subjective to hand size), and the trigger was slightly more forward which allowed my finger muscles to pull the trigger and not my palm muscles which disrupts aim. The black, uncoated bands were the stiffest of all the guns and that made it harder to load but that translated into big time power. It was the only gun that launched the spear tip about 3 in out the back of the plywood. It was the loudest firing gun with a fair amount of recoil but also the most deadly accurate with a double bulls eye, twice! I think the deep notch V in the loading stock was what helped me focus my attention on my target more than any of the other guns. It had better tracking than the Rob Allen but not as good as Riffe. It comes with a closed barrel arc which makes loading a little easier but it would get in the way for our Northern California hunting and removing it is advisable. Overall, this is a great intro to intermediate gun and the most affordable of the guns we reviewed. If the materials were slightly higher quality, this would be a superb gun.
Gun Rating
Quality of Material: 2/5
Factory Rigging: 3/5
Tracking: 3/5
Buoyancy and Balance: 4/5
Comfort of handle/grip in hand: 5/5
Ease of aiming: 5/5
Trigger squeeze: 4/5
Recoil: 2/5
Accuracy of Shot at max distance: 5/5
Penetration (power): 5/5
Ease to reload: 3/5
Level of Spearo that would want to buy this gun: Novice to Intermediate
TOTAL: 41/55
Rob Allen - Snapper 700 Railgun
Price: $285.00 - $350.00 depending on length ($285 at Bamboo Reef in Monterey, CA)
Avail Lengths: 70 - 140cm
Muzzle: Available in open or closed
Barrell: Constructed out of 1.45mm aircraft grade aluminum
Shaft: 7mm Notched
Trigger Mech: Glass Reinforced Nylon with a Stainless Steel Sear
Number of Bands: 2, 14 mm bands
Loading Pad: Not standard
Line Release: Bottom near trigger
Reel Attachment: Dove tail
Modifiable parts: Open/closed Muzzle, loading pad, reel
Rob Allen - South African Company. Factory in Durban, South Africa
In Water Review:
Overall, this is a dependable, entry to mid level gun. It is well built, durable, standard, simple, easy to use and shoot. Perfect for hole, reef and midwater hunting in our Northern California waters. Being that I’m 6’4”, the handle is small for my hand and the trigger is not far enough from my palm which necessitates that I am extremely cognizant of my finger placement and trigger pull in order to be accurate. The first two shots were pretty far off center while I figured out the trigger pull issue but the following 3 shots were fairly well grouped. Reloading was a breeze, but I did have to slide the shooting line to the side when pulling the wishbone into the notched shaft which was a very minor inconvenience. Super simple, uncomplicated gun which makes it great for beginners or as a back up or even a no-hassle primary gun. The mono shooting line wasn’t super tight from the factory and slipped off the muzzle so new gun owners would need to make sure it’s lined and serviced correctly. The wrap over the shaft at the muzzle sits kind of awkwardly since the mono was loose but that is a fixable issue. It is well balanced and light in the hand, tracking was pretty average (not great and not bad). Just barely buoyant with the shaft out. Spear tip did not penetrate the back of the plywood which means it could do with slightly shorter bands or 16mm rubber.
Gun Rating
Quality of Material: 4/5
Factory Rigging: 3/5
Tracking: 3/5
Buoyancy and Balance: 4/5
Comfort of handle/grip in hand: 4/5
Ease of aiming: 3/5
Trigger squeeze: 3/5
Recoil: 3/5
Accuracy of Shot at max distance: 4/5
Penetration (power): 3/5
Ease to reload: 5/5
Level of Spearo that would want to buy this gun: Any Level
TOTAL: 39/55
Riffe Euro 75
Price: $557 from Riffe ($501 at Bamboo Reef in Monterey)
Available Euro Lengths: 55 - 130cm
Muzzle: Open with magnet
Barrel: Teak
Shaft: 7.1 mm Euro shaft with large Shark Fins and Hawaiian Flopper
Loading Pad: Yes
Trigger Mech: Stainless 2-Piece Steel Trigger Mechanism with added silencer
Safety: Side mounted, rotating switch
Number of Bands: Two bands. 5/8” (16mm) black coated amber RIFFE Gorilla Rubber power bands with 1000 lb.
Shooting Line: 300 lb. abrasion resistant Nylon monofilament
Line Release: Top Right
Reel Mount: Steel threaded reel inserts
Modifiable parts: N/A
Riffe HQ: CA, USA
In Water Review
The Riffe Euro 75 was by far the most quality gun with all the features you expect in a higher end purchase. Teak wood, strong bands, magnetic muzzle. Everything about the gun feels good. The bands and line bungee had their constrictor knots wrapped and sealed in a rubber sleeve, the mono was perfectly crimped and the length it should be. It was the best tracking gun and powerful. It shot the spear tip about 1” through the plywood. The only problem I had was that it was kind of hard to aim compared to the Epsealon. Due to the rectangular barrel and large shark fin tabs, the bands slightly obscured the tip out of view and for some reason my grouping just wasn’t very tight. I’m ot sure what it was that threw me off but I should have spent another few shots figuring it out. Due to the time frame of our pool use, we moved onto the next gun. Overall, this is an excellent gun that is very well suited for hole, reef and midwater hunting. I already own the Riffe 120 euro as my reef gun but would highly consider switching over to the 75 for northern California as well.
Gun Rating
Quality of Material: 5/5
Factory Rigging: 5/5
Tracking: 5/5
Buoyancy and Balance: 5/5
Comfort of handle/grip in hand: 4/5
Ease of aiming:3/5
Trigger squeeze: 4/5
Recoil: 4/5
Accuracy of Shot at max distance: 3/5 (user error?)
Penetration (power): 4/5
Ease to reload: 5/5
Level of Spearo that would want to buy this gun: Anyone looking for a quality gun.
TOTAL SCORE: 47/55
Final Thoughts
All 3 of the guns we tested are very capable of hole, reef and mid-water column hunting. Price points and build quality are what really set these guns apart. If you’re on a limited budget but want a very capable gun, you might consider going with the Rob Allen Snapper 700 and upgrading the rubbers. If you’re looking for an excellent quality gun, the Riffe Euro 75 is an easy pick.
EPSEALON TOTAL: 41/55
ROB ALLEN TOTAL: 39/55
RIFFE TOTAL SCORE: 47/55
