Spearfishing speargun bands rubber latex band wishbone V Accessories

• Stainless Steel Wishbone Lug Bridle for Euro Style

• Stainless Steel Wishbone Bridle for Euro Style

• Omer Articulated Euro Style

• Dyneema Cord Bridle for Euro Style

 Excellent choice! The wishbone speargun is a fundamental and highly effective piece of spearfishing gear, especially for beginners and enthusiasts who appreciate simplicity and power. Let's break down what it is, how it works, its pros and cons, and its best uses.

What is a Wishbone Speargun?

It's a type of band-powered (or rubber-powered) speargun. The name comes from the wishbone-shaped yoke that connects the two latex bands to the spear shaft.

· The Wishbone: This is a U-shaped piece of heavy-duty cord or metal cable. Each end of the "U" has a loop that attaches to a notch on the spear (the "wishbone notch"). The top of the "U" connects to a single point on the gun's muzzle.
· The Bands: Two powerful latex bands are stretched from the muzzle back to the spear shaft. The wishbone is the interface that transfers the bands' energy to the spear.

How It Works

1. Loading (Cocking): You stretch each band back from the muzzle and hook its wishbone loop onto the notch on the spear shaft, near its tail. This stores immense potential energy in the stretched latex.
2. Firing: When you pull the trigger, the sear mechanism releases the spear. The bands, contracting with tremendous force, pull on the wishbone, which in turn drives the spear forward down the barrel at high speed.

Key Components

· Muzzle: Often open or semi-open, allowing easy attachment of the wishbone to the spear.
· Spear Shaft: Has one or more notches at the tail end for the wishbone loops. Most common is a single-notch (16mm) shaft for two bands, or a double-notch (2 x 14mm) shaft for multiple band setups.
· Trigger Mechanism: Holds the spear in place against the band tension.
· Wishbone (Yoke): The critical connecting piece.

Advantages of a Wishbone Speargun

· Power & Simplicity: Direct energy transfer with few moving parts. Very powerful for its size.
· Reliability: Less to go wrong. No complex parts to fail, which is crucial in saltwater environments.
· Ease of Maintenance: Easy to inspect bands, wishbone, and spear. Components are simple to replace.
· Cost-Effective: Generally cheaper than pneumatic or roller spearguns.
· Excellent for Beginners: The loading process is intuitive and teaches the fundamentals of band guns.
· Quick Band Changes: Swapping out bands for different power or conditions is fast and easy.

Disadvantages & Considerations

· Recoil & "Muzzle Jump": The sudden forward thrust of the spear and backward pull of the bands can cause the gun to jerk upward. Proper technique (firm grip, against the body) is needed to manage this.
· Lower Band Efficiency: Compared to a roller speargun, the bands don't stretch as far relative to the gun's length, which can limit power in shorter guns.
· Limited Power Adjustment: While you can change band thickness/ diameter, you can't easily fine-tune power like with a pneumatic gun.
· Wishbone Wear: The cord wishbone can wear out and needs regular inspection for safety.

Comparison with Other Systems

· vs. Closed Muzzle (European) Band Guns: Closed muzzle guns often use a shooting line instead of a wishbone, where the bands connect directly to a metal tab on the spear. This reduces muzzle jump but can be slightly slower to load. The wishbone system is more common on American-style spearguns.
· vs. Pneumatic Guns: Pneumatics use compressed air, offering more power in a compact size and less recoil, but are more complex, require more maintenance, and can be prone to issues if not cared for meticulously.
· vs. Roller Guns: Rollers route the band(s) over a muzzle wheel, providing a longer band stretch (more power and less recoil) in the same gun length, but they are more complex and expensive.

Best Uses for a Wishbone Speargun

· Beginner to Intermediate Spearfishers: The perfect tool to learn on.
· Reef Hunting & Bluewater: Ranging from shorter models (70-90cm) for reef fish to long guns (120-140cm+) for pelagics like tuna and wahoo.
· Spearos who value reliability and simplicity over the latest high-tech features.

Safety Tips

· NEVER point a loaded speargun at anything you do not intend to shoot.
· Always inspect your wishbone, bands, and spear notch for cracks, frays, or wear before every dive.
· Use a loading pad on your chest to protect yourself when loading powerful bands.
· Understand and practice proper loading and unloading procedures.

Popular Brands

Many top brands produce excellent wishbone-style band guns:

· Rob Allen (famous for their simple, robust "rail guns")
· Spearfishing Pro (SpearPro)
· Mako Spearguns
· JBL
· Cressi and Salvimar (though they also make many closed-muzzle models)

In summary, the wishbone speargun is a classic, powerful, and reliable workhorse. Its straightforward design has made it a trusted choice for generations of spearfishers worldwide. It's an excellent place to start and for many, it remains the perfect tool for a lifetime of hunting.