The Best Spear Guns: Best Choices For Shopping In 2024

Sarah Combs By, Sarah Combs
Updated
Best Spear Guns
Best Spear Guns

Our Top Picks

1. Best Overall: SEAC New Sting Sling Speargun, 65 cm

SEAC Speargun is an excellent choice for those new to sport. This extruded aluminum barrel design is not only corrosion resistant but also prevents bending and maximizes corrosion resistance and prevents loss of performance over time. It also has a nylon polyester line to ensure your safety. Finally, the shaft is made from PR80 treated steel with a 7mm diameter that is smooth and flexible. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: Mares Bandit Sling Band Speargun

The Mares Bandit Slingshot is a compact, lightweight, and fast speargun that offers incredible performance. The Bandit has a powerful steel head with an ergonomic grip making it easy to shoot from the hand or shoulder. The Mares Bandit Sling Slingshot comes ready to use with a Dyneema wishbone, shaft and speed sling. Read Review

3. Best Portable: Hammerhead Spearguns Proteus Mini (30)

Hammerhead Spearguns Proteus is a compact, easy to use spearfishing spear for exploring shallow and deep water. The Proteus is made from high-quality materials and is comfortable to hold and use. It's light weight, waterproof and floats so you can easily recover it in the event of a diving accident. Read Review

4. Best Quality: Palantic Spearfishing 104cm Blue Aluminum Safety Speargun Harpoon

With this spearfishing harpoon, you can ensure your safety while fishing in the ocean, river and lakes. It is light-weight and convenient to carry, but most importantly it will keep you safe from any accidental injury. Read Review

When hunting, you don’t need the most technologically advanced gear. You need something that works. And for that, you need the right spear gun. A spear gun is a piece of equipment used to shoot hooks and spears with accuracy under varying conditions. While some might think that hunters only use such weapons, plenty of people keep them around for self-defense and home security.

For example, if you want to hang a target or scare away cats from your yard, these are perfect for that purpose and target practice. With so many uses for these tools, it’s no wonder why there are so many people who keep one in their homes. That said, not all of them effectively shoot spears or hooks accurately and precisely under different conditions. Hence, we’ll talk about some of the best spear guns available today and what makes them great.

We think our SEAC New Sting Sling Speargun, 65 cm with Extruded Anti-Rust Aluminum Barrel is the best of the best among the top models. If satisfied with the preceding item, you could select a Mares Bandit Sling Band Speargun as an alternative. You may relax knowing its quality is also good per our research.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 SEAC New Sting Sling Speargun, 65 cm
Our Score:
9.7
SEAC
  • Sling: Amber Colored Latex, w/16mm (0.63") Diameter | Shaft: PR80 Treated Steel w/7mm (0.28") Diameter, 7mm (0.28") Thread Pitch M7 | Available in Multiple Lengths Depending-On Spear Fishing Needs.
  • Perfectly Balanced & Easy to Handle, Double Muzzle Design Allows Mounting of 1 or 2 Slings, Anatomic Grip Handle, Equipped with Sternum Rest for Easy, Comfortable Loading.
  • Perfect Spear Gun for Those New to Sport, Extruded Anti-Rust Aluminum Barrel, Maximize Corrosion Resistance Construction and Prevent Bending, Nylon Polyester Line.
  • Line Release Trigger and Safety in High-Strength, Shockproof Nylon, Trigger Mechanism: Stainless Steel, Filled Polyamide, Ensure Functionality and Reliability, Line Attachment System Directly Attached to Shaft.
  • Represent Top-Level Simplicity, Practicality and Versatility, Incredibly Well Made for Entry Level Gun, Superb Accuracy and Power Characteristics, 7M Thread Single Flopper Barbed Tip.
TOP Choice #2 Mares Bandit Sling Band Speargun
Our Score:
9.6
Mares
  • Tahitian Tri-Cut 7mm Spring Steel Shaft w/Single Flopper
  • Australasian Rigging
  • Mares Bandit Spear Gun
  • This Item Includes: Bandit Speargun, Tahitian shaft, Dyneema Wishbone, S power speed slings
  • Designed for Beginners to Intermediate Spear Fishers
TOP Choice #3 Hammerhead Spearguns Proteus Mini (30)
Our Score:
9.5
Hammerhead Spearguns
  • Simple yet Effective Trigger Safety Lock
  • Easy, Simple, High Quality Components for dependability.
  • Patent Pending Metal Coil Band won’t cut fingers
  • Protean and Compact for spearing around Rocks and Crevasses.
  • Perfect Starter Speargun for Younger Divers
  • Thread diameter: 6mm. You'll be able to purchase any 6mm tip to be placed on the tip
  • Material: High Quality Aluminum with anti-corrosion coating
  • Easy to carry and convenient to use, ultralight
  • Length: 104cm. Speargun Body Diameter: 2cm
  • 5/16 inch stainless steel shaft, two 9/16 inch rubber slings
  • Includes: AB Biller wood Mahogany Special spear gun
  • Double Barb rock point tip: hardened stainless steel
  • Wood guns are preferred by many experienced spearos and spearing champions.
  • Double Barb Rockpoint tip: hardened stainless steel 5/16 inch stainless steel shaft two 9/16" rubber slings
  • The high grade grooved mahogany, teak or padauk barrel provides pinpoint accuracy, easy underwater maneuverability due to its neutral buoyancy and absorbs 80% of the firing noise the gun will create.
  • Great gun for any condition of spearfishing for freedivers, and scuba divers. Easy loading with the extended butt for scuba divers.
  • The stainless steel trigger mechanism is unsurpassed in reliability and smooth action.
  • Handle: new anatomic grip and sternum rest and line release trigger and safety catch in high-strength shockproof Nylon
  • Double muzzle: allows mounting of one or two slings
  • Barrel: in extruded anti rust aluminium to maximize resistance and prevent bending.
  • Triggering device: in stainless steel and filled polyamide to ensure the utmost functionality and reliability.
  • 5/16 inch stainless steel shaft, Two 9/16" rubber slings
  • Double Barb Rockpoint tip: hardened stainless steel
  • Includes: AB Biller Wood Mahogany Special Speargun
  • Double Barb Rockpoint tip: hardened stainless steel
  • 5/16 inch stainless steel shaft, Two 9/16" rubber slings
  • Includes: AB Biller Wood Mahogany Special Speargun
  • PRECISION ACCURACY: Elites can be shot Tahitian-style or with a break-away tip for large game fish. All models come standard with 5/8″ Elite Nitro Bands for silent operation. Elites deliver precision accuracy in all conditions. Great for travel.
  • JBL INTERNATIONAL: Manufacturing spearfishing gear for over 40 years. The combination of our timeless designs and premium materials with legendary accuracy and bullet-proof durability has helped hunters like you stone game fish shot after shot.
  • STAINLESS STEEL: Elite models (Custom excluded) have a fully inlaid muzzle, stainless steel line anchor with reel eyelet, universal accessory rail mount, and side grooves for increased traction. All models feature hand straightened 17-4 stainless steel shafts with shark fin style tabs, tuned flopper, and point with 5/16” threads.
  • WOODY ELITE SERIES: Designed to be accurate, powerful, and silent. At the heart of each Elite speargun lies the revolutionary M10 trigger system. An industry first. Its proprietary 3 piece design utilizes compound leverage and 1⁄4” stainless components.
  • ERGONOMIC HANDLE: The M10 can withstand over 2200lbs of force and indulge shooters with a smooth, effortless trigger pull of less than 8lbs. The ergonomic handle and hexagon pattern increase grip control and accuracy. Two qualities that are a must when the water current is strong and the stakes high.

Things To Look For When Buying best spear guns

There are numerous factors to consider when looking for the best spear guns to purchase. The easiest way to figure out the right one is to read reviews from people who have already purchased it.

Throughout this article, we will go over certain most important factors to consider when purchasing best spear guns. Please take your time reading and studying the items listed below!

Tips

There are three types of tips: pencil-nose, single barb and tri-cut. Pencil-nose and single barb tips can be used to catch small- to medium-sized reef fish. Tri-cut tips, on the other hand, are more suitable for larger-sized and heavier-skinned fish.
A flopper is the metal piece that's riveted behind the tip. After release, the flopper is flush against your shaft. This maintains streamlining and flips open to catch your fish. You can find many types, but most popular are single Hawaiian and Tahitian flopers as well as the double flopper.

Types Of Spearguns

Two types of spearguns are common: ones powered by rubber bands and those that use pneumatic (or air) power.
Spearguns with pneumatic pistons
You can use compressed air for shooting and it is therefore easier to transport. These can be easier to transport and use underwater but require a pump for loading.
This type of gun is more challenging to service. The air-powered spearguns are best used in shallow waters and can be used for snorkeling. The compressed air's power will decrease as you dive deeper.
Spearguns for bands
These can be made of wood, or sealed tubing. They are very quiet and easy to shoot. One or more rubber band, hooked to the notches on the spear shaft, provide power.
The rubber bands and slings need to be replaced after 6-12 months. This is in order to maintain a strong shoot with adequate range. It is up to you which gun type you like. It is easy and straightforward to load a gun.
You can choose different size band guns to make slings. You also have the possibility to buy additional slings. These are the most common spearfishing guns.

Extras

A rubber pad at the end of the speargun handle will make it easier to load and unload. You might be able to add an extension for metal tub guns.
You can adjust the power of a shaft that has more than one notch in a bandgun by using multiple notch. The gun should have a trigger safety, however it is important to note whether the gun can still be operated with just one hand.
A handle clip can be used to attach your gun to a buoy or floating line, or to an angler.
Most guns don't include a reel. However, some firearms will come equipped with a ready-to-use reel. The reel is used for spearfishing, and the reel comes off after spearing a fish. This gives you more room to fish with the reel.

Spear Types

The shaft and tip make up the spear. The shaft and tip are typically made from stainless steel. You can choose between a shaft width of 6mm, 8mm, or 9mm.
The spear will travel quicker with a thinner shaft, but it has lower penetration power. A smaller shaft is better for small fish, but a thicker shaft will be more effective when hunting large game. The tip can either be threaded or fixed.
While a fixed tip can't be altered, a threaded tip allows for you to change the tips to suit your hunt situation. The most common tip types are Single Flopper and Single Flopper.

Length

A speargun's length also affects how long you can load your speargun, which in turn limits the sizes of fish that you are able to hunt.
They are more dangerous than their prey and require a gun that is longer and stronger to penetrate and reach them. The gun gets more difficult to use and requires precision aim as it grows in length.
For beginners, it is preferable to have a shorter or medium gun length if you are still learning. Also, shorter guns perform better in narrow spaces, caves, wrecks or reefs.
You will need more reach if you spearfish in open areas. The range of band guns is roughly three times as long depending on how strong and numerous the bands are.

Muzzle

In the band speargun description, you will find information about whether the muzzle is closed or open. The rubber band can pass through the closed muzzle.
It is easy to load the guns as the rubber band needs to be attached to the shaft. A muzzle open will typically require you to attach the band or sling.
This muzzle is available on firearms that have more than one band. A muzzle that is anatomically designed will allow you to align your shot with precision and accurately aim.

FAQs

Are Spearguns Illegal?

Spearguns are legal, but they're not prohibited. However, there are restrictions on where and when you can use spearguns. Some states ban the use spearguns and scuba gear. Other states have restrictions regarding the species that you can shoot.

Can I Use Spearguns From A Pier Or Boat?

Spearguns were not made for water use and there have been fatalities from spearguns being used in these situations. Adreno doesn't recommend spearguns being used in such a way. It is difficult to aim accurately at water objects when standing on the surface.

How Do I Secure My Speargun When I Am In The Water?

You may lose things underwater, as your eye-tohand coordination is not the same as it is on land. If you're wearing gloves or diving gear, this is especially true. Attach your speargun to a line of float using a shark clip to keep it secure and avoid losing it. Your speargun can be easily recovered if you shoot a bigger fish or if it is stuck in a cave.

How Far Can Spearguns Shoot?

It is unlikely that you will be able to reach the same range as a gun. It all depends on what type of speargun and how strong the rubber is. For an effective distance, a good rule of thumb is to aim for 3x your speargun's length. You may find it easier to hit the targets farther away when you practice.
You'll be ecstatic to witness one in action. This video is a great visual representation of spearguns shooting and how far they can be shot.

Are Pneumatic Spearguns Good?

They can. They are more precise because of the way they shoot. You don't need to worry about rubber.
A pneumatic speargun's power will determine how difficult it is to load. To make your life easier, look for loaders that are included in any purchase.
Pneumatic spearguns are precision-engineered, but as a result, they can often be rendered useless by dirt or grit. They are difficult to maintain because the firing mechanism is completely enclosed. A banded spearfishing weapon is the best option.

How Do I Carry My Catch?

Divers can use special catch bags to transport items under water. You can choose from many designs and you should avoid any that touch your body. They can restrict your ability to dive underwater, and they can be hazardous as sharks could smell the catch bags. In shark-inhabited areas, it is better to have catch bags attached to a separate float line. You can keep your movements clear and store your catch safely away from sharks or other predators. A speed spike can be attached at the end of the gun to make it easier to attach the fish to the float line. It will then drift away as you swim. Divers may prefer to attach a shorter rope to their guns to hold their fish. Sharks are more likely to be close to divers than they are to humans in certain areas.

Conclusion

The best spear guns would be those who suit your needs and demands at the lowest possible cost. With more and more options available, it could be simple to find a design that satisfies all of these criteria. If you're not sure which one is best for you, take into account the Mares Sniper Alpha 35 cm Speargun for another option.


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About Sarah Combs

Sarah Combs
Sarah Combs is a visual editor who loves to travel and hike. She enjoys taking photographs of her journeys, which help her to remember the beautiful places she's been to. Sarah is grateful for the opportunities that she has had to see the world and looks forward to continuing to explore new places in the future. Sarah is the editor of CampfireHQ since 2021 and has written on a variety of topics, from camping, and hiking to other outdoor guides.

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