AB Biller vs JBL

tommyv · Oct-14-2009, 12:35 AM

I'm a noobie to spearfishing, I freedive now with a hawaiian sling and have tried out a couple of buddies' guns & am now looking to buy my first gun. I could use some advice on what to get. Looking for something that's easy to begin with and will last.

I'll be freediving for yellowtail, WSB, tuna in mostly open water and kelp here in San Diego and in the channel islands right along the coast. I can afford something along the lines of a AB Biller wood 48 or 60 or JBL woody magnum. Which would be the better gun (heard stuff about the trigger getting stuck on the JBL - is that true?) and what length would be good for where I'm fishing?

Thanks for the help.

One_Leg · Oct-14-2009, 12:41 AM

I had trigger issues with my JBL but never with the Biller.

Spend the money on a Riffe and you will be very happy.

48" minimum.

SEAKITTENKILLER · Oct-14-2009, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommyv

I'm a noobie to spearfishing, I freedive now with a hawaiian sling and have tried out a couple of buddies' guns & am now looking to buy my first gun. I could use some advice on what to get. Looking for something that's easy to begin with and will last.

I'll be freediving for yellowtail, WSB, tuna in mostly open water and kelp here in San Diego and in the channel islands right along the coast. I can afford something along the lines of a AB Biller wood 48 or 60 or JBL woody magnum. Which would be the better gun (heard stuff about the trigger getting stuck on the JBL - is that true?) and what length would be good for where I'm fishing?

Thanks for the help.

Tommy,

I'm far from the expert on here, but for what it's worth I would recommend you get a MAKO. You can't beat the customer service and they make a solid gun for a cheap price. If you want to stay with a wood gun I would buy a used gun off of spearboard or craigslist, deals pop up all the time. Oh yeah, and from everything I've heard (never used one) I would stay away from JBL.

**Marcus** · Oct-14-2009, 08:57 AM

Plenty of good guns out there. Mako, Aimrite, etc. Look for a 100cm-130cm Euro gun.

STAY AWAY FROM THE BILLERS AND JBL's.

You're better off finding a good used Riffe or a Wong. Save your money instead of buying a cheap gun that you WILL replace later.

Xcelon619 · Oct-14-2009, 11:25 PM

I recommed the mako spear gun

Bluewater1 · Oct-15-2009, 08:44 PM

my first gun i had was a JBL 38 special. awesome first gun light weight easy to load and reload and quite affordable like $175. i loved it. i actually took it in kelp a few times and it did well. its also very easy to upgrade as well.

rojodiablo · Oct-16-2009, 11:21 AM

The Biller is a decent gun; the style and setup may not be ideal for your purpose. Many divers in the gulf use them extensively and like them a lot. Personally, I have used most types of guns, and there are only 2 classes of gun to get: Wood gun or pipe gun. If you get a wood gun, save your pennies and get a nice gun. Riffe, Wong, Aimrite are good choices. The NEW JBL has a proven mechanism in it, and is a much better gun than their pipe guns ever were. As for a pipe gun, I have had issues with several of them, with the issues ranging from small niggling issues to real pain in the ass issues. FWIW, I do not recommend the JBL pipe guns. They need more improvement, and for the same cost, you can get a much better gun. Though I have had issues with a Mako gun, and also had issues with a HH gun, I can say they both take care of warranty issues well, and that is worth something. I would recommend....any pipe gun; they are all about the same when you take the JBL out of the category.

fishing skater · Oct-23-2009, 09:49 PM

ya my jbl trigger gets stuck

DavePloessel · Oct-24-2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus

Plenty of good guns out there. Mako, Aimrite, etc. Look for a 100cm-130cm Euro gun.

STAY AWAY FROM THE BILLERS AND JBL's.

You're better off finding a good used Riffe or a Wong. Save your money instead of buying a cheap gun that you WILL replace later.

+1

One thing to reccomend for the JBL is that the company is local and does have excellent customer service. I have a JBL that I use to shoot halibut because I don't like to shoot my "good" gun into the bottom. As a single purpose gun, the JBL is good, but as a beginner that want's to target a variety of fish, I would say get a wong, riffe, Mako, Rob Allen, Speardiver, etc.

You can find one used for the price of a new JBL if you are patient......

Spear or rod · Oct-25-2009, 05:08 PM

Tommy-call Dano @ Mako & he'll dial you in. Great bang for your buck! I own a few guns & I'm really happy with my predator pro. T

surf launch · Oct-28-2009, 07:52 PM

I've been using JBL guns for over 20 years usually for inshore halibut or when I sometimes spearfish with scuba and they work just fine. I have a Riffe which I use for seabass and yellowtail and the JBl in no way compares but it still has its place. Its still nice to have a gun for less than a few hundred bucks( incl. reel and spare shaft) that can take a beating rolling around on top of a reef or in the bottom of the bilge and still shoot well without the worry of scratching some expensive hardwood finish. JBL's are ok.

DavePloessel · Nov-08-2009, 03:52 AM

you can often find spearguns used for cheap on spearboard.