The best hunting rifle for ducks: how to choose the right weapon + hunting tips

Types of underwater guns

1. Crossbow. The most popular speargun design for beginners. The firing range depends on the number of rubber rods and the size of the barrel. The advantage of a crossbow is considered to be low noise, almost complete absence of recoil and high shooting reliability.
2. Spring. Available with one or two springs. The simplest and most trouble-free underwater guns. Professional models are equipped with an effective design with springs of different diameters (located one inside the other), and have increased power, and therefore increased firing range.
3. Pneumatic. Convenient and effective spearguns for spearfishing. Powered by compressed air, compact. However, there are also disadvantages - the equipment is noisy, often misfires, and requires care when charging. It is also difficult to aim, which affects the accuracy of the shot.
4. Hydropneumatic. It does not limit the hunter at all, allowing him to easily do what he loves in any conditions, even in reservoirs with dense underwater vegetation. Hydropneumatics give the best impulse to the harpoon, and in some models the force of the shot can be adjusted. This is the most expensive spearfishing equipment.

Which underwater crossbow is best for the beginning spearfisher?

For beginner underwater hunters, inexpensive models of underwater crossbows from well-known Italian, French or American manufacturers are usually suitable. These guns are usually somewhat cheaper than their pneumatic counterparts, so many beginners prefer to start with crossbows. An undoubted advantage for beginners is the simplicity of the device and basic maintenance of the underwater crossbow. In Russia, novice underwater hunters prefer crossbow models with a barrel length of 600-750 cm. Many budget models in this segment are similar to each other and differ in small details and ergonomics. The card of each product contains a detailed description and reviews from the owners to make the choice easier. If you are in doubt about which underwater crossbow to choose, you can always call a toll-free number, our managers will help you understand the models and choose the most suitable option for you.

Is a permit required for a speargun?

This question arises for almost all beginners who decide to join this type of outdoor activity.
At the moment, the legislation of the Russian Federation does not provide for any permits for underwater guns of all types. At the same time, there are often cases when fishery inspectors, police officers or employees of other law enforcement agencies make a detention, confiscate this equipment or draw up an administrative protocol. In fact, there are only a few requirements that the owner should consider:

1. The speargun should be stored and transported in a special case and unloaded.
2. The use of underwater guns in crowded places (beaches, swimming pools, etc.) is prohibited.
3. Use together with breathing apparatus (scuba gear). In almost all countries it is equated to poaching (the exception is the USA).
4. A ban on fishing during the spawning period, as well as compliance with other fishing rules in force in the Russian Federation.

All other interpretations can be safely appealed in court, not forgetting about moral damage.

Trophy underwater hunting. Pneumatic guns or crossbows?

In December 2013, I received the following letter: “Victor, I recently read an interesting topic on the Vodolaz-radio forum about the recoil of crossbows, the accuracy of shooting from them, etc. There was also a link to your pool shooting competition. I looked at the results and the question arose: why did most of your athletes use pneumatic guns? It seems like this is a competition for fans of pneumatic guns or am I wrong? Alexander"…. The topic is very interesting, and I promised that I would answer. But since then many events have happened - the New Year's championship, holidays, etc. And the topic is not easy, I would not like to answer in a few words. Yes, personally, I myself prefer pneumatics, and for hunting in any conditions - both at sea (not only the Black Sea coast), and in our rivers and lakes. As for the fans of pneumatic underwater guns in our pool, you have correctly noticed - there are clearly more of them, but the point here is not fanaticism, but common sense and the ability to compare the advantages and disadvantages of this or that gun. During training, everyone can test all types of underwater guns: air guns of various lengths and different brands, ranging from very short ones to a length of 130 cm, as well as underwater crossbows. Special thanks for the provided shotguns CAYMAN SPORT 100, CAYMAN HF CAMU 100 with Top Energy 16.5 rods and Airbalete 100 from O.ME.R. We must also take into account the factor that our hunters often bring their own underwater guns of different models, thus giving them the opportunity to compare and form their own opinion. After the hunter has the opportunity to independently compare underwater guns, and is not guided by advertising, he often opts for an air gun. This is where most of the pneumatics in our pool come from. But there are those who continue to be loyal fans of underwater crossbows. A bruise on the chest is not an argument for them! After reading the forum to which you provided a link, I formulated several basic postulates that fans of crossbows for “trophy hunting” use:

1. The crossbow is simpler in design, and, as a result, more reliable. 2. The crossbow is easier to disassemble for covert transportation to those countries where entry with underwater guns is prohibited. 3. Shooting from a crossbow is more accurate, as it is easier to aim at the harpoon. 4. A crossbow with a large number of rods is more powerful than a pneumatic gun and therefore can hit fish at a greater distance than with a pneumatic gun. 5. If the harpoon in an air gun is bent, hunting stops, but a crossbow allows the use of a curved harpoon. 6. It is recognized as a “minor” drawback that a crossbow, especially with a large number of rods, has noticeable recoil.

Let's start with what trophy hunting is. What will be a trophy that you won’t be ashamed to show off in front of ladies or friends? Yes, in specialized magazines and on the Internet there are photos and videos that show decent specimens of trophy hunting. But the number of such successful hunters compared to others who live and hunt there or come to the same region to hunt is very small. You should also take into account that these publications are collected from all over the world. Also unknown is the percentage of successful hunts on those days when the same lucky person returned completely empty or with the usual prey. It's like in a movie about underwater hunting - every dive, there's a shot and a hit! Only the frames with misses were thrown out! When you purchase a gun for trophy hunting, you often become its hostage. But more on that later. Let's go through our points. So, point one. The crossbow is simpler in design and, as a result, more reliable.

Whichever is simpler, of course!
But it’s impossible to say unequivocally about reliability. Let's figure out what can happen to a crossbow and air gun during a hunt and the possibility of repairs in the field. The thinnest part of the crossbow is the rubber rods. The rupture of the thrust itself. This is possible if, when fired, the thrust “passed” over sharp stones, corals, and shells. This often happens when hunting rock fish. Repair is simple - if you have a spare rod, and it is attached using a threaded connection. If the pull is ring-shaped and there is a rope hook on it, then you just need to throw out the pull and use the remaining pulls. This is if there are several thrusts, but in this case the power of the gun is reduced, or you will have to get out onto the boat (it’s good if there is one, otherwise you’ll have to wave your fins to the shore) and install a new thrust. And this means weaving knots, and on a rocking deck! Just to solve this problem of ring rods, a proposal from Omer appeared - a metal quick-release hook! If the trigger mechanism of a crossbow breaks down, repair in the field is almost impossible. This can happen if the hunter, in pursuit of increasing the power of the gun, installs more powerful rods. This is the most common mistake. For the owner of a crossbow, the solution to the problem of insufficient, in his opinion, the power of the gun is simply resolved by installing thicker and shorter rods, the main thing is that there is enough force to charge. But they often forget that “what is good for a Russian is death for a German.” Crossbows are not designed for the strength of our men! Especially if you get out once a year and really want to fail something like that! Nothing can stop us! But don’t thoughtlessly increase the power of your gun. As a rule, crossbow triggers do not provide for a more significant increase in pull power than in the standard set. As an example, read the article about repairing a Rob Allen crossbow. https://www.doroganich.ru/articles/3/ All the hunter did was install additional powerful rods, and the sear simply fell apart. The conclusion is obvious - no matter how simple a crossbow is, you still need to have spare parts! Spare parts for the crossbow trigger are not sold. Sometimes you can buy a complete trigger mechanism, but this is often rare. Now about air guns. The most common breakdown is the piston, especially in serial imported guns. This is what repair statistics say. In this case, if you have a spare piston, the repair takes a matter of minutes. I bled the air, unscrewed the muzzle, replaced the piston, tightened the muzzle, and pumped it up. Often, the plastic brake bushing (located in the muzzle of the gun) is destroyed along with the piston. The repair is just as simple. That's all! True, some air guns have their own repair features. For example, Mares Cyrano shotguns have an unfortunate design flaw. To reduce the effort on the trigger, the gun has a rod with a diameter of only 1.5 mm, on which the trigger presses. This rod, in addition to the force from the sear, is also affected by the air pressure in the gun. The smaller the rod diameter, the less effect the increase in pressure inside the gun has on the force on the trigger. This is an attempt by gun designers to reduce trigger pull while increasing air pressure in the gun. Yes everything is correct. But when you pump the gun “to the point of stupidity” and then when you try to pull the trigger, this rod with a diameter of only 1.5 mm bends, at the same time deforming the brass rod guide. The shot becomes impossible. Repairs in “field” conditions, especially on a rocking deck, are very difficult. You need to have tools and spare parts. But if spare parts are available, repairs are still possible! Also, in all serial imported guns, and often in our homemade ones, the piston is braked by a shock-absorbing element in the muzzle. This shock absorber, naturally, has its own resource. But it also changes without problems. You just need to know that it can fail, you need to have a spare one and be able to change it. If we consider my gun, then if you comply with the simplest requirement: do not shoot in the air, the resource of the gun is generally unlimited! The working element for braking the piston is water. It is enough to give such an example. During training, my guns work like a jackhammer. As soon as one shooter gets out to warm up, another one immediately takes the gun, and so on for 1.5-2 hours without a break. I once calculated that the number of shots fired by a gun in a month of training is many times more than the average hunter makes in a year. And another example. I recently brought my old rifle to practice for target shooting. Structurally, everything is the same, the only difference is the presence of a sight and a coil. The gun has not been used for more than 7 years (my son was born, there was no time). After 7 years of break it works like clockwork! He didn’t even pump up the air! And how it was used earlier in training, there is nothing to even compare it with. But even if you wanted to cut down a coconut on a palm tree with my gun in the air, then after that you only need to replace the piston, and you don’t need tools except your hands and a spare piston. As follows from the above, the statement about the greater reliability of a crossbow compared to pneumatics is not so clear. Point two.
The crossbow is easier to disassemble for covert transportation to those countries where entry with underwater guns is prohibited. For example, Egypt, Maldives and others. The question arises - are there really no places on the globe for legal underwater hunting with similar trophy specimens? Yes, that's it - South America, Australia, etc. Do you have to risk your health (and if you end up in their prison, you will leave it there) and your freedom?! Recently there was a message about how our compatriot ended up in a local prison in Madagascar just for photographing butterflies! Well, it’s forbidden to photograph butterflies there and that’s it! This is their law! But he didn’t know about it. Why go to a region that is obviously risky? Most likely, the answer here is simple - where underwater hunting is prohibited (and these are often countries in which underwater hunting is generally prohibited or where there are nature reserves), then the fish there are not scared and are relatively easy prey. So I want to fail something like that without much effort. Before choosing a country where to go, I would advise starting with the fact that it would be a good idea to contact the embassy or the relevant services in this country and get an answer about what is possible and what is not, and what will happen if you can’t, but really want to. I know that in Russia there are several people who organize group trips to forbidden places, arguing that we arrive, quickly load onto the yacht, disassemble the guns before transportation and disguise them as spinning rods, and no one will find us at sea. Do you need this? To take such a risk for your considerable money. By the way, one of these organizers himself had the “fortune” to sit in a local zindan. His release cost him money, and the captain of the ship himself turned him in, having previously successfully sold his fish, which had been shot by a company of our hunters. Well, if you still decide to take such an adventure, then disassembling, for example, the Omer Airballet pneumatic gun is easier than any crossbow, since it is standardly equipped with the removal of the handle for pumping the gun. Well, my titanium guns are completely disassembled into components in a matter of minutes, including the handle, so it is almost impossible to identify a set of parts as a speargun. So the advantages of a crossbow on this point are very conditional. But don’t flatter yourself, there may always be someone on the border who is smarter and more cunning than you... By the way, it will be interesting to see how a hunter will disassemble a wooden crossbow, the handle of which is made as one piece with the body of the gun? Using a hacksaw? An important problem is the maintenance of underwater guns in safari conditions, that is, moving around the water area on a yacht. After ocean water, all guns without exception require desalination or at least rinsing with fresh water. Ocean water is actually an aggressive salt brine, plus humid hot air - all this leads to an accelerated corrosion process. Especially if the gun is no longer new and has chips and other damage to the protective coatings. If desalination is not done, then corrosion will form at the site of the chips. Also, in intense sunlight, the rods are destroyed, ultraviolet radiation has a catastrophic effect on them, especially if the rods are made of natural latex. It’s not for nothing that many companies make “sandwich” type rods, with a protective coating on the outside and natural latex on the inside. Plastic parts are also susceptible to damage from ultraviolet radiation. Yes, plastic will crumble into dust after hundreds of years, but it will lose its strength properties much earlier. You've probably noticed that plastic, after exposure to the sun, becomes brittle and brittle, like, for example, garbage on the seashore. The same applies to plastic parts of underwater guns. Wooden guns require protection from drying out, and it’s not for nothing that companies come with oil to impregnate the wooden body of the gun. Of course, desalination is also required for air guns, especially if they are made of aluminum alloys. But immersing a meter-long gun in fresh water is much easier than finding a bath for a long crossbow 150-170cm. In addition, we have not yet run out of craftsmen who make titanium air guns, which, if properly manufactured, do not require maintenance at all. Never! However, you need to be extremely careful when choosing a titanium gun. While in Anapa, I saw a gun made of titanium, and some of the parts, especially the external ones, were made of aluminum alloys. It is clear that very soon aluminum and titanium, forming a corrosive pair, will quickly render the gun unusable.

Point three. Shooting from a crossbow is more accurate, as it is easier to aim at the harpoon.

This argument does not stand up to criticism at all.
Yes, when shooting from an air gun at a long distance, you often have to take a large lead in height. This is due to the fact that almost everyone installs a rope line on pneumatics, which creates significantly more resistance than the monoline of a crossbow during the flight of the harpoon. Please note that the standard configuration of the pneumatic gun includes only a rope line and a fairly decent thickness. The height drop of the harpoon is mainly associated with the use of just such thick rope lines. If you know about this and take a lead in height, and if we are really talking about a trophy specimen, then 10 cm below or above the “trophy waterline” does not play a role when the height of the “side” of the fish is 50 cm. In addition, if in the region where you If you're planning on not having huge specimens, you can get by with a thinner line. You don’t carry around an incompressible 20 liter buoy with 50 meters of shock-absorbing line on our Black Sea. The thinner the line, the higher the shooting accuracy. Moreover, lately the choice of tench has been very rich. You can use Dyneema or Technora lines with a diameter of 1.0-1.5 mm, which in their strength properties are much superior to monolines used on crossbows. For example, Dyneema line is approximately twice as strong as monoline of the same diameter. But if you are aiming for a trophy, then 2 mm Dyneema tench (320 kg) is beyond any competition. But a crossbow harpoon with such a line and even with a bunch of rods will fly very sluggishly. Yes, and you can’t attach it to every harpoon. On crossbow harpoons, the standard holes often do not allow the installation of lines of this diameter. The only exceptions are, again, individually produced guns. On serial guns, harpoons for RIFFE crossbows have a hole of 3 mm in diameter. But they still use monolines to attach to the harpoon and only attach a strong rope line with a buoy to them. But this again is a design feature of crossbows. Strange technical solution. After all, the strength of the entire connection - the monoline plus the rope line to the buoy - will still be determined by the monoline. It is also necessary to take into account that shot fish often gets stuck in stones and the monoline breaks much faster on their sharp protrusions. All serial imported air guns have an aiming device. It is not always convenient; it often blends in with the parts of the gun and is difficult to distinguish. Although on Mares guns it is made with a contrasting insert. But modifying the sight is very simple. In any hunting store you can buy light-accumulating covers for the sight. They look like plastic rods with a diameter of 1.5 mm or more. Use hot glue to attach them to your gun and the scope glows underwater. There are many other options to solve this problem. In addition to the thickness of the line, there are several other factors that also affect shooting accuracy, regardless of the type of gun. Recently, tests were carried out on shooting tips from an air gun, which very well demonstrated that a single-flag tip has a very strong effect on the accuracy of the shot. A crossbow harpoon often also has one flag on the harpoon, but the crossbow harpoon does not have the ability to rotate along its axis; it is always oriented in the same position. Therefore, if there is a deflection of the harpoon, it is in the same direction. And in air guns, the harpoon can be oriented differently along the axis each time, so if you use a single-flag tip, it is better to orient it in the same position, this will increase the accuracy of your shooting. Even time has a strong influence on the accuracy of crossbow shooting. A crossbow shot fired immediately after it was loaded is more powerful than if you fired it after several hours. I measured that after only one hour of being in a charged state, the force on the rods decreased from 48 to 36 kilograms. Cold water also significantly reduces the power of the shot. It’s somehow strange to talk about the accuracy of shooting from a crossbow when you need to put together so many factors to ensure stable operation of the gun. Accuracy is also greatly influenced by the maneuverability of the gun and the recoil during the shot. We'll talk about recoil below, but now let's move on to maneuverability when pointing the gun at a fish. In general, it is difficult to talk about any maneuverability when you have in your hands a gun 1.5 meters long or more, a heap of rubber rods that “sail” when moving the gun, weighing several kilograms, and you are in the water column. It will not be possible to quickly turn such a unit onto the target. If you carefully look (there are many similar videos on the Internet) at how the hunting process occurs with such guns, then talking about maneuverability is simply not worth it. In fact, hunting comes down to the fact that, if you are lucky, the fish should simply come to the required distance from the required angle, and then you can shoot. Too many coincidences! Here it is also necessary to take into account another important psychological factor. A hunter, spending such significant effort to prepare a rubber gun for a shot, will inevitably strive to spend the shot on the most significant specimen. Arguments that you need to know how to load, that you need to put slippers under the gun on your chest (or even better, a frying pan on your neck), still 50 kilos on your chest with just one pair of rods will not go away! In fact, this is expressed in the fact that not every fish in the mind of an underwater hunter will be worthy of a shot, especially if there is a choice, and often the hunter is left without prey. Many novice hunters have encountered such a situation when they fly out to a flock and begin to choose the one that is larger, and behind it is even larger, and even more looms there, and as a result, nothing at all. This situation is probably familiar to many. The conversation about the accuracy of the combat of such long crossbows is very conditional. You have to be in the right place at the right time. And this is simply knowledge of local spearfishing conditions. And it turns out that it doesn’t matter how many rods are on your gun or what type of exotic wood it is cut from, you need to know where to be! And the last argument is about accuracy. You have correctly noted that most participants in precision shooting competitions in our pool use air guns. Hunters, having the opportunity to compare different guns themselves, come to the conclusion that an air gun is still more accurate. Point four.
A crossbow with more rods is more powerful than an air gun, and therefore can hit fish at a greater distance than with an air gun. It is simply incorrect to compare the power of both types of guns. What are we comparing? crossbow with one or two rods and standard pneumatics? The comparison is not in favor of the crossbow. Comparing a multi-thrust crossbow with a standard air rifle? This is definitely not in favor of pneumatics, but then let’s compare such an additionally reinforced crossbow with marine consumable pneumatics or pneumatics that are charged from a cylinder. Here again the crossbow is not in favor. Many people have probably come across a film by Michel Rebulle about how a certain Frenchman hunted huge merows in the area of ​​oil rigs in Gabon. On this hunt, at a distance of 4-5 (or even less, clearly visible in the film) meters, he uses a consumable pneumatic gun. Although there (in the same film) he uses a crossbow for smaller fish and hunts at the same distance of 3-4 meters. We are not talking about any sniper shots at 10 meters. Practice shows that the maximum firing distance at sea is 5-6 meters. In general, it is quite difficult to hit a fish from 10 meters. But even if you are a “Voroshilov” shooter, and have attached many rods to the crossbow for a long distance, the flight time of the harpoon is almost 2 seconds (or even more, depending on many factors - the thickness of the line, the tip, the thickness of the harpoon, etc. .p.), the fish will have time to turn away, and you will not hit it, although the harpoon will fly 10 meters. Unless it's a Napoleon fish in the Red Sea, fed by divers. Only Napoleon can be simply tied to a boat with his bare hands! By the way, an air gun is also capable of shooting at 10 meters. During Soviet times, the athlete had the right to choose the distance for shooting at targets in the pool. The maximum distance was exactly 10 meters. Probably, since then, on the covers of Tula Neptune guns there has been an inscription that you can shoot at 10 meters, but this is just a beautiful advertising ploy for such a short gun. Although, in fact, many athletes in those days had guns capable of shooting at such a distance. The most beautiful solution was when in 1988, at the USSR Cup competition in Gurzuf, guys from Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) brought a pistonless pneumatic gun with a working length of 1.5 meters. The gun was located on the hunter like a grenade launcher. Most of the gun was behind his back. Optical prism sight. Harpoon 10 mm in diameter. Elephant Killer! By the way, then the idea of ​​pistonless guns was tested by many people. They were made at the Volna club of the Moscow Aviation Institute, and Igor Prokhorov made them in Dubna, he even produced a small series, I also experimented, I even won the first phone with Caller ID on a bet that my air gun did not have a barrel. This idea was just in the air back then! Well, how can we not mention expendable air guns, in which the shot occurs due to the compressed gas in the gun cylinder, and with each shot part of the air is consumed. And of course, it must be said about hydropneumatic guns with water pumped in by a pump, while the pressure in the gun rises from 20 atm. up to 200 atm. and more. My first gun, which I designed and manufactured myself, had a working pressure of 500 atmospheres! It’s a pity that they stole it.. Moreover, that gun was disassembled without tools into such parts that it was possible to identify that it was an underwater gun only by the tip. So you need to compare comparable guns and focus on reality in underwater hunting. There is also this peculiarity - a person is very subjective when determining the distance of a shot. Especially your shot! During training in the pool, you often see how a shooter, setting the line for a shot at 5 meters, overshoots it by inertia, and as a result, it is not the tip of the gun that is on the shooting line, but the tips of his fins, and the shooter is in full confidence that he is only "slightly" went beyond the firing line. And only the video recording later sobers him up, but the target is not a living fish, it does not swim away from him. There is also an opinion that fish, they say, do not react to an underwater gun, react only to an underwater hunter and, accordingly, keep a distance between the hunter and itself, and not the gun and itself! In reality, everything is not so simple! The fish reacts to both. There are many factors that can affect the behavior of the fish. In 1996, while participating in the European Cup in Sicily, I encountered an interesting situation. The water area was an almost flat bottom, in which there were vertical holes, under which there were huge voids. These are lava formations. The tactics of local hunters was that the hunter took a comfortable position at a distance of 3-4 meters from the hole and waited. From time to time a curious individual would poke its head out, and the hunter’s task was to have time to shoot and not allow the fish to pull the harpoon inside. Of course, this is a simplified version of the description of this hunt, depending on the size of these holes, some of them could be climbed entirely. However, when I repeated this tactic of hunting from an ambush, the fish, peeking out as if scalded, disappeared. We had to increase the distance, but shooting her was already problematic. As it turned out later, this behavior of the fish was explained by the fact that in addition to underwater hunters, there were many natural enemies - dolphins, marlin, tuna. But the locals managed to sneak much closer than I did, and the fish behaved much calmer. It was clearly visible from the surface, visibility was more than 30 meters, just like in a spearfishing lesson! Would you like to find out what the reason is? Our standard set for establishing a friendly and frank conversation (Russian vodka and black caviar, oh that magical word CAVYAR!) did its job. I was advised to get a newfangled, at that time, Sporasub Samurai mask with mirrored lenses. Or camouflage yourself as much as possible between thickets of grass. The new mask did its job. The fish reacts to the eyes, to the look! After this, the matter moved forward. But it’s clear to say that if you have a 1.5 meter gun with 4-6 rods, then the fish will not react to you at all. Will! But it will be very difficult to cope with such a monster. And then the question arises, why do you need a gun with a huge bundle of rubber rods? It’s clear that when you live under a palm tree and all the equipment you have at your disposal is a drill, a hacksaw, a plane and a file, then the choice is limited. Smoking magic grass, to the sounds of reggae, he cut down the palm tree under which he was sitting, and planed a log of wood. In the trash he found a piece of stainless steel that was suitable in size, but not in mechanical properties, somehow gave it the shape of the trigger and sear, screwed it all down with different screws (which he found in the same trash heap) and the gun was ready. Moreover, this is not an unfounded statement; they brought me a gun from the famous master Andrea for repair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMNgVGN_rz8 But we live in a country that until recently had universal higher technical education among underwater hunters! There is a wide variety of pneumatic and hydropneumatic guns that can hit any fish from a distance of 5-6 meters. Those who hunted on the lower Volga in the area of ​​the Volga hydroelectric power station know that sometimes you have to shoot from 5-6 meters, and in terms of “armor” protection for grass carp at 30-35 kilos it is difficult to find a marine equivalent. It turns out that an air gun with a working length of 1-1.3 meters is quite enough to hit almost any fish at a distance of 5-6 meters. Moreover, the operation of such a gun is more comfortable than a crossbow. When loading an air gun, there is practically no pain, which means you can fire more shots in a given time, prepare for the next dive faster, and handle the gun easier in the water.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Duck Hunting Gun

Experts say that when you are looking to buy a duck hunting gun, you should consider several factors to choose the best one on the market.

Consider your experience level - If you are a relatively new gun user, consider using the .22 for your purposes. It's cheap, easy and easy to learn. However, remember that this is a low power weapon. Before purchasing this gun, consider whether all relevant features are available, especially safety features.

Consider its simplicity and ease of maintenance. — Weapons should be easy to use and pleasant to shoot. It is true that you need to practice a lot to gain experience, and this is the reason why start using simpler weapons. This way you will understand its functionality faster and easier. Plus, you don't have to spend a lot of time on maintenance.

Consider your budget: This is a very important feature when purchasing a gun. Choose the cheapest weapon to practice and gradually upgrade the weapon according to your experience and needs.

Let's look at the external characteristics of the pistol. — If you buy a used gun, check it for rust or dirt.

There are also some additional tips to consider before purchasing a pistol. These are the following:

1. Practice a lot: You need to practice a lot if you want to get accuracy and better performance. The type of gun doesn't matter much if you don't know how to aim accurately.
2. Keep your gun clean: Your gun may lose its proper functionality if you don't clean it regularly. For this reason, you must clean your gun with the appropriate materials and cleaning equipment.
3. Read or Take Suggestions from a Professional: It is always better to take suggestions from a professional or read articles that provide valuable suggestions about hunting. As a result, you will gain knowledge and be able to apply it when you hunt.

Try to stay informed and never stop learning. This way you can become a professional hunter.

In which online store can you buy an underwater crossbow at the best price in Moscow?

Our store offers a wide range of crossbows for underwater hunting from such manufacturers as Cressi, Mares, Beuchat, Salvimar, Riffe, Sargan. Among more than 100 different underwater crossbows, there are models for both beginner freshwater underwater hunters and professionals in sea and ocean hunting. We always have in stock a large selection of underwater crossbows that meet a wide variety of requirements for various types of hunting and price segments. We offer our customers the widest selection of crossbows and crossbows at the best prices in Moscow. Our experts will help you decide and recommend a model of underwater crossbow that is suitable in terms of characteristics and price. The online store “In Lastakh” delivers crossbows for underwater hunting in Moscow, the Russian Federation and neighboring countries. Call our toll-free number, we are always in touch and happy to advise you and help you with your choice.

Why are guns better compared to crossbows?

Hunters mainly use two types of weapons for hunting: pistols and crossbows.

Depending on your preference, you may lean more toward a crossbow, but when it comes to duck hunting, we think guns are the best option, and here are a few reasons why:

• The weapon can cross a longer distance. A crossbow can fire at about 350 feet per second, where a pistol can typically shoot at about 3,000 feet per second. This means that a crossbow can shoot an arrow at a distance of 500 yards, while a weapon can shoot at a distance of 75 yards.
• The weapon is faster for the second shot. Typically, you do not need to reload bullets immediately after the first shot, since the bullets are already inside the weapon. If you lose your target the first time, you can always quickly fire a second bullet. On the other hand, crossbows take some time to reload the arrow.
• The bullets are very fast and penetrate deeply. This can result in broken bones. Although an arrow can also do this, it depends on the distance, speed and accuracy of the arrow.
• A pistol requires less physical strength. When you use a crossbow, you will need to pull the rope with force, and this requires physical strength. However, pulling the trigger is much easier and anyone can do it easily.
• The bullet kills faster. The purpose of using a weapon is to kill the animal by shock. Bullets can kill quickly, while an arrow can fail and allow the animal to die slowly.

If you consider the factors mentioned above, you will realize that the gun is better than a crossbow for duck hunting. Guns can make hunting more enjoyable and easier, but crossbows are also effective hunting weapons. All things considered, experienced hunters usually prefer to use guns for hunting.

Pneumatic gun

This category of underwater weapons is the most common and popular among those who like to hunt big fish. A distinctive feature of this type of gun is the ability to regulate the firing force, which allows you to customize the weapon for specific hunting conditions.

When handling this type of underwater gun, you should be careful and do not reload the weapon in the air to avoid injury and injury.

Advantages of an air gun:

High-quality models are made of stainless steel, which is not subject to corrosion

High shot power.

The power of this type of underwater weapon depends on the length of the barrel. This is due to the fact that the receiver, in which the injection and transformation of compressed air is carried out, is located inside the barrel and therefore the longer this part of the gun, the higher its power.

The power of the gun cannot but be reflected in the noise of shooting under water. The use of seamless designs of air guns allows this figure to be significantly reduced without reducing power loss. Such guns are distinguished not only by relatively quiet shooting, but also by the ability to effectively hit a target at great depths.

Duck Hunting Tips

Duck hunting is one of the fun outdoor activities that we talked about at the beginning of this article. Easy to learn, and professional hunters consider wild duck to be one of the best sources of protein that exists.

This happened because they live in the wild forest and eat only natural foods. Notably, they are superior to farmed ducks, which can be genetically modified and/or kept in unsuitable conditions. If you compare the taste of wild ducks and farmed ducks, you will find that the flavor of wild ducks is much better.

When you go hunting ducks (or any other animal), you should remember the following tips:

1. Learn to kill animals: Killing a living creature can be very difficult for a person. Today we are accustomed to eating the meat of an animal that has already been killed by butchers or other people. Then consider whether you can handle killing a duck. If you can't do this, then you should probably reconsider your choice of outdoor activities.
2. Bring a friend or mentor: Duck hunting can be considered a social event where you can learn new things, even if you're past the beginner level.
3. Get the necessary equipment and update yourself with the latest information: Since you will be living in the wild for at least several hours, you must be prepared both mentally and physically for such an event. You must wear appropriate clothing, weapons and other necessary items. In addition to this, you must take out the licenses and permits required to hunt in a particular area.
4. Find the Perfect Spot: Finding a spot is critical to duck hunting, so be sure to do your research. You can go online or ask an experienced hunter about the best place to hunt ducks.
5. Differentiating Ducks: Keep in mind that there may be different types of ducks in a forest or area. Knowing this, make sure you understand what species can be hunted in the area. There may be a specific law for a particular species to preserve its rights.
6. How to Cook Meat: You should also know how to cook meat so that it can be edible after the hunt. The most popular method is called suckling and requires cutting through half of the duck's belly. Another method is to remove the intestines and then cook the duck completely. It is very possible to make a few mistakes in the beginning, but keep practicing and you will learn in time.

By following these tips, you can become a better duck hunter. Remember that trust is the key to being a good hunter! Be brave and most important, you must learn some survival techniques when you are planning to live in the forest to hunt.

There are several types of hunting, especially those related to environmental protection and health, that motivate people to hunt.

1. Health Benefits: First, hunting has important health benefits. Since you will have to wander through the forest or other similar places to find a suitable place to hunt and, if necessary, stay overnight, you will gain physical strength. In addition to this, physical activity will reduce unnecessary fat in your body. On the other hand, you will also gain mental strength.
2. Environmental Benefits: Hunting helps balance the ecological system. For example, in a given ecosystem, a certain type of animal may increase in number, causing complete imbalance in the surrounding area, and hunting may be one of the best ways to keep the animal population under control.
3. Economic Benefits: If you can hunt, you can save money and you can also sell the animals you hunt in the market. However, you must obtain permission from your local authority. There is a need to maintain diversity in the local area.

Speargun. How to choose?

Hi all. So we come to the topic of choosing an underwater gun. Before choosing your first gun, I advise you to read what is stated below, and only then make your choice. There are two types of underwater guns.

The first is a crossbow.

The second type is pneumatic.

Which one is better? This dispute dates back centuries. It's like arguing who is stronger than Schwarzenegger or Stallone. Therefore, the choice is only yours, whatever you like best, take it. When choosing a gun, you need to consider the place where you are going to hunt. Experienced hunters often use crossbow-type guns for sea hunting.

How to choose

For certain hunting conditions, one or another type of underwater weapon is selected. When hunting in clear sea water, power and range are important, so pneumatic models are most suitable for hunting in such conditions.

For hunting in lakes and ponds, you can purchase a short air rifle or crossbow. A pneumatic product is convenient in such conditions because it allows you to change the force of the strike. In conditions of insufficient visibility, it is unsafe to send a harpoon over a significant distance, therefore, by changing the force of the pneumatics, there is no need to fear that the harpoon may become hopelessly stuck in large snags or break on hard objects.

If you only plan to master underwater hunting, then purchasing expensive weapons is not recommended. It would be better to start hunting using a mid-priced device. At the first stages of mastering the technique of underwater hunting, an inexperienced hunter can make significant mistakes that can negatively affect the functioning of the weapon.

You shouldn’t buy very “childish” toys with a barrel length of less than 70 cm. Even at the stage of mastering underwater fishing, such devices are not capable of delivering pleasure from the process.

Like any type of outdoor activity, hunting underwater requires special equipment. And first of all, you will need reliable ammunition, because the outcome of underwater fishing will largely depend on the correct choice of it. Another important attribute is hunting equipment, namely a gun; let’s try to figure out how to choose something that will be convenient and effective to use.

The quality of the instrument itself will certainly affect the relaxation process. Therefore, before choosing a unit for underwater hunting and deciding which gun is best to buy, you need to learn about their types, available functionality, pros and cons.

epilogue

Now you know the importance of hunting, why guns are the best option for you, some important tips for duck hunting, guns suitable for duck hunting and other useful additional information.

However, you must respect the good duck hunter creed that you should not be cruel to ducks or any other animal and not kill any rare species of duck. Remember, they are a valuable resource for our nature. While hunting, avoid disturbing other animals (for example, destroying their nest) or disturbing neighbors.

Have a good hunting!