Rob Allen Tuna Railgun Review

The Rob Allen Tuna Railgun sets the standard with a tough, versatile speargun that’ll help you take your underwater hunting adventures to the next level. If you’re looking for power, range, and the ability to land bigger and better fish – click here and get your hands on this awesome speargun.

P.S. Rob Allen also do a lifetime warranty on the handle, trigger mechanism and the barrel, which makes this an unbelievable good buy for anyone serious about spearfishing.

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Rob Allen Tuna Railgun: Reviewed for 2023

Today, I’m updating a review of one of my favorite spearguns, the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun.

I’ve been recommending this speargun for the better part of a decade, because it just continues to work, without fail, year after year after year. At this point it feels like it’s bomb-proof, having survived countless dive trips while catching me plenty of fish.

In our buyers guide to the best spearguns on the market, the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun speargun won hands down – YES – it’s just that good.

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Why Get the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun?

The key here is performance. RELIABLE performance. Rob Allen gives more accuracy and precision, along with a powerful shot that you can rely on – again and again. So you can actually land your shots on those fast and furious “big game” fish but still take it on the reef if you’re diving from the shore and targeting a smaller catch.

If you’re looking to up your spearfishing game the Tuna Railgun is one of the best value “all rounder” spearguns that you’ll get.

It’ll outlast pretty much every other speargun in its class, and there’s no fancy upgrades or nonsense features (i.e the things that generally break first). Of course, it’s not the cheapest speargun, but it’s also not the most expensive either. Kind of like Goldilocks. It’s just right. Most of my buddies call their Rob Allen spearguns “the last they’ll ever buy” – because they’re right – once you’ve used one of these bad boys, you’ll find it extremely hard to go back to any other brand.

And here’s why.

• Integrated rail so every shot flies straight and true
• 2x powerbands as stock makes it an underwater bazooka
• Ergonomic pistol-grip handle is comfortable on long dives
• Low profile open muzzle gives extreme manoeuvrability
• Versatile for both reef and deep-water spearfishing
• High quality speargun that’ll last season after season

 

What type of spearfishing is it good for?

My 120cm Rob Allen Tuna Railgun is my go-to speargun, which means it’s the one I grab whether I’m swimming out from the beach to the reef at the end of the headland, or jumping off my boat to dive one of the islands just offshore. I’ve caught plenty of big reef fish, like blackfish, bream, coral trout and red morwongs, as well as bigger game fish. Giant trevally, jewfish, and even the odd kingfish and little tuna.

If you’re cave hunting or spearfishing around rocks in close range – a speargun of this size is probably overkill. Because the power it packs runs the risk you’ll bend your shaft if you’re shooting into solid rock. But for diving in depths roughly 5 to 15m, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better speargun.

How it feels to use the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun…

In the water, the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun is hard to beat. You’ll feel the weight of it when you’re walking around on dry land, the hollow barrel makes for just the right amount of buoyancy underwater. If anything, it’s slightly nose-heavy, but that’s it. It swings easily left and right as you pan underwater, the open muzzle design has a lot less drag than other spearguns – which is great if you need to quickly reposition for a shot.

After firing, the speargun will float, and being a relatively streamlined speargun it’s quick to fit the shaft back in and pull the bands back as you reload. On the longer models (130cm and 140cm) this reload process is a little harder – much like it is on all bigger guns, so if you’re worried about this maybe you should opt for a smaller 100cm or 110cm size.

All in all, it’s easy to use, easy to shoot, and likely the best speargun you’ll find at this price.

My favourite part of the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun

Probably the best thing about this speargun is the handle and trigger mechanism. On the Tuna Railgun you get Rob Allen’s latest Vecta 2 handle. It’s moulded from PA6 30% GS glass filled Polyamide, which – in plain English – is the same kind of stuff that goes into bulletproof vests. So it’s RIDICULOUSLY tough, more than enough to stand up to the rigours of pulling in a huge bluewater fish. All of the load bearing pins are solid stainless steel, and the solid design of the trigger makes it perfect to press. A little tension, and thwack – the shaft fires like lightning – directly towards whatever you were aiming at.

Any downsides?

It seems silly as I’m typing this out, but it’s important you know this. You must to be ready when you shoot a Rob Allen Tuna Railgun, because the recoil on firing can pull your shots off-target. I find that a fully relaxed arm as I shoot tends to send my shots a little higher, and if you’re not aware of it you’re going to start missing fish. It’s also a bit tricky to load, especially the longer guns, and if you’re having trouble my advice would be to replace the stock powerbands with longer versions – just until you get the hang of loading it.

Changes I’d make to the Ron Allen Tuna Railgun?

The first thing I did with my railgun was add one of Rob Allen’s composite reels. To me, this is the perfect “versatile” speargun, and a reel lets you adjust the tension so your shooting line is as long as you want it. I’ve got mine double-wrapped for spearfishing in close quarters, but if a larger fish happens to cruise by the edge of the reef, all I need to do is unwind the tension and now I’ve got a couple of hundred feet of shooting line to play with. That’s extra breathing room to tire the fish out while you’re chilling on the surface, and a must-have if you’re trying to score bigger fish.

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The other addition I would recommend is to fit in a loading butt. Rob Allen spearguns by design do not come with a standard loading butt like many other models, which can make it tricky if you’re trying to stretch your bands tighter or you’re still new to the sport. What you want, is to buy the loading butt addition. It’s not expensive, and it allows you to swap out the existing butt of your speargun and replace it with this blank. I do this on all my Rob Allen guns, and it makes a big difference.

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Breakdown of the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun

General Specs:

• Low profile muzzle (fast and easy to aim)
• Integrated rail track spans full barrel length
• Ergonomic Vecta 2 pistol-grip handle with soft-touch grip
• Sear activated line release with stainless steel pins
• 2x 16mm Rob Allen powerbands with dyneema bridles
• Shockcord bungee and HD 400lb monofilament shooting line
• 7.5mm hardened spring steel spear (double notch) with tri-cut tip

 

The handle & trigger mechanism

One of the best parts of the Tuna Railgun is the handle Rob Allen designed, throwing his years of experience into the upgraded Vecta 2 pistol-grip handle. I find it sits easily in my hand, allowing me to extend my arm and aim true. There’s no finger ridges in the plastic, which means it’ll work no matter how big (or small) your hands are, and it’s comfortable to hold at different angles without feeling like it’ll slip out of your fingers.

Another smart addition is how quiet it is when you shoot. There’s no big “click” like most other spearguns have as the trigger engages, a sound which is often loud enough to spook the fish you’re trying to hit. The simplistic design makes it easy to keep clean, flushing it out under a fast-running hose is enough to keep your speargun in good working order for years to come. Everything is crafted of the highest quality materials, so it’ll hold up well to the enourmous strain you’re putting it on with every dive.

The barrel & muzzle

Strength is everything when it comes to your barrel, as this length of tube is the backbone of your gun. Even a tiny amount of flex can throw off your accuracy, which is why Rob Allen pioneered the use of an integrated aluminum rail into his spearguns. This does more than just support the shaft, it increases the strength of the speargun while keeping it incredibly light weight. The vecta aluminum in the Rob Allen Railgun is aircraft grade, and 1.45mm thick in the walls, resulting in one of the most effective speargun designs in the market.

The open muzzle design is another innovation, allowing for deadly accuracy and fast reloads, it’s no wonder these spearguns have taken the market by storm. I personally like the open design because it’s your mono shooting line that holds the shaft in place, and it reduces the rattle you sometimes find in a closed muzzle design. Oh, and there’s also the fact it makes the speargun infinitely more streamlined in the water, so you can better track, aim and actually bring home that prize fish you were chasing.

Just remember, when it comes to size the 120cm speargun I use is just the length of the barrel. With the spear fitted inside, in my trusty measuring tape tells me the whole setup is 178cm (taken from the handle to tip). That’s just as tall as me. This isn’t a little speargun by any means, but they do have variations with a barrel length down to 70cm, so you can choose the right size for you – and the type of spearfishing you’ll be doing.

The spear and tip

Ask anyone about the quality of a Rob Allen shaft, and you’ll quickly discover they make some of the toughest spring steel shafts you can buy. Their Tuna Railgun comes with a 7 or 7.5mm shaft (depending on the size of the gun). It’s slightly larger than what you’ll get on euro-designed spearguns of this size – but the larger diameter gives the spear more mass, and more penetrating power when you’re targeting big fish.

The spear has been heat treated to 2100mpa so it’s less prone to bending, with a machine-ground tri-cut tip. The outer coating is an electroplated zinc, which fights against rust and corrosion, with two loading notches to accommodate the two dyneema bridles of your two power bands. The barb is heavy-duty stainless steel, which jams open after passing 45 degrees which helps your catch stay firmly on the end of your spear.

The powerbands

Straight off the shelf the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun comes with twin 16mm Blue over Amber powerbands. Think of it as the engine that drives your speargun, you want these to deliver a consistent stretch so you’re getting maximum power in every shot. I have found that in the longer spearguns these can be tough to load, so don’t be afraid of swapping the factory-fitted bands out for your own for the first few months until you really get the hang of loading it. Getting yourself a decent chest pad can save a lot of bruises.

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Price of the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun

Obviously the cost of the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun is going to differ depending on the particular specs of the speargun you buy, along with the size. You can check the price of the 120cm model (that’s become one of my favourite my go-to spearguns) at the link below.

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The Bottom Line: Rob Allen Tuna Railgun

Straight off the shelf this speargun comes fully rigged and ready to tackle even some of the bigger fish in the ocean. For those new to the sport, I get the dual-bands can seem like overkill, but trust me. Once you’ve had a couple of dive days using this speargun, you’ll never want to go back after enjoying the increased range, and massive power.

The Rob Allen Tuna Railgun will help you land more and more fish – and that’s a good thing.

For me, the 120cm version I have is the perfect size for zooming around on the reef as well as holding up in deeper water. I don’t like taking my big spearguns out unless I’m specifically going after a big pelagic (they’re overkill for most other fish). This speargun gives me a good balance, which makes it perfect if you want to sneak in a quick dive.

What are you waiting for?

Click here and get a Rob Allen Tuna Railgun for yourself. It’ll be one of the best additions to your spearfishing adventures.

 

Why a Rob Allen Speargun?

Rob Allen is one of the top-of-the-line brands when it comes to spearfishing.

A household name in our industry. Pretty much every spearo I know has at least one of his guns in their collection, as the South African brand has been around forever. Building tough guns to stand up to the rough conditions and big game fish in his home country. Rob spent his youth on fishing boats up and down the coast of Africa, chasing big game fish which quickly developed into a life-long passion for spearfishing.

But like any great master, the tools he needed to catch these monster fish just weren’t up to par. So he started tweaking them to suit his conditions, a pursuit that quickly led to his own line of spearguns. Though these weren’t just any spearguns.

Rob Allen designed rugged, hardcore products that would last when you’re up against the biggest monsters of the deep. Spearguns that wouldn’t fail (or are at least far tougher than the closest competition). And for me, that’s the most important part. When I’m spending a few hundred dollars buying a piece of spearfishing equipment, I want it to last more than a single season. I don’t want to be buying another speargun in a couple of years time, and I definitely don’t want it to fail when I’m out in the water.

Today of course the brand is responsible for far more than just spearguns, but my favourite product of his remains the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun. It’s one of the best you can buy.

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Wait, what’s a railgun?

If you’re trying to catch big monster fish, you need maximum power, range and accuracy. Historically, that meant big, bulky wooden spearguns that were a nightmare to use.

Railguns were developed as an alternative to these massive wooden spearguns. People even say it was Rob who came up with the original idea for the railgun, which only goes to show how determined he was (and is) to continue improving his range of spearguns.

The way it works is that instead of a normal piece of aluminium tubing, a railgun has a “rail” incorporated into the barrel. Like a backbone, to help strengthen and support the weight of the shaft. This means you can get a lighter, longer gun. One that can take the force of stronger powerbands, yet won’t warp or compromise the accuracy of your shots.

Once the speargun is fired, the rail guides the shaft of the spear until it flies free, ensuring that every shot you take is launched perfectly straight. This does have an unfortunate effect though, as the gun is a tad noisier when you fire it (all things considered).

Rob Allen’s Different Railguns

Now there’s a handful of different railguns that Rob Allen makes, though most all come with his signature Vecta 2 handly and trigger mech. The biggest difference is the barrel.

Your choice is between carbon or vecta (aircraft grade) aluminum.

For the type of spearfishing I was planning with this speargun, I didn’t need the extra lightweight performance of carbon, so I chose the far less expensive option. The only time I’d recommend a carbon speargun is if you’re targeting big pelagics in blue water, and want a big gun. Something packing a 150cm or 160cm barrel, as spearguns this size are heavy. Carbon barrels are noticeably lighter and track better in the water.

But honestly, for most people (and the type of spearfishing that I expect you’re doing), the Rob Allen Tuna Railgun with an aluminum barrel of say 110cm or 120cm length – that’s going to be plenty. The dual rubbers pack a hell of a punch, giving you accuracy and range that you need to take your spearfishing game to the next level. It’s a no brainer.

Personally, I am a fan of the 120cm model I bought, and it’s what I’d recommend that most of you get if you’re looking to invest in a Rob Allen speargun. This thing freaking rips.

Do yourself a favour, and get your hands on one today.

Happy spearin’