Hunt with the Sheridan Blue Streak air rifle

by B.B. Pelletier

We recently received this question from a customer: Is the Sheridan Blue Streak considered a good gun for small game hunting? I know it puts out 14 ft.-lbs. but I do not know how that number sizes up for hunting.

The Sheridan Blue Streak is a great hunting air rifle if the distance to the target is reasonable. Rather than try to calculate energy at a given distance, think about it this way. If you can hit a 1.5" target every time, you can bag cottontail rabbits. For some people that will be 20 yards and for others it will be 35 yards. The Blue Streak (or Silver Streak, for that matter) has enough energy to kill a rabbit at 35 yards. Either a heart shot or a head shot is good for cottontails.

If the game is squirrels, the target size shrinks to one inch. Squirrels are tougher and take more energy to put down. Try for a head shot because a squirrel hit in the body may run away.

The Sheridan's .20 caliber is adequate for game like this and for birds up to crow size. Use a domed pellet like a Beeman Kodiak or Crosman Premier. Only use hollowpoints if the target is closer than 25 yards, because many hollowpoints become inaccurate at farther distances. At very close ranges, like 10 yards, wadcutter pellets are great for hunting.

Pump your rifle the full eight strokes for this kind of hunting. Use fewer pumps when the shots are very close or the game is smaller, like rats and ground squirrels. Don't forget to oil the pump mechanism from time to time, as a thin film of Crosman Pellgunoil makes the pump more efficient. Read the owner's manual about this.

The Sheridan Blue and Silver Streak air rifles have been around since the 1950s. They have earned a place in airgunner's hearts for being some of the best values among adult airguns today. If you don't have one in your inventory, maybe it's time to see what you're missing.