The ol' Benjamin still has it

I've got an old Benjamin that I've had since my early teens. It is my favorite gun but not something that I take on many hunts since adding more modern guns to my collection.
I recently pulled the gun off the wall and started plinking with the factory open sights which reminded me just how accurate this old gun really is. Perhaps in an effort to relive my youth, I decided to take it into the woods for some squirrel hunting today. I prowled around the woods for a little bit with my trusty gun in hand before coming across a squirrel in a short tree about 30 yards off. I attempted to move in a little closer but was spotted by the squirrel who decided to bug out. It moved a little further off, traveling tree to tree until it felt safe, safe enough to pause behind a branch and see what I was up to. During this chase I managed to sneak within 25 yards and dropped to one knee when I saw it stop. Looking through the iron sights, I waited for it to make the mistake of peaking around the branch just a little further. Just a couple of seconds later my sights found fur and my index trigger started the Benjamin pellet on it's journey with a loud "blap!". The squirrel was jolted a bit by the impact and found itself hanging from the limb by one claw for just a moment before falling to the ground without so much as a twitch.
I think I'll be hitting the woods with this old friend quite a bit this season. Always nice to rekindle an old love.

Russ S.

[Big_Bill]

Great account of your hunt, Russ,

I have an OLD Sheridan, that I feel the same way about. I don't think that I could ever part with her !

Great shootin with those iron sights, and thanks for the photo !!! She look very happy to be out with you, posing over her trophy !

[leftcoast1]

Excellent story & pics Russ. I guess we will have another hunting author to keep us that are unable to hunt rivited to the hunting gate even more.I love seeing all the guns a lot of people wouldn't even consider shooting at game and have them work so well. Just like Shadows stock 1377 taking game. I love it.

Way to go, Russ! Looks like squirrel for dinner.

Is that Benji in .177 or .22? I'm not really familiar with them, though we got my Dad one a few years ago. I need to see if he still has it around.

Bryan

[Black Mamba]

Well done sir!

Good to hear you got a chance to get out there again!

That's a good size nutter too!

[longislandhunter]

Great shootin Russ.   I have the same rifle,,, bought if many moons ago when I was a teenager and my rifle still shoots dead on and powerful.  Great pic.  lookin forward to your future huntin posts.  

Jeff

[shadow]

The ol girl got out and showed her stuff!. Nice shootin Russ, I had one of those years ago and gave it away, silly me hehe. Again great shootin, story and pic. Ed

[dw33]

Congratulations.  That looks like a big squirrel.

Thanks for the comments guys. The gun is an old Blue Streak .20 I've had for over 20 years now. I can't remember the last time it took a squirrel but I know I was quite a bit younger with less hair on my face LOL. It pushes the Benjamin cylindrical pellets (14 + grains as I recall) at around 650fps last time I checked so it has plenty of power to take critters within this range. If I had to survive with only one airgun, this would be it. Nice to see others appreciate them as well.

Russ S.

[USNCop]

I still have mine, a 1984 model.  How about yours?

I got mine in 1986. I remember when I bought it my friends gave me a hard time for not getting a powder burner.
I bet that gun has seen more lead than any firearm would have over the years. I remember the day I got it I verified that it would in fact hit a barn at 75 yards LOL. Until then I had only had cheap BB guns so I was impressed when I heard a solid "thwack" from the pellet hitting the barn.

Russ S.

[longislandhunter]

Bought my Sheridan Blue Streak brand new in 1969.  For months I saved  up my allowance and the money I was making from a little part time job I had at a local church.  On the day I had saved enough to finally buy the rifle I remember having my mother walk down to the sporting goods store with me to buy it.  I wouldn't part with that gun for anything !!  Other than color fading on the stock, and a couple of small scratches in the wood from use, that gun has shot perfectly from the first day I got her  :)

Jeff