After a good deal of begging back in the 50's I convinced dad that he should "invest" $27.50 in a new Sheridan Silver Streak pellet rifle. I know that those Silver Streaks were priced about a dollar more than the Blue Streak, but my friend Dave's Blue Streak was already showing signs of wear, so I had to have that silver one. 500 Sheridan pellets to a can for $2.50 back in those days would keep me occupied for days shooting down the basement. Three pumps for target work, then way more up to 8 or 10 to make it magnum powered as the need arose. The bird feeder in the backyard was little more than a target of opportunity. My deceased bird pile in the back of the yard attracted crows which were truly big game to ten year old. Pumping that thing developed shoulders like a body builder and it was quiet enough so that Mrs. Scott next door didn't notice that some of her birds were missing. Five or six pumps with just air blew the house flies walking on the screens nicely outside although thoroughly strained. Some light oil and just air took out the bees on the flowering crab tree like a shotgun. Lots of rabbits and one near armor plated grey squirrel that leaked all over the back yard. Dave got a skunk one day with his which was a truly huge accomplishment although I understand it didn't go particularly well for Dave either. A new valve and o-ring bolt and it was good as new or better. The cat ate breast of blackbird in place of cat food which I rationalized more than made up for dad's initial purchase and keeping me in pellets. Pigeons and rats were a particular favorite out at the old grain clean out track behind the roundhouse. Multiple necropsy examinations relieved that those Sheridan pellets were not expanding. A crow confirmed that as it flew a block and a half before falling out of the sky. No, it wasn't the West Nile Virus after all. A change to the Crow Magnum .20 caliber pellets helped the DRT count considerably. Now that I'm all grown up and in my dotage, it has been the chipmunks in the garage and yes, that old Sheridan is still going strong. Something that you guys with the Co2 or springer guns don't appreciate is the variable power of those pump up models. The current house cat is 12 years old now and much prefers cat food to an occasional mouse that finds it's way into the house every fall. Two pumps is a great mouse load without complete penetration; perfect. With a hydronic heating system after a mouse tires of being chased around by the cat, they take refuge behind the copper piping in the heating system. 8 pumps of air stuns them nicely for extraction. Long winded, I know, but thank you for letting me reminisce.
