Sheridan Blue Streak

C

Chisler

New member
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
THE HUNTING GROUNDS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Just picked one up for 20 bucks and was just wondering if it is powerful enough for grouse.. ran the serial numbers and it appears to be made in Nov of 1967...it holds air and is black painted over brass and the barrel is bronze..I think...the cal is .20...5mm...will try to find some pellets for it out my way...in between the .177.......22...actually in real nice shape...bit on the heavy side around 6 lbs...with a walnut stock, just wonder also what pellet would be good to use... Thanks
Frank
 
Last edited:
It should be fine for Grouse although I always went for head shots. Any domed will be good. The .20 cal was supposed to have the trajectory of the .177 and the knock down punch of the .22. The gun is painted Brass not Bronze I believe and $20 for one is a great deal. I've had 3 and they are really nice rifles.
 
You got a steal of a deal, and yes plenty of power for grouse. Beeman still makes 20cal pellets that are fairly easy to find up here, and there are several other higher end pellet companies making 20cal pellets.
 
unicorn gravedigger said:
Whats the sights like? And what is the safety like? Good deal BTW, I have a 20 cal thats very accurate, grouse would not be a problem.
Click to expand...

The safety is a rocker type..fire on the left and safe on the right ...with buckhorn sights ..stock... and a plastic piece the snaps over the barrel with groves for scope mounting I believe ...and also thanks for the replies...have not picked up any pellets yet. to try it out.but 5 pumps and a ton of air is expelled enought to shred a sheet of paper held to the end of the barrel....what sort of fps are we looking at ...must be fast....Thanks
Frank
 
Always wanted a Sheridan. Too bad it needs to be pumped a few times. I don't think its a good idea to "dry" fire a charged air gun.
 
johNTO said:
Always wanted a Sheridan. Too bad it needs to be pumped a few times. I don't think its a good idea to "dry" fire a charged air gun.
Click to expand...

It's a bad idea to 'dry fire' a SPRING-PISTON air gun but dry firing a pneumatic or pre-charged airgun like the Sheridan Blue Streak or any other pump or CO2 rifle or pistol won't hurt it in the least.

The problem with a spring piston air gun is that it generates air pressure by using a spring to ram a piston quickly down a cylinder. This expels the air in the cylinder out a tiny but extended outlet at the end -- the barrel. A loaded pellet acts like a plug in the outlet that has to be 'blown out' ahead of the air. A side effect of this is that the pellet causes enough resistance to the piston to cushion the impact when the piston hits the end of the cylinder. Without a pellet 'plugging the outlet', the air rushes out unchecked and the piston slams full force into the end of the chamber. In a high velocity airgun, that uncushioned impact can be hard enough to shatter the piston or crack the air cylinder. And that wrecks the gun.

A pneumatic airgun like the Blue Streak, on the other hand, holds the pumped air pre-compressed in a sealed cylinder until pressure on the trigger opens the release valve and lets it all gush out down the barrel. It's essentially the same as what happens when you turn the valve on a scuba tank. It makes no difference whatsoever to the gun's mechanism whether the barrel is empty or 'plugged' by a pellet when the air is released down it.

So you can dry fire a pneumatic, CO2 or pre-charged airgun as much as you like without hurting the gun at all. Doing it once with a 'magnum' spring-piston rifle can ruin the gun beyond repair.
 
Last edited:
Chisler said:
Just picked one up for 20 bucks and was just wondering if it is powerful enough for grouse.. ran the serial numbers and it appears to be made in Nov of 1967...it holds air and is black painted over brass and the barrel is bronze..I think...the cal is .20...5mm...will try to find some pellets for it out my way...in between the .177.......22...actually in real nice shape...bit on the heavy side around 6 lbs...with a walnut stock, just wonder also what pellet would be good to use... Thanks
Frank
Click to expand...

Sheridan still sells the Blue Streak. A new one will run you $275.00 plus taxes and IMHO they are nowhere near as nice as the old ones. They are a 'PAL-rated' air rifle BTW.

Sheridan originally made them for serious pest control and small-game hunting. Anything up to jackrabbits should be readily killable with it at ranges under 50m. I read at least one credible report of someone killing a bobcat with one; he was in a tree stand and when the cat walked right under him, he shot it in the back of the head/neck. Not a recommended use, of course, but it does give a good idea of the potential power of the combination of that rifle and the .20 'ashcan' pellets.

Incidentally, Sheridan still makes the heavy pellets for its .20 calibre rifles.

If you are having a tough time finding pellets and accessories locally, try D&L Airguns (www.dlairgun.com). They are actually based in BC. They carry Benjamin/Sheridan airguns and accessories among many other brands. I have bought stuff from them before and can highly recommend them as knowledgeable and helpful airgun dealers.

Did I mention that I'm as jealous as hell that you managed to score a vintage working Blue Streak - with the accessory scope mount yet - for less than the normal cost of the scope mount alone? :p Enjoy it. Once you get it sighted in with your preferred pellets at your preferred number of pumps, no grouse will be safe from you.
 
I have an older silverstreak that shoots 20 cal pellets around 625-650 fps like your bluestreak.These rifles will kill animals as large as groundhogs with well placed shots. I have taken ghogs and jacks from @30 yds with headshots.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom