Fine tale on Amazon | SouthernPaddler.com

Fine tale on Amazon

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
CROSMAN 760 air rifle
Offered by Pyramyd Air
Price: $59.95
Availability: In Stock

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Pull the Trigger on Family Fun, December 27, 2006

Seeing as how my boy had just turned 4, I figured it was high time he got acquainted with a firearm. Wanda wouldn't let me get him my first choice (Heckler and Kotch .444 Rhino Stopper). Seems she thinks it's "too much gun" for him. Whatever, as long as she's paying the trailer note, I guess I have to live by her rules.

So, I was down at the TG&Y the other week looking at holiday sweaters and noticed they had just gotten in some new air rifles. I've never been too impressed with an air gun. Always seemed a little bit on the tenderfooted side to me. Really, what's the biggest animal you can drop with a BB? Field mouse? Skunk? Maybe a housecat or two? The way I see it, when you need to bring down a deer or put down a rabid beagle (Old Yeller Style), you need something that'll take care of business right. The FIRST time.

But with Wanda's "NO ELEPHANT GUNS IN MY HOUSE" policy I decided on this little Crosman. Buddy, as sure as my name is Lonnie, I was impressed with this little pea-shooter! What it lacks in velocity, it more than makes up for in sheer squirrel-shreddin' stopping power. Here's how our first outing went...

I got up at my usual 1:00am hunting time. After about a ten-minute grunt session in the bathroom (coffee always tears my stomach up), I went into Heath Jr.'s room and kicked him outta bed. It was time to hunt! We lit outta there around 1:30 and made the grueling 15 yard walk to the tree stand I had built him for his birthday. It was pretty still out that morning and the only sound we could hear echoing through the park was Wanda's snoring over in the trailer and my backfiring stomach. I tell ya, it was truly one of them father-son moments you always hear Yankees jawin' about on TV. (proud)

We were havin' ourselves one of them real good times up in that tree, gigglin' and such. I was just about to honor Jr.'s request and break wind to the tune of the National Anthem when, lo and behold, I saw one of the biggest squirrels I've ever seen jumpin' around on a tree limb about fifteen yards out. It was a gift from the man upstairs. Directly, me and Heath Jr. put on our gamefaces. It was serious business. Go time.

Since the squirrel was so close, and we didn't want to spook him, I immediately went into the series of hand gestures I had taught Heath Jr. to use in case of emergencies. We had a pretty sophisticated sign language worked out and all the boys could communicate silently if they ever needed to. (it came in real handy when Wanda painted the town with all them rubber checks, and we all had to live out in the woods that year) We could say all sorts of things and nobody would ever know we was communicatin'. We could silently say things like, "Have them dogs been fed?", "Where's my magazines?", "What happened on Cagney and Lacey last night?", "Got any cigarettes?", and "What do you think Orson Welles' motivation was for puttin' that Coleridge poem into the opening sequence of 'Citizen Kane'?"

So, I gave Heath Jr. the sign to get the gun ready. After he got her pumped up, we just sat there, watched, and waited. That little grey rascal must have jumped from limb to limb of every tree in that little trailer park. I had never seen anything like it. The whole time, me and the boy were gettin' more and more excited. I was so beside myself, I thought I was going to drop my joint.

Then it happened ... that furry little bugger jumped right on the tree we was sitting in. Buddy, you coulda heard an acorn drop. The varmint had landed. We were about to be able to take my favorite shot--point blank. I tell ya, it works on man, beast, and machine alike. But how were we going to get him to come right up to the barrel of that gun? We was in a quandry and my wheels started turnin'. After a few seconds, I came up with it.

I just eased the cigarette outta my mouth REAL slow and slid it right into the barrel of that gun like loading up a cannon with a cannon ball. I figured since a squirrel is naturally curious, that he might hop down to investigate. I gave Heath Jr. the sign to stay steady with his finger on the trigger and wait. (we called that one the State Trooper Handshake) Sure enough, that little rascal hopped down on the tree stand with us and hopped right on the top of that gun. Me and the boy was gettin' so excited I thought we was going to soil ourselves. (I did)

I still remember that little tail a swishin' and a fannin' as he pranced down the barrel of that gun to see where that smoke was a comin' from. I couldn't help but think this was what life was all about, as he put one of his big ole squirrel peepers up to the end of that barrel and Heath Jr. pulled the trigger on him ...

(three days later I was still pickin' squirrel fur outta my beard)

I highly reccomend this gun. It has provided hours and hours of fun for the Gentry family.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Now folks .........

We have the true story about Bear out hunting those tree rats. I always was wondering about the brown in his gray beard and where it came from.

After camping an paddling with him I can understand everything now.

I know (for a fact that coffee does that to him ) just ask anyone who has been on one of those trips. For a long time we thought it was thunder off in the distance , even on the sunny days without any clouds to be seen.

BEAR .. Good thing you changed the names to protect yourself but I saw right thru it from the start. Can't fool me , I am a trained observer. :roll:

Chuck
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Friend Aaron,

Did ya read the other review he wrote? http://tinyurl.com/2btwyp

Nobody kin write like that without opium 'er sniffin' glue. :wink:

regards
bearridge

ps Wampum Belts of the Iriquois iz great....Squaws on the Half Shell!!!!

No one goes there nowadays, it's too crowded. Yogi Berra
 

arrondo

Active Member
Sep 28, 2006
26
0
Seattle, Washington
A prolific writer to give Chaucer a run for his money. Bears an uncanny resemblance to D. Henning, to boot. I'm gonna keep an eye out for Mr. Gentry's work at Amazon, usually over one or both shoulders!

Interesting that only those folks shopping for air rifles or C&W music seem to be the ones with senses of humor..., although the Biblethumpers almost broke .500!