.45 Doubt

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Its a little disturbing how much you guys like to kill small animals that haven't harmed you and deserve to be here just as much as anything else. Just sayin...at least eat 'em.
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Nah, they are dangerous pests if not kept in check. Having a a little levity when talking about how hard it is to stop them is a good thing. Keeps you normal.
 
Doubt is a good thing. No handgun round is truly a stopper unless something extremely vital is hit, and even then it may take a while. There is nothing wrong with a 45, in fact it is about as good as a handgun gets. Just be glad you learned to doubt on an armadillo instead of in a shootout.
 
I believe the OP no doubt! We don't have armadillos in Northern Missouri yet but we do have tons of opossums and they seem to be just as bullet proof. Unless you destroy their means of walking (spine shot or huge tissue damage) they keep on going. And yes, .22s do not penetrate skulls well, I assume the .45 would though.

HB
 
Again and again folks are warned that any handgun sucks as far as "stopping power". I had to put 3 .45's into a racoon to put him down (he appeared rabid). He wasn't real impressed with the first round. Handguns are what we carry when we can't carry anything else. That's it. Which is most of the time for us. Get good at fast follow up shots. With two legged or 4 legged predators you'll almost certainly need it.
 
Its just not handguns. Small critters that are thin skinned tend to let bullets go right though them before they will expand. After putting 3 45-70 rounds in the middle of a pork pine and it walked off not knowing its dead its more of a expending of energy after it makes a exit from the small critter. Sticking them in the middle with a 1/2 inch peice of sharpened drill rod would do the same.
 
I have a bit different take on this.

I think you are all using the wrong bullet for game that size. Hydrashocks, LRN and the others don't give a lot of "shock" on small game. Try using a full wadcutter bullet at about 900 fps.

I have never shot an armadillo but have taken possum, raccoon, and porcupine. Most fell to a single shot from a 38 Special with full wadcutter bullets, fired from a 5" barreled S&W. I also got 2 coyote with 3 shots with the same ammo/revolver.

If wadcutters aren't your cup of tea, try something with a large meplat, like the LBT or "improved" Keith bullets.
 
I am suprised you actually saw one alive! I have been in Texas for 17 years and the only dillos I have seen were on the side of the road with all four paws pointing up, or mashed by an 18 wheeler...

The poor little guy probably wondered off and got hit by a car.
 
Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.

I've killed perhaps several hundred. My favorite load is the .45LC with 255 LFN at perhaps 1,000fps. Puts a .45 cal hole through them. If well centered, they just roll over and wave good-bye. If spine is hit, they don't even get to wave......

Done the same thing with .22lr with CCI HP's.

However, the Hydroshoks and other rapid expanding bullets from the .45acp such as Winchester SilverTips often fail to penetrate after hitting a hard or heavy resistance. Could be the ammo....? Large frontal area and low velocity (often under 800fps from short barrels) means limited penetration. The .45acp isn't one of my favorite carts. but I have and do carry it. When I do, it's with a ~200gr SWC at ~1,000fps. Penetrates well.

I assisted the Highway patrol on capturing a fleeing bank robber back about '91. After being roadblocked by my patrol P/U and two GSP units on I-85, he chose to use an S&W 4506 to end his woe's by firing a Winchester 185gr SilverTip under his chin. The bullet failed to exit the top of his head. Same ammo was carried by the Troopers and they were even accused of having shot the perp. Cameras and ballistics proved differently. Lucky for me I was carrying issue Remington 158gr Spts in my issue S&W 686 ..357mag. Still do.....in my personal Ruger Sec.6. The .40S&W hasn't ever done me wrong. Even with the Winchester 155 SilverTips or 135gr Corbon (Sierra bullet).
 
Armadillos have never read Jeff Cooper..... They don't know they are supposed to fall over with one hit....
 
I have a very very hard time believing the rounds did not penetrate his armor...
 
I just shot an armadillo with my .45 using Federal hydroshocks with at least 4 clean hits and possibly a 5th graze. It managed to run away and escape my German Shepherd. *** .45, aren't you supposed to drop a horse?
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Should of used a 357 mag or better yet a good rifle.
 
Did it look like this?:D Sorry I live in WA. All we have are opossoms, they aren't up-armored. On a side note I gave a skunk a face full of 12g birdshot and it still managed to run a few yards. Needless to say I was surprised.

 
One shot stops

Never shot a panzer possum.

Shot plenty of cottontails with a 22 LR and got a one shot stop every time.

Shot plenty of jack rabbits fair and square with every thing and at least half of them kept going.

Everything includes 22 LR, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, 455 Webley, 30-06, 270, etc.

Of course jack rabbits aren't rabbits to begin with, they're really hares. I don't know what difference that makes.

The only thing that anchored them every time was a 30 Luger with hard ball loads. I've no explanation for that either, there's nothing magic about a 30 Luger hardball that I know of.
 
Who wants to eat Armadillo? They are nasty critters. They are also skinny under that shell. Did you hit the body?
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Do not handle Armadillos without gloves , preferably not at all , they can carry Leprosy.
 
Its a little disturbing how much you guys like to kill small animals that haven't harmed you and deserve to be here just as much as anything else. Just sayin...at least eat 'em.
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Are you for real? Or just a city boy? Nobody in their right mind is going to eat a Road Toad , and they sometimes carry Leprosy.

And they're varmints , pests that dig holes in your pastures etc. Ever have to shoot a good bull because it broke it's leg in one of their holes?

And I suppose according to you we're supposed to eat ground squirrels ,rockchucks ,crows , prairie dogs , coyotes and other assorted varmints too?
 
"Its a little disturbing how much you guys like to kill small animals that haven't harmed you and deserve to be here just as much as anything else."

Agree 100%. That and game 'trophy' hunters. "Look at me! I just traveled 1000 miles from NYC to shoot a grizzly that was minding his own business!"

something very mentally unstable about it all.
 
Bluenote said:
Its a little disturbing how much you guys like to kill small animals that haven't harmed you and deserve to be here just as much as anything else. Just sayin...at least eat 'em.
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Are you for real? Or just a city boy? Nobody in their right mind is going to eat a Road Toad , and they sometimes carry Leprosy.

And they're varmints , pests that dig holes in your pastures etc. Ever have to shoot a good bull because it broke it's leg in one of their holes?

And I suppose according to you we're supposed to eat ground squirrels ,rockchucks ,crows , prairie dogs , coyotes and other assorted varmints too?
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Damn right I'm for real, and I'm far from a city boy. Look. I hunt. I fish. And I don't kill anything I don't intend to eat. Why? Animals do not exist solely for the purpose of exploitation by man. If coyotes are killing your animals, armadillos are causing your cattle to injure themselves, or crows are eating your crops, fine. It just bothers me that some guys are going out and basically shooting everything that moves for target practice or to check how effective their loads are. That's wasteful and pretty sadistic. Not trying to offend anyone, I just think life itself, ALL life, deserves some respect. Sorry for taking this thread off on a tangent.
 
The last armadillo I killed got shot with my .450 Marlin:what: a peice of advice.....Don't do that, you'll :barf: 3 times getting him out of the yard.

Now I just shoot them with a .22 or 12ga and let them run off and die.
 
Be Clear and Be Complete Weedy

Weedy there is something to be said for giving a person the benefit of the doubt. If they haven't explained their motive than you can't assume what it is. It comes off as self righteous and aggrandizing and will be well received by very few if any. I agree with what you said in the above post but like i said you need to be totally clear if you are going to give criticism and be sure that you are totally informed about what you are criticizing. That is unless you don't care and if that's the case then why post at all?:uhoh:
 
Best Weapon for Armadillos

I grew up is TX. Best weapon is a Mk I F-250 4x4...loaded with Sackrete.
 
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