Destructive Armadillo in My Yard

[Billm]

Some folks swear by wadcutters. If you have no squirrels, then they must’ve all moved to where I live lol.
Seriously that’s interesting that you haven’t seen any. Is there an abundance of predators?

No trees within 100yds , except for small scrub oaks. I can’t really explain it, as we have large towering pines in the front. We’ve had, deer, black bears, coyotes, rabbits, but no squirrels. Our house is less than three years old, I think maybe it was clear cut some time ago.

 

[FL22]

No trees within 100yds , except for small scrub oaks. I can’t really explain it, as we have large towering pines in the front. We’ve had, deer, black bears, coyotes, rabbits, but no squirrels. Our house is less than three years old, I think maybe it was clear cut some time ago.

Good luck with getting that armadillo, if you want any squirrels, I’ll probably have hundreds lol.

 

[Danman]

I think the Sonoran can get it done. I was a little worried. I moved the DNT TNC225R to the Sonoran. I had difficulty putting pellets or slugs on the backstop, which is 5/6 ft tall by 2ft wide. The site comes with a 0 MOA mount and I believe it needs a 20 MOA mount with the Sonoran. So, I reluctantly placed a washer between the scope and the rear of the mount.. Back on target. I shot a 10 shot group at 101yds with AEA 52.2gr slugs. The last three got away from me, but still acceptable. The first seven shots were sub MOA. I was in pain during the last half of the string and I’m pretty sure it was me and not the gun. It could be dropping off the reg.. I made the mistake of increasing the reg too much, took it to 200 bar. I already know once it hits 190 bar it drops velocity. It dropped to 850fps. But, I think they shot pretty good at that speed. I then placed a 2x4 scrap on top of the trap, to test its penetration at 101yds. I should’ve hit the record button. It went through the 2x4, breaking it in two. I couldn’t find the back piece, I’m assuming it was carried away by the slug.

Power: Check
Accuracy: Big Check!
Wifes approval: check!!
Happy pesting, got a big coon last year with the ghost in the fall ripping up my lawn looking for grubs I'd imagine, made a huge mess.

 

[Billm]

Power: Check
Accuracy: Big Check!
Wifes approval: check!!
Happy pesting, got a big coon last year with the ghost in the fall ripping up my lawn looking for grubs I'd imagine, made a huge mess.

I don’t like coons. I shot one once with a .243 while deer hunting. It went down hard, but a whole family of them came out of the tree and started screeching at me.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Billm I am very confident that you can smash him from 60 yards. I really don’t know much about shooting them from long range because I make it a point to get close to them. They can’t see well, but they have good noses. I understand why you’re not so mobile. The Sonoran should do the trick. You should be able to get it done with a 45 grain pellet. No need for heavier pellets in .30 cal. Just don’t use Hybrid slugs. I’ve killed them with .22 and ,25 caliber air guns. I aim for the body. Their narrow heads are more difficult to hit at a distance. It’s not like they sit in your yard standing still either. Good luck to you, just be sure you meet your state’s legal requirement for airguns.

 

[Billm]

@Billm I am very confident that you can smash him from 60 yards. I really don’t know much about shooting them from long range because I make it a point to get close to them. They can’t see well, but they have good noses. I understand why you’re not so mobile. The Sonoran should do the trick. You should be able to get it done with a 45 grain pellet. No need for heavier pellets in .30 cal. Just don’t use Hybrid slugs. I’ve killed them with .22 and ,25 caliber air guns. I aim for the body. Their narrow heads are more difficult to hit at a distance. It’s not like they sit in your yard standing still either. Good luck to you, just be sure you meet your state’s legal requirement for airguns.

I gave him until 1am and he was a no show. What is the issue with the hybrid slugs? Florida is pro airgun hunting. The only limits are that a pcp is required for turkey or deer. Minimum caliber for turkey is .20 and .30 for deer. Personally I wouldn’t consider my .30 powerful enough for deer.

 

[Ezana4CE]

I gave him until 1am and he was a no show. What is the issue with the hybrid slugs? Florida is pro airgun hunting. The only limits are that a pcp is required for turkey or deer. Minimum caliber for turkey is .20 and .30 for deer. Personally I wouldn’t consider my .30 powerful enough for deer.

@Billm FX Hybrids tend to expand quicker than hollow points. This lessens the Hybrids depth of penetration. My understanding is that Hybrid hollow extends into the ogive (deeper into the slug). This makes shooting the armored armadillo less effective (for penetration), especially at distance. It would make a large hole or crack in the armor, but would the projectile penetrate far enough to wreck the vital organs? That is the question that I do not have an answer for. I wouldn’t risk it. I’ve shot part of a family of armadillos with pellets from an Edgun Lelya and all of them made it to their hole. After that experience I like to use what has proven to work. For me that has been air rifles shooting moderate weight to heavy domed pellets producing 45 FPE and up (from what I can recall). In my case it was a Brocock Bantam Sniper .25 and a Huben K1 in .22 caliber.

 

[Billm]

@Billm FX Hybrids tend to expand quicker than hollow points. This lessens the Hybrids depth of penetration. My understanding is that Hybrid hollow extends into the ogive (deeper into the slug). This makes shooting the armored armadillo less effective (for penetration), especially at distance. It would make a large hole or crack in the armor, but would the projectile penetrate far enough to wreck the vital organs? That is the question that I do not have an answer for. I wouldn’t risk it. I’ve shot part of a family of armadillos with pellets from an Edgun Lelya and all of them made it to their hole. After that experience I like to use what has proven to work. For me that has been air rifles shooting moderate weight to heavy domed pellets producing 45 FPE and up (from what I can recall). In my case it was a Brocock Bantam Sniper .25 and a Huben K1 in .22 caliber.

That makes total sense. I haven’t shot the hybrids and was curious what the issue is.

 

[JimT66]

So, Billm, never had a raccoon for a pet when you was growing up? They not all bad, but will get into everything. Older country folks back then used to call then "sweet" coons. Not Bitey or ill tempered. I grew up on a farm, along the Tennessee river, we had it all.. Including a baby coon that came up on the back porch. HR quickly moved inside, before the dogs got him. Armadillos and possums though, they were all bitey! Or at least acted it. Couldn't feed those things enough to calm them down.

 

[Chief55]

A lot of good meat on a coon. It tastes a lot like pork to me.

 

[JimT66]

A lot of good meat on a coon. It tastes a lot like pork to me.

Hahahahaha, yeah, I found this out when I lived in Louisiana while in college. Cooked in a crock pot full of potatoes and carrots!

 

[Chief55]

I boil it until it pulls off the bones then mix in BBQ sauce and in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes to thicken it up and make melt in your mouth pulled pork sandwiches with it with some dill pickles.

 

[JimT66]

A lot of good meat on a coon. It tastes a lot like pork to me.

Hahahahaha, yeah, I found this out when I lived in Louisiana while in college. Cooked in a crock pot full of potatoes and carrots

I boil it until it pulls off the bones then mix in BBQ sauce and in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes to thicken it up and make melt in your mouth pulled pork sandwiches with it with some dill pickles.

Yum! Sounds good as bbq rabbit!

 

[JimT66]

What i had was cooked like a pot roast. I had no clue it was coon. But I wouldda tried anyway. Bein a redneck country boy, I have sure eaten some stuff that most folks wouldn't feed they dogs. Lol

 

[Jaabaa]

I've ran over enough of those...in the AT&T truck

 

[Billm]

A lot of good meat on a coon. It tastes a lot like pork to me.

I’d expect no less from an AD

 

[JimT66]

A lot of good meat on a coon. It tastes a lot like pork to me.

Yes, it sure does.

 

[Billm]

I've ran over enough of those...in the AT&T truck

You guys are grossing me out lol.

 

[JimT66]

You guys are grossing me out lol.

Ok, no more discussions of raccoon. Mountain oysters maybe?

 

[Billm]

I noticed today that the dillo had been back and done some more damage. Instead of waiting to the wee hours I thought I’d take a look through the thermal scope at 9:45pm. No, dillo, but I did see a small, heat signature near the kayaks my wife had been cleaning. I switched to night vision and could see a small rat or vole on the lawn. I hit the rangefinder on the scope and it was at 30 yds. I turned on the ballistic calculator and fused the Sonoran. I missed by a lot, but I saw the dirt or sod fly and so I knew it was hitting high (sighted in at 100yds). The critter didn’t move. I shot again using what I guessed was the correct holdover. Through the night vision I could see it quivering and so I gave it a second shot to make sure. Apparently.30 50.5gr pellets doing 855fps are lethal on vermin at 30yds. I’m guessing the ballistic Calculator is off. That combined with the fact that at that range I’m shooting downwards. It’s been a lot of years since I shot a pest.