Think about what you shoot

For me, "think about what you shoot" has a whole different meaning. Although the temptation is great, I must think before shooting any of the birds my wife attracts to the yard with her feeders! I was warned that if I did shoot her birds, I might wake up with my air rifles shoved up my rear end, if you know what I mean there.

Yes, think before you shoot....

Whoa serious stuff man. A 38 ricochet could have killed the guy. 

Admittedly, I've never encountered an armadillo, but but how could it deflect a bullet 180° retaining nearly all of its velocity? I call BS. 

"ztirffritz"Admittedly, I've never encountered an armadillo, but but how could it deflect a bullet 180° retaining nearly all of its velocity? I call BS.

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I ran over one when I lived in Oklahoma and thought I put my car out of alignment. It really did feel like running over a log. I suppose anything is possible when you are talking about a ricochet. 

I was at an outdoor range shooting handguns (a Raging Bull with cowboy loads) at steel targets at around 10-15 yards and one came back and grazed the top of my head JUST BARELY, but it still felt like someone hit me with a broom handle or something really hard. I would be willing to bet if it were to hit me square it would have messed me up pretty good. I mean, it BARELY grazed me and I felt it pretty darn good. 

Seems like good advice, especially if considered from the perspective of why would you think of shooting an armadillo?

Protegimus

actually there might be a good reason. armadillos carry leprosy and there has been an outbreak in florida because of all the new building destroying their dens, which causes them to be out and about much more often. might be good to give em a little lead

Interesting, forgive me as I'm from the UK, but is Texas near Florida?
lol, only joking, but still seems a little harsh on the armadillos as apparently they contracted leprosy from humans rather than the other way round!

Take care,
Protegimus

That seems suspicious to me. Either that guy was shooting rubber bullets or that armadillo had steel armor. Here in the Midwest armadillos are a big problem for people's yards as they dig holes looking for worms and such. I can't believe a .38 would ricochet off one as I have shoot plenty with a 22lr subsonic at only 710 fps with never a ricochet and even killed them with bird shot while pheasant hunting. I guess some people are really unlucky. 

_ _ _ _ happens!

This seems like a story that likely will contain the phrase "alcohol may have been a contributing factor".

Anyone that believes a .38 ricocheted off an armadillo is not very bright. That will not happen under any circumstance. He missed and hit steel or something very similar to steel. 

The first clue something isn't right is he was shooting a gun at 3am. 

I confess to being unaware of any leprosy connection, but armadillos are a pest species throughout the southern US. My father, when he lived in Florida, battled them endlessly. They will, if allowed, destroy your lawn. His weapon of choice was a .25 pistol, with occasional reference to a .22 lr for those longer shots. 

Knowing this, it makes a claim of a .38 richocheting off of an armadillo VERY hard to swallow...

Someone's been sucking down grandpa's cough syrup. We shoot armadillos all the time here in Oklahoma. I've never caught or heard a ricochet, but those dang things can be tough to kill, although a straight on headshot with any powder burner usually does the job.

The part about being 3 am makes this hard to believe. My guess is some liquid refreshment was consumed, and he shot at something. His story was it was an Armadillo. It might have been a car, a rock or other hard object. 

"norton"The part about being 3 am makes this hard to believe. My guess is some liquid refreshment was consumed, and he shot at something. His story was it was an Armadillo. It might have been a car, a rock or other hard object.

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Sounds more of a legit story to me! Haha