1911 45 acp Badger

[Timber Butte Outdoors]

Hey Everyone,

Brendan and I have been talking about going out and doing some long range rifle shooting, so that we learn what our guns and loads can do, but most of all, to see if we can do our job behind the trigger.

While we were scouting a good place to set up out long range target (400 yards), Brendan said "there is a badger"

Well, I had told him as we were going out to the BLM Sandhills, that I wanted to shoot a badger with my Springfield Armory 1911 45acp.

So, there he was, in the tall grass, all I could see was the chest, neck, head of the badger sticking out of a hole. I took aim, squeezed the trigger, and heard that distinctive sound of the 225 grain Lead Cone swack the badger, and he disappeared in the hole. Brendan said "YOU GOT HIM!" I said, yeap I heard the bullet impact swack.

Brendan and I walked out to the hole, and found him laying in the hole facing the entrance, The badger was stone dead, one shot, one kill. The badger was standing facing us quartered to our right, the bullet had hit him in the neck, right in front of the right shoulder, and no exit. Just made a 45 size hole entrance.

He had slid back down the hole from the impact of the big heavy bullet. So, I poked him with a stick, to make sure he was adequately dead, then reached down the hole, pulled him out.

After all the celebratory high fives, handshakes, and pictures. Brendan said to stand there, while he went back to the truck from where I had made the shot, he pulled out his Nikon Monarch 1200 Rangefinder, range me at 56 yards.

Brendan was completely impressed with the shot. We had spent several hours out there in the sandhills shooting, and every once in awhile he would comment on the shot.He would say "Awesome Shot" "Incredible Shot" "Man that was a good shot!" He is such a cool dude!

I have shot that gun so much, I know what it will do, and how to shoot it. I handload the ammo myself, so I know what it is going to do when I pull the trigger.

He even told me that he didn't think the 45acp nor the 1911 was that accurate a handgun. I told him that it is inherently accurate. We then spent alittle time talking about the 1911 45 acp being used by the Camp Perry shooters, how the Army used it for many years, and the millions of civilian shooter that use it to win numerous titles, and contests.

After he saw the 56 yard one shot kill on this badger, he is completely convinced that the 1911 45 acp is good stuff. The fact of the matter is, he owns a Kimber 1911 45 acp, that he never shoots. I bet after today, he will be packing it more often, and putting rounds down range.

Cool Stuff! I Love to Handgun Hunt! I would like to have a Thompson Contender, and the New Smith & Wesson Revolver in 460 Magnum, good badger and coyote medicine! LOL

Handgun Hunt Hard! Live Long!!
Gary

[predatortoprey]

Great shot Gary!

I can't beleive all of the Badgers that you have taken this sprin and summer. Have you called in that area in the winter and had any luck getting them to respond??

[Timber Butte Outdoors]

Tony,

Thank You!

We/I have called that area before, a few times, I have not called any critters in this area, although I know that are there, but it is used alot by hunters and shooters, so I don't call out there much. There are a bunch of squirrels, a bunch of badgers that eat the squirrels, and a few coyotes. But in the winter I haven't called any.

In fact, the spot that I killed this badger, Brendan and I were out there exploring and hunting, when we came across a coyote, it took off running, I bailed out of the truck, leaned over the hood, lined up the coyote, fired and dumped him, he regained his footing and took off, we walked up the small hill he had run over, but we couldn't find it, the top of the hill was full of badger holes and coyote dens, we figured it had gone down a hole.

Hope you are having a good hunting year.
Gary