Cast does in a "possum on the half shell"

Ole_270

Well-Known Member
came home this afternoon and noticed an armadillo in the wheat field down by the creek. The tempereature was in the mid 40s after a fairly long cold spell, so I was surprised to see one. Headed into the house for a rifle, those things are sure destructive. The first rifle I happened on was the old 308 I've been working on cast loads with. Grabbed it and some loads with the NOE #315 clone loaded over Norma 202 at about 2043 fps. I knew these were hitting about 1" high at 100 yards in my testing. Back out in the driveway, I leaned on the truck and let one fly. Distance was about 130 yards, 15 mph crosswind and I over compensated for the wind. Hit him too far back, broadside. Jacked in another round and he had turned nearly head on. This one hit right in the center of the forehead, lights out. That broadside shot had left about a 4" hole on the off side. The second exited the flank. Now I know dillers aren't the toughest test medium out there, but was happy to see the big hole suggesting some expansion at that range. Alloy is 1.43%Sn, 2.93%Sb, PC'd and water dropped from the oven.
Those things sure dig alot of big holes, hard on equipment. I've gotten several the last couple years right around the house. A couple with a 38-250B out of the JES rebored Marlin 38-55, and some with a H&G #68 clone out of the 45 acp. They sure don't like cast bullets.
 

Edward R Southgate

Component Hoarder Extraordiniare
Got one in the front yard the other day with my Smith m32-1 and a 130g Lee . I kill a lot of them around the house , they are tough on the outside but soft on the inside . Shot one one night at about 20 yards with 16 ga #6's , they skip off with 0 damage to anything but the critters attitude . Killed him an hour later with a load of #3 buck .
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
I read from several sources that the armadillos can and have shared with people lepracy and TB as they share a body temperature .

I shot one and shelled it for my daughter . A 45 Colts with a 452-252 does the trick at 20 ft .
 

Ian

Notorious member
I've eaten armadillo before at a semi-public venue, prepared by someone else who had a reputation for understanding how to prepare one safely. It was actually pretty good, meat is like chicken dark meat but tastes more like pork ribeye due to the flavor of the fat. I would have to be pretty hungry and low on options to attempt cooking one myself.

Rattlesnake is real close to alligator tail, quite good IMO.
 

Ian

Notorious member
It has to do with preventing the transfer of any diseases the Armadillo might have.
 

Edward R Southgate

Component Hoarder Extraordiniare
The South American guys that work for Thompson Logging here local run them down and throw them on a fire as caught . Don't kill them nor do they do any prep work just burn and eat . I wouldn't eat one on a bet !
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I am about 3 decades past the "Let's try this exotic critter as table fare" period of my life. Ian called it--I would need to be real hungry and way low on options to try out armadillos, snakes, iguanas, chuckwallas, or similar dining selections. We have evolved a bit, with the onset of agriculture and civilization.
 

Bisley

Active Member
Ministering in Cambodia, our host insisted we eat the Philippine "delicacy" Baloot, which is a partly-gestated duck egg, boiled. In return for consumption of this collection of tenderized feathers and bones in a hardened yolk, I was awarded bragging rights to the Third World or some such. Mrs. Bisley excused herself from such fare in superior form. The Bible says husband and wife are one flesh; therefore she ate it when I did! The host missionary's wife was rather irate that she didn't think of this first...
The one local delicacy I did like was the freshwater clams dredged out of the rice fields. These fifty-cent piece sized critters commanded a premium of 10,000 Cambodian Riel, or $2.50 a plate. Once coated liberally in chili powder and fire-roasted over charcoal for twenty minutes in a grill basket, they were rather tasty. The top shell comes off with the fingers and scoops out the clam inside. Just make sure to run your hand right over the top of them at the vendoor's stall and watch the shells move before you pay.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
How far north has the armadillo made it now? They invaded here probably 15 years ago and going strong. Most around here shoot them on sight, hasn't kept them in check. Count me as one that has no desire to eat one.
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Those are just the odd ball ( sometimes the better things of life) things!
I have never refused any type of food in my life ....try it once if you do not like it then never eat it again!
Back in the Hey day of our Professional Photo Studio; My Boss would take me out for Sushi quite often & I loved ever time we went! ( He was a foreign exchange student in his high school years of the 60's and lived in Japan


In all our trips for Sushi, However I never had a chance to try "Sea Urchin" I have seen them eaten raw off the boat in Greece on TV food shows and they looked & sounded good!

Well: Jump to the future and My Wife & I went down to Hilton Head where he is retired to.... He treated us to a great Sushi restaurant meal where he had ordered ahead ....2 Sea Urchins just for me! As a special treat! WELL I made it though the 2 of them being very polite, but Never again! They were GOD awful ! But I ate them!
I think "The Mystery of Life" is in the food we have never tasted on this earth ! Try it all before we leave it!
Jim
 

Ian

Notorious member
They've probably been displaced north of Texas by feral pigs, fire ants, killer bees, ground hornets, and so on that have moved in from Mexico. Texas is a hotbed for invasive species.