Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 17 Mach2 vs. Badger

I was over on the neighbors ranch today having a fine old time shooting "Snophers" (Gophers who are out and about on top of the snow!) and had brought four to bag when up pops a Badger!
I was shooting my Kimber heavy barrel 17-SVT in caliber 17 Mach2.
I have killed MANY Badgers with my various 17 HMR's but never had the chance at a Badger when my 17 Mach2 was along and loaded.
The Badger was working a hole digging furiously and apparently oblivious to my previous shots.
I got lined up on him and waited for his head to show above the new hole he was now working on.
Soon enough he gets up and bridges across the new dig and I plant a 17 grain Hornady V-Max in his throat area as he was looking straight on at me.
Well unlike all the one shot kills I have had on Badgers with my 17 HMR's this Badger was not down for the count.
He did roll over on his back but was soon back on his feet and circling around.
I waited for him to slow and planted another shot in the throat area.
He again flipped on his back, but stayed there thrashing around a bit.
I reloaded the Kimbers 5 shot magazine and went forth.
By the time I got to him he was really slowing down and soon expired.
This Badger is the heaviest furred Badger I have ever shot.
I think he is at least two years old and was in the 20 pound range.
I called a Hunting partner of mine who wanted a Badger for full body mounting and he and his wife met me and glommed onto the chubby Varmint and they quickly headed for Hunters Taxidermy here in Dillon to get the skinning started before it froze solid (19 degrees at the time of the Hunt).
My friend and his wife were both very impressed with the thickness and fullness of this boar Badgers pelt.
I can't wait to see the thing full body mounted.
I bet that will cost them a pretty penny though.
Anyway the 17 Mach2 did not kill the Badger outright with a single shot - but it did wound him so severely he did not try to make a run for a deep hole though.
But I think at that range and with the size of that Badger the 17 Mach2 did more damage, lethality wise, than any 22 L.R. would have/could have.
Now if the ammunition producers would just burp out some 17 Mach2 ammo - that would ease my concerns.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Good to hear you got a badger. I went out last Monday and got my first one this year. Big ol' female, 85 yds. I used my .218 Bee with 40 gr. Nosler Varmageddon. Hit her square in the left eye, no exit, DRT. I love shooting badgers. We also got a weasel and quite a few ground squirrels. Hope you get lots more.

What a neat bonus kill! I popped two young ones who had stuck thier heads out of two side by side holes one early spring with a now about impossible to find Ruger 10/22 Magnum. Both throat shots like you mentioned, made in quick succession.

Good and fun times. I am looking forward to getting back out after 'em soon.

safariman
when are you heading across the state for you anticipated stay? Cheers NC

why you guys shooting badgers?

Mach 2's are a kick in the pants on a calm day in a dog town that hasn't been shot in a couple of years.
All of these were shot within 10 steps of that mound.

Wasp, that is an awesome photo! Long live the 17Mach2.

why not ?

ever get chased by one these bastards ?

plus they eat too many targets........

+1......just wish I could find another case of Eley ammo for $200

The last I bought was Eley for less than $37.00 a brick, 4-5 years ago. I bought 20 bricks. I saw some on a table at a Billings gun show recently for $16 a BOX!

I'll re-barrel my Remington 504 and my wife's CZ 452 to 22 LR before paying that.