Have about 10-11 Badgers on the far corner of the property. Would love to take one and have it mounted. What would be the ideal shot shell load to use? I'd rather not risk a 22LR and have him crawl back into his hole.

Thanks,
Jake

I think your taxidermist would appreciate a single bullet hole in the head rather than a whole load of bird shot. Aim for the brain rather than center of mass.

Best I've done was with a .223 and a Speer 50 gr TNT. Bullet went in, never exited, Badger didn't even twitch...

Badgers are easy to trap. I'd say trap them and while standing looking down on them shoot between the shoulders. That way if you do happen to get a bigger exit it is on the underneath side that doesn't show on a mount. Typically the belly area is pretty easy to sew a hole up on as well

I have shot a boatload of them using a 223 with 40 gr Nosler ballistic tips, one hole in and nothing out.

In my experience most shots at them are frontal shots because they are often backed up to a hole and facing you.
I did shoot one once from about 125 yds using 40 gr V-Max bullets and it did not work out well, it was a frontal shot and all 3 hits were good and should have been penetrating frontal shots, but the V-Max only penetrated an inch or so and blew up, he was still alive but moving slowly so I put a 22 l.r. bullet through his brain to finish him off.

The point of relating that is that badgers are a very heavy muscled animal and it takes a fairly tough bullet to penetrate to the vitals.
I don't know about Oregon but around here it is near impossible to get to within a 100 yards of them so that pretty much takes a shotgun out anyway.

drover

.17 HMR.




Dave

I have killed several badgers with everything from .22 l.r. to .2/250. They hard to kill with a .22 unless you hit them in the head or heart. A center fire varmint cartridge is perfect. They just make a caliber size entrance and no exit. Even when shot with a 6m/m Rem. and 75 gr. Hornady hollow point! Don' shoot for the head with center fires though, messy.

This is why you don't don't want to headshoot them with a centerfire - this one was at about 125 yds and was head shot with a 40 gr Nosler BT from a 223. It made him a bit bug-eyed and snaggle-toothed but he never even twitched after the hit.

drover

Badgers are tailor made for .17's.

17 Remington or fireball 20 VMAX

pssshaaaahhh..... Who needs to waste alla dat powder in the 17rem and furball, when the Hornet does it so well with 10 grains....

Badgers can be tough as hell if not hit properly. I've seen them soak up 5-6 shots from not so well placed "deer" rounds, shotguns and arrows.

That being said, my .17 Rem and .204 with normal varmint bullets has killed them just fine when hit where they should be hit...tight behind or through the shoulder.

If one does go down a hole, a 6 foot piece of barb wire with one end bent into a "S" shape to twist it works pretty damn well to get them out. Have easily pulled out badgers, fox, coyotes, raccoons and whatever else has been rude enough to go down a hole before dying. The straight end of the wire twists up in all the hair when you twirl it and then simply pull it out of the hole.

Make sure it is dead though! BTDT!

Obligatory pictures

I never realized I needed a badger gun until now. The things a guy learns on the fire. I need a .17 Fireball ASAP!

25aught6: I know the answer to this question and that answer is: the 17 HMR Hornady V-Max loads!
I have killed several Badgers with the 17 HMR and when the bullet is placed properly there will be NO pelt damage and lethality is impressive!
I have had two 17 HMR shot Badgers made into rugs and another I gave to a friends wife so she could have it full body mounted as a gift for her husband.
I place the bullet right into the Badgers "Adam's Apple" area with a head on shot!
Badgers are not afraid to stare right at intruders in their domain and face them down.
So be patient and wait for the Badger to face you then place the 17 HMR V-Max type projectile right under his chin and in all cases I have been involved in they have been DRT!
Good luck.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Ya'll seem to have overlooked the obvious.




THE NEW 19 BADGER

The new 19 BADGER is a result of field testing the 19 Calhoon (Hornet) and 19-223. Our minimizing approach to varminting, as John Anderson of Varmint Hunter Magazine calls it, resulted in this new, finely tuned, varmint cartridge. The 19 BADGER is a compact, powerful cartridge with a mere overall 1.3" length, built on a strong rimless case. The 19 BADGER maintains a powder capacity of 18 grains in a column of less than 1 inch. Even with a 25% increase in powder capacity over the "sweet shooting" little 19 Calhoon (Hornet), the 19 BADGER has the same minimal recoil that is so critical to good varminting, allowing you to see your hit time after time. The 19 BADGER provides a comfortable 300 yard range and velocities of 3725 with a 28gr bullet and 3550 with the 32gr. (The 4200+ ft/sec gurus, those geniuses behind the 17 Remington and .204 Ruger, would have you think otherwise, but attempts to achieve excessive velocities cause nothing but trouble for varminters!)

Once you own a 19 BADGER, "You'll be leavin' your other rifles in the safe!"TM

Time out here for culture in the form of poetry, penned by someone who, for obvious literary reasons, wishes to remain anonymous:

"While the .204 Rugers are scrubbin' out the blue,
The 19 BADGER keeps shootin' deadly and true!"

I shot a 17 Ackley Hornet on a 77 Hornet Ruger and Lothar Walther barrel for a long time but my big old fingers made it difficult to load cartridges and no factory ammo was made

hmmm. I do have a 17 REM FB I guess I could toss a scope on and get her a quick 100yd zero....

Thanks for the input guys!

Anybody ever try a predator call to get them to poke those big'ol chest out of there holes?

Do it....my 17FB is my favorite varmint rifle....I use it more than the others combined.

Cholly, is that because you don't have a Hornet?

I had a Cooper 17AH....sold it....I just like the FB better....

To be honest though....I think that has as much to do with the rifle as the load...

Predator calls work...............sometimes.

357 magnums work - as do 38 specials, and 30-30's.