Bullet bounces off armadillo and puts man in hospital

[Wolfie]

By Rob Crilly, New York

Picture the scene: a Texan with a handgun spots a humble armadillo shuffling across his property at 3am on a Thursday morning.

He fires off three shots.

But the bullets are no match for the animal's armour plating, which deflects at least one of the bullets right back into the shooter's face.

In a week when hunting wild animals has been in the spotlight, it means at least one species has managed to chalk up a win – or at least a score draw.

Larry Rowe, Cass County Sheriff, said the man, who has not been identified, had to be airlifted to hospital.
"His wife was in the house," he said. "He went outside and took his .38 revolver and shot three times at the armadillo."

The ricochet struck his jaw which had to be wired shut in hospital, he added.

The fate of the armoured mammal was less clear.

"We didn't find the armadillo," said the sheriff.

Most species of the mammal live in Southern or Central America, but the nine-banded armadillo is occasionally spotted in the southern states of the US, where they are considered a pest for digging up lawns or crops.

Their armour is made of bone.

And it is frequently enough to protect them from bullets it seems.

In April a man in Georgia claimed he had accidentally shot his mother-in-law when a 9mm round intended for an armadillo ricocheted off and struck her.

[cwall64]

I don't know about that, as a kid I shot plenty of armadillos with 22lr in the College Sation, TX area and never had any ricochets...  I don't remember using a 38 special, but definitely 357s and 44 mag as I got older.

[rw]

I have had plenty of 22 rounds ricochet off them, 12 gauge slugs however do not 

[4949shooter]

Wow those little bastards are tough. 

Who is gonna try some 10mm Underwood on one?

[Rojo27]

Armadillos are NOT bulletproof.
The rocks around and behind the darting mammal often times are however...

[Charlie_Zulu]

Armadillos are NOT bulletproof.
The rocks around and behind the darting mammal often times are however...

This ^^^.     

[cwall64]

Armadillos are NOT bulletproof.
The rocks around and behind the darting mammal often times are however...

+1

[enidpd804]

Armadillos are NOT bulletproof.
The rocks around and behind the darting mammal often times are however...

Also this ^^^^.  They don't have armor.  It's more like a thick, gooey fingernail.  My dog was tearing into one in our yard in the middle of the night.  I had to throw the thing over the fence to save it.  Somehow, I didn't get leprosy.   

This story is BS. 

[DM1906]

Some people will believe almost anything. Now, we can blame the armadillo population explosion on that 47% who now fear that armadillos will shoot back! Greenpeace, HSUS and PETA enroute.

[wrladner]

When I lived in south Miss., I shot many with 12 ga. buckshot, no ricochets, always deadly on the pests.

[gandog56]

In April a man in Georgia claimed he had accidentally shot his mother-in-law when a 9mm round intended for an armadillo ricocheted off and struck her.

Yeah, right...nudge nudge wink wink! 

[Pumpkinheaver]

My guess is he must have hit a rock causing the bounce back.

[Pinsnscrews]

my guess is there was no armadillo, he was drunk and flat out shot the rock thinking it was an armadillo.

[redbaron007]

my guess is there was no armadillo, he was drunk and flat out shot the rock thinking it was an armadillo.

^^^^^
This!! 

[gandog56]

my guess is there was no armadillo, he was drunk and flat out shot the rock thinking it was an armadillo.

I'm saying he was drunk and intentionally shot his mother in law. Armidillo was an excuse because he didn't kill her!