Snake Ammo

.50 BMG HE round from 1000 yards away. I don't mess with poisonous snakes.

FlSwampRat said:

.50 BMG HE round from 1000 yards away. I don't mess with poisonous snakes.

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Snakes are poisonous. They are venomous. Big difference.

.22 shotshells are pretty worthless beyond a couple of feet. Anything that's going to kill the serpent is going to damage wood.

Mr_Flintstone said:

….. I've been using 38 Special buckshot hand loads...

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So......how many buckshot can you cram in a .38 Special case? Birdshot may be a better choice than buckshot.

As Texas10mm said above the most effective "snake load" will also cause damage to your wood.

You have snakes because you have food......mice and rats. Take care of the mice and rat problem and the snakes will go elsewhere.

A couple of yard cats will scare off/kill there food. No rats no snakes. If you must kill them. A decent pellet pistol will work. If you do your part.

Mr_Flintstone said:

I can get to them with a hoe or shovel, but other times (depending on the size and number of snakes) I need to shoot them, and I've been using 38 Special buckshot hand loads. I'm thinking maybe .22 bird shot, but I don't know if its enough for large copperheads.

Any comments or suggestions for the task?

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First off, you mention "buckshot". CCI makes a #9 & a #4 snake shot cartridge for 38 spl.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1000810470 The larger the shot, of course, the more damage you'll do to barn wood.

I've used #9 for some pretty large snakes w/mixed results (#4 was not available at the time). Most of the time, the snake was disabled but many required a follow up. During the ammo draught, there was not a single box available nation wide but I was fortunate to find a box of 50 empty capsules which the seller was nice enough to fill w/7 1/2 shot before shipping. It obviously works; as it must have scared every rattler out of south Texas and I have not had the opportunity to shoot a snake with it since. I did get a chance to pattern it from my 2" Mod. 60 at "snake range"......that's about 2' more than hoe handle length (they don't make a hoe long enough for S. Tx rattlers IMO) .The pattern is about 6" tall and 4" wide.


I feel very confident the 7 1/2 will be superior to the #9 even on the big 'uns.


If you reload, here's the empty capsules so you can taylor your own:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010935619

I've never used 22 ratshot on a snake, but a number of years ago, my MIL was having problems with some crows roosting in the trees behind her house. The numbers were sufficient to make the trees look like it had snowed. She lived in a fairly dense neighborhood and I decided I could shoot safely in one direction w/small shotshell, but didn,t want to use the loud .38's. My intention was to pepper the large birds and maybe convince them to move on. Bought a box of .22 rat shot, figured it would only dust them at 20 yards or so and would not be loud in a rifle. Wrong on both counts! It was very loud and it killed the crow I had aimed at. So....I'd say it would probably do a snake, but I'd keep the hoe nearby first try, as it will really give him an attitude if it's not lethal. Oh, I'd try to find a longer handle for your hoe, but that's probably just me.

Regards,
hps

CCI shotshell rounds. I bought a pack of 10 a few months ago on a lark in 40. Already have used it once to deal with a snake in the yard. I don't get close enough to snakes to determine if they are venomous or not. It was dispatched quickly either way. I keep a mag loaded with 5 rounds of CCI. If I am going to walk along the wilder edges of my yard, that is what I have loaded.

@herrwalther, do they function reliably in your 40? I bought a box in 45 ACP and was pleasantly surprised they function perfectly in a 1911 Kimber. Have never used them on a snake yet.
Regards,
hps

herrwalther said:

I don't get close enough to snakes to determine if they are venomous or not.

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Sadly I got too close to my ex before discovering she was venomous, but I digress...

Bought one package of .22 CCI snakeshot, fired 2 rounds from a Ruger Single Six, wasn't much coverage at 10', closer than that, to a potentially venomous reptile I don't want to get.


The .44 mag snakeshot gave much better coverage.



But is there something unethical about shooting a snake with an Anaconda?

hps1 said:

do they function reliably in your 40? I bought a box in 45 ACP and was pleasantly surprised they function perfectly in a 1911 Kimber. Have never used them on a snake yet.

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The risk with that ammo is you may very well turn your semi-auto into a single shot. I have tried the CCI in 2 40 caliber firearms, one it cycled and the other it didn't. It cycled in the P99 that I carry. I understand the 9mm load has more cycling issues than 40. So it is best to work on one shot kills or malfunction drills. And both.

I just let them be unless they are too close to the cabin. Then I just grab a bucket and relocate them. They’re actually very docile and non aggressive. I get rat snakes in the barn and chicken coop on occasion. Leave ‘em be in the barn since they’ll eat and mice in there, then move on. Pull them out of the coop and relocate them because they love eating the eggs.

Don’t have rattle snakes here, but if I did, and they were anywhere that I frequent, I’d send ‘em on up to meet their maker.

I'm in the middle of acquiring property to build a range on. As a result, I have a higher chance of running into a snake than ever before. My solution is to simply carry a reliable gun with regular ammo, but perhaps I'm missing something. Hopefully I don't have to find out either way...

herrwalther said:

The risk with that ammo is you may very well turn your semi-auto into a single shot. I have tried the CCI in 2 40 caliber firearms, one it cycled and the other it didn't. It cycled in the P99 that I carry. I understand the 9mm load has more cycling issues than 40. So it is best to work on one shot kills or malfunction drills. And both.

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Thought I'd try them in the .45. Only fired two rounds and they functioned fine, but I wouldn't call that a real test. I was surprised they functioned at all. Prefer the wheel gun for that service.
Regards,
hps

FlSwampRat said:

Sadly I got too close to my ex before discovering she was venomous, but I digress...

Bought one package of .22 CCI snakeshot, fired 2 rounds from a Ruger Single Six, wasn't much coverage at 10', closer than that, to a potentially venomous reptile I don't want to get.
View attachment 855784

The .44 mag snakeshot gave much better coverage.

View attachment 855785

But is there something unethical about shooting a snake with an Anaconda?

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The rat shot I got was the old style crimped .22 RF, not the capsules; maybe that is the difference, or maybe out of the rifle made the difference. I was really surprised when the bird fell dead! He was facing me and flared his wings to take off just as I shot so that also helped, I'm sure, but I didn't figure that tiny shot would even reach them, let alone kill him.

Shooting a snake with an Anaconda is more than unethical....it's, well, almost cannibalistic.

Regards,
hps

I use the CCI .38 shotshells. A while back I had trouble finding some but managed to locate a source for the capsules. I took #8 shot from a 12 gauge shell and loaded them up using W231 for powder. They patterned fine but so far haven't tried them on a snake yet. With 50 capsules in the box I should have several years supply on hand.

Honestly? 2.75" 1 oz of #7.5 shot, 1 1/8th oz is even better. Load as many as you can into the repeating shotgun of your choice and don't stop shooting the d@mn thing til you're out of ammo... I hate snakes with a passion! I've tried the "snake shot" ammo with mixed success, and honestly don't care to give the extra money for it. So, I just carry my Henry with me on the farm, or one of my myriad of shotguns. Between me, the guineas, and the cats, most of the snakes have disappeared. I just wish the same could be said for the coons, possums, and groundhogs!

Mac

FlSwampRat said:

Sadly I got too close to my ex before discovering she was venomous, but I digress...

Bought one package of .22 CCI snakeshot, fired 2 rounds from a Ruger Single Six, wasn't much coverage at 10', closer than that, to a potentially venomous reptile I don't want to get.
View attachment 855784

The .44 mag snakeshot gave much better coverage.

View attachment 855785

But is there something unethical about shooting a snake with an Anaconda?

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Aaron's staff was turned into a serpent and ate the serpent's that Pharaoh's magicians cast. I think your good...

I prefer the standby .38 shotshells as well,t CCI loads. Never had an issue.

Three footer in the back yard. I don’t bother them so they don’t bother me. Might feel different if I had kids or a dog, but I figure they keep rats and mice down so it’s good.

Is above picture the watersnake? I'd shoot it in a heartbeat!

We don't have copperheads in S. TX. I had one encounter with one @ Ft Hood in N Central TX. Was sitting on the ground, leaning against a cut off tree stump during a break in an exercise and hadn't noticed the small hollow between a couple of roots. A few minutes after I got up, someone pointed out the hollow and there was a 2' copperhead peeking out at me. Apparently they are pretty docile here, as well, thank the Lord.

ETA: We have a rat snake down here that resembles the rattler enough to get themselves shot, especially when they're in the grass and you can's see the pointed tail.


Regards,
hps

410 would be great with a skeet load of #9s

George P said:

410 would be great with a skeet load of #9s

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Or a 20 ga. ...................................................always riding close at hand

Problem is, ya gotta back off a bit for the pattern to open.

Regards,
hps

Agree, a 410 will do the job, even at fairly close.

hps1 said:

Or a 20 ga. ...................................................always riding close at hand
View attachment 855862 View attachment 855863
Problem is, ya gotta back off a bit for the pattern to open.

Regards,
hps

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Was hunting on a quail plantation last year about Thanksgiving. The sun was out and our guide stepped within 6 inches of a copperhead ready to strike. When he yelled my name, I swirled around and shot - I was less then 6 feet away. 7/8oz of #8s ended his life immediately.