Hiking Loadout in a 38 snub?

[tprice]

Hey all. When i do light hiking (3-6 hours) I usually only carry a 38 snub. Not really worried about bigger mammals here in Georgia, but want to be protected against snakes and meth morons. Currently, I've been carrying golden saber JHP but I realize that was probably not the best for snake. So would you all recommend loading 2 rounds of CCI shotshell followed by 3 JHP?

 

[Speedo66]

Which threat are you more concerned about?

I wouldn't want shot cartridges if it's the latter.

 

[tprice]

Snakes more - I usually stay on marked trails and tend to be closer to water than mountain.

 

[JMusic]

I carry two shotshells up front and then three lead 158's. Plus a strip loader of five 130 hollow points and one shot shell. You can pop a snake pretty far, I think I may have posted on lately.



Jim

 

[Starter52]

Your choice of ammo is perfect, but I'd do it the other way. JHPs first, shotshells next.

If you need them, it only takes a second to open the cylinder and line up the shotshells first.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Load whatever you carry for defensive loads for humans and leave it at that. I carry a 642 from pants on till pants off, and live well out in a rural area. I carry five CorBon DPX 110 gr. HPs in the gun and five more in a speedloader. I'm not worried about snakes. At all.

As far as hiking through the woods goes, the snakes live there, you're just a visitor. Leave them be, unless the snake in question is a copperhead that takes up residence under your front steps at home.

If you aren't walking barefoot it isn't likely you'll get close enough to a snake for it to bother you- snakes sense vibration through the ground and will usually flee any approaching large creature they sense approaching. If you're that concerned about snakes, just walk with normal footfalls and most of them will be gone before you get there. And the ones that don't manage to get away- if you're watching, you'll see them before you step on them. No need to bother them if you see them first, wait till they move or go around.

And if you step on one before you see it, shooting it at that point won't do you much good anyway, if it hasn't bitten you. In the event of a bite, you might need the carcass to identify the snake. Best bet is to watch where you put your feet/hands/butt, and try to avoid unpleasant encounters with all wild critters, snakes included.

ADEE* works best for humans, it's the best approach for reptiles also IMHO. You cannot create a life, any life - you should be mindful before you take one. A human may attack you out of greed or malice- snakes will not. A snake bites in an attempt to defend itself from a perceived attack, or in an attempt to disable something it perceives as food.

lpl

*ADEE = avoid, de-escalate/disengage, evade, escape

 

[wnycollector]

I'm very old fashioned when it comes to feeding my .38 snubbie. Mine is loaded with the remington +P 158gr LHP (FBI load). It has a proven track record (50+ years) of stopping bad guys from doing bad things. I dont load the LHP's in my speed loader though...the lead is WAY WAY to soft. My speed loader is full of Doubletap 135gr gold dots...they take the abuse of pocket carry very well.

 

[brocksamson]

I 2nd Mr. Lapin's opinion- snakes are usefull critters and eliminate a significant portion of your state's rodent population each year.
Besides, the snake that bites you will get you before you realize what happened. I once was walking down a overgrown sand road in eastern NC ( in my barefeet- my boots had gotten wet) and heard the unmistakable whirrrrrrrr of a canebrake rattler's tail coming from behind me ( that is a sound that makes your blood run cold, believe me). I turned around and saw Jake's head poking up out of the grass about 10' away. I had stepped right over him. He was a bigun' too and would have really ruined my day if he had decided to defend himself. Fortunately he was a gentleman and decided to give this greenhorn a break.
I backed away slowly and got out of there. And really watched where I was stepping from then on.
Your biggest threat comes from feral animals- the worst variety runs on two legs.

 

[Balrog]

What trails are you hiking on in Georgia? Are you sure it would be legal to discharge a firearm to kill a snake?

 

[gunnie]

FWIW---i have seen cotton mouth snakes shot with self same CCI shot loads outta snub styled 38 spcl, (2", or less). about 4' long for a somewhat usable scale reference. they are almost useless anyway.

as snakes can only strike up to 1/2 of their entire body length, the ones mentioned were only a threat 2 feet away. i would sincerely recommend a walking staff over the shot shell from a 38 snub. one 3 feet long would have given you range superiority over what i have mentioned, and would be MUCH more effective on the snake.

try out some of them on cardboard @ 10 feet, dismal performance at ranges most would feel comfortable taking time to aim and shooting from anyway. not to impune your caliber option, will work fine with a well placed shot for the most dangerous species. but for snake shot usage, 44 and 45 caliber weapons are much better suited to the task, even from similar bbl lengths.

gunnie

 

[JMusic]

I've used allot of shot cells out of a 38 and 22 magnum on rats and snakes. The are devastating and do not overpenitrate. I've even used them on hornet swarms. If you love snakes but you fine, but keep it out of my garage! I only carry this around the house. Picnic gun is a CDP Pro.




Jim

 

[conw]

I never understood why people go in the woods and shoot snakes...just seems kind of lame. I do understand killing snakes on your property. For that task a stick or rock or hoe or shovel works great.

 

[David E]

If you're opening your cylinder to align an adjacent chamber properly, you're doing it the slooooow way.

You can pull back slightly on the hammer to disengage the bolt stop and rotate the cylinder one chamber (or more) forward to get to the desired cartridge.

 

[JMusic]

Its on my property in fact in my garage. Don't know what woods you skip around in but here they are poisonous. A real ball with kids and pets around.




Jim

 

[dkk73]

When researching this up-front, I read favorable evaluations of the ballistics of Speer's Gold Dot short barrel .38+P loads. They shoot well from my 442 and are my usual choice. I think it's a good idea to look for a load that works well with the shorter barrel in terms of pressure curve, etc. When I get a chrony I'll work up a cheaper training load to match it.

Don't worry about snakes where I live now but I think I'd probably load all 5 with these rounds even if so.

I have not lived in the Southeast since I was very young (Georgia in fact ). I have heard that water moccasins can actually be quite aggressive but I do not know this on a first-hand or authoritative basis (ie. stories is what I'm going on!). Perhaps someone with more knowledge of ecology can chime in.

Otherwise, I generally tend towards Mr. Lapin's worldview which I must say is characteristically thoughtful and well-articulated (the guys on the cat-shooting thread might want to read this one). Of course, venomous things close to our house meet a different fate. But I teach my kids to steer clear in general.

 

[tprice]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think a few misunderstood me; I would 99.9% of the time never shoot at a snake that was leaving me alone. I used to do some research in the everglades, and the pygmy diamondbacks would often leave me alone even if they were nearby - they'd just slink on their way. I'm not one to bring a gun to the woods "looking" for something to shoot. Only as a last-ditch defense, as I think we all do.

 

[conw]

Jim, I didn't direct my comments at you. But there are folks out there who go out in the woods and just shoot any snake they see. IMo, this is pointless/thoughtless unless you are on your own property.

 

[RandyB]

In all my years of hiking I have tried various things, the commercial CCI shotshells can push foreward if the the gun is fired and jam the cylinder. I quit carrying shotshells, that is what my hiking stick is for. In my .38 I load the 158 LHP+P and a couple spare reloads. Happy trails.

 

[snorky18]

I spent about 600 hours working in the woods one summer, hiking up and down both sides of every river and creek bank in the county for stormwater research. Want to know how many snakes I saw? 2.

One about 5' away, and the other one I stepped on near the head and didn't realize I was on it till I felt the body whipping against my ankles back and forth. That one was in thick weeds, I couldn't see my feet, but when I stepped off it I saw the motion through the grass as it ran off.

While hiking and backpacking, I don't even remember the last time I saw one.

+1 on not bothering them unless they've invaded around your homestead.

 

[JMusic]

And I misunderstood too Conwit. Kiss and make up? I don't carry my j frame off the ranch I, like many others are semi auto crazy.



Jim

 

[Tacbandit]

1- shotshell, 4- 158's...Be prepared to encounter any critter whose domain you might be invading...You shouldn't kill any animal unnecessarily...However, when it's you or them, and you find your safety jeopardized..."do what ya gotta do..." Give yourself the opportunity to protect yourself against whatever the threat may be...As much as we all love wildlife, no animal is ever going to be more important than a human life...

 

[Tacbandit]

I've seen times where I wouldn't see snakes for a couple of years at a time...(Tennessee)..then again, I've seen stretches where 2 in five minutes wasn't uncommon...(Central Florida)...The point is, it's different for all of us, and while we shouldn't go "looking for something to shoot", we should be careful, be prepared...Granted...I would have to say that the most evil and dangerous species of snake we're most likely to encounter hiking or otherwise, is
the dreaded "two-legged" snake...

 

[mustang_steve]

Wear snakebite resistant boots. most snakebites occur below the knee, so just armor yourself accordingly.

Also a good hiking stick is useful to get a snake in the middle of the trail out of the way.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

In a snub, a standard 38 spl load is fine. No one wants to get shot with one of those. And, away from internet access and fast food, the likelihood of you running into a 300+lb bodybuilder or 500lb fatty are slim.

Regular folk or even meth heads are just people. 38 spl is a great people round.

Carry an alloy hiking pole with you. You'll be happy with the way it distributes the load away from your hips and knees and such, and it makes a nice tool for moving cranky snakes off-trail. 38 spl will kill them. I once used 45 colt on one and it vaporized the area just behind the head tossing the head so far I couldn't find it. Snakes are just meat and bones. Nothing that tough. A bullet will kill them. You could carry a .22LR revolver.

 

[JMusic]

Wheel gunner I use a walking stick and I just bought a walking stick. I don't kill things like I use to. I've developed respect for all animals except waps , flies and mosquitoes. I've found snake just laying in the woods trying to warm up..couple pokes and off they go. Hell I don't even shoot birds off my bird feeder anymore. But I still carry a pistol with both shot shells and bullets, it come in handy sometimes.



Jim