Officers'Wife
Member
My uncle would load a .44 BP revolver with #8 shot for rats when we moved portable buildings and used it to good effect. If the load would kill a rat it would kill a snake.
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snake rounds
- Thread starter shiftyer1
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ldyates
Member
Best Weapon
Remove the food source and hiding places. Works every time in rattlesnake and copperhead country. Your encounters will be less frequent.
Otherwise... see any of the post above.
Remove the food source and hiding places. Works every time in rattlesnake and copperhead country. Your encounters will be less frequent.
Otherwise... see any of the post above.
BENELLIMONTE
member
I used to hunt/camp in E. Washington near Winthrop.
There were a few areas that were considered "infested with rattlesnakes. My favorite sidearmwas a long barreled Ruger single six in .22 mag. I used CCI # 12 shot. It was effective within 15-20ft. I bagged several rattlers with this combo.
There were a few areas that were considered "infested with rattlesnakes. My favorite sidearmwas a long barreled Ruger single six in .22 mag. I used CCI # 12 shot. It was effective within 15-20ft. I bagged several rattlers with this combo.
Chicken321
Member
I don't have any experience with shot shells but a few minutes of Googling produced two homemade loads that seem like they would work.
http://www.jamescalhoon.com/snakeloads.php
http://www.castbullet.com/reload/44shot.htm
http://www.jamescalhoon.com/snakeloads.php
http://www.castbullet.com/reload/44shot.htm
nitetrane98
Member
A buddy of mine bought one of those Judge .410/.45 solely for snakes on his weekend place by the river here in East Texas. Pretty good medicine. He's killed 3 copperheads and a cotton mouth in the last week or so. I barked a copperhead with my .17HMR. Killed him just as dead. We strive to turn all snakes into "good" snakes.
shiftyer1
Member
thank you very much for all the input. I understand snakes are beneficial but the risk is greater then the benefits. I have yet to see any near the house or even in the yard. Time will tell i've only lived in my presant house a month
I've never seen a rattlesnake around here, but people have said they've seen eagles with them, so I suppose there must be a few. I carry a S&W Model 63 .22LR as a trail gun and have some CCI shotshells. But I've never really known if this was considered enough firepower for a rattler. Maybe one day this summer I'll have to find out.
tex929rr
Member
I find 22 ratshot barely effective against snakes. A big one takes more than one round, even from close range. 44 snake shot is OK; that's the first two rounds in the 629 I carry when I am on the tractor. But I would recomend real shotgun rounds; IMHO 20 or 12 gauge is best, and they have more utility anyway for other things.
R.W.Dale
Member
I've been saying all along to folks on this board that if all you have are hammers pretty soon all your problems start to look like nails.
The solution to every problem in life may not be resorting to a firearm
THIS is the correct load for killing snakes
The solution to every problem in life may not be resorting to a firearm
THIS is the correct load for killing snakes
EHCRain10
Member
+1 to krochus, a garden hoe has distance and reloads REALLY fast when needed.
Sulfur around the house will keep any snake out, snakes will not crawl over the sulfur so pour a solid like around your house where it will stay dry
Sulfur around the house will keep any snake out, snakes will not crawl over the sulfur so pour a solid like around your house where it will stay dry
41magsnub
Member
My grandmother used to whack rattlers in the garden with a hoe all the time, she would not even break stride.
Stirling XD
Member
When I was growing up in Arkansas, we used the .22 shot shell all the time for copperheads. We had a little single shot .22 that worked great. I think it was a Remington Model 6. At under 10 feet, is deadly on snakes. We never needed a second shot. Plus, it a lot quieter than a shotgun or larger caliber pistols. I wouldn't expect it to cycle through an automatic.
shiftyer1
Member
Well I had the chance to try the .22 shot today. I was cutting grass and since i've already killed a couple snakes in as many days I decided to belt on the .22 revolver. I have alot of fallen limbs so I was cleaning them up while mowing. Anyway long story short, I found a copperhead and a single head shot from about 7 feet worked great. Yes a hoe will work also but it seems it would be a little hard to cut grass pick up rocks and logs and also carry around a hoe. The gun seems more convienient. So far all the snakes have been relatively small. Not sure i'd want to try the .22 shot on a full size rattler. And i don't have to get off the mower to use the gun. I do think i'll be looking for an old beat up single shot .410. Now to come up with a gun mount for the riding mower.
Sixtigers
Member
LOL!
Guns for snakes? Really?
C'mon! I'm a gun guy just as much as the rest of ya, and I grew up in Western Diamondback territory (any other Northern California boys and girls out there?), but Krochus hit it on the head!
You don't need a gun for snakes. Shovel, hoe, axe, machete all work fine!
Helpful tip--I've never seen a rattler strike distance longer than about half their body length, and these aren't real big snakes. Last rattler I dispatched was almost four feet--a really fat SOB--and I just smacked him with the shovel a couple times, then used it to sever the end that had the sharp, oozy things in it. He tasted great! The secret is dry mustard in the flour. Trust me--and soak 'em in buttermilk overnight first.
Had a German Shepherd that took a diamondback strike to the chest, envenomed...cost about $2200 to fix that dog, but well worth it. I killed the travelers (rattlers, not flatlanders) that got too close to the house, but let the ones I came across in the wilds go. Figured I was the tresspasser.
I used .38 snakeshot once, in a little SP-101 2". Had to get too close for that to be effective, and the shovel was just a lot easier, quieter, and frankly, more effective.
Guns for snakes? Really?
C'mon! I'm a gun guy just as much as the rest of ya, and I grew up in Western Diamondback territory (any other Northern California boys and girls out there?), but Krochus hit it on the head!
You don't need a gun for snakes. Shovel, hoe, axe, machete all work fine!
Helpful tip--I've never seen a rattler strike distance longer than about half their body length, and these aren't real big snakes. Last rattler I dispatched was almost four feet--a really fat SOB--and I just smacked him with the shovel a couple times, then used it to sever the end that had the sharp, oozy things in it. He tasted great! The secret is dry mustard in the flour. Trust me--and soak 'em in buttermilk overnight first.
Had a German Shepherd that took a diamondback strike to the chest, envenomed...cost about $2200 to fix that dog, but well worth it. I killed the travelers (rattlers, not flatlanders) that got too close to the house, but let the ones I came across in the wilds go. Figured I was the tresspasser.
I used .38 snakeshot once, in a little SP-101 2". Had to get too close for that to be effective, and the shovel was just a lot easier, quieter, and frankly, more effective.
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Bwana John
Member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2004
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- 2,960
I am more afraid of Hantavirus than of snakes.
But if I do have to kill a snake, a firearm is one of the last tools Id use.
Shovels, sticks, and rocks work much better.
But if I do have to kill a snake, a firearm is one of the last tools Id use.
Shovels, sticks, and rocks work much better.
Ed N.
Member
When we first moved into our place, I killed several pigmy rattlers and one coral snake, and our neighbor was bitten by a pigmy rattler while clearing some fallen pine branches.
Then a couple of stray cats showed up in our barn and decided to stay.
Now we seldom see a snake or a rat.
Anybody know what kind of shot works best on cats?
Then a couple of stray cats showed up in our barn and decided to stay.
Now we seldom see a snake or a rat.
Anybody know what kind of shot works best on cats?
Sixtigers
Member
So...wait...are you saying you want the rats and snakes back? 
hardluk1
member
The 22 ratshot does work well just don't expect it to cycle a semi auto, Use a lever rifle or bolt if you can ,better distance from snake.But a revolver works well to about a 6" patern at 10 feet with pistol and will not worry neighbors like 357 rat shot or shotguns will. Also besides the king snake the good oll Black snake is another good around the house snake. They will also run off or kill poisonous. Plus there easier for people to pick out as friendly.
mljdeckard
Member
A few years ago, I got my dad a Ruger Single-Six .22/.22 mag for father's day. He fly-fishes remote streams, and more than once has had to walk around rattlesnakes. He has a Woodsman and a Ruger Mk I, but when he tried the old crimped .22 birdshots many years ago, the did nothing but jam. When we first got it, we took it out and tried some CCI .22 mag shot loads for it. They work fine at close range, as in, soda bottle at less than ten feet. The problem with them is, in a rifled barrel, with such small shot, it will spin, and the centrifugal force will make it 'donut' at any significant range.
I don't know if he's actually killed any snakes with it, I'll have to ask him, I know he carries it everywhere he fishes.
I might get around to trying some of the CCI centerfire shot loads to see how they work sometime, I mostly want to see if they will cycle reliably in my .45.
I don't know if he's actually killed any snakes with it, I'll have to ask him, I know he carries it everywhere he fishes.
I might get around to trying some of the CCI centerfire shot loads to see how they work sometime, I mostly want to see if they will cycle reliably in my .45.
Any gun will do, I prefer a plain old 1911 with 185 grain Golden Sabers to do all of my dirty work.
I had this one try to crawl up in my lap while I was doing my buisness out in the woods while hunting last winter. We had a little warm spell pop up and I guess it came out to play. It was 05:00 in the morning and still dark outside. The rattler was less than 5 feet away when I noticed it and you don't get up and move too fast with your drawers around your ankles! First round hit him square in the head. Needless to say I didn't have to go anymore!
I had this one try to crawl up in my lap while I was doing my buisness out in the woods while hunting last winter. We had a little warm spell pop up and I guess it came out to play. It was 05:00 in the morning and still dark outside. The rattler was less than 5 feet away when I noticed it and you don't get up and move too fast with your drawers around your ankles! First round hit him square in the head. Needless to say I didn't have to go anymore!
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shiftyer1
Member
I know a shovel will work but can you tell me how to pack one around while doing normal yard work that doesn't involve a shovel. Imo a handgun is more convienient. Also i'm still waiting for the info on where to get the shooting mongoose. I'll take 2. lol
xmanpike
Member
If you have a .45 ACP CCI makes shot shells for it that here in Texas are perfect for all snakes including 6 ft Rattlers!
DANGERRUSS
Member
the shot loads work best from shorter barrels, I think the less of the rifled bore it has to contend with the better the patterns. This at least is what my personal test have shown using .22, 38 and 44 shotshells. The last snake I used one on was a rattle snake that was about 5' long. I used a 3" .22 revolver and the CCI load. I let the non posinous snakes alone.
luzyfuerza
Member
I was out deer hunting one year and about stepped on a timber rattler...he was a big one, but I figured that the .54 cal muzzleloader I was carrying was just a bit too much even for him. A big rock ended the standoff. I got a snack for supper and a really nice hatband out of the deal, though.
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