Snake shot pistol caliber??

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rms65

New member
Hey everyone,
I want to get my wife and I a pistol for poisonous snakes on my Northern Arkansas property. I thought a simple cheap 22lr pistol with cci snake shot would do. After watching a few videos the 22lr and to a degree 22mag snake shot looks pretty anemic. Even at close range.

First question is for anyone who has actually shot snakes with 22 snake shot from a small pistol. Does this stuff actually work??

Second question. I'm thinking of upping the caliber and getting a 2" Ruger LCRX in 357/38 because they make snake shot for that and it would be better against larger predators. Anyone have any experience shooting snakes with this gun and caliber?

I have a compact 9mm auto for general carry but I think a little light revolver would be more convenient to grab and go when working around the property. I could split load it with shot and slugs. I'd appreciate any experienced input.

Thanks
Ron
 
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dogtown tom

New member
Best caliber for snakes....

Isn't the .22 snake shot or rat shot.

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"Snakes......I hate snakes", Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr

And I'm not a fan of them either.:eek:

But there needs to be a reason to dispatch a snake. If he's in my yard, he runs the risk of death. If I'm in the woods or on a trail I let him be.

Snakes are there for a reason. They eat vermin (rats & mice). If your yard/house/barn/whatever is overrun with snakes its likely you have a plentiful supply of food snakes like to eat. Eliminate or reduce what attracts the vermin and the snakes will look elsewhere.

That said, poisonous snakes that are an immediate danger are not welcome in my yard.

Real men kill snakes with sticks. If not a real man, then screaming usually attracts enough attention and someone will volunteer to beat the snake into a pulp for you. (pretty much any male over age twelve will be willing to do this)

Using a stick is superior to a gun because:
Quieter (except for your screaming)
No reload needed (unless you break your stick)
Sticks don't ricochet
Sticks require little practice
Sticks come in various lengths to suit the users ability
Sticks require no permit (as of today)
Sticks can be used inside of the city limits (California may require you to paint the tip orange and limits the length of the stick to 12")

Edit to add:
Shovels or hoes are acceptable, but less satisfying, than the multiple strikes required by a good stick.
 
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dogtown tom

New member
rms65 .... After watching a few videos the 22lr and to a degree 22mag snake shot looks pretty anemic. Even at close range.
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It is anemic, and the .38 special snakeshot is'nt that great either.
If you just have to have a snake gun, it needs to be at least a .410 gauge.
And if you are in North Arkansas, you got rocks. Snakes like rocks and rocks ain't safe to shoot at.

First question is for anyone who has actually shot snakes with 22 snake shot from a small pistol. Does this stuff actually work??
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Only if you are fairly close, are accurate, don't mind follow up shots and the snake cooperates by not moving.

Second question. I'm thinking of upping the caliber and getting a 2" Ruger LCRX in 357/38 because they make snake shot for that and it would be better against larger predators. Anyone have any experience shooting snakes with this gun and caliber?
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The above applies.


I have a compact 9mm auto for general carry but I think a little light revolver would be more convenient to grab and go when working around the property. I could split load it with shot and slugs. I'd appreciate any experienced input.
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Almost universally the worst way to load any firearm.
If you just have to have a snake gun, load it for nothing by snakes. alternating shot/slug/shot/slug......is a recipe for not knowing what comes out the barrel.
 
M

MarkCO

New member
I've shot a lot of snakes, mostly rattlesnakes that were around pets, or people.

.22 Snake shot is not worth even loading. I've used 9mm, .38, .41 Mag, .45ACP and .44 Mag. I mostly stick with .38 and .41 Mag. While I have shot some of the CCI ammo, I have also loaded my own .38 Speer capsules and eventually just went to loading my own completely. .41 Mag is my personal favorite. I killed a 6', 11 button Green Mountain rattlesnake at about 20 feet with one shot from the .41. I use .410 Stumpbuster wads over Clays powder, 120 grains of #9 shot and an overshot card. Patterns well and has enough energy to penetrate.

A cheap 5 shot Revolver in .32, .38, .41 or .44 will do the trick. Here is a link to Sage's. They sell the components to make your own revolver snake shot loads. A LOT cheaper. Don't even need a press to load these.

https://www.sagesoutdoors.com/shotwads/pistol-shotwad-kits/
 
R

rms65

New member
Thanks everyone for the responses. Sticks, shovels and hoes are ok but not easily kept in your pocket while you're using both hands for other activities.

I'm not afraid of snakes and and my wife grew up in Southern California and is used to snakes so they'll be no yelling. The area is very remote so no one will be there to help you with anything. There's also a good sized creek on the property that has cottonmouths which can be aggressive. Bottom line, snakes don't bother me and I'm not looking to kill snakes for no reason. BUT I'd rather be prepared than not when I'm alone and help is far away.

As for split loading, I agree every other shot wouldn't be smart. I was thinking first two snake and last three slug. Maybe not much better but easy to keep track of.

Yes northern Arkansas is loaded with rocks and shooting shot at snakes near rocks could be more dangerous than the snake itself. Definitely something to keep in mind. Thank you
 
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603Country

New member
We have some 38 snake shot, but it isn’t worth much. Get some cardboard and shoot it with the snake shot. You’ll see the wide dispersion of the shot, and it’ll be clear that you’ll need to be quite close to the snake. Of course, the cardboard shooting test was done with the wife’s snub nose 38 that she takes with her when on long walks. Might be different dispersion with a 4” or 6” barrel.

A nice sturdy walking stick might be useful for snake thumping.
 
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Electrod47

New member
I have an old Rohm ,22lr snubnose 1" barrel I carry in my hip pocket loaded with #12 Shot here on my semi-swamp property in Mississippi. I kill numerous snakes every summer (some pretty big) at ranges 5-8ft. usually one shot does it near the head. Big ones I empty the thing. For long range snake I have a Yildez 410 loaded with my own Mild load for such. I'm always surprised at how small and few #12's it takes to finish one at the ranges stated.
 
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tlm225

New member
I've successfully used shot in a .38 on snakes (CCI capsules). IME it's effective to 8-10 feet. In your original post you expressed hope that shot loads from a .38 would be effective on larger predators that you didn't specify. IMO I wouldn't count on that.
 
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Captains1911

New member
.38 SPL works, I can attest to it. I’ve started carrying 22 mag NAA mini revolver loaded with snake shot instead, but since haven’t run across any copper heads that needed shooting, so the jury is still out. I know 22 LR snake shot will work, but you have to get CLOSE.
 
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rms65

New member
tlm225 said:
I've successfully used shot in a .38 on snakes (CCI capsules). IME it's effective to 8-10 feet. In your original post you expressed hope that shot loads from a .38 would be effective on larger predators that you didn't specify. IMO I wouldn't count on that.
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I meant the 38 would be useful for larger predators when loaded with slugs. I know the shot wouldn't be effective on them. I was thinking of split loading the revolver first two snake shot and the rest slugs.
Thanks for responding
 
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ernie8

New member
I load my own 38 cal with # 4 or 6 shot , much more effective. The best is a 44 capsule with 4 or 6 loaded into a neck down 45 Colt case . Fired in the 45 it comes out without the drastic spin that opens up the shot spread , a good tight pattern . It has always been a one shot stop on the rattlers near my cabin . My wife uses an airweight 38 snub and I use an airweight 45 snub , easy to carry . Also either can have a real bullet load or two for a larger danger .
 
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Zeroed

New member
I personally catch snakes bare handed.
I'd post a pic of me pulling a good 6+' female Diamondback Rattlesnake out of a goffer hole she tried to retreat down, but I don't know how to do a URL from my computer pictures? Wish there was an easier way.
Anyway, .22 rat-shot isn't that good for rats, much less a snake. I've shot rats from 3 to 4' with a 12" barrel and many still ran off with heads-shots. Lots with 3 hits, seemingly without to light injury.
I guess you'd need to put the muzzle a few inches from his head, but you chance getting bitten.
If you don't want to move up in calibers, Use .22 short or low velocity .22LR ammo.
.38 cal. rat-shot is much better as is the .410 ga. In that picture, you can
see a pistol-grip 18" .410 pump in my right hand, left hand has the rattler. That's just in case I get bite, I can dispatch the snake and take it with me to medical facility (they like to id it opposed to you telling them what you "think" it was).
A Judge pistol is an option, but the short barrel will cause the pellets to start spreading as soon as it comes out the muzzle.
I have the Raging Judge Magnum (heavy tho, 73oz.) and even with its 6.5" barrel isn't the best with birdshot.
I'd personally stay with the .22 pistol using LR ammo, or Shorts if your .22 will fire them.
The high majority of snakes are non-poisonous anyway, and many die from mistaken identity.
 
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TruthTellers

New member
I don't have much hands on experience, but I do think about things like this a lot and research. Yes, a .22 shot capsule doesn't hold much shot and what it does hold is literally he smallest shot that is manufactured at #12, so anything in a larger caliber is better given there is more shot and of larger size.

I've yet to read a story that 12 shot did anything and every video review of the .22 shot capsules has left me with the impression that is might stop a snake, but it's not a guarantee and definitely not something humane, even for pest control.

9mm is the next step up, but even that isn't saying much because it doesn't hold much shot either.

Obviously bigger is better, so if you can spring for a .44 or .45 revolver, do it. I'm generally not a big fan of Charter Arms because of quality issues, but their .44 Bulldogs are cheap and they would give you a heck of a lot more shot than .38 would in a still light and small package.

This is also where a Taurus Public Defender is a viable option as .410 is going to hold much more shot than any other revolver will and they will only cost about $100 more than what the Charter will. That said, they will be bigger and heavier than any ultralight .38 will, so it's your decision.

IMO, for snakes, you cannot do better than a .410 revolver.
 
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natman

New member
22 shot shells use #12 shot, which is called "dust shot" for a reason. Try some on a cardboard box and see how limited the penetration is for yourself.

In my experience a decent snake pistol caliber starts with a 4. I use a Charter Arms Target Bulldog in 44 Special. The 44 Special load uses #9 shot, and I see that CCI has come out with a load with #4 shot, but I haven't tried it yet.

https://www.cci-ammunition.com/handgun/cci/
 
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D

dogtown tom

New member
MarkCO
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willie Lowman View Post
one of the only valid uses of a taurus judge in my opinion is loading 410 shotshells for snakes
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.41 Mag, .44 Mag, .45 Colt shotshells (handloaded) can equal the .410 revolvers. Why I never bothered to even look at them.
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Equal what?
Even a 2.5" .410 carries 1/2 ounce of shot and a 3" .410 has 3/4oz.
Ive never seen a .45 Colt that comes close to that.
 
M

MarkCO

New member
dogtown tom said:
Equal what?
Even a 2.5" .410 carries 1/2 ounce of shot and a 3" .410 has 3/4oz.
Ive never seen a .45 Colt that comes close to that.
Click to expand...

Equal a .410 load. Piece of cake. :)

I have a .41 Mag load that is 5/8 ounce and a .45 Colt load that is 3/4 ounce. :D
 
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