.410 For a garden gun?

Haven't you heard the legend of the field hand who chopped at a rattlesnake with a sharp hoe, cut the snake's head clear off and flipped it up into his face, fangs first?
My Great Grandfather allegedly lost an employee that way.

Great Grandfather Hall was an interesting man, well regarded for giving paying jobs to freed slaves. He wasn't an MD but he had medical books and kept a medical bag in his two wheeled buggy and was all the doctor the country folks had.
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Nervous energy can keep a viper's head venomous and dangerous for up to 1-1/2 hours after separation. Cut it off, use a shovel and dispose of properly
 
410 works great for a snake gun and for hunting. But I use #4 or #6 shot. I only have a neighbor on one side of me. But since snakes are on the ground, most of the pellets will go into the ground also. Another option would be a 22 mag using ratshot, they pack a little more punch then the 22lr version.

I'm using a Stevens 301 410 single shot now, cheap, well built and has changeable choke tubes.
 
One would hope he's not growing a garden up in the sky!
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Here on this earth, what goes up must come down ..... and shootin' at the ground at shallow angles can make projectiles go up ...... it's science.
 
Typically with pellet guns if the projectile doesn't leave your property your legal excepting Hoa rules, of course big cities have much stricter rules but it's doubtful the op lives in Dallas or Houston having rattlesnakes and bobcats in his garden.
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Plano actually has numerous bobcats. However I moved north from there, still in Collin County but just south of Grayson.
 
Absolutely not. A round half acre has a radius of about 85 feet. You probably don't want to get hit with #8 at 85' or even 170'. #12 maybe, but still, one of those little boogers in your eye ???
 
So you are either inside city limits in which case discharging a firearm (or in my case that means air rifles + bows/arrows) is forbidden. So that's a no-go. Or you are outside city limits in which case you can shoot whatever you want including a 22.

If you're in the city, check your city laws as they should say (or not say, which might be good) if air guns / pellet guns are forbidden or not. I shot a rabbit before (didn't eat it) with a 0.177 cal break action Gamo (spanish) air rifle. In a different town where air guns were not prohibited of course. It cost somewhere between 2-300 dollars or so and was considered middle of the road quality. It's pretty quiet, no hearing protection. With middle of the road pellets (Gamo brand) it can get quarter sized groups at 10-15 yards which is pretty good for not having found out what pellet it likes best. I would go with 22 cal if the main use was on animals, but wouldn't attempt a bobcat.

How close were you planning on getting to the rattlers? If you're really close, you'll be shooting downwards within 10 yards or so. Too far and those pellets won't have the density of hits that you might want out of the 2" barrel.

Maybe the pellets don't reach as far as people have saying, if you're talking about a 2" barrel. Looks like you have an excuse to test something out at a range.
 
Jim Watson said:
No. 8 shot fired at the optimum angle will carry nearly 200 yards. It won't hit very hard, but you wouldn't want a neighbor to catch one in the eye.
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This is the truth ... when I was a kid with a .410 my Dad proved my .410 shot carried just as far as the shot in his 16 gauge .
The patterns were even similar in diameter ...the 16 ga. had a denser pattern because the shell carried more shot ... but the .410 shot traveled the same distances .

Your best bet for keeping shot on your property is to shoot down ...elevating the gun up will allow the shot to travel, killing shots on birds can be made at 40 to 50 yards easily ... at 200 yards ...it will hit you ... and could put an eye out !
Gary
 
Rio shotshells loaded with #12 shot, were only briefly marketed in 12 gauge and .410. So using such minuscule shot is now strictly a handloading proposition in any but 22 rimfire shot cartridges. Ballistic Products has #10, #11, and #12 shot for sale.

Shot size diameters can be readily found by subtracting the shot size from the smallest letter shot diameter and then moving the decimal point.

Example: B shot is nominally .17"

#6 shot: 17 - 6 = 11 Move decimal point two spaces to the left. #6 shot is .11"

#12 shot: 17 - 12 = 5 Move decimal point two spaces left. #12 shot is .05"

Journee's Formula can then provide an estimate of the maximum distance shot will travel in yards.

.05 x 2200 = 110 yards (#12 shot)

.11 x 2200 = 242 yards (#6 shot)


The online Round Ball Ballistics Calculator for Muzzleloaders will provide projectile weight and ballistic calculations.

.05" lead ball weight: .19 grain (approximately 2302 pellets per ounce)

Fired at a MV of 1100 fps #12 shot will have a calculated remaining velocity of 36 fps @ 75 yards.
 
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Post 17--TMB900--

I can tell you are not from TEXAS cause there they kill all rattlers. The only good on is a dead one.
 
.410 or even a .22 makes noise and can upset certain neighbors. CCI makes .22 Quiet shells, if you can locate any.

Pneumatic airguns are noisier than most Springers. A good springer will propel a .177 or .22 pellet with more than enough power into the kill zones of either a snake or Bobcat. Bows will work too, but it takes more practice to be accurate.
A scoped crossbow like an Excalibur, is essentially a string gun, with rifle like accuracy out to 40 yards or more. Virtually silent too.

On the cheap, a good hunting banded wrist rocket slingshot with .44 or .45 caliber lead balls will deliver lethal pest control power out to 10 to 15 yards with a little practice. Very quiet and may not upset people as much as many consider them kids toys... which they are anything but. Plus, slingshots are fun.:D

Do you have a Remington 870 that accepts choke tubes? If so, locate a Metro barrel extension... essentially makes a 12 gauge sound like a Crossman air rifle. Perfect for urban varmints. I saw Tom Knapp demonstrate one in person years ago. Bought one myself.
 
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