I don't know what everyone is talking about who are talking about how hard snakes can be to hit...Haven't any of you seen any movies, all you have to do is point the gun in the right direction and the snake will strike at the bullet and get hit!
OK, now that I got that out of my system, back to reality...
I think I'm with those who say a .38spl or .357mag. Here's why:
It doesn't sound like your friend is much of a shooter. He will need to practice. If he isn't much of a shooter, I doubt he reloads. If he doesn't reload he should probably avoid .45LC or .44mag (
way too expensive to get enough practice when using factory loads). Of course, that would also rule out the Judge or Governor. It isn't too expensive to shoot a good deal of .38spl (when I first started I shot only factory .38spl and didn't go broke), and even when in one of the shortages it is usually possible to get .38 ammo.
I've never actually had to shoot at a snake so I don't know how much easier the larger .38spl shot shells will make hitting a snake over a .22, however, since he is probably more likely to need to defend himself against a human attacker a .38 or .357 will be much more capable. I'd do the .38/.357 with the first one or two cylinders loaded with snake shot (assuming he is really worried about snakes), and the rest with a good JHP.
I love camping and fishing. I spend a good deal of time outdoors. In MD and surrounding states there are some timber rattlers, and the copperhead is
very common. However, both are also quite shy. The only snakes I've ever seen are non-venomous, and I've never felt the need to kill one. When in a state where I can carry, I usually carry with human attackers in mind and don't worry so much about defending against wildlife (a rabid animal is the most likely threat, and anything that can put down a person can put down a rabid raccoon, squirrel or fox). So, my recommendation is to look more at what would be effective in a typical self defense situation (now, my advice would be different for someone who is a gun person and is looking for an excuse for a new toy
).