Silver00LT
New member
LOL!!!!!
Hell I'd be the same way. Just found out a good swimming hole next to the house has about 5 gators in it....that just ended that check list mark.
Why shotshells for snakes?
- Thread starter shafter
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LOL!!!!!
Hell I'd be the same way. Just found out a good swimming hole next to the house has about 5 gators in it....that just ended that check list mark.
newfrontier45
Moderator
Because it's easy to jerk your pistol and get a snake with shotshells. Using a single projectile requires careful aim. Aiming takes time and you might not have that time to lose.
Rattlesnakes and copperheads are dangerous but typically only strike when threatened. Water moccasins have a disposition you rarely find this side of hell. They will strike because it felt like the thing to do. Take no chances with them.
Poisonous snakes do not get a pass around here. Ever. The one I let go today might be the one that gets me tomorrow. My neighbor got hit by a copperhead on his hand, working right behind his house and almost died. The lack of a tourniquet saved his hand but caused multiple organ failure. This idealistic point of view that some have is real easy until you get bitten. Or maybe your wife or child gets tagged. My parents found a baby copperhead behind the storm door just the other night. About the worst kind of copperhead to run across.
When I was a teen, we used to tube the river northeast of Phoenix. The water coming out the bottom of the dam was great relief for the 110 degree average heat mid summer. Walking along a path next to the river, tube in hand, my father in front of me passed right next to a small bush and all of a sudden yelled "snake!" - just then a big diamondback came across the path cobra like with raised head and mouth agape according to a bystanders, straight toward me. The same bystanders said about me they'd never seen anyone jump so high in all their life (where was that leap when I was playing basketball?!). With me still shaking from the adrenaline, we watched as several fellow tubers rousted the snake from some bushes on the bank of the river. Well they found the coontail, a six footer, and beat the smithereens out of it with some rocks and sticks. We used to see the snakes occasionally in the water along the bank --what did someone say about another good swimming hole going to pot?...and another myth busted about snakes and cold water--though I have no doubt they were in the water only short time and then basked in the sun a good while..they wouldn't last long in a swift section of rapids in that temperature. We'd occasionally see their beady eyes in "caves" of the undercut bank areas as we tubed by. Pretty protected from predators actually that way. Swimming must've been their way of getting onto regular dry land.
To the OP. forty-five years in Arizona I've run across many diamondbacks and, thankfully, only a few Mohaves (d'backs bad enough, but with them you might live if you don't do everything post-bite perfectly). Like newfrontier45, none have gotten a pass, and most of them dispatched with .38/.357 or .44 shotshell. In trail, camp or around homestead areas especially, I don't believe in letting the venomous ones be to cause someone else trouble, especially youngins or dogs as mentioned. Sure wish we had more bull and king snakes as they're darn good medicine against the fanged ones. Someone ought to start a breeding farm of the good snakes! Red Racers make good rattler killers too.
To the OP. forty-five years in Arizona I've run across many diamondbacks and, thankfully, only a few Mohaves (d'backs bad enough, but with them you might live if you don't do everything post-bite perfectly). Like newfrontier45, none have gotten a pass, and most of them dispatched with .38/.357 or .44 shotshell. In trail, camp or around homestead areas especially, I don't believe in letting the venomous ones be to cause someone else trouble, especially youngins or dogs as mentioned. Sure wish we had more bull and king snakes as they're darn good medicine against the fanged ones. Someone ought to start a breeding farm of the good snakes! Red Racers make good rattler killers too.
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Bluestarlizzard
New member
I'm one of those "irrational" snake killers.
I don't like snakes.
Now, if it's a blacksnake, I'll tolerate them on the property. I won't like it, but I'll tolerate it.
If it's a copperhead, it dies. I don't mind overkill when it comes to copperheads. Getting within shovel distance is out of the question. Nope, just not gonna do it. I'll either get the Judge or my single shot 4/10 and pulverize it. I want it dead, ASAP, without getting anywhere close to it.
*shudder* I don't like snakes. I happen to live in the boonies with three dogs and three cats, and even if it wasn't a potential threat to my canine and feline family members, I'd still probably kill copperheads with extreme predjudice.
I don't like snakes.
Now, if it's a blacksnake, I'll tolerate them on the property. I won't like it, but I'll tolerate it.
If it's a copperhead, it dies. I don't mind overkill when it comes to copperheads. Getting within shovel distance is out of the question. Nope, just not gonna do it. I'll either get the Judge or my single shot 4/10 and pulverize it. I want it dead, ASAP, without getting anywhere close to it.
*shudder* I don't like snakes. I happen to live in the boonies with three dogs and three cats, and even if it wasn't a potential threat to my canine and feline family members, I'd still probably kill copperheads with extreme predjudice.
Stevie-Ray
New member
A snake passed in front of me, hightailing it under my deck the other day, biggest damn Garter I've seen, though still just a Garter. They're perfectly welcome at my house. Haven't seen any rattlers yet, though they've been spotted by a few of the neighbors. I'm in the National Forest near the Great Lakes, so it's likely I'll spot one eventually. But until then I don't feel the need to arm for snakes, hopefully not even then.
I like the shot shells better for snakes because less chance to miss. I normally have 2-3 FMJ loaded with them too JIC.
I used to catch all kinds of non poisonous snakes when young, or anything that moved I could catch
Once while walking along a lake shore with BB gun, I saw what I thought was a turtle at the edge under water. Of course I caught it. To my surprise it was a coiled up water moccasin!! Which quickly uncoiled and trying to bite. I immediately started swinging by tail to keep head extended till I could throw on bank and shoot about 25 times in the head.
I used to catch all kinds of non poisonous snakes when young, or anything that moved I could catch
Once while walking along a lake shore with BB gun, I saw what I thought was a turtle at the edge under water. Of course I caught it. To my surprise it was a coiled up water moccasin!! Which quickly uncoiled and trying to bite. I immediately started swinging by tail to keep head extended till I could throw on bank and shoot about 25 times in the head.
myusername
New member
So - will a Judge with .410 work better than say a .38 with snake shot?
I have been in the woods most of my life and in all that time have only dispatched a few snakes. For the most part I give them the same chance they give me, I leave them alone if they leave me alone.
That said fishing was a major part of my up bringing, and as such there were the occasional surprises like pulling up the fish basket to find a cotton mouth hanging half out of it with a fish stuck halfway down to it's belly, or raising up a trot line to have one attached firmly to a wiggling catfish. Neither of these in the pitch dark are much fun to deal with.
For the others like this huge copper head I caught behind one of the sheds on our farm, I simply packed them up in a pillow case and relocated them to fend for themselves against the hogs, in the swamp down back.
Seeing as most copperheads I have run across in my close to 50yrs of being here have only been in the 2' or so lenght it was out of respect I let this big ol gal go. She had to be pretty old to have gotten to the almost 4' length, and I figured she had kept plenty of rats in check in this time.
As for the rat shot, I got on a kick quite a few years back and worked up loads for both my .357 and my 44 which worked really well, well enough for rabbits and a couple in air birds. With the 357's I found that using shot in the 4-6 range worked the best from my GP100's and with the 44, well the same applied, but the below ones were my favorite.
Loaded using the data on the box they were great fun and plenty accurate to 25yds for nuisance critters like raccoons and such, and if needed would easily take out a snake at close range. They use two f the Speer .350 diameter round balls, and the felt is simply used to keep everything tight in the capsule.
The only time I have felt the REAL need to have dispatched a snake was once while spring turkey hunting up in the hill country. I came down a granite outcropping while trying to get around and cut off a flock which was working down the hill 50 or so yards out, and had stopped to hit the call. After a couple of chirps I heard this buzzing sound I couldn't quite figure out until I started looking around on the granite. There in the 5-10 yards around me were at least a dozen or more rattle snakes in the 1 -2" length range all out sunning on this particular rock. Having my 357 with me, was of no good as it was loaded with 140gr JHP's, and even though I dew it I quickly realized the error had I decided to drop the hammer. I tip toed out of the area and decided the turkeys weren't quite so important that day.
That said fishing was a major part of my up bringing, and as such there were the occasional surprises like pulling up the fish basket to find a cotton mouth hanging half out of it with a fish stuck halfway down to it's belly, or raising up a trot line to have one attached firmly to a wiggling catfish. Neither of these in the pitch dark are much fun to deal with.
For the others like this huge copper head I caught behind one of the sheds on our farm, I simply packed them up in a pillow case and relocated them to fend for themselves against the hogs, in the swamp down back.
Seeing as most copperheads I have run across in my close to 50yrs of being here have only been in the 2' or so lenght it was out of respect I let this big ol gal go. She had to be pretty old to have gotten to the almost 4' length, and I figured she had kept plenty of rats in check in this time.
As for the rat shot, I got on a kick quite a few years back and worked up loads for both my .357 and my 44 which worked really well, well enough for rabbits and a couple in air birds. With the 357's I found that using shot in the 4-6 range worked the best from my GP100's and with the 44, well the same applied, but the below ones were my favorite.
Loaded using the data on the box they were great fun and plenty accurate to 25yds for nuisance critters like raccoons and such, and if needed would easily take out a snake at close range. They use two f the Speer .350 diameter round balls, and the felt is simply used to keep everything tight in the capsule.
The only time I have felt the REAL need to have dispatched a snake was once while spring turkey hunting up in the hill country. I came down a granite outcropping while trying to get around and cut off a flock which was working down the hill 50 or so yards out, and had stopped to hit the call. After a couple of chirps I heard this buzzing sound I couldn't quite figure out until I started looking around on the granite. There in the 5-10 yards around me were at least a dozen or more rattle snakes in the 1 -2" length range all out sunning on this particular rock. Having my 357 with me, was of no good as it was loaded with 140gr JHP's, and even though I dew it I quickly realized the error had I decided to drop the hammer. I tip toed out of the area and decided the turkeys weren't quite so important that day.
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Without starting up a batch of canned worm stew, my opinion is that the only redeeming value of the Judge IS as a snake gun, with .410 birdshot.
In general, you SHOULD get a more effective snake killer with it, inside its practical ranges, because it does carry more pellets.
Those do still spread quickly because of the rifling, so don't expect too much distance.
Denis
In general, you SHOULD get a more effective snake killer with it, inside its practical ranges, because it does carry more pellets.
Those do still spread quickly because of the rifling, so don't expect too much distance.
Denis
Bluestarlizzard
New member
The Judge also has other benifits.
It's definatly wins in the "for poops and giggles" catagory.
It's definatly wins in the "for poops and giggles" catagory.
Silver00LT
New member
I am actually pricing Judges for this reason as this year wife and I are planning more hiking and camping since I was working too much last year.
I have nothing gun related to add. But here's a couple of my pals on one of my favorite, local hiking spots.
Stan -
(On the rocks, right of the sage green bush)
Dave -
Both are Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes. Both seem to hang out in the same spots (each in their own separate spot) all the time. When the temp reaches about 80 degrees, I can pretty much expect to see each of them on every hike.
Missing from the photo shoot is Elvis, a 24 inch Gila Monster. They don't come out as much as the snakes. He looks like a small alligator when he strolls across the hiking trail.
All three give non-observant hikers a thrill when they suddenly come around the corner and see/hear the monsters.
I'm moderately afraid of snakes. I'm not worried that I'll die from a snake bite or anything like that. But I am worried that I'll get bit and have to deal with the Hospital bill. Antivenom is $25k per dose. That's not a typo, 25 thousand dollars. It typically takes 10 doses or so. Giving the snakes names and learning about how they live relieves a little bit of the aprehension. I don't want to shoot them. But I'll sure be ticked off if one bites me. I'm hoping that my "observant hiking style" (no walkman, no off trail wandering, watch and listen where I'm going) will keep me safer than the mindless wanderers that I pass. Some of those people have come within inches of both snakes and never knew they were there.
Sgt Lumpy
Stan -
(On the rocks, right of the sage green bush)
Dave -
Both are Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes. Both seem to hang out in the same spots (each in their own separate spot) all the time. When the temp reaches about 80 degrees, I can pretty much expect to see each of them on every hike.
Missing from the photo shoot is Elvis, a 24 inch Gila Monster. They don't come out as much as the snakes. He looks like a small alligator when he strolls across the hiking trail.
All three give non-observant hikers a thrill when they suddenly come around the corner and see/hear the monsters.
I'm moderately afraid of snakes. I'm not worried that I'll die from a snake bite or anything like that. But I am worried that I'll get bit and have to deal with the Hospital bill. Antivenom is $25k per dose. That's not a typo, 25 thousand dollars. It typically takes 10 doses or so. Giving the snakes names and learning about how they live relieves a little bit of the aprehension. I don't want to shoot them. But I'll sure be ticked off if one bites me. I'm hoping that my "observant hiking style" (no walkman, no off trail wandering, watch and listen where I'm going) will keep me safer than the mindless wanderers that I pass. Some of those people have come within inches of both snakes and never knew they were there.
Sgt Lumpy
I'm not a fan of snakes, even non-venomous ones. Even non-poisonous snakes can be dangerous. They all can bite, some are pretty aggressive (some of the non-poisonous water snakes here in MD can be pretty ornery). They are wild animals, some with nasty dispositions. Their bites, while not injecting poison, can put some nasty bacteria into your bloodstream. Have you ever seen (or smelled) a nasty infected puncture wound? Something to avoid.
That said, luckily, most of the land snakes found in MD, including the two venomous types (copperheads and timber rattlers) are pretty shy and try to avoid people. I love camping and fishing, and I still have only seen a handful when out and about (I've seen more water snakes than land snakes by far). Most bites are the result of people stepping on them (they are pretty well camouflaged) or people messing with them.
I hate mice and rats more than I hate snakes (mice and rats carry disease). Snakes, including the venomous types, are some of the best rodent predators. Even though I don't really like snakes, I do appreciate them.
So, any snake I see at a distance, I leave alone. Any snake that is too close, if I'm armed, I'll consider shooting, and if unarmed (when in MD, no carrying guns), I'll cautiously leave the area.
I've never carried with snake shot when camping (of course, I only carry when camping out of state). I've always figured I'd be more likely to need to shoot a 2-legged attacker. I've always been able to avoid issues with snakes. Still, after reading this thread, I may load up one or two chambers in my revolvers with snake shot (or carry a pocketed snub loaded with snake shot, and a 2nd gun IWB with JHP).
That said, luckily, most of the land snakes found in MD, including the two venomous types (copperheads and timber rattlers) are pretty shy and try to avoid people. I love camping and fishing, and I still have only seen a handful when out and about (I've seen more water snakes than land snakes by far). Most bites are the result of people stepping on them (they are pretty well camouflaged) or people messing with them.
I hate mice and rats more than I hate snakes (mice and rats carry disease). Snakes, including the venomous types, are some of the best rodent predators. Even though I don't really like snakes, I do appreciate them.
So, any snake I see at a distance, I leave alone. Any snake that is too close, if I'm armed, I'll consider shooting, and if unarmed (when in MD, no carrying guns), I'll cautiously leave the area.
I've never carried with snake shot when camping (of course, I only carry when camping out of state). I've always figured I'd be more likely to need to shoot a 2-legged attacker. I've always been able to avoid issues with snakes. Still, after reading this thread, I may load up one or two chambers in my revolvers with snake shot (or carry a pocketed snub loaded with snake shot, and a 2nd gun IWB with JHP).
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I don't like snakes, sometimes I kill them sometimes I don't.
I wouldn't spend money on special snake shot, sometimes when they are coiled I shoot them with what ever is handy 22lr, 357, if you take a decent chunk out of them they will flipp and roll around and it is easier to finish them off, or I leave then to flop around so the hawks and vultures can see them.
Usually when I am hiking I don't like to shoot guns because it scares all the wildlife off so I use a stick and a pocket knife.
Here in the states I don't worry much about snakes they are not very deadly and are usually not aggressive. I lived in Central America before and a lot the snakes are very deadly. They are worth putting a rock chip in the machete, some are just to scary to mess with.
I wouldn't spend money on special snake shot, sometimes when they are coiled I shoot them with what ever is handy 22lr, 357, if you take a decent chunk out of them they will flipp and roll around and it is easier to finish them off, or I leave then to flop around so the hawks and vultures can see them.
Usually when I am hiking I don't like to shoot guns because it scares all the wildlife off so I use a stick and a pocket knife.
Here in the states I don't worry much about snakes they are not very deadly and are usually not aggressive. I lived in Central America before and a lot the snakes are very deadly. They are worth putting a rock chip in the machete, some are just to scary to mess with.
It's COPPERHEAD time in east Ky. I have seen many ran over on the road as well as turtles too.
There was a huge 4' copperhead hit in front of the neighbors driveway. I always carry shot shells around the barn etc. except when I'm weed eating. I feel they will run from it and if not it will make quick work of killing them.
There was a huge 4' copperhead hit in front of the neighbors driveway. I always carry shot shells around the barn etc. except when I'm weed eating. I feel they will run from it and if not it will make quick work of killing them.
Stevie-Ray
New member
Not only that, but water snakes like those from the genus, Nerodia, which we have here, have a potent anticoagulant in their saliva, which causes their bites to bleed profusely. Not venomous, but certainly not pleasant, and depending on where you are and how you're equipped, dangerous.
I have a TX deer lease I kill several in camp every year mostly rattlers but a few copperheads. The only shot that has proven effective for me are 44 spl and 45 colt. These hold enough shot that at 4 ft have killed every snake I shot with it. Before switching to .45, I had to shoot one old rattler 3 times with 357/38 shot we where dancing around like we were at a disco. I usually carry my ruger BH .45 colt when I'm at lease with 4 hard cast for hogs, varimits or exotics and 2 shotshells for snakes. I keep the HC lined up for 1st shot, if I see snake I'll rotate cyl for shotshell. I kill every poisonous snake I see, just no sense leaving them to bite me, my kids or dogs at a later time.
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