Posted on 11/20/2014 9:48:01 PM PST by Paul R.
I agree for the most part, and people who will kill any snake they see are just ignorant, or worse. It’s when a poisonous snake presents a real risk to humans (esp. kids who may not know to avoid it) that I draw the line.
Be careful where you step and leave the snakes the hell alone. They will not hurt you if you just leave them alone.
Hi, FF2,
Pls. read downthread further and I think it becomes clear. Mainly on the poisonous snake side of things, in some situations they present a safety risk. I’m not hunting to eat them.
Now how is a snake going to use a gun??
Pls. see my Post 60.
“More seriously, I really am seriously interested in the technical / engineering side of what “shot” does in a rifled barrel, and why on earth the gov’t would enact barriers to someone having a .22 pistol with the ability for such a pistol to shoot a usable / moderately tight pattern of light shot, while someone can go out and buy a “Snake Slayer” and blow off someone’s face.* And, what would “fill the bill” for the usages I described (not just zapping a copperhead or three each year.)
Well, rat/snake shot will lead up the lans and grooves in your barrel if shot very much. If I were you I would go to a pawn shop and buy a well used cheap revolver with a 41/2 ~ 6 inch barrel to use exclusively for this purpose. About federal gun laws, don’t know why certain laws exist. But, I do know that it’s easy to get yourself in a heap of trouble when modifying or altering guns. As an example, I give you Ruby Ridge.
If my wife will let her, she can come along & bring the gun. :-)
Seriously, moderately compact is a serious consideration.
Right, that’s another consideration (rat/snake shot leading up the rifling / tougher cleaning needed.)
I think the used inexpensive revolver as you describe would work ok — “snake shots” should be in the under 6 a year range. Or, the Puma 1873 that Rural King presently has on sale would probably be ok, too, and I just have to get within 5 ft. to not have the shot go around the snake’s head. But that’s not going to work for starlings & rodents in most cases. Can’t have everything, I guess.
I wonder if a well used revolver would have some of the rifling worn off? Hmmm...
If my wife will let the gunner come along, I mean... :-)
Neighbor uses a Heritage Arms .22 magnum for copperheads and rattlesnakes on his property. It’s not compact but very cost effective, especially since it comes with a .22 cylinder as well. You can train your wife and child easily without worrying about recoil. The longer barrel is an advantage as it helps to hold a tighter pattern than a short barrel. I would expect the price to be in the $175 range. I picked up a surplus S&W .38 special in a 4” barrel that I keep loaded with snake shot. However, I would not recommend this for the wife and child.
Aguila does make a low velocity .22 round that has no powder, it operates strictly from the primer charge. Those are still pretty loud in a pistol though and you still have the risk of ricochet... that would worry me especially shooting up close like that.
I've found it is a bit overkill. Any wheel gun, .38 or bigger with Rat Shot (shot shells) will work.
When she's out at the barn or pasture my wife keeps 2 rat shot and 3 Hornady Ballistic Tips in her Taurus 85 UL, so she's ready for any kind of "snake".
I have a little side by side 410 pistol that is great for snakes.Aiming at a snake, especially if it is a small copperhead very close is difficult with a bullet gun and totally awkward with a long gun. My snake-eyes peppers everything in a big enough circle on the ground that the snake doesn’t have a chance. Shooting at a 14 inch copperhead three feet from your toe with a 9mm is like shooting at a moving string.
Moccasins, however, are a different story. They will sit there and look at you as if to say “Bring it on”.
I think a 22 lr revolver would do the trick and they have been used for many years for that purpose. A 4” barrel or longer will be much more pleasant at the range for your wife and daughter.
There were two revolvers recommended in the thread and either of those will work just fine.
Ok... first of all, they’re venomous, not poisonous. Second, don’t kill them, avoid them. Nearly all venomous (or “hot” as we like to call venomous snakes in the herper world) bites in the wild occur because the victim was messing with the snake. Just walk around it or back away from it and go on about your business.
Unlike what the myths will tell you, copperheads, water moccasins, rattlers, corals will not chase you down. To them, you are Godzilla and our size scares them because to them, we’re a dangerous predator. They want to get away from us.
If you do encounter a snake at very close range, just remain calm. I usually carry a walking stick that I can use to gently move the snake away from me without incurring a bite.
The reason I suggest you don’t kill these snakes is that they are protecting us from the real dangers that exist. They keep rodent populations down which helps to stop the spread of diseases like Lyme and rat bite fever as well as a plethora of others. By killing these snakes, these diseases are more able to be spread through the fleas and ticks even the rodents themselves.
If you’re going to shoot a snake, do it with a camera. There is no need to kill any snake unless you’re in a locked closet with it and can’t get out and you’re stepping on it. Seriously, they’re not out to get you. they just want to be left alone.
The Judge is a good gun; I traded up for a S&W Governor; same capabilities with the .410 but six rounds instead of five and the grip feels better for me.
If you are thinking about possible self-defense use, I'd recommend getting a double-action revolver over a single-action revolver.* At least if a round doesn't go off, you just pull the trigger again and the next one (generally) will, and they are easier for the novice to load/unload and far easier to check if they are loaded or empty.
Barrel length-wise, 4" - 5" barrels (more or less) always "toted" better for me than long ones, and seemed easier to hit with than shorter ones. If I had to, I'd opt for a 6" barrel, but not longer, even in a .22LR. In any event, I'd prefer a gun with adjustable sights so I didn't have to have the whole family rely on Kentucky windage while learning to shoot.
One of the current Ruger SP101s in .22 strikes me as being the answer to what you are asking for, but it isn't an inexpensive handgun as handguns go. If you could scare up a good used H&R of the right model (they made many), that might also be a possibility to consider.
Mr. niteowl77
*If you put defensive use way down on the list, a single action revolver like a Ruger Super Single Six will fulfill a lot of utility roles and be a pleasant - if slow to load/unload - little handgun.
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