Snake Gun

First choice for most people I'd say is one of the litewt. aluminum frame or polymer frame 357 snubbies (Ruger LCR/S&W Bodyguard 357/Taurus/etc.) - more shot is a good thing in my mind. That'd put you down into the 13-15 oz range with 5 pretty potent shots before a reload, which is just a speed loader away. Fits on your pocket, but a good holster is better.

Want more? The poly Judge is just 23 oz! With 410/45 Colt performance. A used S&W 329PD in 44 mag can be picked up for $500-700 if you shop - only 30 oz with 44 mag performance......on both ends. The other Judges and the S&W Governor fall in this weight range too w/410/45 LC - the Gov. offers cheap 45 ACP capability too, with the ability to speed load with moon clips or third moon clips.

Actually, I was just reading up on "custom" reloading shot loads the other nite in an effort to maximize my 44's for snakes, yet providing SD and bear protection at the same time in a lite wt. package. Guys for decades have been taking other caliber brass, reforming to full cylinder length, and loading with snake shot for optimal pattern and killing power. Ex. - take a 303 British brass, turn the rim down just a hair with drill and a file, cut to cylinder length and trim, load with a fireforming load, food container styrofoam wad, and shot to the top of the brass with a glued in foam wad cover, and you have a pretty large load of shot exiting your 44 mag at low pressures. 12 shot seems to be best for snakes vs larger shots - get enuf velocity to fully penetrate a snake head w/ optimal patterns, and call it good enuf. Many variations on the basic idea. Subsequent loadings may require necking the brass to fit the narrowed cylinder bore ends - a 40 S&W/10mm or 41 mag die will do this nicely. 357 MAX brass will go cyl. length in a 357 Mag. Similar loads were developed by the CIA for survival situations for pilots and such in Vietnam in 45 ACP using cut down 7.62 NATO/308 Win brass - I just spent a whole nite perusing the net on this the other nite - can ya tell!??!?! LOL! Snake shot capsules are much easier, but apparently some have issues with them feeding in autos - never tried it myself.

Sounds to me like the snubbies are what you want.
 
I'm kinda starting to feel like an idiot who asked a question with an obvious answer, but there sure a lot of different answers! :)

But yeah, I think I will go with another revolver.

By the way, I want(ed) the laser/light combo because I often hike in the early morning and late evening. A I do wear a headlamp during these times, but the extra light on the target would probably be nice, right? It was just a thought.

And the laser? I have a laser on a pistol that my wife really enjoys shooting and feels comfortable shooting. My wife may occasionally use my new pistol, so I thought the laser option would be nice.
 
Originally Posted By: shankbone

But yeah, I think I will go with another revolver.

By the way, I want(ed) the laser/light combo because I often hike in the early morning and late evening. A I do wear a headlamp during these times, but the extra light on the target would probably be nice, right? It was just a thought.



Revolver's always a good choice IMO, and there's certainly nothing wrong with getting what YOU want.

Looks like Smith makes a revolver with a rail, but they ain't cheap. Especially when you add a lazer grip, but It would make a nice double duty piece.
Luck
 
I have seen numerous "environmentalist's" state that if you see the snake it's just as easy to avoid it and both of you will be better off. I pretty much agree with that reasoning.

A snake gun is most probably not going to keep you from getting bit. If you're close enough to get bit you will either get lucky and the snake is going to stay still while you walk on by oblivious to it's presence, it will rattle which will cause you to crap your pants and jump out of the way/or get bit, or you will step on it and get bit anyway. None of those situations will wait for you to get your gun out to defend yourself.

I carry a gun with me at all times when out in the yard/field. I do it for one reason only......to kill snakes. I don't like them and I don't want my kids/animals to get bit either. Only one time have I noticed a snake while within striking distance and I noticed him well after he had me. He was coiled up and not more than 2 feet from my flip flop covered foot. I jumped out of the way and killed him, but at the point I killed him I had removed myself from his striking range. And he would've bitten me before I saw him if he choose to.

If I'm really going to be working in an area I think there may be snakes I'll still have my gun to kill them.....but to avoid being bitten I'll have my snake chaps on if I'm really in the thick stuff, or out at night. I'll take my time to see where I'm putting my feet and hands. That's the only way to really minimize the chance of getting bit.

I would carry a gun on camping trips but loaded for the 2 legged "snakes". There seems to be getting more of them.
 

All the rounds you listed will work. I've shot snakes with .22 handguns and regular ammo, as well as .38 and .44 shot shells.

My favorite (which you don't currently have) is a .45 ACP. I have a Kimber that shoots and cycles the CCI shot shells

with no problems. These shot shells are really something. They pattern tight at snake range and will eat one up.

I've killed several copperheads with that load. It's an easy matter to switch magazines from regular ammo to shot shells in a hurry.


SnakeLoad.jpg


SnakeMedicine.jpg


Copperhead1.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06 My favorite (which you don't currently have) is a .45 ACP. I have a Kimber that shoots and cycles the CCI shot shells

with no problems. These shot shells are really something. They pattern tight at snake range and will eat one up.

Fully agree 6mm. In fact, within 5 feet the 45's will almost shoot too tight of a pattern with my auto. It truly is a 10-20 foot 1 shot and the game is over round. I tried a S&W .38 snub and the pattern was just too open from 10 feet away for me. And by too open I mean enough empty spaces for a snakes head to not take a pellet.

See my post above. I'm in the business of killing them and it takes place at a comfortable range for me.

Now the drawback is that I'm paying $17.95 for a box of 10 but don't go thru them too fast.
 
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Kel,

The .45 ACP is just darn hard to beat using those snake loads. Apparently you have experience with that too.

While I've shot snakes with .38 Special snake loads, the results have been marginal at best, usually requiring more than one shot, sometimes three or four.

One shot from that .45 and it's all over. Rarely have I ever shot more than once.

I shot a rat one time with that load too, at a distance of about 10-12 feet or so. It dropped off a rafter and barely twitched.

The shot-pattern is tight for sure, and at a greater distance than a .38 can provide.

 
I had disastrous results shooting a snake with .38 shotshell for the first time. I had wanted to save the skin of the snake, but I guess I was too close to the coiled bugger. At a distance of 5-8 feet my 5.5" .357 shredded the snake into three pieces! I did aim at the head, but it was positioned above/in front of the snake's coiled mass. I also blew off the last two rattles and ruined two more.

I think having the longer barrel may have helped the pattern/velocity (I BARELY made it to Algebra II in high school, so I could be wrong).
blushing.gif
Regardless, I would want a snubby for the lighter weight. The .45 certainly has more capacity for shot, but if I go and buy a 1911, I want to buy a range toy, something too nice to become a brush-beating, Indiana Jones, snake-blasting tackle bag gun.

My friend's Glock (20?) in .40 cycles snake shot just fine and its patterns are fairly tight at the 10-15 range.

Does anyone else have experience running snake shot in centerfire autoloaders?
 
Originally Posted By: Mike B

Want more? The poly Judge is just 23 oz! With 410/45 Colt performance. A used S&W 329PD in 44 mag can be picked up for $500-700 if you shop - only 30 oz with 44 mag performance......on both ends. The other Judges and the S&W Governor fall in this weight range too w/410/45 LC - the Gov. offers cheap 45 ACP capability too, with the ability to speed load with moon clips or third moon clips.


My co-worker just bought a poly Judge from our local FFL and the three of us are taking it to the range next week after work to verify issues the new order is having. Right now, he says it is a "single shot" because the cylinder binds after the first shot, but only when shooting the .410, not the .45LC.

I look forward to shooting the poly Judge, if only to say I tried one. At 23 ounces it certainly is an option to consider. I just don't know if I can endure the shame of owning another Taurus product.
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
All the rounds you listed will work. I've shot snakes with .22 handguns and regular ammo, as well as .38 and .44 shot shells.

My favorite (which you don't currently have) is a .45 ACP. I have a Kimber that shoots and cycles the CCI shot shells

with no problems. These shot shells are really something. They pattern tight at snake range and will eat one up.

I've killed several copperheads with that load. It's an easy matter to switch magazines from regular ammo to shot shells in a hurry.


SnakeLoad.jpg


SnakeMedicine.jpg


Copperhead1.jpg




Never saw the autoloader CCI snake ammo, but that is what I was trying to describe above in making longer than-normal brass from other calibers, so as to load as long of a shot column as possible. Sounds like they're really working well! They should, the 45 shell loaded that way should be holding about 1/3 more shot or so than the 38's.
 
Are the Judges that bad? I have been thinking of getting the Stainless 3.5 " ported one for a bit and didn't realize they had issues. Any other good revolver for a snake gun in .45/410?
 
When im coon hunting at nite i carry my wifes ruger lcr with shotshell. Had no problems killing the snakes i shoot at. Maxium distance ive shot is 20 feet or so. I wasnt trying yo save anything from them except my underwear though. They seem to be intimadated by the pink grips also!! Only onr of em made fun of me and it cost him his life!
 
When im coon hunting at nite i carry my wifes ruger lcr with shotshell. Had no problems killing the snakes i shoot at. Maxium distance ive shot is 20 feet or so. I wasnt trying yo save anything from them except my underwear though. They seem to be intimadated by the pink grips also!! Only onr of em made fun of me and it cost him his life!
 


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