Plenty of physics to it, as you say. Shorter barrel doesn't have time to form the pattern as well. And me personally, *any* venomous snake I see, is a dead snake, if I have a firearm with me. Only snake I leave be is a king snake; and that's because I watched a king snake chase down and *eat* a copperhead.I'm a big fan of "snake-shot" in what might be considered a conflicted point of view.
I like to generally leave buzz-worms alone and MOST ESPECIALLY if I don't intend to kill them in the first place.
That said, I know from experience the value of taking it or a portion in after a bite to confirm a treatment regimen.
Generally, I caution folk to leave them COMPLETELY be outside of killing them as there seems to be a growing number of them out there withholding the natural inclination to buzz as it seems to be being interpreted by the snakes as outing one's self for torment by hikers, farmers, hunters and kids.
My general experience is that short barrels have seemed to pattern .22 shot quite poorly.... for me. I don't know that there's any science or physics to back that up -just my experience.
Todd.