Snake Loads! What do you use.

[BADUNAME37]

I don't, but if I lived in a place where I would, it would be the CCI shot capsules in 38 Special, shot out of my 642 pocket pistol.

 

[Dr_B]

Use a 12 ga shotgun. Cheap Wall-Mart bird shot will do just fine. The shells cost a lot less and are much more effective.

That's a really good point.

 

[MCgunner]

I've farted around with loading .38s with a few grains of B'eye, a gas check for a bottom and top wad. I did it after reading a magazine article. It works fine, I just don't have the need. If I just wanna take a shotgun and my 20 gauge coach gun is too much, I can take my .410 Contender in a shoulder holster. But, I never had a problem hitting a snake's head with a .22LR and they're a danged sight cheaper than even 12 gauge. If around the farm you don't want a bullet flying around and snakes are a problem, a .410 snake charmer is an option. That's what my sister-in-law uses. She's killed a lot of snakes. They have 400 acres near Kenedy, Texas. Lots of rattlers around. When we visit, they're always in snake boots.

 

[sixgunner455]

Brian, do you have the 18-200, or the 55-200? Is it VR?

That's a neat looking snake.

I have the Nikon 18-200mm VRbw

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

I meant to be clearer when, speaking of eating snake. I realize the main difference between birds and reptiles are feathers. I have eaten rattlesnake, fried in butter and garlic. It's not particularly bad. It just doesnt taste like chicken. It may be that I'm not preparing them right. It may also be you don't know how to fix chicken if it tastes like snake.

 

[Mike1234567]

I use .410 #6 birdshot from my Taurus Judge. It's impossible to miss and it's never failed to disable/kill the snake.

This would be my choice for snakes.

 

[Flfiremedic]

3 lb +p+ shovel

 

[MCgunner]

I've used a +P+ hoe. Now, in Texas, a hoe is a garden tool. I'm not talkin' about NYC hoes.

 

[Red Cent]

You guys are not listening. Special cowboy shotgun and light cowboy loads.

 

[LC '92]

In Genesis 3:14, God cursed the serpent. Me and the good Lord see eye to eye on this and I curse everyone of them I see.

My little 4 acre farm house has hosted Timber rattlers, Copperheads, King snakes, Coral snake, lesser grass snakes, coach whips, and an unbelievable number of Rat snakes that invade my chicken house and eat the eggs. (Not to mention scare the snot out of the egg gatherer.)

The elderly lady that owned the place before me was bitten by a Timber rattler when working in the flower bed in the front yard. She lived though as the place is only about 20 minutes from a good hospital.

Personally I don't like snakes and my wife will not go to the farm if their has been a lot of recent snake activity. Also have young grand kids that roam the place as well as daughters and daughter-in-laws that are scared to death of them. So, my choice is to either manage my own property or have the snakes manage it for me. Guess which one I chose?

I am an equal opportunity snake curser and they are not discriminated against, all receive the same treatment. That is usually in the form of a sharp garden implement or if I don't want to get that close, a revolver full of shot loads. I have used the CCI's shot loads in .38 to good effect as well as handloaded .44 Specials. Also have a handy Savage 24 in .22 Mag over 20 gauge. The shot loads from the .22 Mag are devastating.

Also shot loads don't blow holes in my chicken house walls.

For a few years I put glass eggs in the chickens nest for the Rat snakes to eat. This would stop them up pretty good. The feed store wanted about 3 bucks for each of these, so I tried golf balls instead. These work great and cheap ones cost less than the glass eggs. Sometimes I'll find the expired snake on the place and recover the decoy egg and back in the nest it goes.

Heres a pic of one that met my old 5 screw K-22 in the chicken house. Its one of the small 3' ones. You can see the golf ball bulge about 18" down his body.

I know someone will say that they keep rats out of the barn, but I have a barn kitty for that. She eats about three rats a day to the snakes one every two weeks.

 

[MagnumDweeb]

snakes typically only go where the food is so barn kitties would help keep down the rat population and resulting snake population. We have a pack of ferals around my lake house, the little cusses will sit out on the back 2 acres looking at me and my dogs inside the screened in porch, at least till I let the dogs out and then they disperse. There's usually three or four of them, and a bunch more that go it alone. The only snakes though in Florida thought that I see are black racers but there is the rare water mocassin(usually in the water and too far for me to bother).

 

[Countryguy1982]

best snake load you can use is a to cut you about a 5 ft switch about as big around as your finger. nice and flexible and wack his ass right behind the head. usually only takes 1 time and they roll over dead lol. Killed a 13 ft python that a guy brought me , that he cought down in the everglades of fla that way. and let me tell you that was one mean ass snake . had a head as big as your fist. 1 wack and he was a gonner. My experience with snakes is , if you cut them up or shoot them, most of the time they go crazy. I think its the shock that kills them not the holes. have you ever noticed cutting one in half, both sides still move ? crazy aint it. hit them with a switch and they dont wiggle at all , they go limp. other than that i use a lil double barrel 45long colt/410 pistol. 410 to the head usually does decent to

 

[Skidawg]

Down here in North Carolina I have killed my share with a .357 Model 60 with .38 CCI shot. I recently transitioned to a Glock 19 as a primary carry and the shotshell stovepiped (during practice). Now it is all ball ammo in the Glock, it works just as effectively when aimed correctly.

 

[DanMar757]

Shot one down by the pond behind the house that kept getting to close to my dog for comfort using CCI .38 special snakeshot out of a 4" 586 at about 15 feet. I expected at least a fist sized spread at that range and aimed for a head shot. Ended up with a clean hole about 1/2" to 5/8" diameter right between the eyes! That snake didn't even wiggle off the stump he was on.

 

[wrs840]

I like CCI .38

Me too. I carry a revolver at home on the farm, either a .38 or .357, and there's always two CCI .38 shotloads in my pocket for the copperheads that I have a few too many of. I had a spell carrying a Judge Ultralite but got over it.

 

[armsmaster270]

Speer Shot Capsules loaded with #11 or 12 shot. Denser pattern than #9 but less range.