Snake shot history who knows all about this stuff

[phantom]

I saw a few videos of this stuff seems like they only sell it in a  few calibers  commercially . Just wondering what's the story with that  and do people hand load that into  rifle calibers to make a less lethal defense  or  a small game load  will it mess up your rifling ? be cool to be able to take a 30-30 0r 45 /70 and  shoot birdshot for small game out of it  but I am guessing its a bad idea or somebody would be selling it  .  

 

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by phantom

[ApexerER]

I know Henry makes a smooth bore for shooting .22 bird shot. I would not be shooting any shot through a rifled barrel. 

[turkeyfeathers]

I’ve shot .22 birdshot loads at Pop cans from 10 feet. It barely scratched the paint. The only use I’d see it for would be a bigger load of say .45LC in a revolver on close shots on snakes. 

[ApexerER]

Just now, turkeyfeathers said:

I’ve shot .22 birdshot loads at Pop cans from 10 feet. It barely scratched the paint. The only use I’d see it for would be a bigger load of say .45LC in a revolver on close shots on snakes. 

Wow, its that weak? I have never used it....Seems like it would be pretty useless if thats the case....

[phantom]

yea  I figured it is   probably  not good stuff or you would see more of it in stores in more calibers  be great to have a big game rifle that could shoot like a shotgun when u need it  but I guess that is  not  happening .

[Robhuntandfish]

17 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

I’ve shot .22 birdshot loads at Pop cans from 10 feet. It barely scratched the paint. The only use I’d see it for would be a bigger load of say .45LC in a revolver on close shots on snakes. 

If you have a .45 like mine as a judge revolver can shoot some 410 with it .  Def have to be close as the pattern spreads fast but it would def work. 

[Daveboone]

really just meant for ...snakes. Popular where poisonous snakes are found commonly. Definetly NOT a good idea for "less than lethal" defense round.  You are pulling the trigger to save a life. With this stuff you are more likely to get yourself killed by trying to pull that, and held criminally liable by any survivors. And there will be. 

[airedale]

I have shot quite a few snake shot cartridges in both 357 and 44 mag out of my revolvers, I used them mainly to kill rats and chipmunks in my barn. I buy the empty capsules and load my own with number 9 shot. At reasonable range they are very effective. I hope to get some loaded up for my 44 spl soon.

Al

Edited September 25, 2020 by airedale

[Pygmy]

I have found .22 shot shells  quite effective on barn rats and chipmunks at ranges up to ten yards or so...Good "inside the barn" loads...They also pattern much better out of short pistol barrels than they do from longer rifle barrels..Not sure why...I would guess that in the longer bbl the rifling would have more time to get the shot "whipping" and hence blow the pattern.

 

[mowin]

I've was just given a ammo can full of .22 cal snake shot.  I can count on one hand how many times I've shot snake shot since I was a kid.  Not sure what I'll do with the stuff.  Probably put up balloons and have my younger nieces and nephew's pop some. 

[Nomad]

Killed many rattlers ( not our member ) out West with a close shot to the head via a.22 High Standard , a fav of mob hit men with solids though .

My buddy with the .22, my self with the knife , and a rattler, we’d pin them down with a piece of pvc ,with a bent  coat hanger duct taped to the end ,then the other guy would head shoot it with .22 bird shot . 
 

Diamondbacks ,sidewinders were not much of a concern , now the Mojave was aggressive and much more toxic ,so we had to cover the guy with the pvc pipe, and firing .22 solids near his feet and legs was to be avoided .

This was Florance AZ, circa ‘83 we’d drive dirt roads miles into the desert at night looking for them .

Edited September 25, 2020 by Nomad