This afternoon my wife discovered two nice sized copperheads coiled under the manure spreader she had stored in the wash stall. Long story short, I figure keeping a .22 kit gun down in the tack room with snake shot would probably be a better alternative than a shovel, at least for her.

Given that the barn has an asphalt aisleway and the wash stall is concrete, I'm thinking #12 shot in a .22 would handle any copperheads and the damage from pellet ricochets would be minimal.

Anyways, I see CCI has the plastic shot capsule version and Federal has a crimped version. I've read plenty about the CCI ammo, but was wondering if anyone has some experience with the Federal they'd care to share.

CCI is the best choice for snake shot in my experience.

Also, a 38 snubby with CCI 38 shotshells would be a much more effective choice IMO, at the expense of a little more recoil. Load the last two chambers with a regular load, or put a dump pouch of rounds with the gun, and she'll have a SD option with her as well.

I would not want to tackle a copperhead with .22 snake shot, .38 as a minimum. If you want to use the kit gun I would load it with CB Caps.

The CCI snakeshot rounds work fine but I like the Federal or Winchester better because they are cheaper and will also work well in a rifle. Sometimes the plastic caplets on the CCI rounds will break when loaded from a magazine in a rifle. The crimped fronts on the Fed and Win ammo feed perfectly.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Just my two cents: I've patterned bird shot from 38 and 44 revolvers. I have also shot grouse with 38 and 44 bird shot. I don't think it is effective on grouse at close range. I have no idea on snakes. If I were to shoot a snake, I'd use whatever solid my gunshot accurately. Bird shot from a handgun seems to spread out too much to be effective at killing small game, and probably snakes, but I don't live in snake country.

I think that the crimped shell are about the nastiest running thing you can shoot in a .22. They don't do a bad job, but shoot a couple through your gun then look through the bore...if you can see through it that is.
.38 with the CCI shot, is, I believe the best bet.
Peace,
Gordon

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better have that checked

I am with the group that says use the 38 with shot shell in it. This summer I had a rather large chicken snake in the yard I tried it on.
I made a head shot at 10 feet and it was very effective. The snake never wiggled or moved. It just went limp and died. I keep a box in the truck for when I go to the fishing camp. I always load up wiht shot there.

I have used the .38 CCI out of a 2 1/2" model 66 on a coiled 3' rattlesnake at about 10 feet and had the same results as Charliee snake was DRT.

Snakes? They have their place, but not in or around the house! If your going to use a .22 shotshell, just put two or three shots into the head and it will settle the snake down very well. If the snake is a monster... empty the gun and let it flop around till it dies. They are not bullet or shot proof. Inside of 10 feet, the .22 shotshell will do fine. The last snake I shot was a copperhead that my cats cornered by the steps going up to the porch. My wife called the office and excitedly informed me that, "They've got a snake!" So... I bailed out of the office, ran out of the church and across the highway up the hill to the backyard where I found our two cats (when she called I thought she meant our daughters) had the copperhead cornered. They would let him strike out and then tap him on the head with their paws. Crazy cats! I uses a CCI .38/.357 shotshell. One round in the head at about 8-10 feet finished things immediately. I much prefer the shotshells for snakes. One morning I was going to check the zero on my .44 (M-29) for deer season. As my wife had just had our second daughter, I also had the laundry to hand on the cloths line. Get the picture... big basket in hand... 29 in my *** mexican style... and I was in short pants walking barefooted. As I got to the clothsline, I saw movement between my feet and the post... maybe 3 feet away. I grabbed my .44 (loaded with 180 gr. JHP's) and stuck it down at what I saw was a snake. I couldn't hold the basket as it started slipping. I double-actioned that snake at maybe 2 feet off the muzzle. First round blew him up in the air and sprayed some assorted bits of snake. The second shot was also double-action at the snake as he was falling. I must have got a good hit because it sprayed him all over the clothes, the grass, the clothesline pole, etc. It was a real mess. I suggested my wife carry my .44 when she was hanging the clothes and that she use the .44 snakeshot instead of JHP's as they would be more controllable. She spoke to the Property & Grounds Committee of the church and they installed a new washing machine... and a dryer. I still think I had a good idea. There's not much you can do with a dryer except dry cloths.

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The Kit Gun will work great with either shot shell brand. The CCI has 31 grains of shot to the Federal's 25 grains but it doesn't matter. I once killed 24 Prairie Rattlers in one afternoon with WW 22 shot shells -- which are the mirror image of Federals (out of a Kit Gun, by the way). Rem used to load their 22 shot shells with #11 shot (can't find them anymore) but I could not see any difference in them either. PS::: Those tiny shot are ricochet - prone off of hard surfaces. Wear protective eyewear.

Two days ago I dispatched a 3 foot copperhead that had gotten into the dog run. My preferred snake gun is a .45 Colt SAA with CCI shotshells. I usually load 3 shot shells and 2 Federal 225 grain LHP. I've never had to resort to the LHPs. The first shot incapacitated the snake, the second decapitated it.
The smallest I would go is .38 Special shotshells. While .22LR shotshells might work, I just don't want to get that close (I really don't like snakes). I have plenty of reach with either the .38 or .45 shotshells.

I have used a 2.5 inch Mdl. 34 for years to handle snakes. Mostly cottonmouths and copperheads, however I did take a 55inch diamondback while dove hunting last year.
The .22 works really well at ranges of 10 ft. and less. Can't remember ever needing more than one shot per each....don't see any real difference between the crimped loads and and the capsules, use what ever I can find....

Where I live in middle Georgia I average shooting about 15 poisonous snakes each year between March and November. I have tried 22 snake shot. Really not very effective, at least for me. For years now I have used 38 special snake shot, made by either CC, Federal, or Speers. Speers used to make snake shot, but it is harder to find now. It looks like CCI or Federal. They all work the same. My daily carry gun is a S&W model 642 with the first two holes up loaded with snake shot. The last poisonous snake I shot was a five foot long, two plus inches around cotton mouth, that was at the end of our drive way, as I was driving out last week.

Not a snake story, but I like to tell it.

Years ago, and it had to be between 1991 and 1995, I came home from a club meeting (it even had to be a Tuesday!) I pulled up on my hill and up to the driveway. As I parked my Jeep, the light went on in my wife's car and she was getting out. Along with our dog (he normally stayed at home.) Somethin' not right. But my fear was I would soon hear about it.

Shore'nuff. So she explained the problem. She'd moved her sewing machine up to the dining room table to work on one of her projects. Ole Spot was a dalmatian, and a live wire. He'd been riled up more than usual for a few days, but how much was just a matter of degree. After having him run between the kitchen and the living room at full speed, maybe a dozen times, she looked up. And happened to see him chasing something. It was small and furry (not a snake, a tree-rat.) So in a panic over the known deadly squirrel, she got the dog and went outside to the car to await my return.

I appreciated the confidence in my ability as a great white hunter, but of course thought it was stupid. So inside I went, and down to the basement to select a suitable weapon. As chance had it, the first 22 to fall into my vision was a M63, more than enough. Then to the ammo locker (far less well stocked than today.) I picked out some 22 birdshot, and I have no clue as to the brand. I've never seen Federals, so it probably was Winchester long brass.

I had no idea it it would kill him, or just make him mean and deadly. So Upstairs I went, with Momma and Spot waiting outside. I had no clue where the varmint was hiding, so I enlisted my trusty sidekick. Spot was more than willing and eager to help me hunt it down. He was shaking with eagerness. He didn't make it far, he stopped at the clothes closet right inside the back door. He pointed as well as a wiggling happy dog can point. So I shook the nearest coat and the coats on the far end shook. It was an open front closet maybe 6' long. So with one hand, I took the nearest handful of hangers and put them on the kitchen floor a few fee away.

Spot was still on point, so I repeated the exercise. Then I spread the coats out, but the far end was still shaking on its own, so I again tossed a few handfuls of coats and jackets on the pile in the kitchen. In maybe 45 seconds total, I had the critter cornered with very few coats left. Then with one swipe, I spread out the remaining ones. And doing that caused the little devil to show himself. But I was aiming low, between the rod and the tops of the coats, and he popped up high, over the rod. We repeated the song and dance a few times, each one my guessing wrong. Then we both went high and I had a shot. So the little kit gun went bang.

At first I thought I'd missed him. But then Spot made a lunge and had him. Something Dalmatian owners know from experience - they have a strong bite. Try to play tug of war with one sometime. You lose. I even read once where they compared bite strength, and GSDs and Pits come out decidedly 2nd best. But old spot really needed one good crunch. The critter was very dead. I think it was my superior hunting methods and shooting skills. Maybe a more reasoned guess was I was overgunned even with the 22, and I was at reasonable range, maybe 2-3' from the muzzle. Probably closer to the 2' mark.

And there was no damage we could find to the coats or Ole Spot. He was a happy doggie. He finally got to taste the critter he'd been chasing for a few days.

The only damage was to the back wall of the closet. The house on the hill was older. There was plaster with lath, no drywall. The individual pellets buried themselves into the plaster, clearly visible holes, but no flaking plaster. I didn't investigate how far they penetrated, I just filled them with a little spackling.

What I think is distance becomes the problem, and I wouldn't want to shoot a snake at 2'. I have no idea how deadly they are at longer ranges.

I do know 9mm shot shells by CCI are strong. Lots of recoil, enough to cycle an action. And at 10 or so feet they easily penetrate into pressure treated 4x4s, and 1" decking at 20 feet. I think the longer range is too far to depend on them, but I have no doubt the 9mm will disassemble a snake at 10'

If I were dealing with multiple copperheads (nasty disposition), I'd consider one of the new Govenors, or a Judge, or best of all, one of the double barrel derringers that use .410s. Those give you excess power and even a 2nd shot.

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Dick Burg

Guys, we all know a .38 will stop a snake faster than a .22LR as will a .45 but the OP said:
I'm sure the OP also knows a .38 is better but his wife will use the .22 and he wanted advice on which to use. Like I said above, I like the Federal or Winchester over the CCI mostly because of price since all 3 work well for me. Also because the Fed. and Win. work better in a magazine fed rifle.

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SWCA #3437

I buy the empty CCI shot capsules in .38/357, & .44 and fill them with #11 shot as I can't find the 12's anymore and reload them they are great.

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20 years Mil, 18 yrs Sac P.D.

"I buy the empty CCI shot capsules in .38/357, & .44 and fill them with #11 shot as I can't find the 12's anymore and reload them they are great."

I do the exact same thing, but use the #11 on purpose. It's still a very dense pattern (compared to #9 factory). The added pellet weight helps in penetration.

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NRA Instructor

About two weeks ago, I shot at a grouse with my 696 loaded with CCI bird shot. I shot twice, then my gun jammed. All three of the remaining blue plastic shot cups had jumped crimp and jammed my gun.

Thanks for all the insight. I wish I could use one of my .38s or .44s, but inside the barn, with her horses, probably not a good idea. If the floor was dirt, no problem, but firing off a .38 or .44 shotshell with concrete and asphalt floors is probably asking for more ricochets than I want, that's why I was looking at a .22. A couple hits from that is better than a miss with the .38.

Since the early 1970's I have used the Speer shotshells. First I bought the capsules and loaded my own.

More receintly I have used the store bought Speer product.
I have used them in 9mm, 38, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.

I have found the 44 Mag and the 45 ACP most effective.
I have killed a lot of snakes and small game with the 44 and 45 ACP shotshells.

The wife too has killed a bunch of small game with her 44 Mag and Speer shotshells.

We live in the country now... The wife has killed a lot of snakes, some over 40" with her S&W 2" Centennial and Speer factory shotshells. They work great. I have killed several snakes with the Speer shotshells in a 9mm Glock, my duty handgun when I was in some places where snakes needed to be killed.

I have not tried to kill anything with 22LR shotshells but my mother in law has killed several rats in their bird buildings with them. They raise birds for sale...

So in short I have found that the Speer handgun shotshells work great.

In fact, in the last 20 years the wife and I, have actually killled more game with the Speer shotshells with our handguns, that with regular bullets.

We both most always carry 4" 44 Mags when in the field, and we always carry a bunch of Speer shotshells.

On some occasions I carry a 1911 in 45 ACP, I always carry a magazine of Speer shotshells.

I have killed game,and/or snakes with them in Texas, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Kalifornia, Alaska, and Zimbabwe.

I NEVER leave Home with out them.

I have killed snakes, rat's, bird's & even one rabbit with CCI .22 snaleshot. the rabbit stopped about 10ft. away & I shot & it just started flopping around & died. they work within reason.

If a .22 is the best you can use, then it is better than a shovel but I would use the CCI shotshells. The only thing I ever used .22 crimped shot on were mice in the barns with dirt floors when I was a kid. But I'm with the bigger is better crowd. Both copperheads that I've dispatched here in the city where I live, plus the rat I knocked off our chain link fence were with my Ruger Blackhawk using CCI .38 shotshells. It's just that I would want to put more lead shot than a .22 packs downrange at any critter than can shoot back.

CW

I would say the shovel is the best option.
We get a few Mohave rattlesnakes every year around the house and it has always taken a couple rounds of 38 shot at the minimum. I had one that took 2 44spl shot and two 38 shot and he was still trying to get me. The shovel works every time. On hard surfaces I would use a straight square tip (no turned up side edges)

CCI... IMO. Most reliable. Best spread and size to me.

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