Have any of you found a .410 load that is effective against medium sized venomous snakes (cottonmouths, rattlesnakes, copperheads) in the Governor. My sense is that birdshot loads may not maintain sufficient pellet density to be effective.
Thanks for your advice.

I don’t see why bird shot wouldn’t be effective, because it should have the most shot giving the most dense pattern.

My go to method for snakes is a machete though.

Any snake I see that needs shooting will be close enough that I won't worry about shot dispersion.

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Pisgah

You'll be fine just using birdshot. While the short, rifled barrel of the Governor causes shot to spread out very quickly after exiting the muzzle, it's actually beneficial at the ranges in which one would actually need to shoot a snake.

If you're far enough away from a snake to worry about shot spreading out too far to hit it, then you're far enough away to just plain avoid the snake.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I think if you will shoot a load on paper at the distance you are going too shoot snakes you will see that birdshot loads will maintain sufficient pellet density too be effective. Please post your results. Larry

any 2 1/2 in skeet loads with 8 1/2 or 9 shot. Great snake loads. Ask me how I know. Don't shoot many but if they are around the house it is time to go time and the skeet loads work...or a machete, spade or a hoe!

As alluded to in posts above, the spin of the rifled barrel will open up your shot pattern very fast.

Small shot provide many more pellets in the shot load and will keep your pattern denser and thus more usable for snakes to a longer range. #8 or #9 shot would be my preference for your Governor.

I use #9 shot in my 45 ACP shot hand loads for the above reason and even though the shot load is markedly less than your 410, patterns indicate that a snake is DOA out to 8 or 9 feet. If you don't get a first round kill, you've got the rest of your cylinder to play with.

Pattern your choice so that you'll be confident in its capabilities at any usable range.

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Keep your powder dry.

Can't imagine a .410 blast not killing a snake at a range where you need to shoot one.

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No baby we aint

#6 or #7 1/2 shot will work very well on snakes and birds too like grouse and woodcock.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437