Is Speer the best shot load? Best Caliber? Does porting disqualify shot load?

[dwever]

We have a snake issue, mostly copperheads, and my 12 Gauge riot gun is overkill, I literally blew out a section of a snake close to shore. Is Speer shot load in .44 magnum adequate against snakes up to 6'? What about Speer .357?

Is the compensation porting on a .44 Model 629 Hunter compatible with shot load?

Thanks!!

 

[RidgwayCO]

I reload my own .44 Special and .357 Magnum shotshells with #11 shot. I'm pretty confident either is adequate for snakes at 10 feet or less. Speer says the spinning shot column spreads at a rate of about 1" per foot, so it's not a long range proposition.

CCI loads the Speer shot cups with #9 shot. I like the improved density provided by the smaller #11 shot. YMMV.

CCI cautions against using shot shells in any handgun with porting.

CCI Ammunition - Pest Control/Speciality

 

[Elmer]

Where are you shooting them? From a boat?

 

[dwever]

No, the one in the water was from shore, I was inside of 4 feet (Remington 870 Police Magnum 12 Gauge).

Last year I took my sons snake hunting at a catfish farm in Selma, Alabama. We saw so many snakes I was worried I was going to have nightmares. The guy hosting us provided .22's, and I learned with that caliber you have to shoot a snake in the head. Picture at the bottom of the page at: Photo Album!

 

[NE450No2]

I have loaded my own, back in the day, using the yellow Speer plastic capsules.

However since CCI/Speer had been offering them as a factory item I have been just using them.

I have used them in 9mm, 38 Special, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.

And I have used a few hundred of them.

The 45ACP and 44 Mag are the most effective, the wife and I have killed dozens of snakes, rabbits, squirrels, quail doves, grouse,[I like to eat small game] and I have even killed a porcipine [sp] with a 9mm. With the 44 I have killed ptarmargin in Alaska, and a few snakes in Africa.

Just in the last 2 weeks, here on our place the wife has killed 2 snakes with her 38 S&W Centennial, and I killed 2 with my 1911. All were Diamondback watersnakes over 40" long.

I find the CCI/Speer factory shotshells very effective. I never go into the field without a bunch of them.

With the 44 or 45 I have never had to shoot a snake more than twice, and I have killed some pretty BIG rattlers, as well as Cotton Mouth, and Copperheads.

 

[NE450No2]

I would give them a try in a pistol with Magna Port, or other "holes in the barrel", but I would NOT shoot them in ANY type of pistol that had a "Comp".

I found a couple of boxes that I had loaded for the 44 Mag dated 1976 [yes, ninteen seventysix] a few weeks ago, so I have been using them at least that long. They are loaded with No9 shot and 7.5gr of Unique in 44 Special cases.

 

[safearm]

I have used the CCI shotshells for the last 17 years and they have been very effective. I have used 9mm, .38 Special, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt. Currently, I only use the .38 Special and .45 Colt. IMO, the 9mm doesn't carry enough shot, and I don't shoot .45 ACP anymore. The .45 Colt is very effective on snakes and small vermin and is easy to shoot in either a Model 25 or a Colt SAA. Around my ranch, I generally load 2 rounds of shotshells backed by 3 or 4 LHP rounds (depending on the gun). I can't give an opinion on a ported barrel as I've never had one on a pistol.

 

[dwever]

Ok, so I can't use my PC 629 Hunter because of the compensation.

Big question: Speer says the shot column spreads at a rate of about 1" per foot. Does that spread rate increase if I'm using the 629 with a much shorter 2.625" barrel verses the 7.5" barrel I can't use due to compensation?

Thanks, that is all I'll need to know.

 

[dwever]

Wow. I guess I'll show my lack of experience with this ammo:

I just went on line to order .44 mag Speer shell shot at Able Ammo, and it was $15.36 for a box of ten. CCI was 15.49 for 10 at Northwest Shooter Supply in .44 magnum; and, $11.59 for .357/.38.

12 Gauge is less than half the price per round. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing blowing Copperheads in half.

Is the less expensive .357 shot ammo adequate for burly snakes here in the South? Although that question is just academic since I don't have a .357 any more.

Okay, I'm over the shock, I'll go back on line later to order ten boxes of the .44 magnum shot load.

Safearm: 6990 Electronic Security Group, Okinowa; 6906 Elec Sec Squadron - Texas; 53rd Signal Group, Tallahassee Florida NG. TDY 180 - 220 days per year when active duty. You?

 

[H Richard]

The shorter the barrel, the better the pattern and greater the effective distance. I use mostly from J frame 2" barrels, my own load with #12 shot built on John Taffin's load, and .44 spec from a 3" Mod 24.

Within 10 ft both work well. I think the reason they caution against use on ported barrels is the danger of tearing the plastic shot capsule in the ports and/or plugging up the ports.

 

[NE450No2]

dwever

The CCI/Speer shotshells work pretty good, and you just cannot always carry a 12ga around...

 

[Larry from Bend]

Wow. I guess I'll show my lack of experience with this ammo:

I just went on line to order .44 mag Speer shell shot at Able Ammo, and it was $15.36 for a box of ten. CCI was 15.49 for 10 at Northwest Shooter Supply in .44 magnum; and, $11.59 for .357/.38.

12 Gauge is less than half the price per round. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing blowing Copperheads in half.

Is the less expensive .357 shot ammo adequate for burly snakes here in the South? Although that question is just academic since I don't have a .357 any more.

Okay, I'm over the shock, I'll go back on line later to order ten boxes of the .44 magnum shot load.

Safearm: 6990 Electronic Security Group, Okinowa; 6906 Elec Sec Squadron - Texas; 53rd Signal Group, Tallahassee Florida NG. TDY 180 - 220 days per year when active duty. You?

I, too, have been using CCI (speer) shot cartridges since the 70s (I remember the old yellow ones very well). I reload .38 and .44 CCI shot capsules with #9 shot that I remove from cheapie shotgun shells. However, I've killed many more Rattlesnakes with .22 rimfire shot cartridges (24 in one day, some years ago) and they also work fine @ up to 5-6 feet. When I lived in Mobile I canoed the Escatava (sp) River in E. Miss. and killed lots of Cottonmouths with .38 CCI shot shells out of a Model 60. At that time most of the Snake Hunters that I knew used .410 shotguns which were a lot more effective at blowing the Cottonmouths out of trees while the hunters paddled down the River. For Copperheads, I think a 22 rimfire shot cartridge would do just fine. The CCI model with the tiny plastic capsule holds a bit more shot than the crimped ones from WW or Federal (31 vs 25 grains) but I can't tell the difference on a Rattler.

PS: A 22 MAG shot cartridge holds nearly twice the shot of a "regular" 22 and you CAN tell the difference with these.

 

[dwever]

The shorter the barrel, the better the pattern and greater the effective distance.

That's great to know, and for me that is counter-intuitive. I thought the longer barrel would have the tighter pattern and greater effective distance, but I guess in the longer barrel the shot has spun up more and flies apart at exit?

Anyway then, the 2.625" barrel on the 629 is perfect - although I have eyeing .357 PC 627 8 shot.

 

[Dpris]

Regardless of what Speer says, the rate of spread is dependent on velocity & varies accordingly.
The faster the velocity, the quicker & larger the spread.

Rifling twist rate also affects the pattern size.
Faster twist, faster spread, larger pattern.

That's why snubs can produce tighter patterns at comparable distances than longer barrels.
Denis

 

[dickttx]

We have a lot of copperheads that love the porch on all sides of our house.
I keep a Trooper Mk III loaded with 38 speer shotshells. Have used a box and a half of them.
You don't have to aim, just point. It has never taken more than one shot. Best part is that I can't even find the places on the porch where I have killed them--no damage at all.
Still have the box for the ones I bought about 10 years ago. $3.00 at Wal-mart. The one I bought a few months ago-- $16.95.

 

[JohnK]

CCI loads the Speer shot cups with #9 shot. I like the improved density provided by the smaller #11 shot. YMMV.>>>>>>>>>>

Me too, in the .38/.357, and also #11 in the 45 Colt.

Either will absolutely "freeze" a snake under ten feet. They are truly DRT.

 

[pilgrim6a]

Maybe you fellers should get one of these.
YouTube - Bad Ass Rabbit