Shotshells - What Do You Guys Think?

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

I carry CCI .357 shotshells in my airweight. Excellent stopping power, no not as much thump as a 158 LSWCHP but the stopping power comes from blinding the attacker. The spread effect also makes it far easier to hit, but also less likely to kill. I think of it as a modern, far more effective version of the ninjas using ground glass to blind there opponents. I would much rather NOT kill someone whom most likely is just looking for money.

Interesting. How about maybe someone who is "just looking for money" doesn't much mind killing you? Maybe you shouldn't carry a gun at all? Somebody might get hurt. Can't we all just get along?

P.S. Have you tested the shot against common eyeglasses? Do you know that you will blind the attacker? If you do, do you know what the result of his lawsuit will be? Remember, he's just looking for money, and you don't want to give him an easy way to get it.

 

[Navy1969]

It appears from the posts that shot shells are mainly for snakes, birds, small creatures. Not for self defense in the home for predatators. I have a new S&W 642 and found some shot shells for the 38. May go to the desert and shoot rabbits but probably out of range. Thanks for the input.

 

[Gripgrabber]

Wow this is weird, I'm expecting a shot capsule order from midway any day now! Just loaded some 44specials, waiting for 38&45lc. Over the last few years I dispatched 4 rattles, 1 timber rattler, first one I've seen in the wild, and 2 coral snakes,I did carry my gov. Around the place but recently got a charter arms bulldog 44sp. @ 20oz easy to tot around. I your in Florida there's snakes and gators nearby. My 3 chihuahuas aren't snake trained but I am!

 

[vigil617]

Yes, I realize this is a zombie thread.

But what the hey, it's an interesting subject.

I found some 45acp shotshells unexpectedly at a local pawn shop, and picked 'em up just for fun. I was surprised how expensive they were -- a bit over a buck a round for a 12-pack.

I took 'em to the range and tried them in my 625-2 4" barrel and my 4566.

The one I fired locked up the revolver, and I had to mess with it to get it open and extract the spent casing. No problem firing one from the 4566.

Results at about 7 yards on a corrugated cardboard target were pretty interesting. Lots of little holes, but none of them penetrated entirely through the cardboard, just the first surface. What was interesting, though, was the one big hole in the target from the 4566 -- apparently the plastic hull exited the barrel intact and with sufficient force to puncture all the way through.

I'd have to be pretty close to a snake to be able to use it effectively but I think it would do the job. I can't see using it on much else, though, and certainly not as an SD round on critters.

YMMV.

 

[lunger]

These from CCI look interesting. Loaded with #4

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxphDh9ydII[/ame]

 

[woodsltc]

Only thing I shoot with pistol shot loads is carpenter bees.........Although larger shot in larger calibers will kill a snake very dead....Bullets for anything bigger.

Same here....I like to sit on the back-deck and shoot the carpenter bees with a K-22 loaded with shot-shells. Great fun on a slow spring day.

Don

 

[Frank V]

I carry 9mm shot shells in my Sig P228 when I'm clearing my shooting lanes around my Deer stands as we have large rattle snakes on the lease. I wouldn't use them for personal defense against any thing else though.

+ snake Gaiters

Coming back to this thread.
fyimo do the shotshells work in your Sig P228 & function like an auto or do you have to work the slide manualy?
Interesting thread. I still carry lead SWC in the hills where we have snakes as we have wolves, Mt lions, grizzlys, as well as snakes.
Thanks.

 

[Redlegvzv]

Rattlesnakes are valuable and beneficial animals. We should celebrate their existence, protect them, and never harm them.

 

[fortyshooter]

Here is a test of my slightly larger shot shells!
45- 70 shot shell test. - YouTube

 

[Doug M.]

Re: Legal problems from shooting a snake. There are probably places where it would be an issue; in some places at least some poisonous snakes are protected species. We had one on the range at a Pat Rogers class in Great Falls some years back (2010?) and were told we could not shoot it for that reason. It went on its way ... but sure made me nervous walking about during the night shoot.

In more urbanized areas, I can see legal issues being more likely, too. The good news is that in most real cities, the snakes will be much less likely to show up by surprise. Although a lot of communities have ordinances about shooting in the city limits or some other such restrictions, there is usually an exception for defensive use, and frankly, the last problem about which I will GAF is some silly restriction of that nature. (I'm a prosecutor and know my way around a courtroom, and I'm not only not afraid to fight, I like to. I would scorch earth in a way that would make Sherman look lazy if someone came after me that way, but YMMV.)

Around here, I make a real practice of avoiding the known snake areas. I carry service ammo, period, and giving any consideration to using any shot load smaller than #1 from a shotgun for personal/home defense is a bad idea, so you know it is well beyond clownshoes to use the little shot in a handgun for anything other than snakes.