Snake shot in a pistol?

[Downeast]

During the summer my EDC pistol (Sig 365) has one round of snake shot in the chamber. The rest are JHP's. I keep one magazine on my belt loaded with shot. It doesn't take but a second or two to switch mags giving me a full load of shot. I shoot copperheads in my yard. So far I've never had a problem cycling. I also have a .38 revolver (S&W 642) loaded with same for the wife to carry. We have a lot of copperheads and all of our dogs have been bit numerous times. I think my JR has been bitten so many times that I believe she has built up some level of immunity.

 

[Clark]

Summing up - consensus seems to be to not shoot a bear with snakeshot .

I've been on the ground a few times and run into black bear unarmed or only with a bow, can't say I liked it. Ran into a grizzly once when I had my 270 - still felt unarmed .
Sounds like I will load the first round of the magazine with snakeshot and follow with solids.
This will be a Glock 26 (9mm) and I've never had a FTF. That said, I'll test a few rounds to assure it will feed.
Thanks for the advice on this thread.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

This comes up every once in a while.

Shooting is fun. Buy some and try them out to get a feel for the pattern, spread, and reliability in your pistol.

That's the fun part.

During this, figure out the limitations. Snake shot is essentially a tiny shotgun shell. Those tiny shot pellets? Yeah, they don't pack much of a wallop because they're lacking in the mass department.

Shot works best in a smooth bore. Riflings screw up the pattern and spread. This means fewer pellets on target, as well.

So your range will be lacking as will your penetration.

For small critters at close range...probably meh-OK. And I mean close.

Now... the whole shooting sneks thing: do it if you want to, but the reality is a stick/pole is all you need.

Sneks don't chase after people. They fully recognize the size/mass difference ain't in their favor.

And if you're close enough to be in danger, the stick will serve quite well. Walking sticks when hiking are an awesome idea.

Most sneks are harmless to humans. They're harness to pets, too, depending on size. You don't have to memorize every snek to figure this out, either. There are only four venomous sneks in the United States:

Rattlesnake, copperhead, water moccasin/cotton mouth, and coral.

 

[Remshooter]

While I don't believe in just killing every snake I see. Specially black snakes I relocate them 99% of the time. But water moccasins is another story. There about the only snake I know of around these parts that will actively come after you instead of snakin away. Hanging rock state park and several other areas real close to me are covered in timber rattlers and while I've seen them they usually scurry off same with most other species. But a damn water moccasin will come straight for you. So they usually get killed.

The rattlesnake population around Hanging Rock is protected, very isolated population, so letting them scurry off is the best idea.

 

[Burt Gummer]

The rattlesnake population around Hanging Rock is protected, very isolated population, so letting them scurry off is the best idea.

The rattlesnake population around the whole state is federally protected

 

[tws3b2]

 

[JRHawkeye]

I've used .38 rat shot in a .357 revolver on snakes. It does the job!

 

[Combat Diver]

Speer .357 Shotshells under a dose of Unique and #8 shot. Range 12-15 yds, 6" pattern. Course TC has a 10" HotShot barrel which has a choke that stops the spin from the rifling. The spin is what gives the donut effect. TC had a .357 and .44 version decades ago. Longer shot capsules. Take out choke when shooting standard pistol bullets.

 

[Gardner]

My only experience with snake shot was when I shot a target board from 7 yds., 38 special CCI, 2" barrel.

It was so spread out it looked like pepper

You'd have to get up close and personal to kill a rat or snake with that gun

 

[Scgman1]

For various reasons, My semis dont do snake shot reliably for follow up shots, sometimes causing fussy jams.. As a result i have a couple of wheel guns for snakes when fishing.......i deer n dove hunt in snake boots and just try to avoid when possible.