LarryfromBend: I would certainly take your experiences into account - and I am quite "sure" about that.
But I do not agree that Rattlesnakes die easily.
I have killed a few hundred myself and I have seen them take a lot of injury until they loose their ability to strike!
In fact last year my Hunting partner and I killed one on November 7th up in your neck'o the woods (north side of Ft. Peck) - we used MANY rounds of 22 L.R. hollow-point ammunition from a Ruger MkIII (full clip and probably six or seven were hits!) and then numerous shale rocks to render that snake still!
I have seen Rattlesnakes run over by semi-trucks (and farm tractors) and still have lots of vim and vigor left in them!
Yeah, I am impressed by your killing 24 Rattlesnakes in one day, with a 22 Pistol and using only one shot apiece!
And if you told me exactly where that was I would be sure NOT to go there.
I would find a different place to go/recreate!
I (we) killed 8 Rattlesnakes in one day while working the hay fields of eastern Oregon - my two man crew and I used a 410 shotgun that was kept in the hay truck for such incidents.
Several of those snakes were shot more than once by the way.
We always shot until they were "still".
I have my Model 63 all loaded with "bird-shot" and ready to go on a Varmint Hunt, that starts tomorrow here in Montana - I'll let you know if it brings to bag any more Rattlers.
Theres a couple of things that may partially describe the differences in our experiences with snake loads from a 22 L.R. - I do not like to get within "5" feet of a coiled Rattler!
A few more feet back, is better for me.
And "bird-shot" 22 L.R.'s do loose energy quickly and disperse their "pattern" even faster.
And this, I also often "double-tap" on the first shots at a Rattlers head.
Those of us who actually HAVE been bitten by a Rattlesnake know that we NEVER want to go through that amount of pain ever again - thats why I am intent on rendering said snakes quickly "still"!
If circumstances are right the next Rattlesnake I shoot will get ONE carefully aimed shot to its head - and then I will observe that snakes reaction/demise.
If its not dead in 20 seconds I will, though, shoot it some more to put it out of its misery.
Be careful out there, wherever you are.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy