can you shoot 22 birdshot shotshells out of a 22 long rifle revolver or does it have to be a 22 mag revolver? I'm looking for a 22 revolver with a 4" barrel to use for "snake medicine". suggestions?

yep it will work, I have shot them out of my 617. the kind w/ the blue shot capsuls, CCI I think. good for about 6-7 feet.

A carefully aimed shot with a .22 solid bullet is much more effective than .22 CCI birdshot. The heavier calibers do a much better job...

Try it on a piece of paper sometime...a snake could "walk" through a pattern much beyond a few feet and that being the case why shoot the snake...

Bob

I've killed dozens of Prairie Rattlesnakes with WW 22 LR #12 shot cartridges ----- They have even less shot than a CCI shotshell (25 grains vs 31 grains) and work just fine @ 6 to 8 feet. Seldom does it take a second shot. The 22 Mag is in another class having over 50 grains of #12 shot (it used to be #11). I handload .44 Special CCI capsules with 140 grains of #8 shot and .38 Special capsules with 109 grains of #8 shot ---- they all work.

Yes! I have killed small birds with them but for snakes in the thick grass at my place, I went to the 3-inch JUDGE and #7.5 shot in 3/4 ounce loads.

I compared .22, .357, and .44 shotshells, on soda cans, and the .44 is one heck of a lot more impressive in its effects, both damage and pattern.

The .22LR works. The .22Mag works better. The 9x19 is okay. The .38/.357 works very well. The .40S&Ws are decent. The .45ACPs work very well. The .44s are devastating. The .45LCs even better than that.

Yeah...DON'T use a .22 with birdshot on snakes...Vanimrod was spot on in his assessment...38/357 is where the good stuff starts.

I only ever shot one snake with a .22 and bird shot...a rattler, from four feet away, right in the face...

Suffice it to say I learned a LOT in the next few seconds....

I have killed tree rats at 10 feet or so with a 22 lr shot shell. I shot a copper head 2 years ago with a 38 shot shell, I was so close the plastic cup mashed his head in. I killed a rabbit at about 20 steps with the same 38 load..one pellet hit him in the head...I take my 22 handgun out to the range and throw some fired shotgun hulls on the ground. Then shoot them at different distances with regular bullets. Within 10 feet I think I could kill a snake pretty easy with a regular bullet.

I realize I will not get as good a pattern with a 22 shotshell as I would with a 44 mag shotshell but I would mainly be using it when I go fishing and around the water. I don't need something that's gonna bounce all over the place like a 44 mag would. also here in pa there are lots of houses everywhere so I don't wanna go shooting off a 44 mag 50 feet from someones back door.
I will admit however that some of you have made a good point. If I am protecting me or my 4 year old from a copperhead or rattler maybe I should give in a little to some more power. I think I have conceeded and I might just buy a 9mm or 40S&W so then I can use it as my concealed carry weapon as well.

You're in PA?

The .22LR will be fine; small rattlers (and very uncommon) and coppoerheads (easy to kill).

The 9x19 and .40S&W loads are only moderately better than the .22Mag shotshells, and don't cycle for schit.

If you're going to buy something for double-duty, get a .38Special snub-nose and use the shotshells in it. Much better than the 9s or .40s with shot, easier to load in series with shot and standards, great CCW, and utterly reliable.

Another really good double-duty gun is a S&W M60 with a 3 inch bbl or A ruger SP101 with same....

Yep.

FWIW, having run shotshells through all of the above, I'd take a .22Magnum over the 9x19 or .40S&Ws, and the .22LR over the 9s (about equal with the .40s), especially from a revolver.

The .38/.357s are a significant step up, and about perfect for what he's looking at, IMHO. And, I've shot more than a few snakes with the loads discussed.

Yep again, I used to hunt them for their hides, and sell them..killed hundreds of Rattlers with the .38/357 loads and only ever had two that needed a follow-up shot.....which provided excitement...both times!

The .45LC loads are... definitive.

Another option if noise is a concern, are those Aguila subsonic 22s that have no powder. They shoot out of a pistol at about 5-600fps, a little louder than a pellet gun. actualy they are a 17 gr pellet i think. These would be plenty to kill a snake at close range, just dont miss.

Wouldn't even consider that.

how bout a big rock? snakes aint that hard to kill.

Snakes are harder to kill than what a BB gun delivers, and that's what that Aguilla is akin to. BT/DT on snakes (Red Ryder); I'd rather a stout stick.

If a snake is at a range where a .22LR shot load won't kill him, he's far enough that he needn't be shot at all. Unless it's definitely a poisonous snake within striking distance, just walk away. Snake loads are for those rare times when your first thought is "Oh, SHOT!"

Yep.

And, while picking fox grapes in Southern creek bottoms in late summer, that "oh SHOT!" encounter situation happens more often than most would find comfortable.

But, it does lend itself to testing a variety of snake loads...

The .38/.357 is what I settled on. Works great on large rats and snakes (mainly copperheads) from 10 feet. Travels with me anytime I'm outside.

I've shot & killed many rattlers with pistol shot loads over the years, as well as with bullets. Due to close encounters (this old guy is approaching 60, and could STILL jump a vertical 10 feet as of 3 days ago), I've started carrying a shot load up first. I've found that from about 6-8 feet, a 22 CCI shot load leaves the snake lying still, where the larger caliber shot loads (38, 44, and 45 Colt) leave the snake wiggling a bit, although dying.
Al Miller did an article in Handloader years ago, and decided that the density of the shot pattern was the deciding factor. I agree.
Mark

Yep, I used that model 29 S&W .44mag more than once for copperheads and rattler's alike. It does steal the show when it comes to those lower calibers but if you really want to be impressive, just try that 3-inch Judge with a 3/4 ounce .410 shotgun shell of #7.5 or #6's by golly!!!

Come now, any one who has ever visited an internet message board knows that the Judge is worthless for EVERYTHING and has absolutly zero capabilities to kill or even scare any living thing, .

CB

No, the Judge is perfect for exactly that: a close-range snake blaster. In fact, most of the one's that first came into the local shops back home ended up as exactly that, and they live in boats and farm trucks because of it.

For anything else, the Judge basically sucks hind teat.

what if you threw the Judge at a snake? Would it make an effective rock?

Yep. I used to kill mice caught in glue traps with .22 long rifle shot loads from a Charter Arms revolver. Turns them into hamburger. At close range, should work on snakes too.

I've never seen a 3/4 oz loading in a .410. The heaviest I've ever been able to buy is 9/16 oz. in a 3" shell. Who makes the 3/4 oz?

I suspect Tonk just misrememberizerated it.

The crimped .22 shotshells work fine at close range. We even used to shoot rats and mice at night. Bait them with crumbled crackers, sit real still, listen, and then hit them with the beam of the flashlight held in your left hand and blast them with the revolver loaded with shotshells in your right.

I've killed a couple of rattlesnakes with both capsule and crimped .22 shotshells, as well as handloaded capsules with #12 shot from .38/.357, .44 and .45 Colt revolvers. I swear by the small shot size and denser patterns. Those .45 capsules hold a decent amount of #12 shot!

I load my 17 with two capsules,then four HP's after he coils up from the first two shots,,been workin for 25 years...

another thought, I have not seen much 22 ratshot on the shelves lately. They used to make it in the longer all brass crimped shells. I guess I have not looked since using a 2 inch 38 for most everything. In a ruger single six the ratshot worked pretty well for me, another pistol I wish I had not ever sold.

Your going to at least need a .357 mag and those shotshells are high in my opinion, around $15 dollars for 12 shells. Those .410 shells in 3/4 oz 3 inches cost me around $8.00 dollars for 25 of them.

Really? Who'd a thunk it?

I've shot a few snakes with CCI shot cartridges in 22 LR, 22 MRF, 38/357, and 44. All have worked, but I generally carry a 22 MRF, Rossi 515, or 44 SPL, Rossi 720, when I'm afield during snake season.

JEff

What is the "snake season" in NE? Our's in NC will run April thru December.I think they head to Florida in Jan-Feb and start heading back in March...

.410 3/4 ounce:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=181106

There are much cheaper loads for the 3-inch Judge than paying Winhester $16 dollars a box for your ammo. The last 5 boxes I purchased cost me $8.oo dollars a box!

My farm is on the Nebraska - Kansas border and the copperheards are out in the limestone from late April thru mid to late October. The only rattlesnakes that I've seen in NE are Massasaugas and Timbers in the southeast and Prairies in the west.

JEff

I've found the .22lr bird-shot rounds great......for shooting flies and hornets. The pattern is so thin at what I consider safe distances from the snake that they were ineffective for me. Shot a rattler at about 10-12 feet and watched him curl and for a strike. I understand that the 44/45 snake rounds are better performers but I haven't tried those.

I've shot snakes with a Sig 40 with 155g loads with great results and my favorite, although there is no ankle holster for it, is a 20 gauge double barrel with 1oz of 7.5's.

Personally the only downside to using a standard lr/mag bullet is the chance of ricochet at close range (rocks and such), imo. Other than that, that is #1 choice. I think LR shot should be kept for rodents and nothing less than 22Mag shotshells (tied for 1st place) for fangs. Keep in mind that with the more power pushing ALOT of shot, anything larger than 22mag, you may run the risk of Many little projectiles heading in all sorts of directions. Seen it happen. Either way I'll be packing my New Single Six with both Lr and Mag cylinders and a plethera of shells for both.

Don't kid yourself, those standard Colibirs penetrate way more than one would think. So far I haven't had a gopher (13 lined ground squirrel) stop one at 20 yards and from testing I don't expect it'll happen. As dangerous as any rimfire, within reasonable range of course. Now hitting with one projectile is another matter.

Buckthumper: I have ACTUALLY shot many Rattlesnakes with birdshot loads from both 22 Long Rifle revolvers AND 22 Magnum revolvers.
I'll have some comments on them shortly.
But first... are you asking if you CAN shoot 22 Long Rifle shot cartridges in a 22 Magnum revolver?
To tell the truth I don't know for sure - BUT I personally would not even consider doing that!
Now to the 22 Long Rifle and 22 Magnum shot cartridges use/lethality on Rattlesnakes.
First the 22 Long Rifle shotshells - it usually takes about 3 or 4 head area hits with the 22 Long Rifle to "kill" (even though they will squirm for a while) an adult Rattler with these.
With the 22 Magnum (I use a Smith & Wesson 4" stainless Model 651 with 4" barrel) and shot cartridges it usually takes 2 head area hits to render an adult Rattler harmless.
I suggest the 22 Magnum 4" or 6" revolver and shot cartridges.
I use the Winchester gray box shot cartridges with #12 shot in 22 Magnum. I am not sure if these are still in production but I have a "lifetime supply" of them on hand.
I made a mistake last November here in Montana and left my "snake pistol" back home while on an extended Elk Hunt in eastern Montana.
On November 7th of 2,010 myself and my partner came across an adult Rattlesnake in our path - I slapped leather where my trusty 22 Magnum usually rides and there was no "leather" there!
My Model 651 was back home in one of my gun vaults!
Who would have "thunk" that a Rattler would be out and about in November, in Montana?
We had a hard time killing that adult Rattler because the rocks in the area where smallish!
That November 7th encounter was the latest in the year encounter I have ever had with a Rattlesnake in Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington or Idaho.
My partner was carrying a custom 338/378 Weatherby (with muzzle brake) Rifle and I was carrying my 7mm Remington Magnum - and we did not want to "wake up" all the Elk in that area by shooting the Rifles, so we resorted to rocks.
For early season Antelope and Deer Hunting in Rattlesnake country the 22 Magnum pistol aimed at the ground and fired is WAY quieter than a big game Rifle.
I used to carry my Model 34's and my 4" barreled Model 63 (stainless S&W revolver with 4" barrel) but once the Model 651 came along that became my preferred Rattlesnake gun. I have also harvested a Grouse or two with this 22 Magnum and shot cartridges (where legal).
Good luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I completely disagree, .22lr is one of the better rounds for snakes.

It doesn�t take much to kill a snake, so you�re best off using very small shot; #11 or #12. In the .22 calibers, CCI uses #12, but when you get to larger calibers, they go to 7.5 size shot. This really decreases the effectiveness of shot cartridges on snakes. Using a .38 Special, 9mm or .45 ACP CCI shot cartridge will not kill a snake ANY faster than a .22lr. .22 mag is actually better than all of them. It�s not until you get to .44 special/.45 Colt that the larger shot loads do any better than .22lr. When using CCI shot cartridges, regardless of the caliber used, I haven�t noticed that any of them actually kill better than the .22lr. All snakes get 2-3 shots, which will both kill them, and stop them; and even if I�m shooting them with a .45 CCI shot cartridge, it still takes at least 2 shots, if not 3 to completely stop them from moving.

Now if it were a REALLY big snake, then the switch to larger shot could be of some benefit, but in Arkansas, we really don�t have truly BIG snakes; copperheads & cottonmouths are what we worry about most.

Now if you were to load your own using #11 or #12 shot, then the larger cartridges can make a BIG difference. It�s the shot size that makes the biggest difference, and the smaller shot makes for fuller patterns and more pellets on the target.

Just my experience.

I've only killed one rattler, a sidewinder, with birdshot. Used the .22 RFM, not the Long Rifle rd.
Killed him very dead at 15 ft.
Shooting at an empty aluminium beer can will show you that the little #11 shot I used will almost make it through both sides with excellent coverage at 10-12 ft. E