snake load for my Remington

[tom in nc]

We live in a wooded area, and I love it, however that means we are apt to see snakes, including copperheads in the yard occasionally. I would like to load my 1858 Remington with a good snake load to carry this summer. I don't want to use anything that will damage the gun. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[bang]

Snake hook and a knife. In dry conditions bp throws too much heat. Can start fire.

 

[Maddman]

Why kill the snakes? You are a visitor in their habitat and they are more afraid of you. Copper Heads are actually pretty chill snakes, but not very bright; they rely on their camouflage to protect them. This means that while people are walking, they do not move, thus they often get stepped on, which is the most common reason for a bite. However, they usually deliver a "Dry" bite (Little to no Venom is delivered). Snakes do not want to bite humans, as it is not beneficial for them to do so (We are large and not a prey item, hence we could kill them before their venom takes effect). In the case of Copper Heads, their venom is extremely rare to cause death anyway. I used to catch them to sell to the local church as a child, this is how I can say all this with confidence. Just a simple nudge with a stick is usually all they need to scurry away. Yes, I am an advocate for reptiles and breed them, I taught my children to respect, catch and release and to love them as well, but my view isn't biased, just educated. Here are a few of mine.

 

[nkbj]

tom in nc,
Does your 1858 have the 30" twist?
#7 1/2's might work well with a card wad over powder and another over the shot. Heavy lube in the shot might help it group.
Maybe load your first chamber with 7 1/2. That would minimize the chance of shot in a second chamber getting dislodged. I don't live in snake country any more but you got me curious about making it work.

Just a related story. 'Round about '89 lived in northern Alabama. Got to know a fella there that was a humdinger of a machinist that had worked offshore. He had a .410 stainless steel 1858 with a stretched frame, 3" cylinder and 12" smoothbore barrel. That piece was absolutely lovely. If he woulda sold it I'd a bought it!

 

[Griz44Mag]

Why kill the snakes? You are a visitor in their habitat and they are more afraid of you. Copper Heads are actually pretty chill snakes, but not very bright; they rely on their camouflage to protect them. This means that while people are walking, they do not move, thus they often get stepped on, which is the most common reason for a bite. However, they usually deliver a "Dry" bite (Little to no Venom is delivered). Snakes do not want to bite humans, as it is not beneficial for them to do so (We are large and not a prey item, hence we could kill them before their venom takes effect). In the case of Copper Heads, their venom is extremely rare to cause death anyway. I used to catch them to sell to the local church as a child, this is how I can say all this with confidence. Just a simple nudge with a stick is usually all they need to scurry away. Yes, I am an advocate for reptiles and breed them, I taught my children to respect, catch and release and to love them as well, but my view isn't biased, just educated. Here are a few of mine.

THANK YOU! We need more sensible outdoorsmen like you. Never kill unless there is no other option.
And another reminder to any who choose to keep reptiles at home - NEVER RELEASE A NON NATIVE INTO THE WILD!

 

[rodwha]

I’m not concerned with the snakes either, unless they are in my yard, which I had to do once a couple of years ago, but I’ve killed several rattlesnakes to eat.

Anyway I’ve seen people make shot work in a rifled barrel but it was extremely short range. Now if one had a Colt model an additional barrel could be bought and reamed/lined to be a smoothbore. I’ve contemplated that if/when I buy a Walker. Now that might make a decent 15yd small game gitter!

 

[nkbj]

Used to get lots of copper heads in southeast Texas, hunting with my trusty Briggs & Stratton.
Some people called it mowing.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I've got a few black snakes and garter snakes, probably a few copperheads as well. I share the common ground with them. The black snake visits in the spring and leaves its old skin on my rock wall to let me know that its still around.

 

[TNGhost]

While working in the desert, where rattlesnakes were a common concern, I used to assemble snake loads for .357 and .45 caliber guns for myself and others.

Mostly I just used metal gas check discs over powder and over shot. They worked and I tested them quite a bit. You'd get a spiral pattern and the "effective range was not more than a yard or two before the pattern spread so far as not to be effective. Usually the gas check(s) proved more fatal to the snake than the shot load

Better results as far as keeping the pattern together were obtained with CCI shot capsules, but they were somewhat expensive, for my available funding those days, for putting up a bunch.

I would think that if you use one of these capsules with #7 1/3 or #6 shot you would get a better more effective pattern, especially at ranges beyond just in front of your feet.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010937313?pid=682652
They would be of the right diameter for your revolver and with 20-25 grains of 3F would certainly do the job and not be injurious to your pistol. You may have to cut them down to fit, reducing your payload,, but not much, if at all, I suspect. I also suspect you would have to remove the cylinder from the gun to load them though.

In defensive range though, (just out of reach), I believe a just a chamber with 20-25 grains of 3F with a wad and then topped by some #6 shot poured it leaving enough room for an "overshot" wad would likely be sufficient.. The idea of mixing the shot with lube as mentioned above also seems like a good one.

Alternately to the wads you could you the aforementioned gas checks as they are available in .452 and .454 diameters and being of soft aluminum or copper gilding metal I don't think they would harm you pistol, and they would leave more space for shot than wads. Just speculation on my part here as I have never tried this in a C&B revolver.

 

[TNGhost]

Now if one had a Colt model an additional barrel could be bought and reamed/lined to be a smoothbore. I’ve contemplated that if/when I buy a Walker. Now that might make a decent 15yd small game gitter!

There were, and I believe still are gunsmiths, specializing in doing just that for Colt revolvers using worn out barrels, or those with badly rusted bores.

 

[BillinOregon]

This is going to be a close-range proposition -- as in six feet. I would use No. 8 1/2 or No. 9 to boost pellet count as much as possible.
I am with the live and let live folks regarding venomous snakes, but I would not allow them close to the house or yard, especially if pets or kids are in the picture. You can grab them with snake tongs and relocate them, but they often return. I see nothing whatsoever wrong with maintaining a pit viper-free zone around one's home. We deal with big diamondbacks at the park where I volunteer. We try to respect and conserve them but will use all tools on the table to prevent a bite.
Here is just one video on loading a cap-and-ball revolver with shot:

 

[mushka]

I like snakes for the most part. I don't want the local pit vipers in the yard as I have a dog that is snake stupid. I kill rattlers in the yard and will kill any non native snake anywhere I see one. Look to Florida for the problem with them.

 

[Newtire]

Just watch out when you pattern test these things up close. I had a #7-1/2 pellet bounce back at me off of the target frame and hit me just above the safety glasses. #9 shot gives a better pattern as far as density goes. I'm concerned about the reaining loads loosening up and jamming up the cylinder in a percussion revolver. Any tips on how to prevent this?

 

[Juice Jaws]

Why kill the snakes? You are a visitor in their habitat and they are more afraid of you. Copper Heads are actually pretty chill snakes, but not very bright; they rely on their camouflage to protect them. This means that while people are walking, they do not move, thus they often get stepped on, which is the most common reason for a bite. However, they usually deliver a "Dry" bite (Little to no Venom is delivered). Snakes do not want to bite humans, as it is not beneficial for them to do so (We are large and not a prey item, hence we could kill them before their venom takes effect). In the case of Copper Heads, their venom is extremely rare to cause death anyway. I used to catch them to sell to the local church as a child, this is how I can say all this with confidence. Just a simple nudge with a stick is usually all they need to scurry away. Yes, I am an advocate for reptiles and breed them, I taught my children to respect, catch and release and to love them as well, but my view isn't biased, just educated. Here are a few of mine.

Ball Pythons?? Plus copper-heads don't have fangs right, their venom comes from the rear teeth which is why so many dry bites. I am with you , I leave them be.

 

[Maddman]

Let's forget about the snake aspect for a moment here and look at the physics of this. Shot in a rifled barrel will never deliver a tight group. The longer the barrel, the more empty the center will be. For example, in a rifle (.50, .54, .58, etc.) at 20 feet or so, the pattern resembles a donut; a circle with a hole in the center. the farther away, the worse it gets, leading to an empty target unless you aim slightly to the side of the target. I experimented with this many, many times in my younger days. Now, in a rifled pistol, like a Lyman Great Plains for example (Which is one I experimented with), the issue is far less prominent. It does not swirl in the barrel as long. Therefore the center is not AS empty, but the maximum effective range is still limited to a couple yards and the closer the better. In a C&B Revolver, the amount of shot capable of being utilized is limited due to cylinder space as apposed to barrel length compared to a single shot pistol (Not gonna get 40 grains of powder under 45-50 grains of shot), thus the maximum effective range of the load would be somewhere around 6 feet or so. At those ranges, why bother? At any distance greater, it would be a less lethal option for defense.

 

[azmntman]

Not a super accurate shooting guy but at 3-6 feet wouldn't a round ball do as well? Actually I am good with a pistol. I think I may do a bit of 3-6 foot shooting (at ice cubes?) and see if I cant hit one abut 10 outta 10 times? Not sure what a miss would mean and of course yer apt to be a bit nervous? Just that I have shot shot in BP guns and the donut effect is quite literal indeed

 

[Maddman]

Ball Pythons?? Plus copper-heads don't have fangs right, their venom comes from the rear teeth which is why so many dry bites. I am with you , I leave them be.

My wife "Convinced" me to get rid of my venomous collection (Western and Eastern Diamonds, 4 Copper Heads and a Forest Cobra) when we had kids. But, now my children are teenagers, so guess what? Copper Heads are Pit Vipers in the rattlesnake family and definitely NOT rear fanged. There are rear fanged snakes here in North America though, the most common of which are the Hog Nosed snakes. When threatened in the wild, they put on a SHOW, lol; going into death throws and rolls, musking on themselves to smell dead an lying on their back perfectly still. if this doesn't work, they try to escape and as a last ditchhh effort, they will bite and chew on you to envenomate you. Although their venom is not lethal to most humans unless they are allergic, it feels like a bee sting and is not a lovely experience. Another popular rear fanger is the False Water Cobra. But, back to Copper heads. Copperheads (Nortern and Southern, yes there is a difference) get a bad rap. Why? Because they cause more snake bites per capita than any other species in N.A.. Why is this? Because, as mentioned earlier in the thread, they rely on camouflage to hide, Just like the "Death Adder" of Australia (Another very docile and shy snake that does NOT live up to it's reputation) which also gets stepped on for the same reason. Not to mention the amount of Dumb Asses that try to pick them up and mess with them every year. Still, Most bites yet least deaths. Interesting really. As for my Ball Pythons, they are my babies. My oldest (5 years) has a nasty temperament and has struck at me hundreds of times over the years. She is the only BP I've seen like that, but once you get her up, she's a puppy dog. My youngest (8 mos) was hatched out with physical and I believe mental abnormalities. Her snout is shorter and slightly narrower than normal and her head is a tad malformed. She will not eat on her own and I must literally Hand Feed her; I pick her up touch the prey item to her mouth and she opens her mouth. I place it in her mouth and she closes it and wraps it up. I kid you not. Here is a visit with my good friend Chad Griffin, let's educate ourselves

 

[Eutycus]

Learn to identify . Know what you're shooting at.There are so many snakes that at first glance resemble another species all together. There are several different snakes out there that actually hunt down and kill rattlesnakes. It's really a shame one of the best snakes out there is one of the most wicked looking,( the blue indigo). Several years ago I watched one crawl under my house and I hope it's still there. "The only good snake is a dead snake" is a myth or old wive's tale. .There are rodents and rattlesnakes alive today because someone unkowingly killed one of the "good snakes". Google ophiophagy and prepare for some interesting reading.

 

[Ames]

I retired from breeding snakes in 2005. You haven't lived till a 10 foot Blackheaded python launches himself out of the cage cause he smells the tray of jumbo rats you are pushing on a cart.

 

[Rifleman1776]

We used to have a fellow living in the area that made his living maintaining the 'hillbilly' image. People would stop at his home/shack to talk and look at his wood carvings. While there he would make a bet that he could shoot an aspirin out of the air with his Remington C&B. Of course, he always hit the aspirin. His secret was that he loaded with birdshot (I don't know the size), wadded with toilet paper. Worked for him. I have killed many venomous snakes with pistols. One was a .22LR loaded with commercial shot capsules. Range was short, never more than 15 feet. The other was my Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum. (sorry for the non-ml references but they apply either way) I used handloaded shot capsules with #7 1/2. Range was still only about 15 feet. But, I quickly learned that with both the pattern was dognut shaped. Meaning, aiming for the head made for very iffy results. I would aim for the center of the body and almost always was assured a good hit at two points on the devils pet. Worked for me.