# Questions RE "Rat Shot" options



## Metalman (Dec 8, 2012)

Wife and I have a 10-acre rural property in central Texas with multiple neighbors fairly close on similar-sized properties. 

We are well armed for many varmints (2-legged, 4-legged, flying, etc.) but not for the copperhead snakes or gophers. I am researching options for so-called "Rat Shot" ammo and delivery systems.

I do not own a 22 caliber rimfire weapon, either long or short barrel. Our hand guns include my wife's 5-round S&W 38 Spec purse revolver and I have a Ruger Security 6 357. 

Would appreciate any hand-on comments relating to the following questions:

Is 38 Spec "Rat Shot" ammo commonly available? Cost per round?

Will the 22 caliber "Rat Shot" feed reliably through a semi-automatic pistol or is a revolver a more reliable delivery system? Cost per round?

I presume the 38 Spec would cost more per round than 22 caliber, so one questions is how many rounds to recover the cost of a 22 caliber weapon.

The major issue with those copperheads is that the encounters with the 3 I have let get away were a major surprise to me (and maybe them). It all happens so fast that a weapon has to be readily available (packing) for days at the time while doing other manual labor on the property.

The #%&@ gophers are a slightly different challenge. When we find one pushing dirt up into a mound, we do have some time to get a weapon out and loaded (i.e. a semi-auto pistol and clip could be packed separately for safety and still have time to shoot the little devil the next time he poked his head up).

I am not a fan of the "cowboy" single-action 22 revolvers as most of them have a fairly long barrel, which makes them unhandy to pack day-after-day. Any suggestions about short-barrel versions of single-action 22?

While I have never shot one, the so-called Judge revolvers chambered for both 45 Colt and 410 shot shells do not appeal to me, as the guns seem too small for control of that much powder. Any comments?

As for "packing", any suggestions for convenient and safe holsters for packing either the S&W 38 Spec or a 22 (either pistol or revolver). 

While the copperheads make my heart pound (we were both reared in West Texas where the snakes at least had a rattle to announce their presence), the #%&@ gophers are really making a mess in our sandy soil. Just wish the copperheads would go underground and eat all the gophers....

Thanks for comments.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

You have snakes because of the gophers. Eliminate the gophers and the snakes will leave. You probably also have quite a few mice and rats, snakes feast on those also.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

yes it is commonly available for for 38 , we don't really have snakes here , temp is currently 0 so I don't know of the effectiveness but I have seen shot shell rounds for 38 between a dollar and 2 dollars a round http://www.midwayusa.com/product/39...nition-38-special-100-grains-9-shot-box-of-10

at a 1.50 a round for 38 shot shells a good 22 pistol around 300 dollars but even the cheapest is 150-200 a lot of rounds to recoup the savings , you can also load shot bullet shot bullet shot or shot shot shot bullet bullet in the 38 revolver 

I do not believe shot shells work well in semi auto guns 

as for safe effective holsters for any gun , for pockets guns I like the Alabama holster company Kydex pocket holster 

for IWB it is hard to go wrong with a KHolster cresent moon , a Super Tuck , or similar kydex on leather 

for OWB a good pancake style leather holster works well
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/55...e-36-3-60-317-331-337-360-2-1-4-leather-black


like you said you need to wear it it needs to be out of the way , and if your around the farm concealment isn't an issue 
a good double thick gun belt is important , if you hang 2 pounds off a standard belt all day it will sag and stretch the belt the gun will move around and be uncomfortable 

It is hard to saw what will be comfortable for you but about 3:30 to 4 oclock position is a good area to start it is far enough back to be out of the way of most chores but quick enough to draw and deploy quickly


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

the army has a new way to reduce snakes , they trapped thousands of mice and stuffed them with Acetaminophen the active ingredient in Tylenol , then put little parachutes on them and air dropped them over a base that was over run with the brown tree snake on an tropical island they train on. the hope is the snakes would find the mice hanging caught up in trees and eat them. If a larger animal ate them they were relatively harmless and might help their head ache


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## Gray Wolf (Jan 25, 2013)

Snake shot probably won't cycle a 22. It won't in any of mine anyway.

I carry an alloy 8-shot S&W 22 whenever I'm outside. I gave up on the CCI 22's because of cost and now just buy the 50 round boxes of 22 birdshot. A bit harder to find but I think it's about as good. 

Most of my bigger handguns are too big and heavy to wear all day every day, but the CCI shot in larger calibers is much better than 22. 

Just as soon as I win the lotto, I'd like a 2" alloy 38 revolver for carry around the place.


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

like gw said the ammo wont cycle my 22 either. i handload and have speer capsules in 38 44 45. they require very small charges of powder, a primer, shot i scavenge from old shotgun ammo. the 22 shot hasnt impressed me with its performance.


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## Chuck R. (Apr 24, 2008)

dkhern said:


> like gw said the ammo wont cycle my 22 either. i handload and have speer capsules in 38 44 45. they require very small charges of powder, a primer, shot i scavenge from old shotgun ammo. the 22 shot hasnt impressed me with its performance.


Agreed, the .22LR birdshot is a very close range proposition. I've used it a bunch of times on barn rats, with less than stellar results. 

I also handloaded the Speer shot capsules in .357 brass using 7 1/2 and 8 shot and they worked pretty well. All my "shot" shooting was with revolvers, and an old pump .22. 

Chuck


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

The Speer shot capsules work pretty well. The finer the shot the better the pattern, but you lose a little kinetic energy. I'd use #8 or #9.

But...if you shoot a lot of them through your pistol, they have a tendency to lead the barrel.


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## Farmerjonathan (Mar 11, 2013)

Now there is a difference between bird shot and shot shells for a 22. Bird shot is more like salt, supposedly so you could shoot birds in a hayloft without punching holes in the tin roof. Shot shells have larger round balls/bb's. Shot shells would be more lethal to the snake and provide a little larger amount of distance. Bird shot will eventually fill the riflings on your 22 barrel so either use a junk 22 or run a brush through it with solvent often. Shot shell doesn't fill the rifling as it is harder and comes out in the round form. I prefer the 38 option or the 357 as we do have wild dogs from time to time and with a 357 you could carry the first three as 38 shot shells and then 3 357 rounds. Options are always nice!


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## Gray Wolf (Jan 25, 2013)

22 bird shot will kill a snake but 38's work a LOT better. When I carry one of my 38's, I also load 3 & 3 to be ready for most anything I happen upon. When I carry the 22, which is most of the time, it has 5 birdshot and the last 3 are solids.


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

Keep my little 2 1/2" 929 h&r loaded with the first three up of .22 shotshells for copperheads here in spring, summer and fall.
A while back I came up with enough dough to purchase a Colt .22 scout,
Now I just shoot their heads with the colt with regular .22 ammo, it is that much easier to hit with..:thumb:


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

.38 ratshot may be a little expensive, but for what it will do to a snake the few times a year I need it, it's worth every penny. I use a j frame 2/12", so from about 4' it's a killer every time.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

My local gun and ammo shop sells CCI brand blue tipped .38 shot shells for $11 per 10 pack.

The shot in them is about #8 birdshot sized and rips a snake to shreds from distances up to 15 feet with a couple rounds.


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## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

I use the CCI brand blue tipped .38 shot shells in my S&W 642.

Yes, it's about $1 per round but you'll not really use enough of this ammo for the cost to be an issue..


9 times out of 10 I would rather have a flat faced shovel on the copperheads and rattlers than be blasting away at close range at anything


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