# Question about 12 gauge...



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I have a 12 gauge Mossburg. The shots I have are a box of #4 and a box of #6. Question: Which is the best to use if need to kill a poisonous snake? Question: How far from the snake do I need to be in order to get the most shot into the snake? (Want to make sure I kill it with one shot.) Oh and I have to shoot from the hip as the kick hurts my shoulder.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

It's very hard to shoot accurately from the hip. Is the hurt to your shoulder from a medical condition or just because the load you are shooting is high power? Go to your local gun club and try shooting a light trap load out of your Mossberg. The Mossberg is a relatively heavy gun so that should attenuate the recoil some. Shoot from the shoulder if at all possible.

Snakes are not that hard to kill. You don't need large shot (small number). Number 8 will do and has more pellets than #6 or #4. The pattern is about the diameter of a softball at 8 feet and gets bigger the further you are from your target. I expect you don't want to get closer than 8 feet. You should get clean kills with #8 trap loads out to about 30 yards.


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

6's wont kick as much as 4's


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

The recoil won't change with the size of the shot.
It's the weight of the load and the velocity that determines recoil.

Either load will kill a snake, and there are more pellets in the #6's.
I'd try to keep the distance under 20 feet.

Fold a thick towel several times and drape it over your shoulder for padding, because you really need to be able to aim, and not just shoot from the hip.


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## ovendoctor (Jun 28, 2006)

super lite trap/skeet loads 7/8 oz
little to no recoil
doesn't take much to smoke a snake

Doc.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

We have had boys and girls as young as 12 years old fire trap loads at my club. Many of these kids were on the small side and they had no problem.
If the gun hurts your shoulder it could be because you fear the recoil and hold the gun loosely allowing the recoil to come back and hit you. A lot is psychological. In hunter training many of the kids are afraid of recoil. They always ask if it "kicks". I tell them that the gun does not "kick" it "jumps". I know it sounds stupid, but in a kids mind "kicking" hurts but "jumping" is fun. By planting that thought in their mind most of the recoil problems are eliminated.
Besides shooting a lighter load and getting a better grip on the gun you might want to have the length of your stock checked. If it's to long or to short it will effect felt recoil.
Also keep in mind that when firing with a purpose, you for some reason never feel the recoil. My model 37 kicks like a retarded mule (this sucker does not jump, it kicks with teeth) but when shooting at a deer I've never felt the recoil.
I imagine the same will happen when shooting at a snake.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

When I was younger, I had poor technique with my 870 Remington and after shooting clays would have a bruise below my collar bone. I made up for my ignorance by wearing a thick jacket when I went hunting/shooting but over time figured it out.
Hold the butt firmly against your shoulder. You'll have less kick and better accuracy.
PS-my wife made me stop killing the non poisonous snakes; they are good at thinning out the mice.


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## Texaspredatorhu (Sep 15, 2015)

I would buy a box of trap loads they are about 5bucks and don't have a lot behind them. If all else trade it in for a 20ga auto if you want lighter or get a judge type pistol and load it with trap loads.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Great information. Thanks so much. I'm pretty much trapped with only having these two different types of shot; however, I can try the thick towel over my shoulder. (I do hold the gun tight to my shoulder; but apparently not tight enough.)


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

I'm sure Walmart has a selection of different 12 ga loads....Cheap.
What kind of snakes are you shooting.....?

We have timber rattlers around....have only seen on in the road in 25 years.....
You have to go looking for them.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

The only snakes I'ld be shooting here are copperheads and water moccasins. Have only seen one moccasin down the road in a neighbor's front yard. (We all have this small creek running at the back of our lands.) Have seen five copperheads since 1995, two "grown" (quite large) ones in mid-winter trying to stay warm under the door to chicken coop where I had a light on. One was quite young coming down the drive from the street. The last two were seen the same year crawling on the floor of my barn. (Since I have many black rat snakes, this was surprising as I had read black rats were territorial. Then I read how black rats were social and would even den up with copperheads.) 

David had killed the first three as well as one of the last two. The last one he brought into the house LIVE, then took it out back and killed it as well as eight (8) "live" babies it was giving birth to. Oh dear was this frightening!

I immediately took some gasolene into the storage area of the barn (from which area those two had apparently come), stuffed some old towels around the bottom (all 4 sides) of the large chest freezer that is sitting off the floor (soil). Then I poured the gasolene where it would go under that freezer. This was during the winter so I'm thinking, if they were sleeping there, I killed them.

Have not seen any poisonous snakes for over 5 yrs; yet the nearby neighbor will not walk into her back pastures (with fallen over trees and lots of dead wood) that is only about 100 ft from my barn because she's seen the copperheads.

So it is the copperheads I'm wanting to make sure I'm prepared for...should they ever show up again. Problem with these snakes is that they're quiet and do not give warnings....


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

you might well find if you have a snake recoil won't matter I never feel the recoil when hunting , doesn't even sound loud to me but adrenaline does that to a person


sometimes you just accept it is going to hit you but if you let it an don't flinch you hit your target.

I have a young man I am helping with trap right now , he is 12 and very recoil sensitive , we worked on his stance got him keeping his cheek on the wood and it in his shoulder but he is still sensitive , he started with a youth 870 20ga the club owns and the gun fit him a little short but close. at some point I had to tell him it is like when your sister hits you you just take it and try not to flinch. any time he can forget about the recoil he can score good hits. after that first evening of trap I told him wear 3 sweat shirts next week , so far he hasn't , but I brought him my 20ga Mossburg 500c to use the other weeks it is a little longer and a little heavier than that youth gun it has been 4 weeks and he is hitting about 15 of 25 so not great he starts good but it is when he starts thinking about the recoil he starts flinching an missing then you watch him and he gets serious looking and he concentrates on the target and not the recoil and he starts hitting good again 

take a section of news paper roll it up the long way and put a rubber band on it practice dry firing a few times aiming then load up and do it just like you practiced if you shred the news paper with shot you know where to hold on a snake at the same distance.

you may have heavy hunting loads and light target loads are plenty to kill snakes at 20 some feet but if it is all you have and all you can get. then you should practice the aim with dry fire then load up and accept it is going to hit you and concentrate on the form aim and target. and ice your shoulder later.

you can also try the towel trick , or extra clothing.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> the gun fit him a little short but close


Find a cheap slip on recoil pad to both lengthen the stock and cushion the recoil.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Find a cheap slip on recoil pad to both lengthen the stock and cushion the recoil.


I was looking at them in 1/2 and 1 inch varieties all of our youth guns are a little on the short side , from 12 , 12 1/4 , 12 1/2 and 12 3/4 inches which normally is about what we need for youth most of the time by the time they have been shooting trap one season they have their own gun.
also 3 of our 4 guns are 12ga the shortest is the 20 most of the kids prefer 12ga I have 4 or 5 to 1 shooting 12 vs 20 even when I have a stack of 20 shells and 20ga guns in the rack to use. they want 12 we are using target loads and shells cost the same 12 or 20 so it doesn't matter 
but this kid is recoil sensitive that is why he has been using my 20 we will have to see maybe his mom will buy him his own gun before next season or he will put on some muscle.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks all for helping. I can certainly place a thick towel on my shoulder and try it...


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

i didn't read all of the posts, so I might be repeating what was already said:

the reason that it hurts when you shoot is because you are not holding the stock tightly against your shoulder. so the recoil is flying back at you and hitting you as if a mule kicked you. this is true with any high powered rifle also.

practice with a small caliber rifle.like a .22 
try it both ways, loose away from the shoulder and then tight against.. you will get the idea.

..........jiminwisc......


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

After my heart surgery I asked the Dr. if I was able to shoot my shotgun again, he said in aa few weeks, sso I waited then one day I walked out on the back deck, came in got an old single barrel 12 and a #6 high brass and walked back out and fired away . I had forgotten had a 12 single barrel kicks, when I pulled the trigger,that thing spun me around, the forestock came off landed on the deck and for a , couple seconds I was dazed,I said I guess after that I would be o,k, with 870....


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## firewoodmaster (Jul 21, 2017)

motdaugrnds said:


> I have a 12 gauge Mossburg. The shots I have are a box of #4 and a box of #6. Question: Which is the best to use if need to kill a poisonous snake? Question: How far from the snake do I need to be in order to get the most shot into the snake? (Want to make sure I kill it with one shot.) Oh and I have to shoot from the hip as the kick hurts my shoulder.


best ammo to kill a snake is a slug or buck shot


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

firewoodmaster said:


> best ammo to kill a snake is a slug or buck shot


Come on now............lets be serious.

A new shooter needs advice.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

firewoodmaster said:


> best ammo to kill a snake is a slug or buck shot


No it is not......Where did you ever get that idea?

What is the reason for killing snakes in the first place if they are not bothering you


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## Texaspredatorhu (Sep 15, 2015)

firewoodmaster said:


> best ammo to kill a snake is a slug or buck shot


You can't actually believe that.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

*"What is the reason for killing snakes in the first place if they are not bothering you"*

Because they are some good eating.

 Al


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

alleyyooper said:


> *"What is the reason for killing snakes in the first place if they are not bothering you"*
> 
> Because they are some good eating.
> 
> Al


You can have mine....
I prefer to have them eat the mice and rodents that destroy.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Well now there are plenty of good snakes that do a fine job of keeping the rodents and other small pest under control. But those you have to be mindful of can be gotten rid of and ate.

 Al


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## Texaspredatorhu (Sep 15, 2015)

I leave my blue indigos alone they have done a great job keeping the rattlesnakes away.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> firewoodmaster said: ↑
> best ammo to kill a snake is a slug or buck shot


That's not even close to being correct.


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

To shoot a snake use #8 or even# 71/2 shot


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

firewoodmaster said:


> best ammo to kill a snake is a slug or buck shot


encase some one was going to take firemaker serious , you want the smallest shot 6 would be the better option of the two the original poster has. 7.5 , 8 , or 9 would work well also , the reason is because first snakes are not that hard to kill, second range is close maybe 10-20 feet and because range is close you don't want slug , rock , or buckshot fragments back at you , you don't always know exactly what lies hidden in the grass behind a snake , it could easily be scrap metal or rock either could send projectile fragments back at you so the smaller the individual shot the less retained energy they have on the ricochet the less likely you are to get injured by them.

4 shot will bring down a pheasant at 40 yards 120 feet , your talking about shooting a snake usually at more like 3-4 yards 9-12 feet 

slugs and buck even if the ricochet doesn't come back at you can still go much farther and could be a danger if you are shooting in an area with buildings or livestock.


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

Use a slug on deer or bear


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Big Snake?........Green Anaconda?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thank you for the information. Since I don't have #8 shot, I'll plan on using the #6. I have not seen a poisonous snake for over 4 yrs now; yet sure want to be ready should one show up as I know there are copperheads in the area. (My "pet", Blacky, is a huge rat snake and does a great job with mice/rats. I've seen three of his skins at a time...all over 6' long so I know there are more than one of these; and often I also see younger ones. I share eggs with them.)


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## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

# 6 shot will wwork, also good for rabbits, squirrels..


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