Copperheads

[Art]

Well, Spring has officially sprung. I killed a copperhead in my side yard today. Just the most recent of many over the years. The first one was right after we moved into our house in '78. My esposita took me into the garage, pointed to the dryer and said "what's that." The tail of a very mature copperhead was poking out from under the dryer. I told her "that, is a copperhead." Well she wanted to know what I was going to do about it and I said nothing right now, got to wait until he comes out. He did and I dispatched him.

The number of copperheads I've encountered in my yard over the years probably exceeds all other species of snake combined. Out of my yard they're safe, I leave them alone. i can't have them setting up housekeeping in the yard or my shrubbery which they are more than happy to do.

.22 "rat shot" is excellent medicine for these critters but if noise is an issue, as it is where I live, Aguila Super Calibri is an excellent choice. Quieter than most air rifles and does an excellent job on the scaly crowd.

[Allen]

If the Aguila Super Calibri is the "primer powered only" cartridge I've had problems with them not making it out of the bore of a rifle. When shot from my S&W 17 with a 6" barrel they do great.

What I use now that noise is an issue is 22cb or 22short. They have become one and the same and are hard to find now but are very potent and make little noise. 22 "rat shot" is hard to find as well. When I trap squirrels in cage type traps that's what I shoot them with to prevent damage to the trap.

My .22 cents worth

[barretcreek]

Early '60s family friend had a place up Baugher Rd in Thurmont. Nearby was a family whose daughter was blind. Father raised King Snakes which feasted on the timber rattlers.

[lyman]

If the Aguila Super Calibri is the "primer powered only" cartridge I've had problems with them not making it out of the bore of a rifle. When shot from my S&W 17 with a 6" barrel they do great.

What I use now that noise is an issue is 22cb or 22short. They have become one and the same and are hard to find now but are very potent and make little noise. 22 "rat shot" is hard to find as well. When I trap squirrels in cage type traps that's what I shoot them with to prevent damage to the trap.

My .22 cents worth

what rifle?


I've shot them thru a long barreled Anschutz with good results,

[Allen]

what rifle?


I've shot them thru a long barreled Anschutz with good results,

Remington 511, a box magazine fed bolt action. Bore was clean and shinny. Most fired OK, some didn't make it to the end. After the 2nd or 3rd time of tapping the lodged bullet out of the bore I decided no more through a rifle of any kind. With the pistol being a revolver and having the 6" barrel there's nothing to be concerned over.

The noise of the 22 shorts are about the same as the Aquila "no powder's" so that's what I use now. No more problems. In fact I think I threw away the Aquila's to prevent my son from ever using them.

[Art]

The ones I have are basically underpowered .22 longs (long rifle case 20 gr. bullet.) Velocity is listed at 590 fps. The rifle I use with this cartridge is a 1950s vintage Harrington & Richardson Pioneer single shot. Barrel length on this old gun is 24".

I suspect Allen's problem may be a quality control issue by Aguila, that would spook me too. I used to shoot old school BB Caps out of the same gun when I was a kid to kill small vermin (rats & such) at close range. These were a case barely long enough to support a .22 round ball with a slightly thicker rim to support more primer compound. I never had a problem with those clearing the muzzle and even killed a rabbit with one once.

[bruce]

Don't know about .22 LR snake shot. Can definitely say that .38/.357 snapshot loads by CCI will throughly and completely clean the plow of any snake that ever crawled up around the house or elsewhere. Shot one twice on general principle ... but the second shot was just me fooling around. The copperhead was DRT. Sincerely. bruce.

[lyman]

The ones I have are basically underpowered .22 longs (long rifle case 20 gr. bullet.) Velocity is listed at 590 fps. The rifle I use with this cartridge is a 1950s vintage Harrington & Richardson Pioneer single shot. Barrel length on this old gun is 24".

I suspect Allen's problem may be a quality control issue by Aguila, that would spook me too. I used to shoot old school BB Caps out of the same gun when I was a kid to kill small vermin (rats & such) at close range. These were a case barely long enough to support a .22 round ball with a slightly thicker rim to support more primer compound. I never had a problem with those clearing the muzzle and even killed a rabbit with one once.

could be, Re Allen's issue,

however, at one time Aquila made 2 varieties of the Colibri, not sure if they still do, one was slightly faster than the other,

[Vern Humphrey]

My solution is to prime a few .45 Colt cases, then seat a .44 gas check in the case as far down as possible. Fill the case with #9 shot, and top off with a .45 gas check upside down. Crimp with a taper crimp, and add a dab of silicone seal just to keep everyone honest. It's devastating on snakes.