Is .22mag snake shot enough for moccasins?

[IDman]

We don't live (or travel) in moccasin country so I have no experience shooting them. HOWEVER...we have to go to Mississippi to clean out a vacant tenant dwelling owned my my mother-in-law so we can list it for sale. The property is 15 acres with house, barns, sheds, pool and pool equipment bldg. plus a couple of greenhouses. It has been neglected for a couple of years and we have now evicted the tenant.

We have been told by others living in the area that there is trash, debris, etc. all over the property so we know we will encounter snakes and other varmints.

I have been searching for .38/.357 snake shot but cannot find any! I can find 9mm but I don't trust the plastic shells to load properly. I can find lots of .22 mag at Bass Pro so may have to settle for it as it will be in a revolver.

Is .22 mag enough for Mississippi moccasin, copperheads, and rattlers?

Thanks!

[LARuss]

You did not say what part of MS you were golng to but there are plenty of rattlesnakes as well as copperheads and cottonmouths. I have killed plenty with 22 longs. If you have wet areas on the property be very cautious of the cottonmouths. I have a house on lakemary in southwest MS and have killed all three. The rattlesnake is the larger and may or may not give a warning. The moccasins don't give warning but all three will usually try to get out of the way. As far as killing a large snake with a shovel. IT can be done but make sure you hit the head or remove it. I have killed cottonmouths with heads allmost as large as a mans fist, be as big arround as a mans arm but only 3'to 4' long. When hit with a shovel and not killed they can get real mean and can strike or jump almost the length of a shovel.

[koda55]

As mentioned earlier by a few poster, the cotton mouth is very aggressive. They have been known to chase people. Snake boots, a 410 shot pistol and a rake and shovel.

[MrWizard]

any snake 10ft away and going the other way
is going to be left alone by me

OTH

the OP is going to be cleaning brush and trash and in close vicinity of snakes
and "cotton mouths" to use the slang term, aren't know for having forgiving personalities

back in Indiana where we three brothers used to tramp around, picking blackberries, fishing and hunting

we rarely saw a live Copperhead, even though they would lurk in the same bushes we were picking berries in or playing in
even hunting squirrels on an Sat morning in August

because the CH is a recluse and given any noise as a warning will crawl away from you, no so with the CM

[bigred1cav]

How many people truthfully, can hit a 1 inch target, 10 feet away and moving with a 4 inch barrel .22 or better handgun? Most people can't hit a human body at 20 feet.

If the snake isn't moving towards you why kill it?

[Bumpyroad]

I think that when a snake jumps out of the bushes at you, aiming a 22 at it will be a JOKE. I suggest a non-choked 12 gauge myself.
bumpy

[MrWizard]

The 22 mag shot, will do it if you stay cool and make a good shot
People who have never been around snakes, panic and miss

Caught my first garter snake when I was five yrs old
Used to catch and release them all thru my school years, until cars and motorcycles, became more interesting

[wannavolunteerF]

For those of you that are talking about rattlesnakes, we have some LARGE ones here in the south and yes they can strike from a long way off, but his real concern will be a water moccasin or cottonmouth. They are aggressive, love wet areas, and don't give any warning. I would not plan to do the cleanup work like OP was talking about without snake boots, tools to move trash (besides hands), and a good snake gun of some type.

[Gonzo42]

Remember that a rattlesnake can strike for 1/3 of its length. Also be aware that there may be others unseen in the same vicinity. Be extremely cautious because antivenom is rare. Once bitten, time is of the essence. Do some research on line, because I don't remember all the important stuff you should know.

[KA4EBU]

horizon170. I have used the rodent or snake shot in my ruger blackhawk .357 for years. Snakes, rats and the likes. They will penetrate the ground pretty good, also.

[motorcycle_jack]

Why not a S&W "The Governor" .410 shot gun pistol? It will definitely do the job.

[ACDNate]

22mag snake shot will just piss a moccasin off here. 20ga/410ga gets the job done pretty well. I've not tried the larger caliber pistol rounds.

[Raften]

More To See wrote:
Lots of good info if I ever feel threatened by a snake. Over 25 years out here in rattler country and it's been my experience they just want to be left alone. The small ones I'll shoo into a big trash can and take down over the hill and slide them out. The big old guys I just wait for them to wander off on their own after a while. But if any of them ever come after me I'll sure keep this thread in mind.

Good way to think about them but it all changes if you have dogs or small children.

[Bobbo]

I have a Taurus Judge for the RV. I like the idea of #4 shot not having much penetration through RV walls.

At my S&B house, we live next to a multi-acre open field surrounded on 3 sides by woods. It is large enough that there is a herd of 8 or 10 whitetail deer living there. We frequently get snakes in our yard from the field. The Judge, loaded with a .410 shotshell, works great.

[hershey]

I remember shooting them in the head with a BB gun. The water moccasin would lay just under the water with only his head above and I could shot as many times as I needed to actually hit the target (head). They wouldn't move or flinch. But one shot to the head would kill them.

[More_To_See]

Lots of good info if I ever feel threatened by a snake. Over 25 years out here in rattler country and it's been my experience they just want to be left alone. The small ones I'll shoo into a big trash can and take down over the hill and slide them out. The big old guys I just wait for them to wander off on their own after a while. But if any of them ever come after me I'll sure keep this thread in mind.