.45 Auto Shot shells- for Shaketails?

CCI makes them. They run flawlessly thru my Wilson Combat. Take care, Duane.

Be very careful of a "dead" snake as it can reflex bite for some time after it is dead. First thing I do is remove the head if the shot did not destroy it, then bury or trash it.

Mike V has written a few good articles in the past about just this - maybe he'll stop by and chime in with his thoughts. I seem to recall he has a preferred "roll your own" load.

I have killed dozens upon dozens of copperheads and a few cottonmouths with .38 shot shells, and several with .22's, all out of revolvers.

I will not try them in a semi-auto again! Bought a box of .45 ACP and twice had a shell break open inside the magazine from normal carry vibration. Filled the whole guts of the pistol with shot and powder, and was a mess to clean up. I'll stick to revolvers for snake shot!

I prefer Winchester or CCI .22 shotshells. They will not cycle a semi-auto so I use revolvers.

Here's a good video on how to make your own for the .45 Colt.

I also use .22 shot shells, or CB caps on rattlesnakes. Have killed 1-3 in the yard, often on the porch, every year for 23 years here. Just aim for the head.

I’ve killed many with shotshells. I prefer 44s and 45s using Speer plastic shot capsules with #12 shot. Try finding that!!! I had a contact in the ammo industry get me a 25 pound bag almost 40 years ago And still have enough for the rest of my life. Hit with #12 they just go limp, no squiggles, no writhing about. I also have used CCI shotshells to good effect. As for .45 Auto the package says DO NOT SHOOT THEM IN REVOLVERS. I took that as a challenge and had to hammer open my 1917 S&W’s cylinder with a wooden mallet. I just put out my favorite snake guns today.

I have a Remington Model 514 Remington with Routledge bore for shot shells that I keep handy for just such intruders. Throws a fantastic pattern with the long barrel for quite a distance.

"Package says DO NOT SHOOT THEM IN REVOLVERS. I took that as a challenge and had to hammer open my 1917 S&W’s cylinder with a wooden mallet. I just put out my favorite snake guns today."

That's interesting -the .45 ACP shot load locked up a D/A revolver? How so ? I would use them in my New Vaquero B/H.??

No bueno?

Thanks for the info guys-

I have hand loaded Speer capsules yellow then the blue clear 38 spl for 50 years using #8 and #9 shot recovered from shotgun shells. Do a head shot, skin the snake, pin to a board salt until dry. Roll up,soak in a solution of glycerin and denatured alcohol for 2 weeks or so, Remove wipe off the scales and you will have a nice tanned hide.

Looks like pan fried rattlesnake for dinner, lol. People used to bring rattlers to my momma, she’d skin, stretch, and cure hide on a board for them for the meat. They didn’t want the meat anyway but my dad loved it. My dad was a logger but he wouldn’t kill them anymore since endangered species. He once caught 2 baby copperheads in his basement and turned them loose up in the mountains. Had in a 5 gallon bucket, he opened to show me, one was p*ssed off, struck top of bucket side.

Sportsman's Warehouse has them in stock locally. But, I am a cheapskate and have 200 CCI and Winchester .22 shells. Since every four inches of snake hide is a $50 belt buckle, I work to make sure I get headshots.

Some very nice hat bands can be made too. Used to shoot a 6’+- one every year in our garden area years ago. Such Sylvester's are ok in the woods/ swamp but not around the house.

I saw some in Texas laid over ranch barb wire fences- damn things looked like Anacondas.

"At the time, I didn’t know if he wanted to get rid of me as a suitor to his daughter or genuinely wanted assistance hunting the largest rattlesnake species in North America."


Above is a great Guns Magazine article by Alan Garbers on the Rattlesnake gun-


And another great article about build yer own snake loads by Mike Venturino

Ugly Hombre said:

I saw some in Texas laid over ranch barb wire fences- damn things looked like Anacondas.

"At the time, I didn’t know if he wanted to get rid of me as a suitor to his daughter or genuinely wanted assistance hunting the largest rattlesnake species in North America."

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I don't believe there are any Eastern Diamondbacks in Texas. 😏

I always have a 1911. Except near the house when I can get a shovel or a shotgun, 230 grain hollow points work just fine. Draw a snake on a grocery bag for a few practice shots. First shot to the body to anchor if you are worried, head shot if not.