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TomsTXCHL wrote:We have similar restrictions, but in meetings we have talked openly about discharge of firearms to dispatch pests, and a rattlesnake is a pest for sure.

I use 9mm Shotshell from CCI--the spread is just right from about 6-8 feet (yes my arm is fully extended!) such that one shot-to-the-head kills any rattler. I don't know if CCI makes this in .22 caliber...

Do you never (ever) hear gunshots where you live?

OK, I'm on our HOA board and I can tell you that unless your board members are a bunch of idiots, in which case vote them out and take the position yourself, they are not going to have a problem with you shooting a rattlesnake, besides which, what are they going to do to you if they do? they'll send you a shaking finger, don't do it again....well, we all hope you don't have to. And as for someone calling the police, well, let's ask TexasJoker what he would do? I just can't imagine anyone having a problem with you shooting a rattlesnake, esp if you have the dead snake to prove that that's what you did.
Personally, I would have shot it DEAD and we live across the street from the our police station. We have dogs and both of our next door neighbors have dogs, also both of our next door neighbors have little girls, no way would I have let that thing live, I would not have considered it.

fickman wrote:I'd go with a high caliber garden hoe.

My grandmother killed many a rattlesnake with a hoe. I keep one around just for such.

Carry-a-Kimber wrote:

android wrote:The anwer to your question is http://www.silencershop.com/!!
Conveniently located next to Hobby Lobby on 183.

e-filed applications are supposedly taking about 90 days to come back.

Not anymore, that was just the ones put in in the first weeks of e-file program to see if the program would work.

Silencer was my first thought!!

And an e-Form 4 to a trust is taking about 90-100 days to come back. A regular Form 4 to an individual is taking 6-9 months. I can hook you up!!

TBM

Maxwell wrote:

AlaskanInTexas wrote:Coming from Alaska (where we don't have such unsavory characters) and with a huge snake phobia, I would have started with the .300 win mag at about 500 yards, and then finished it off with as many 12 gauge rounds as it took to turn it into pulp. Then I would have grabbed the flamethrower.

I was raised in South Texas and I fully agree with the above recommendation! Kill 'em! Kill 'em all and by any means necessary!

That said, I've never heard of a rattler that could strike the 5+ feet of a shovel handle. [/color] I used to carry a couple of rounds of .38 shot shells when I hunted in Travis County but if you want a little more room for safety (me, I like about 10 yards or so, 100 is better...) get a 410.

A rattler can strike up to 2/3 of their length. And they don't have to be coiled in order to do so. We have a lot of them down in this brush country. Personally, I have shot several with .22 rat shot and all that tends to do is pi$$ them off. Though the ranch is miles from anything and noise is a non issue, I still tend to use 22 shorts. Just a habit and it saves my 22LR ammo.

Rattlesnakes are just another of God's creatures. They were put here for a reason....as were fire ants and gophers.

I'd rather deal with a rattler than copperheads!

When you see one you'd better look for another. They like to travel in pairs.

fickman wrote:I'd go with a high caliber garden hoe.

Less fun but a shovel or hoe is the better tool in the yard.

Cannot answer your question re the .22 but I did learn something from your thread. I live in a rural area in the Hill Country (not really that far from you) and after Nov. or so (when it cools down) I stopped being on alert for vipers and did not really worry until Spring when it started warming up. I am outside all the time and I am going to be more careful in the future.

No rattlers in my area, but I've found .22 snake shot to be fairly effective on Copperheads. However, my normal snake gun is the Judge, loaded with .410 birdshot.

VMI77 wrote:No rattlers in my area, but I've found .22 snake shot to be fairly effective on Copperheads. However, my normal snake gun is the Judge, loaded with .410 birdshot.

I've looked at that gun and thought it would be great for that purpose!

In looking at the CCI web page on shotshell, I see the 22LR has the #12 shot same as the 9mm (which I use) but it says 31g vs. 53g for the 9mm so it's almost half as much shot. I would think that a direct head shot would still work but maybe not...

I'm very much a "live and let live" guy but we have seen some monster rattlers on our property such that I don't want to see them again. My wife stepped on one a while back and it got just her jeans leg (we have a pic with the perfect wet spots on it) and was just lucky we weren't off-to-the-ER at 6am.

Texas has plenty of rattlesnakes and we don't need-or-want to protect them on our ranch.

TomsTXCHL wrote:My wife stepped on one a while back and it got just her jeans leg (we have a pic with the perfect wet spots on it)

I would have wet spots on my pants too!!!

AlaskanInTexas wrote:

TomsTXCHL wrote:My wife stepped on one a while back and it got just her jeans leg (we have a pic with the perfect wet spots on it)

I would have wet spots on my pants too!!!

Good one!

Yeah she was awfully lucky. It had somehow gotten behind her and she stepped right back onto it. No rattle or nuthin. Slithered a few feet away and coiled-up in a garden, close enough to a shrub that I got-out the 9mm instead of the 12ga shotgun. First use of the shotshell I think and it worked great--an easy head shot.

Glad my wife was dressed in jeans and work boots for her early morning chores (this time she was tending to a bird feeder). I would usually have on shorts and shoes-no-socks.





Someone here said "bite its head off!" and heck I don't even like picking 'em up with my hands...

TomsTXCHL wrote:

VMI77 wrote:No rattlers in my area, but I've found .22 snake shot to be fairly effective on Copperheads. However, my normal snake gun is the Judge, loaded with .410 birdshot.

I've looked at that gun and thought it would be great for that purpose!

In looking at the CCI web page on shotshell, I see the 22LR has the #12 shot same as the 9mm (which I use) but it says 31g vs. 53g for the 9mm so it's almost half as much shot. I would think that a direct head shot would still work but maybe not...

I'm very much a "live and let live" guy but we have seen some monster rattlers on our property such that I don't want to see them again. My wife stepped on one a while back and it got just her jeans leg (we have a pic with the perfect wet spots on it) and was just lucky we weren't off-to-the-ER at 6am.

Texas has plenty of rattlesnakes and we don't need-or-want to protect them on our ranch.

With 22 snake shot, a direct head shot generally does work if you're close enough. However, the shot is so light that while is seems to penetrate copper head snake flesh adequately, it won't even break a bottle from near point blank range. However, I have no confidence that 22 snake shot would be adequate for a cottonmouth or copperhead. 38 snake shot in a snubbie works better, though as another on this thread, I also sometimes use 22 shorts, which should cover all bases.

I think I would have shot it. A hilti powder actuated nail driver isn't any louder, besides like was discussed as well that it would be hard to pinpoint were it came from, especially since you live in hill country.