CCI Blazer .38 special shotshell in a Taurus 85 UL? Any experience?

[livewire]

Extreme spread is a very good thing from the snake's viewpoint. A small number of shot being spun by travel through a rifled bore means that the pattern is thinnest in the middle (think of a doughnut) and that the pattern gets thinner with every foot further away from the muzzle.

I think Box-o-Truth has a segment on handgun shotshell loads. The take-away is that such loads are not useful beyond about 7 or 8 feet maximum. They work best at 3 to 4 feet (which is way too close to a rattler for me).

If you're more than 4' away, just leave the creature alone... If someone you care about is closer than you are, get yourself closer.

The idea behind the "snake load" is for close range serpent defense, not hunting.

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[DefensiveCarry.com]

[grouse]

[QUOTE=Kilowatt3;2271355]I have killed around 75 copperheads over the last 6 years with the CCI .38 shot loads out of a 2" Charter Arms Undercover. At under 6 feet, they'll just about take the snake's head off. I've never needed a second shot with the .38's, but never tried a shot beyond about 10 feet.
My wife carries a 3" .22 with CCI shot loads too, and will occasionally need two shots to finish them if it's beyond 5-6 feet. FWIW

Regards, My Dads place was in snake country & I once tested the CCI .38 load on soda cans at I'm not sure maybe 6 feet using my old 2 inch Charter my wifes 4 inch Colt Diamondback & my Dads 1948 6 inch S&W M&P. Dads M&P by far had the best pattern followed by the four inch Colt & my little Charter I thought at the time about worhless!

However Bro, 75 dead copperheads is proof that my little test sort of sucked! That little Charter was so damn handy ,wish now I would have given it more of a chance as a snake gun. One those guns now I wish I would'ent have traded off.

Saved me twice, did not have to shoot either time but it saved me just the same!

[Superhouse 15]

I have carried the .38 shotshells as snake loads but I found they were too loud, and I didn't always have time to put earplugs in. The .22s (I prefer the CCI to the Winchester and Federal) sometimes take more than one shot though. Lately I carry a CCI shotshell in the chamber and some kind of HP in the magazine. We seem to have more bad dogs than snakes lately where I go.

Back a few years ago I reloaded the empty capsules and loaded just about anything that would fit into them. Had decent luck with a buckshot pellet (I think #4) and plated shot (I think #4 or #6 birdshot). Those were fun to load and if you experiment you can probably find a load that works for you if the factory load doesn't pattern well enough.

[WHEC724]

This summer, I'm carrying CCI shot in my 637 for snake control (I carry it like a BUG in the woods). It's an almost certainty that I'll pop a rattler or copperhead in my adventures. I'll try to remember to come back to this thread and post a pic of the result.

Now, if there was only something for those dang ticks. They are really bad this year!

[mano3]

Went squirrel hunting in the attic and got the little varmint! Same exact gun and ammo the OP listed.