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multiple round types

2K views 31 replies 24 participants last post by  JDavisArk 
#1 ·
I was at a LGS the last week and one of the employees told me he keeps his 45 colt wheel gun loaded with 5 different bullets. As they can shoot 410, 45 lc etc. I don't see the practicality in that method. I have a similar 45lc and load mine with Hornady lever evolution. Occasionally if in the woods I drop a 410 defensive shotshell into it. In a time of stress are you really going to know for sure which round you have ready to go. 410 bird shot at 15+ yards isn't going to stop anything bigger then a butterfly. I don't want to have to spend too much thought on cylinder load out in the time of need. what do you guys (gals) think? Also have any of you seen these super light weight 45 long colt bullets 80 grain hollow point alloy deals? Are those worth their salt? -tks
 
#2 ·
I supposed it would work well if you were simultaneously attacked by a squirrel, 250 lb meth head, and 3 coyotes (in that order):rolleyes:
 
#4 ·
Don't see the point, either, for a defensive sidearm used in "town" where it's overwhelmingly more likely to meet one threat rather than others.

Instead of a "jack of all trades / master of none" approach, for a defensive sidearm I much prefer a solid semi-master approach. Generally speaking, I have a hard time thinking that a rattlesnake's going to be in my immediate future but that a violent perp is very possible. And so, for myself, I'll ensure that truly-deadly risk can be dealt with most efficiently, even though one or two other potential risks might be somewhat less capably handled. But, that's me.
 
#6 ·
In snake country, when outdoors, I'd likely to much the same, possibly with the first two rounds. But then I'd also want a backup sidearm for, er, deadlier predators.
 
#7 ·
Op, I think you have got it. It is fun to experiment, but for my carry I don't want to have to think in a time of stress. I also want to know what recoil to expect and it should be manageable. I carry for the perps, and wear boots for the rattlesnakes.:image035:
 
#9 ·
I'd say that clerk just outed himself as a poser.
 
#11 ·
In the Adirondacks (they start up here in NY) I'd carry a walking stick and load the pistol with JHP. Most places you might see a black bear you aren't supposed to be carrying. The far, far greater danger is man and feral dogs. Coyotes not so much unless you're carrying a few chickens with you.

I've lived in NY 56 years, camping, hunting, hiking, boating and have YET to see a poisonous snake. If I do see one I can take two steps backwards much faster than drawing a pistol. And a push or block with a walking stick even better. Plus - if attacked by ANYTHING that's not holding a firearm a walking stick is the fastest response and suitable for less-than-deadly force response.


But your buddy probably has a Buscadero holster and keeps the hammer loop off for that fast draw he's practiced endlessly in front of the mirror in his ma's basement. ;-)
 
#13 ·
Me thinks he is loading buckshot rounds which would be very lethal at 15 yds.

Think about it.
 
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#15 ·
Me thinks he is loading buckshot rounds which would be very lethal at 15 yds. Think about it.
Okay, I've thought about it. And I think, at 15 yards, so is a .45 Colt!

And East Tx Hiker, get a Cold Steel Sjambok. Best snake killer since my Granny's garden hoe! Pappy often said he had "the best little hoer in the county!" :biggrin2:
 
#16 ·
When I see a venomous snake I grab it by the tail, swing it around my head, and crack it like a whip so it's head pops off. If it's a really, really big snake that's to big to crack I wait till it strikes and then reach down it's throat, grab it's tail, and pull it inside out. True stories. :yup:
 
#21 ·
I was at a LGS the last week and one of the employees told me he keeps his 45 colt wheel gun loaded with 5 different bullets. As they can shoot 410, 45 lc etc. I don't see the practicality in that method. I have a similar 45lc and load mine with Hornady lever evolution. Occasionally if in the woods I drop a 410 defensive shotshell into it. In a time of stress are you really going to know for sure which round you have ready to go. 410 bird shot at 15+ yards isn't going to stop anything bigger then a butterfly. I don't want to have to spend too much thought on cylinder load out in the time of need. what do you guys (gals) think? Also have any of you seen these super light weight 45 long colt bullets 80 grain hollow point alloy deals? Are those worth their salt? -tks
This gun shop employee is nothing more than an indecisive nitwit.

Shotshells in handguns for snakes loom large in importance on gun forums but aren't really necessary to dispatch snakes unless one is in a populated area. Any ol' .22, .38, 12 gauge, shovel, rock, or stick will do. The rock or stick is sometimes used, even if a holstered side arm is available. The rattlesnakes on our place are sometimes "chicken" and try to run (slither?) off when treated to rocks or sticks so a gun can be handy to keep them from getting away. I suppose the handgun shotshells could be of help but the only shotshells I ever used on snakes were fired from shotguns. Overkill, but there it is. Never have employed a handgun shotshell on a snake. I know I ain't divi'ing up the carried ammunition in order to use handgun shotshells for any purpose in the field.
 
#23 ·
I no longer hunt so if I am walking in the woods I'll have my good old walking stick to dispatch any venomous snakes and a XD40SC to dispatch the meth head. At home I haven't seen any venomous snakes in at least 20 years, a few black snakes and a corn snake now and then.
 
#24 ·
I load mine all the same. HST, Gold Dot, or XTP depending on the gun and caliber. I don't get to caught up on a bullet for this and a bullet for that. For defense purposes I just want to get as many bullets on target as fast as possible. This includes woods defense!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
Venomous snakes are extremely rare in Northwest Oregon. I grew up in Arizona and New Mexico where venomous snakes, lizards, and insects were very common. Our home had a pot belly stove for heat. My mother told me to go chop some wood when I was around ten or eleven. I had the axe in one hand and pulled some wood from the woodpile. A six to seven foot rattler came at me from the woodpile. I swung the axe aiming for its head and chopped off a piece of its tail which made it more mad. I ran around the yard backwards chopping at the snake with the axe. The snake ended up in pieces with one being the head and a short section of body. When I stuck a long stick by its mouth, the mouth would close for a long time. I hate snakes and would prefer to nuke them from orbit. At my age and with my bad knees, a shotgun shell would be very welcome if I were around venomous snakes.
 
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#29 ·
The clerk sounds like a poser, as already mentioned.

But shot loads for pistols do have value in unique circumstances. For example, a few places that were favorite fishing holes of mine were rocky dam faces or hillsides. Snakes could hide and sun themselves and not be easy to see until stepping dangerously close, where any leg move might trigger a strike. Taking a shot with a typical JHP could cause a ricochet that's as risky as a snake bite, while bird shot from a pistol would be effective without as much collateral risk.

I've only killed a few snakes, though, and all were with a garden spade in the yard.

Price wise, shot loads seem as expensive as most premium ammo.
 
#31 ·
I was Chukar hunting once in Eastern Oregon on a cold Fall morning. My Setter was with me and as I followed him up a steep rocky draw I had to step up over some rocks one leg at a time. As I pulled my trailing leg up, I heard a loud rattle right where I had stepped over. There sat a coiled junior-sized rattler staring me down.

I was was so startled that I shrieked and the dog came running to check me out. I quickly popped the safety off and blew the serpent away with my shotgun. Scared the be-Jeepers out of me! Strange that both the dog and I stepped right over him. Had it not been so cold, he might have struck at one of us.

Sadly, on the same day, my dog go into it with a porcupine. Pulled about two dozen quills out of his mouth and nose.

We we did bag some Chuckar and Phesant, so it wasn't all bad! Glad, however, that I had the shotgun and not just jacketed pistol ammo to use in those rocks....
 
#32 ·
Carrying multiple different rounds in one carry pistol is a silly notion in my honest opinion. One can carry for mission specific purposes and change ammo or ammo/mags accordingly. The differences in recoil and shot placement and training pretty much make this type of carry risky. I don't care what anyone else does for their own sake. I'm out for my own survival. I listen to myself and what makes sense. The guys at my LGS are fun to talk with, and I think they are smart enough to never get into a conversation like that with me. Matter of fact, I figure they are smart enough not to do something like that themselves. I guess that's why I like them and keep going back.
 
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