Cap and ball revolver firing bird shot

[Bad Karma]

There are so many myths about snakes, including how far they can strike. A coiled up rattling snake shout be a fairly easy target with either shot or a round ball.

One of my cousins is scared to death of snakes. If someone say, were on a camping trip with him in Southern Utah and the talk over the past days had centered around poisonous snakes common in the area after having seen a small Mojave early in the trip and then the same someone would slip a few coils of an old static line into the cousins sleeping bag that someone might then be treated to the sight of a 6’4” 250# man clad in boxer shorts leaping about and screaming like a little girl... I wonder why someone might do such a thing?

 

[wb78963]

Tried #7.5 shot today in an Pietta 1851 Navy Colt with very little success. The 15 grain volume of FFFg seemed to give good velocity, based on recoil but the pattern was skimpy. The over powder was was made from thin gasket material with a sticky lube felt wad on top, which stayed in place for four shots of ball with 20 grains of FFFg.
Perhaps with #9 shot the pattern would be better, but I don't have any so this is for the next person to test.
Stay safe
watch six
Bunk

 

[mkpatrick]

There are so many myths about snakes, including how far they can strike. A coiled up rattling snake shout be a fairly easy target with either shot or a round ball.

I've studied snakes all my life.
The rattle snakes we have here are very small compared to something typically found in Arizona or Texas.
Most of the time, I've just been relocating the rattlesnakes and I never see them again. Last year I saw only one on our property.
The year before our English Mastiff encountered one and hadn't learned what that buzzing sound was, he got tattooed in the face by the snake and I heard him yipe and run. I examined him very thoroughly and saw no swelling. I could see where he got bit but it was apparently a dry bite. Snakes have to be miserly with their venom, they need it for hunting.
Had Bubba pressed the attack, I'm certain the next bite would have had some juice in it.
After that encounter, he stayed clear of that buzzing sound, when he heard it, he'd leave and want to go in the house. It only took one lesson for him and lucky for me.
This year, its been different.
In just 2 days, I saw 8 rattlesnakes right in very close proximity to our deck. They were also very unusually aggressive. When I picked them up with the snake stick, they typically just sit there rattling. But these ones were biting the snake stick multiple times and I could see venom on the metal of the stick. Thats weird in these parts. They don't typically act like this, they are even crawling way faster than normal. Its like they're on steroids or something.
We have two new puppies, that are small. They wouldn't survive a bite at their size.
So regrettably I've killed a couple snakes and used a .22 for that. But ammo is expensive so I've re-discovered black powder shooting and figured I'd just use my Pietta revolver for this.
Its an unusual year for snakes here. I've not seen them act like this before. I can't afford a snakebit dog. The vet bill would be around 600 and no guarantee they'd make it at only 8 lbs per pup.

Sorry to go off topic I just wanted to clear up, I'm not snake hunting or going on roundups but I have a legit concern here and my black powder revolver can be a practical application.

 

[mkpatrick]

Tried #7.5 shot today in an Pietta 1851 Navy Colt with very little success. The 15 grain volume of FFFg seemed to give good velocity, based on recoil but the pattern was skimpy. The over powder was was made from thin gasket material with a sticky lube felt wad on top, which stayed in place for four shots of ball with 20 grains of FFFg.
Perhaps with #9 shot the pattern would be better, but I don't have any so this is for the next person to test.
Stay safe
watch six
Bunk

You fired with 15 grains of FFFg?
So a light load. I figured I wouldn't need much for this application.
When you say gasket material, is this like automotive type?

 

[mkpatrick]

One of my cousins is scared to death of snakes. If someone say, were on a camping trip with him in Southern Utah and the talk over the past days had centered around poisonous snakes common in the area after having seen a small Mojave early in the trip and then the same someone would slip a few coils of an old static line into the cousins sleeping bag that someone might then be treated to the sight of a 6’4” 250# man clad in boxer shorts leaping about and screaming like a little girl... I wonder why someone might do such a thing?

I might of been like that when I was in Central America in the military. There was some snakes down there that are pretty scary.
Heck, in Alabama I ran into some snakes there that redirected my path. I was always worried about swimming in that silty water, I couldn't tell what was near me.
I'm in North Central WA now and a civilian. Just smaller Western Rattlesnakes here. We get gopher snakes too but I try to keep them around for the mice. Not venomous.

 

[flintlock75]

Would it damage a cap and ball revolver to fire 7.5 or 8 shot out of it?
We're seeing an unusual abundance of rattlesnakes near us and I can't find ordinary snake shot for modern revolvers lately.

Shot will not damage the gun, best load I found for my REM .44, I made an aluminum foil cartridge filled with #7.5 shot, when you ram it the load expands enough to hold the load in the cylinder , killed a couple of water moccasins when I was in Texas. Fatal pattern at 5’ or less.

 

[mkpatrick]

Shot will not damage the gun, best load I found for my REM .44, I made an aluminum foil cartridge filled with #7.5 shot, when you ram it the load expands enough to hold the load in the cylinder , killed a couple of water moccasins when I was in Texas. Fatal pattern at 5’ or less.

Aluminum foil. That is genius.
Do you just start the foil with the rammer to form a small cup so to speak and then add the shot, then fold the foil over and ram it again?

 

[wb78963]

You fired with 15 grains of FFFg?
So a light load. I figured I wouldn't need much for this application.
When you say gasket material, is this like automotive type?

the 15 grain volume was approximately one half of the chamber volume fo a "square load". It is what I use with ball for plinking.
The gasket material is .033" thick yes automotive type.
The problem is the small volume of the chamber for shot. that load of 15 grains will flatten a ball at CAS steel target ranges and works best in my revolver.
Perhaps #9 shot would work better but I don't have any.
I did a little ground work someone else can carry on from here.
Hold Center
Hit Center
Takes practice
Bunk

 

[Steel Guitar]

My problem with this is after I fire the smoke makes it so I can't see what happened to the snake. And then I feel like running!

 

[MSW]

a good run beats a bad stand

 

[wb78963]

My problem with this is after I fire the smoke makes it so I can't see what happened to the snake. And then I feel like running!

Practice a lot, shoot straight, don't miss, no problem.
Bunk

 

[Scota@4570]

I guess I didn't think about how the shot will stay in one place before firing and not spill out.
Seems like a wad on top of it would not help.

Use a 45 cal gas check as the top wad.

 

[wb78963]

Use a 45 cal gas check as the top wad.
[/QUO
I did and that works. Also the 15 grains of powder will drive a #7.5 shot through both sides of a soda can at about 10 feet.That should put the business on a snake.
Bunk

 

[mkpatrick]

Thanks guys!

 

[Gunsmith4570]

Some information from early Oklahoma history, years ago a gentleman brought me his great grand mother's Colt 1849 Pocket model. He asked that I unload and clean the gun and told me that 3 chambers were loaded with shot. The story goes that great grand mother's Father gave it to her when she was young and taught her to load it with shot because snakes were bad around the home place. This was a .31 caliber and I really don't recall the load and I did not weigh the powder, but over the powder was a thin card wad that appeared to be hand cut, then was the shot which appeared to have been mixed with grease or tallow. You have to understand the gun had been loaded for many years as the piece had been handed down through the family grand mother had removed the percussion caps for safety. Lastly 3 chambers were loaded with shot and 2 with solid ball.

 

[Sam squanch]

I see an opportunity for some with a lathe to bore out the rifling and leave a little choke at the muzzle….