Need either 38 or 380 Shot Shells Now....

[sailcaptain]

I have a nest of snakes and need to make either 38 Special or 380 Shotshells fast, otherwise use a 12 gauge.
Need some advice on cutting wads (material, method), powder amounts and type and crimping shell case closed.
Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

[toallmy]

Do it with the shot gun now before they get away .

[John McCorkle]

I typically use a dechamfer tool to sharpen the inside of a piece of brass ...make sure the primer is pinched out and you have a paper clip or piece of wire to punch out the wads ...for 38 I use 3.2 grains of hp38 two paper cards over powder end of pencil to make sure they seat well...fill with shot just enough to allow one more paper was on top...roll crimp and titebond 3 wood glue (water proof one) to seal it.

Take your sharpened brass and put old business cards on a board and lightly tap the back...it'll cut a perfectly sized paper card....they'll stack inside the case and when you cut several punch them out of the case via the primer hole with your paper clip or piece of wire

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[NoZombies]

If you've got the 12 gauge already and you know where they are, that would be my choice.

I like pistol shotshells for the chance encounters, but wouldn't choose them over a real shotgun if I had the choice.

If you're stuck on using pistol shotshells, the 38 is better suited and doesn't take as much work. I've made a fair number of 380 shotshells, but that's because I carry a .380 a fair bit, and around here I'm more likely to need to shooot a slithering snake than a walking one.

[Eddie Southgate]

If they aint poison snakes I'd leave them alone . If they are use te 12 ga . How many is a nest ?

[GregLaROCHE]

Unless there is a particular reason for a pistol, go with a shotgun. More firepower to get the job done.

[sailcaptain]

They’re not poisonous but they are coming out onto a deck and patio.
John, thank you for the techniques, great advice. Followed and worked.

38 Special did the trick.

I did start making some 380’s as a trial run and just to have.
I just didn’t have the time to order and wait for CCI Shot Shells in the mail and from what I am seeing they are getting hard to find.
Thanks to everyone for the advice and help.

[Adam Helmer]

They’re not poisonous but they are coming out onto a deck and patio.
John, thank you for the techniques, great advice. Followed and worked.

38 Special did the trick.

I did start making some 380’s as a trial run and just to have.
I just didn’t have the time to order and wait for CCI Shot Shells in the mail and from what I am seeing they are getting hard to find.
Thanks to everyone for the advice and help.

sailcaptain,

Where do you reside? If you are out of town and can legally shoot snakes with a .38, I would go with my snake loads. I use once fired .38 Special cases, resize, prime and add a charge of Unique powder. I use a gas check seated atop the powder, with the cup up, drop in enough shot to fill the case, put a gas check cup down on top and roll crimp. The end result is similar to the old brass shotgun shells. I do not cut card wads, mess with glue, etc., etc.

I hope this helps.

Adam

[cp1969]

Speer makes plastic shot capsules for .38 caliber and CCI makes loaded .38 Special ammo.

The capsules are available in .44 and .45 caliber, too.

[flounderman]

cardboard milk cartons work to cut wads from.

[sailcaptain]

Adam,
This use is for a friends lake home in Connecticut. A shotgun would have been just to much tool for the job.
I'm in Rhode Island so the snakes are just crawlers. But, that being said, in Tiverton, RI there are Rattle Snakes in the rock ledges etc. I used to shoot target matches at a Tiverton Range and that's where I first saw a rattle snake. Rare, but there.
I like your technique. Just this morning I cleaned, primed and flared 60 used rounds of 38 Special I had in a bag.

Has anyone ever used thin plastic straws as a liner in the case to prevent fouling? Like using the Speer Capsules.
I now have a need to make some for 3 others. I may buy some #12 shot in bulk if I can get a good price.
Thank you for sharing, everyone.

[rockrat]

I use 357 max brass cut to cylinder length. Load with 3 grains bullseye, 35cal carboard wad, size in 38 special seating die to size front of case down so will chamber, fill to within 1/8" of case mouth with "ancini de pepe" pasta, then another cardboard wad and crimp. Short range though, maybe 5 ft. Figure the pasta shatters if it hits something real hard, but will do a job on a snake. No fouling either

[375RUGER]

Snakes...reminds me of the time I had just picked up a brand new Browning BPS 12ga, I was in high school. It was the merry month of May and the snake rut was ON. They were easy to call in. I don't remember how many shots I fired but I must have killed well over a hundred snakes maybe more than 200, there was a bunch. Great way to break in a new shooter.

[fcvan]

I make my 38 sp snake shot loads with gas checks and #9 shot. I used to carry a 38 deringer in the watch pocket of my levis or wore my 357 with the first 2 rounds being snake shot. Possum, raccoons, and rats mostly. I had to switch to a pellet rifle due to neighbor complaints, I was killing 8 - 10 rats of an evening. After 4 months, I got them thinned out. My Dad went 'hunting' with me one evening. After I killed 4, he said 'let me try.' Good fun at dusk.

[owejia]

Snakes...reminds me of the time I had just picked up a brand new Browning BPS 12ga, I was in high school. It was the merry month of May and the snake rut was ON. They were easy to call in. I don't remember how many shots I fired but I must have killed well over a hundred snakes maybe more than 200, there was a bunch. Great way to break in a new shooter.

Tell us how to call snakes in!!

[mazo kid]

We live in the boonies and have only had one timber rattler in our yard. Actually our Town Patrolman killed it, evidently did not know they are protected! We have Fox Snakes and Bull Snakes, but we won't kill them as they are good mousers!

[Mr_Sheesh]

On a search, years ago, was climbing a fairly tough ridge to get up on to to look for signs of the lost person, came upon a huge (for WA State) snake, some variant of a Garter Snake; Darn thing was 5+ feet long (I was guessing maybe 8' but it's been a while and no camera on me at the time.) If it'd been a venomous snake I could have been in a bad way, as it was we saw each other and both gave the other room, it slithered off to safety. Sure got my attention; I'm not sure my usual 45 ACP shot shells would have killed that beast quickly.

I've done 38 Spl but not yet 380 shot shells, looking forwards to getting to those. I need a metal shop :)

I imagine the 38 Spl carries a lot larger payload of shot.