Can to load sandblasting sand into .38 special brass to kill chipmunks in a live trap

Chipmunk live trap: wheelbarrow full of water, ker plunk, 5 minutes, dump, reset. Like the shampoo bottle says: wash, rinse, repeat.
Bigger live trap w/ woodchucks or raccoon: Plastic cheapo tarp, place trap in middle by using dirt rake on handle, wrap in tarp, fold one end under, light gopher gasser bomb, place well into open end, fold end under, 15 minutes later unwrap, dump into garbage.
This worked well for me at my former house in city. One summer I "managed" 37 chipmunks, 4 raccoon, 1 possum, 3 red squirrel this way. Never noticed the thinning next year. Amazing how many critters can be around in a 0.26 acre lot.

Get a 5 gal bucket, fill with water and teach them to swim. Reloading components are too dear to waste on this endeavor.

This would be my recommendation, Crosman P1377BR American Classic Multi Pump .177-Caliber Pneumatic Pellet Air Pistol $60.00 on Amazon. You can pump it anywhere from 2 to 10 times per shot. Only real maintenance it needs is a drop of oil on the piston every so often.

I second the air pistol if you insist on the firing squad technique.

None of the methods are enjoyable to me, but, necessary in some locations. We mainly had packrats.

The 'cleanest' our property was when we had a family of ferrets move in one summer. Unfortunately, when they cleaned out the 'neighborhood' they moved on and the packrats came back.

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Originally Posted by DonHowe

.450 BPE with sift lead bullet or .22LR birdshot. Take your pick!

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This!

Knew a crazy old dude who went to war on ground moles with a 450 Nitro Express and other such implements of mass destruction.

He would sit in a lawn chair in the front yard, when the dirt moved he shot. Claimed you didn't have to hit them, concussion and muzzle blast finished them off.

He'd dig up the bronze solid slug and reloaded it.

All from Ruger #1's. He was a #1 nut. I was told he had more than 70 when he died.

The 500 N.E. was the problem child. First time he used that in a mole execution he could not find the slug. Had to get a buddy over with a metal detector because it went way deeper than anything else.

I did mention he was crazy right?

I suspect in this situation, that close to the cage may be adequate.

Kind like a hunting corollary to the old close only works in horseshoes and hand granades.

Happy hunting!

Maybe he should get a ‘dead’ trap?
Or add a weight to the live trap and drop it in his neighbor’s pool.

Anyone remember the news story about the guy (I think in Pa.) that caught a mouse in his garage while he had a pile of autumn leaves burning in the yard? He threw the mouse in the fire, mouse caught fire, escaped and ran back into the garage. Burned the garage down.

How about a shovel?

Federal still makes 22 lr #12 shot.

I would not want to shoot sand through any gun I own

Any pellet gun will do the job.

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Originally Posted by 15meter

I did mention he was crazy right?

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This reminds me of Marlon Brando in "The Freshman".

In a similar situation, I'm sure he'd say:
'Crazy' is such an ugly word. I try not to use it.
Perhaps 'misunderstood' would be more appropriate.

I'll 5th or 6th the pellet pistol/rifle or, if he's insistent to use a revolver, at the range he's talking about corn cob or walnut tumbling media will work and not hurt the barrel. He can even make Magnum chipmunk loads using either media.

I have killed moles with everything from a 22LR to a 500 BPE and a 16 ga. I once emptied half of a 15 round M-1 carbine magazine into where I thought one was. Got him too!!! Couldn't tell how many times I hit it, there was lots of holes...

Buy a "kill" trap and be done with it.

PS forgot. I went to kill traps for the packrats too. Std rat traps. Peanut butter bait. For chipmunks you could probably just use mouse traps.

I wouldnt put sand in my barrel. Just make your own shot rounds for 38sp. Pretty simple to do & you dont need much to kill a chipmunk. Agree though a pellet gun is about perfect.

NO SAND! Nothing abrasive.

Use any food group/grain that is small & hard!

At that short of range, 3-4 air rifle pellets, even rice or grape nuts cereal would probably work.

Just fill the rest of the .38 sp with corn meal or COW and cap it off with bullet lube so it don't spill. I just formed 500 .30-40 Krag cases to .38-50.
I put a few of those loads through a cardboard box to keep the mess off the garage floor. If they put a hole through a box they will go through hide.
At close range like a trap just a shell with just a primer will get the job done on a little critter like a chip.

Pellet gun!

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Originally Posted by MW3840

What about using a .22 single shot power load? Can I shoot them in a regular .22 revolver? And if so, would they cleanly dispatch the afore mentioned chipmunk in the live trap?

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Yes , power loads can be shot in a regular 22 revolver . At point blank range they are lethal and will cleanly dispatch even a person with a shot to the head .
I attended the funeral of a friend's son who was killed playing russian roulet with a 22 loaded with a power load ... he didn't realize the danger and assumed nothing comes out the end of the barrel on firing . He died instantly from one shot with a power load .
Gary