quick question about shotshells for .38 sp/357

[BIGINNER]

does shooting shotshell through a .38sp/357 ruin the rifling?   

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

You will get some fowling from the plastic cup, but no permanent damage.
 the shot is lead, so therefore softer than the rifling.
lousy pattern due to rifling, makes a "doughnut" you wont hit anything by pointing right at it.
great for trick shooting, as it will spread immediately upon leaving barrel, and "a miss is a hit"...

[BIGINNER]

lol.  thanks,  i go hiking alot in rattlesnake areas,  and wondering what would be a better snake gun.
shooting bullets or shotshells?  .22 rifle or .38 spl?

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I use a long stick ! 
That way I dont put holes in their hides.....
It doesnt really matter, you have more pellets in the .38, but .22's are cheaper.
A snake can only strike half the length of its body, so range is not a problem....
you do want to consider ricochet, as most likely short range shots in rocky areas....
I guess it all depends on what you want to carry,

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

P.S.. have you seen Bone's pictures, "Friend or Foe?"

[BIGINNER]

P.S.. have you seen Bone's pictures, "Friend or Foe?"

ya..  thats actually what made me think of this..lol

[BIGINNER]

I use a long stick ! 
That way I dont put holes in their hides.....
It doesnt really matter, you have more pellets in the .38, but .22's are cheaper.
A snake can only strike half the length of its body, so range is not a problem....
you do want to consider ricochet, as most likely short range shots in rocky areas....
I guess it all depends on what you want to carry,

good point.  i didn't even think about ricochets.   

[littlemac]

I have had success with shot shells, you don't fire them often but for short range vermin they work great.

A neighbor had a crap load of bird feeders until she realized she was feeding a rat population, took them down and the rats scattered for food.  I whacked a few of them with shot shells within ten to twenty feet.  I used them mostly to avoid the richocet and long misses in the residential area, when shooting them off tree limbs when they were going for a feeder I had until we realized she had created a huge problem with her (30) feeders.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

My father made a straight tube that fits inside a .44 barrel on his T/C Contender for shooting the .22's out of, lots of good cheap fun !

[h20hunter]

I would be very carefull. I have had some ricochet if shooting close range. A .22 is probably safer.

[carpsniperg2]

yeah will not hurt the gun but i don't like them. i save the skins so a bunch of holes in the skin and they do ricochet

[Bofire]

use a rock or stick

[grundy53]

shovels work great. just cut their head off.

[rasbo]

I grab no shoulders by the tail and whip off the head..NOT.. stick and a knife..just dont mess with the heads after you cut them off

[bowhunterforever]

use a rock or stick

Hit them where the head meets the body or the head