[Chris Boyd]

Thinking of purchasing a couple of boxes of CCI .38 special #9 shotshells. Going to and from the river with the wife and kids and seeing more snakes than in past years. Only have a snub nose .38 though and concerned that the short barrel would require me or the wife to get too close the demon string before the shells would be effective. Anyone here have any experience with these rounds? Looking for opinions and alternative options.

 

[DoyleAlley]

Short barrel actually makes them work better. The longer the barrel, the more the capsule has a chance to spin. Spinning makes the pattern open up.

 

[NRA_guy]

Yes, I had a problem with them.

Read about it here:

Anybody else had a problem with CCI .38 shotshells in a revolver?

 

[Vick]

I patterned them years ago and came to the same conclusion that Doyle reached. Use the 2" Smith with confidence...it will shoot better with the shot than the longer barrels do.

 

[DEADEYE 1]

I for years shot barrels with at least 4 inches. 30 years ago 7.5 and 8 inch barrels. Theoretically you gain a little velocity and have a longer sight plane and should have a modest increase in foot pounds of energy. I have shot man snakes in the head using CCI in 22 lr. and 22mag and in the last few years in other calibers. I also have been experimenting with 2 inch barrels with equal success.
And believe me, I don,t get any closer than I have it with a Copperhead or big Rattlesnake like we have in the hilly area that I live in.
Also I have not had the problem of shooting a rattlesnake in the head and having him seemingly come back to life 20 minutes later. My experience with CCI 22 with 12 shot and with the 38/357 in 9 shot is when they are hit it the head they are dead. If they are really big, I might shoot them again for good measure.

 

[Vick]

Yes, I had a problem with them.

Read about it here:

Anybody else had a problem with CCI .38 shotshells in a revolver?

The shotshells you were using were loaded with #4 shot, not the #9 shot used for many years. I suspect that CCI changed the load when they went to larger shot to gain velocity and didn't increase the crimp to make sure they stayed put in the new loads. In probably 50 years of use, including buying capsules to load my own, I've never had one come loose in the other chambers.

 

[Cliff731]

I patterned them years ago and came to the same conclusion that Doyle reached. Use the 2" Smith with confidence...it will shoot better with the shot than the longer barrels do.

Vick... that's good to know. I'll buy some of these CCI shot shell rounds for my S&W 642 to use when I venture off into the woods...

 

[JoseyWalesII]

This is all you need: CCI and S&W 686+ (7 shot) This is some of the old nickel plated stuff, long since shot up. It will flat out plant a moccasin, and the short barrel comes out of the holster fast, that's important if you know what I mean. I think you do.

Fockers are everywhere:

 

[JoseyWalesII]

Then this focker came along. Beautiful Timber Rattler but can't have this near the house, wife, dogs, 84 year old paw-paw etc. CCI .38/357 to the rescue.
CRACKAPOWYA

 

[DEADEYE 1]

I shot a Taurus ultralite 7 shot today. They probably copied the Smith when Smith had partial ownership of Taurus. Keep shooting them.

 

[Arms Lister]

I have used the cci 38/357 #9 shotshells in a sw640-1 2"x.357 with great effect on snakes.
I know a gentleman who, while weedwacking, was challenged into a quickdraw contest by a leaping snake at three feet away. The snake got all of the plastic and some lead too just behind the head as it was in mid air five feet away over the creek bank. Only trouble was that it turned out to be a non-venomous snake that must have had a guilty conscience. And that is no fish story.

 

[Chris Boyd]

Well, it’s seems the scale tips in favor of a snubby and .38 shortshells as an effective cure for the evil snake plague of 2018. All I need now is to find someone local to buy from, or get a few dozen ordered before next weekend. Big riverside camp out coming up. Lots of kids and pets running around on the sand and rock bars and climbing over the low brushy hills that border the river along our lease. I’m sure we’ll have more opportunity than we want to dispatch some of the useless, venomous serpents. Thanks everyone for their input.

 

[Chris Boyd]

Bought a box of CCI .38spl #9 Shotshells at the Wally World in McComb. These are my patterns at 7 yards and at 3 yards. Target is 8” diameter. It’s a helluva difference. 2 shots at each target at each range. Handgun is a Taurus 85 Protector Poly (wife’s CCW). It shoots a might low and to the left so I adjusted point of aim to compensate. 3 yards appears to be optimal distance. 7 yards is just to far to be affective and 5 yards (target not shown) gives an inconsistent pattern but would likely do the job with a couple of well placed shots.

 

[patchz]

I've killed several over the years with CCI 38/357 and 44 magnum, and some I loaded. The 357 was out of a model 66 Smith 4" and a 3" model 13. The 44 was out of a 6 1/2" model 29. I've also killed a couple with homemade 45 ACP out of a 1991A1 Colt compact. Ranges varied from about six feet to one shot at 15-18 feet with the 44. I had some I loaded in 44 using #6 and sone using #4 but never got a chance to try them on snakes.

 

[NRA_guy]

Bought a box of CCI .38spl #9 Shotshells at the Wally World in McComb. These are my patterns at 7 yards and at 3 yards. Target is 8” diameter. It’s a helluva difference. 2 shots at each target at each range. Handgun is a Taurus 85 Protector Poly (wife’s CCW). It shoots a might low and to the left so I adjusted point of aim to compensate. 3 yards appears to be optimal distance. 7 yards is just to far to be affective and 5 yards (target not shown) gives an inconsistent pattern but would likely do the job with a couple of well placed shots.


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Thanks. That is exactly what I have for snakes but I have not patterned it yet.

 

[patchz]

Old ones in the speedloader.