posted on Nov, 12 2018 @ 04:25 AM
Probably one of the best shots I've ever made was on a rattler. And it was kind of by accident too. One of the dogs was walking over a pile of steel
"T" posts between two trailers when a big rattler lit off. The dogs know to be afraid of them so she jumped back and ran to me. I had my pistol and
I thought I had it loaded with snake shot (which I usually do). Snake shot is pretty small so I figured it would be okay to shoot between the
trailers without fear of too much damage if the shot bounced off the steel posts.
I could only see just snake's head sticking up out o the posts. I was a good 80-90 feet away at the time. I had to hurry before the snake
disappeared back into the pile again where I'd never be able to get it. So, I aimed and fired. Direct hit, right to the head. It was a big one too,
about 9 rattles! Took the snake inside after removing the head and dressed it out and skinned it. Wrapped the skin in tanning salt and ate the
snake.
Later that night at bedtime I took off my pistol and removed the magazine and unloaded the pistol. I was shocked at what I saw! What I had thought
was snake-shot was actually regular target ammo (i.e. bullets, not BB's)! I had grabbed the wrong mag that morning. So what I had done was take a
shot at the head of a snake, between two trailers parked closely together, into a pile of steel posts, from about 30 yards away, with a 9mm
pistol...and I'd hit only the head of the snake and nothing else! WOW!
I was pretty mad at myself over the whole ordeal for a couple of days afterwards for making the mistake, but it turned out okay in the end.
Incidentally, I only kill rattlesnakes that get up close to (or inside) the house. As a general rule rattlesnakes are fantastic pest control, so I
leave them be as long as they're not bothering me, the dogs or the cattle.