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From: magnum@mimsy.umd.edu (News Moderator)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Pack Gun
Message-ID: <35823@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 19 Jun 91 22:54:24 GMT
Organization: Motorola Computer Systems Division, Beaverton OR
Lines: 34
Approved: gun-control@cs.umd.edu


In article <35746@mimsy.umd.edu> macklin@garnet.berkeley.edu (Macklin Burnham) writes:
#In article <35656@mimsy.umd.edu> ke4zv!gary@gatech.edu (Gary Coffman) writes:
##
##I've tried snake shot in everything including .44 mag. It usually makes
##the snake angry. The best way to deal with a snake is to avoid him. A
##second choice is a hiking staff. If you just like killing snakes, a
##.22 hollowpoint through the head leaves them dead. A 4" barrel .22
#                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#Maybe Gary can answer a question that I've had for 20 years or so. A guy
#once told me that it was easy to hunt rattlesnakes with a .22 rifle: all
#you had to do was point the rifle with one hand in the snake's face, and
#it would move its head to zero in on the muzzle. I've never been a position
#to try this. Was the guy putting me on?
#Mack Burnham

I was hiking with my SO over Memorial Weekend when I shot a rattlesnake.
I'd always thought that my .357 Mag would be an appropriate weapon until
it came time to shoot the snake.  He was coiled up in a pile of rocks!!!
The possibility of a ricochet with the 158 grain .357 seemed much more 
likely than the .22 rifle I was also carrying.  I opted for the rifle and 
with one shot almost severed his head from his body.

As for sticking the muzzle in his face... I could see no reason to get
that close to a live rattler.

After cutting off his head and rattle my SO wanted to look at his fangs.  
I figured OK.  Reaching down I grabbed the head behind the jaw to push
his mouth open.  SNAP!  He almost got me!  I guess that was a dumb thing
to do.  If you do kill one of these critters, don't mess with his head.
-- 
Brian Vandewettering - NRA, NRA-ILA, OSSA  -- Opinions are MINE!!!
Motorola Inc., Computer Systems Division - Beaverton, Oregon
brian@pdx.csd.mot.com                 . . .  tektronix!nosun!cvedc!mcspdx!brian