This might be a good thread for some advice...
We’re in a rural area and have chickens. I hate to kill snakes, but once one gets a taste for eggs, there’s really no alternative and some can get a bit aggressive once you confront them.
We have a 12 gauge semi-auto and there’s hardly any spread shooting a snake in front of you - surprisingly difficult to kill it in one shot. Since we really don’t have any other use for the gun, I’m thinking of cutting it down to give us more spread. But I suspect it’s still going to be like firing a canon.
Also have an old single shot .410 that I’ve never fired. It’s basically a junk gun. Thinking maybe I should cut that one down, put in a light load with small shot. Should kick less and since we never use it, it might be a better choice to experiment with, but if you miss you have to manually reload.
But I’m also wondering if it’s not worth the tinkering with either and maybe there’s a more appropriate firearm to deal with snakes and other critters at close range that won’t break the bank?
That .410 assuming it is safe to shoot sounds like just the thing for snakes. It is actually overkill for snakes. Cutting the barrel down would make it more handy but it would point better as is.
You are right to get the finest shot possible and also the least powerful.
Buy a box of 2 1/2” .410 shells with #9 shot. That will be plenty for snakes. Wouldn’t cut the barrel, it’s probably full choke with will put plenty of shot on target.
For a snake a machete is probably a better option. Cheap and effective.
I’ve killed lots of snakes with a full-length .410. As a teen, I would find them, get close to them, and put the muzzle right on their head. A longer gun helps you do that. Sometimes, they got curious enough to look down the barrel...
Only non-lethal snakes, though. Never, ever moved toward a cottonmouth on purpose.