salt shot for a .38?

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We're thinking that it might be time to get our first firearm. There are a few different uses that could justify getting lots of different things, but I think I would like to limit it to just one.

I read somewhere that to butcher a pig a .22 usually won't do the trick but a .38 will.

I've also read that you can get some tiny buckshot for a .22. Can you get that for a .38 too? How about salt buckshot?

I'm thinking that we need something that will kill pigs and something that will discourage critters when we think they need discouraging. Salt buckshot seems like the best for "discouraging", but I don't know if it's available for a .38.

Is there a web site where I might be able to research this sort of thing and maybe order some specialty buckshot?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), September 07, 2001

Answers

this is goping to be your first homestead gun? Id go with a shotgun, 12 or 20 gauge,, can easily get ALL sorts of loads for it. a 38 with salt shot? suppose you could get it,,or have someone load it, The effective range of most handguns,, is about 30 feet. So any long range "discourageing" wont be disccouraging enough. And for home defense,, a 38 WILL go thru walls,, a 12 with birdshot,, wont.Never know whos behind that wall,,, (bedroom, bathroom, ect)

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), September 07, 2001.

I think a shotgun wouldn't be good for killing pigs.

What might be the range of a 22 with salt shot?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), September 07, 2001.


Maybe a hog has got a thick skull. I use a 22 to kill down cows with one shot. Just got to place it right. A 38 will have to have the same. Those tiny shot for the small cal. guns are pretty much for small birds or rats I think. As for salt---don't want my guns all rusted up. You have to make those yourself. Empty out shot from a shotgunshell and put in rock salt. At least thats my opinion. I'm wrong about just about everthing, so keep thatin mind! Don

-- Don (dairyagri@yahoo.com), September 07, 2001.

Many handguns have a killing range of over 100 yards; however, a .38 is not one of them. We used a 22 rifle to kill many pigs, just don't shoot them in the forehead. I doubt a 38 would be much more effective than a 22. Any shotgun will kill a pig just fine using #00 shot.

I have never heard of any commercially loaded ammunition using salt. Why not wait until your animal is dressed and ready to cook before salting and peppering the meat?

-- Joe (CactusJoe001@AOL.com), September 07, 2001.


Paul, there are a number of companies that make a .38 round with tiny buck shot. As far as for varmints, i'd say stick with the old tried and true .22 rifle. And one more thing, as far as for home protection i kinda disagree with a previous writer, let me explain. Though its correct a shotgun will not pierce a wall, it can be a little hard to handle/aim in a high stress situation. I recomend using a .38 handgun loaded with buckshot shells, it's what i have used in real life situations in my home once. Worked like a charm. Effective range using .38 buckshot is about 35-50 feet, more than enough for indoor use. Oh and by the way , you can alternate rounds as well. I have a 6 shot Taurus .38 and i load five buckshot rounds and the last one is a jacketed round for good measure. Good luck, Ralph

-- Ralph (lord_byrons_song@yahoo.com), September 07, 2001.


Don't know much about pigs but I would imagine a .22 would be marginal at best. A .38 would diffinantly be better, a .357 would be even better.

In the .357 you may fire .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges, a world of difference between the two. And while the .38 would probably take of a pig just fine, you need to remember that the hardest "critter" to "discourage" is a human being. Not that you are laying to shoot anybody. Your opinion may vary.

-- Viv in TX (kudzu1@webtv.net), September 07, 2001.


Hello Paul, There is something called "snake shot" that you can load into a 38 caliber. It is a bit on the expensive side but, it makes killing snakes easier. I think the kind of rife you may be needing for you particular situations would be and over/under type that loads 410 caliber shot gun shells on top and 22 caliber on bottom. Though I know little about them, it seems to be practical for you situation. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), September 07, 2001.

Don't be so sure a 12ga won't pierce a wall. Houses nowadays are built pretty thin. .22 will kill a pig fine if you place the shot right. .22 birdshot shells are pretty worthless except for very small varmits. I've never seen commercial salt shot and wouldn't recommend it either since it'd be inaccurate. I guess you could load your own but what's the point. They make birdshot shells in about every pistol caliber.

I wouldn't recommend a shotgun for close quarters defense situations. A handgun is the better for those. As mentioned above, alternating rounds first few buckshot, the rest hollowpoint is a good idea. S&W makes a nice .357, the stainless model 686. .357 Federal Hydrashok is the hottest commercial non +p round I've found but use cheap .38 in it for plinking. Stainless is always a plus, I always take it over blued steel if there's a choice.

My protection gun is actually a little .380 Astra Constable, only because it's what I'm most accurate and familiar with and try to hear something after you've fired off a .357 or .40 without earplugs. Shot placement is more important than power.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), September 07, 2001.


i would think a .22 will do the job of varmit control well. a .22 will also kill a pig, i have done it before. for that matter a hammer will kill a pig,so just find a gun you can shoot and feel safe with. most folks start out with the .22 and work their way up from there.

-- paul a coleman (wormfarmerone@yahoo.com), September 08, 2001.

A 22 would be the way to go for a first gun. A 20 or 12 guage will work fine also. For home protection a shotgun is #1. Most people can't shoot well enough with a pistol for defense work. Shotgun, just point and fire. Any time you use birdshot in a gun with lands and groves you will fill the groves up in a short time. We have a Thompson Center 45 long Colt/ 410 barrel and it is nearly full of lead in the barrel. It is worthless for use with a 45. I think Ernest is right, a over/under 22/20 guage might work in your case. I had several through the years, cheap and ugly, but they worked. You should be able to buy one secondhand at a good price. Bill

-- Bill Porter (porboy298@yahoo.com), September 08, 2001.


Paul I've killed over 40 pigs with a 22 Single shot rifle. For home defense I trust my Taurus 38-special snub. The first round is a shot shell. (In a test in a old 14x60 mobile home the pellets from the 38- shot shell DID NOT go through the walls).

My best advice on hog killing is to go to a locale meat packing plant. They can (a) tell you the best method for slaughter (b) quote price on cutting and packaging your meat (c) quote their price for total deal (kill-to-ready to eat)

ON Protection, A 38-snub is not difficult to get good with. BUT it does require practice. I stay away from plus-P rounds as they usually cause me to miss. A good jacketed hollow point like Gold Dot or "Black Hills" are very good. Don't overlook the positive aspects of a 22. First off there cheap to shoot. About $12.00 for 500 rounds. 22's are very effective when used properly. Practice is the KEY for any handgun (or rifle for that matter) I've only been in 2 high stress situations where firearms were called into use (Thank the Creator) The first time I had only a 22 S&W I kept my cool and 1 well placed shot stopped the violence. The second time I had my 38- special. The 2 would be robbers decided that the copper glistening hollow points looked more dangerous than there 9 m/m. (I was lucky a passerby stopped and also pulled a handgun thereby evening the odds and keeping anyone from getting hurt).

Paul if at all possible go to a shooting range and try out several possibilities. THEN DECIDE. It's a personal choice.

Shot guns are ok but they can really cause a bruise on your arm. I had to put away my shot guns after my heart surgery. They just ain't no fun.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), September 08, 2001.


It's always been my experience that you don't want to kill the hog with the rifle or pistol. The reason that you use the 22 for a brain shot is that it " stuns " the hog long enough for you to sever the artery in the neck. Since it isn't dead, the heart will pump long enough for it to bleed out. It will die from loss of blood.

-- Uncle Jake (lulafred@cs.com), September 08, 2001.

Uncle Jake is right. It would be one heck of a mess Blooding a hog if it didn't keep on pumping. Brain shots work.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), September 09, 2001.

I think for your needs, I'd get a over/under singleshot (one for each barrel) like Springfield Armory makes (M6 .22/.410 combo) or Savage (24F) among others. They are nice little utility guns you can use for several different things. I use the Springfield M6 myself.

I would not use birdshot in any gun that isn't smoothbore (shotguns). A .38 would be fine for home defense, but I'd never use one for anything else. The little combos I think would serve you well, several different places have them.

-- Uriah (Uriahdeath2@netscape.net), September 10, 2001.


Paul, Get whatever caliber hand gun you want for home defense. The trick to not blasting through a wall? Glaser saftey slugs. I cant believe noone has brought them up yet.

-- Jim (playwithme_wi@yahoo.com), December 04, 2001.


I think all of the answers so far are a bit premature. If you don't know anything more about guns than your question suggests, you need to get in contact with a local gun club or a knowledgable friend and get some hands on gun training and experience. Without proper training and knowledge about your gun, you are going to be a much bigger danger to yourself and your loved ones than you are to any pig or intruder. I live in a farmhouse and keep my .45 Super next to the bed. To h__l with the walls! Downstairs is my .357 Magnum with buckshot loads within easy reach. Anybody comes in my house uninvited better have a will. In a cabinet are several .22 squirrel rifles that any butcher could use to drop a pig with one shot, but a hammer works just as good. If you don't know what will kill a pig, would you know what to do with it after it's dead? They are not microwave ready.

-- Darrell Wiley (dadesa@iowatelecom.net), February 04, 2002.

Footnote: Don't shoot the pig and then plan on taking it to a locker without some checking. Last I knew, Federal health regulations require that the animal (deer excluded) be killed at the locker plant by the butcher in order for him to process the meat legally. You better check on processing regulations ahead of time. (I hope this is your pig. If not, maybe the rightful pig owner will give you a gun lesson!?)

-- Darrell Wiley (dadesa@iowatelecom.net), February 04, 2002.

Darrell Wiley's pretty much on target.

I've been shooting guns for more than 50 years and I can guarantee you nothing beats a shotgun for home defense. Easier to hit an intruder with and less chance of going through walls with fatal results for the innocent.

As for hog killing, I grew up watching my uncles and I've done it myself -- never with anything but a .22 long rifle. Get the beast up to the trough and plug it right between the eyes, point-blank. Cut its jugular immediately, drag it to the cross-arm and hang it up to bleed and cool.

But do all us gun nuts a favor and get yourself with someone experienced with guns and the shooting sports to teach you at least the bare essentials.

If nothing else, that'll help prevent you from becoming another stupid statistic the gun-grabbing liberals can use to further their confiscatory agendas.

-- Hank in Oklahoma (hbaker@ipa.net), March 21, 2002.


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