Big Snake Hunting

DPris · October 21, 2018, 03:07 PM

If you were going on the hunt for a 40-foot anaconda in the Everglades, which long gun would you take?
Denis

oldscot3 · October 21, 2018, 06:00 PM

Does a stainless 12 gauge pump count as a long gun?

Extended mag and 3" shells.

Colorado Redneck · October 21, 2018, 06:47 PM

I'm with Oldscot. A snake that long (40 ft.) would be pretty thick, so penetration would be important. A head shot from a 12 gauge loaded with 000 buckshot would likely be effective. Evidently gator hunters use 22 lr to put down gators.

2damnold4this · October 21, 2018, 06:55 PM

is your objective to exterminate the anaconda or are you hunting it for food or the skin?

Dufus · October 21, 2018, 07:35 PM

IF I ever saw an anaconda in the Everglades, I would think the world has turned upside down.

Being so, 12 ga 2 3/4" full of #4 or maybe #2.

bamaranger · October 21, 2018, 08:16 PM

Pump shotgun for sure, short barrel, slug or riot type, just for ease of carry and storeage. Ranges would be close I'm thinking. Also thinking I'd go with a 12ga, and simple 1-1/4 oz shot loads. I dunno how thick the skull on a giant anaconda could be? Does one really need buckshot? Beats me.

But at 30 ft or so, a load of relatively heavy bird shot to the noggin would kill a lot of stuff. BB's or #2 lead? Don't think I'd go smaller than that, or larger than #4 buck. I dunno.........never handled a snake that big.

Dano4734 · October 21, 2018, 08:21 PM

Snakes scare the snot out of me, I would want a flame thrower

big al hunter · October 21, 2018, 08:23 PM

Snakes aren't bullet proof ...but the target is small ...so .....my Rem 700 in .243 win. It's accurate and with light varmint bullets would make an awesome mess of a 40' anacondas head

FrankenMauser · October 21, 2018, 08:38 PM

A 40-foot anaconda in Florida?
I'd rope it, break it, ride it home, and name it "Muffin".

Roadkill2228 · October 21, 2018, 09:15 PM

To date there has never been a reliably confirmed snake of any species that long (longest is the reticulated python, heaviest is anaconda). But if there was, i think everyone has the right idea with shotguns making sense. Most real world option being a 12 gauge 3.5” buck round, ideal choice being a 4 bore or something along those lines, with a lot more buckshot. Snakes are super muscular and apart from the spine/brain don’t really have any massive bone structures or joints that can be destroyed for an instant stop/anchoring effect. Shotguns increase the likelihood of striking the CNS, a very small and moving target within a misleadingly large and hard to kill creature. If not a shotgun then a powerful rifle using lightly constructed bullets going really fast so as to destroy as much soft tissue as possible as again there’s not much benefit to deep penetration and joint busting ability on a long skinny critter with no joints. The only exception is if you want to shoot it lengthways. Do you think the 600 overkill with solids could make a Texas heart shot through 30 feet of snake with straight line penetration?

BarryLee · October 21, 2018, 09:29 PM

I would ask my fishing companion Marco Rubio to have one of his body guards kill it. Then we'd all travel to South Beach for a big party and some new snake skin boots.

big al hunter · October 21, 2018, 11:26 PM

Quote:

The only exception is if you want to shoot it lengthways. Do you think the 600 overkill with solids could make a Texas heart shot through 30 feet of snake with straight line penetration?

If you can get a rifle to shoot a bullet that corkscrews through the air,

then someone should be able to make a bullet up to the task of shooting through 30 feet of snake.

Hawg · October 22, 2018, 01:27 AM

Quote:

If you were going on the hunt for a 40-foot anaconda in the Everglades, which long gun would you take?

A .50 BMG and I'd start looking for it in Amarillo.

Art Eatman · October 22, 2018, 07:41 AM

The longest snake of which I recall from the news was an 18-foot python. It was found beneath a house in a subdivision around (IIRC) Fort Lauderdale. I've not read of an anaconda down in the Glades.

Monitor lizards in the area around Ft. Myers, if you want a more active target.

dahermit · October 22, 2018, 07:53 AM

Quote:

I've not read of an anaconda down in the Glades.

Neither had I. I thought the poster must have it confused with a Burmese Python, then I googled and found this:
https://slate.com/technology/2013/11...ed-states.html

FITASC · October 22, 2018, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Evidently gator hunters use 22 lr to put down gators.

No, they use bang sticks in either 357 or 44mag

Quote:

Quote:
I've not read of an anaconda down in the Glades.
Neither had I. I thought the poster must have it confused with a Burmese Python, then I googled and found this:
https://slate.com/technology/2013/11...ed-states.html

Don't forget we have gators and crocs down there too.......and the snakes are winning; then there's the lion fish but for those you need a spear gun

DPris · October 22, 2018, 11:13 AM

Focus on the artillery, not the specific foot-length.

We COULD go with a 39-footer....
Denis

FrankenMauser · October 22, 2018, 11:14 AM

Quote:

No, they use bang sticks in either 357 or 44mag

That depends upon who you are, and where.
I believe the reply was referring to gator hunters in general, not those in the everglades, specifically.
Florida doesn't allow the use of firearms, but other places do.

**44 AMP** · October 22, 2018, 11:44 AM

A good long sword and Conan the Barbarian to wield it vs. Giant snake.
Conan the talk show host would be fun to watch, but I'd put money on the snake..

why bother with a long gun?? Desert Eagle .44 Mag, and FMJ!!! There's no point to shooting a giant snake anywhere but in the brain (unless you're using 40mm + explosive rounds)

Ok, new choice, long gun, 90mm recoilless rifle!! With Flechette(beehive) round!

T. O'Heir · October 22, 2018, 11:48 AM

"...the world has turned upside down..." It has. There are Burmese pythons and anacondas in Florida. The snakes and gators are fighting over who will be the top predator.
Oh and a 10 foot pole will kill a snake. Except those pythons and anacondas grow a lot bigger than that. Might be the only time buckshot would be the best choice. Just remember that to a 40 foot anaconda, you are food.
The Slate.com page is dead. Lots of pictures(6,730,000 results) from an "anaconda in Florida" net search. Including pictures of gators and snakes eating each other. One where a snake burst after eating a big gator.

FITASC · October 22, 2018, 02:09 PM

Quote:

That depends upon who you are, and where.
I believe the reply was referring to gator hunters in general, not those in the everglades, specifically.
Florida doesn't allow the use of firearms, but other places do.

Florida does most certainly allow the use of bang sticks in 357 or 44; they are sold at the airboats makers and others who cater to supplying the gear for gator hunters

https://www.krugerfarms.com/blog/fiv...ng-in-florida/

FrankenMauser · October 22, 2018, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Florida does most certainly allow the use of bang sticks in 357 or 44; they are sold at the airboats makers and others who cater to supplying the gear for gator hunters

Flip your perspective.
I was referring to the use of things OTHER than bang sticks - such as those you protested against in the originally quoted retort.

Sevens · October 22, 2018, 05:33 PM

So we are talking a constrictor and nothing venomous?

I'd take something small and Hi-cap, let's say my S&W 469 or a 6906. I'd let him swallow me... then I'd shoot my way out! That would be a great story for the Grandkids!

pwc · October 22, 2018, 05:52 PM

Not a snake but.....

Colorado Redneck · October 22, 2018, 08:58 PM

I watched a few episodes of Swamp People, and they were using 22 long rifle to dispatch their quarry. Here is a short article about that subject:
https://www.americanhunter.org/artic...lligator-ammo/

October 21, 2018, 03:07 PM	#1
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	Big Snake Hunting If you were going on the hunt for a 40-foot anaconda in the Everglades, which long gun would you take? Denis

October 21, 2018, 08:16 PM	#6
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,300	snakes Pump shotgun for sure, short barrel, slug or riot type, just for ease of carry and storeage. Ranges would be close I'm thinking. Also thinking I'd go with a 12ga, and simple 1-1/4 oz shot loads. I dunno how thick the skull on a giant anaconda could be? Does one really need buckshot? Beats me. But at 30 ft or so, a load of relatively heavy bird shot to the noggin would kill a lot of stuff. BB's or #2 lead? Don't think I'd go smaller than that, or larger than #4 buck. I dunno.........never handled a snake that big.

October 21, 2018, 08:23 PM	#8
big al hunter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2011 Location: Washington state Posts: 1,558	Snakes aren't bullet proof ...but the target is small ...so .....my Rem 700 in .243 win. It's accurate and with light varmint bullets would make an awesome mess of a 40' anacondas head __________________ You can't fix stupid....however ignorance can be cured through education!

October 21, 2018, 08:38 PM	#9
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	A 40-foot anaconda in Florida? I'd rope it, break it, ride it home, and name it "Muffin". __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

October 21, 2018, 09:29 PM	#11
BarryLee Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2010 Location: The ATL (OTP) Posts: 3,946	I would ask my fishing companion Marco Rubio to have one of his body guards kill it. Then we'd all travel to South Beach for a big party and some new snake skin boots. __________________ A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman

October 21, 2018, 06:00 PM	#2
oldscot3 Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2007 Location: texas Posts: 997	Does a stainless 12 gauge pump count as a long gun? Extended mag and 3" shells.

October 21, 2018, 06:47 PM	#3
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	I'm with Oldscot. A snake that long (40 ft.) would be pretty thick, so penetration would be important. A head shot from a 12 gauge loaded with 000 buckshot would likely be effective. Evidently gator hunters use 22 lr to put down gators.

October 21, 2018, 06:55 PM	#4
2damnold4this Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2009 Location: Athens, Georgia Posts: 2,526	is your objective to exterminate the anaconda or are you hunting it for food or the skin?

October 21, 2018, 07:35 PM	#5
Dufus Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2014 Posts: 1,965	IF I ever saw an anaconda in the Everglades, I would think the world has turned upside down. Being so, 12 ga 2 3/4" full of #4 or maybe #2.

October 21, 2018, 08:21 PM	#7
Dano4734 Senior Member Join Date: October 6, 2014 Posts: 730	Snakes scare the snot out of me, I would want a flame thrower

October 21, 2018, 09:15 PM	#10
Roadkill2228 Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2014 Location: Nipawin, Saskatchewan Posts: 311	To date there has never been a reliably confirmed snake of any species that long (longest is the reticulated python, heaviest is anaconda). But if there was, i think everyone has the right idea with shotguns making sense. Most real world option being a 12 gauge 3.5” buck round, ideal choice being a 4 bore or something along those lines, with a lot more buckshot. Snakes are super muscular and apart from the spine/brain don’t really have any massive bone structures or joints that can be destroyed for an instant stop/anchoring effect. Shotguns increase the likelihood of striking the CNS, a very small and moving target within a misleadingly large and hard to kill creature. If not a shotgun then a powerful rifle using lightly constructed bullets going really fast so as to destroy as much soft tissue as possible as again there’s not much benefit to deep penetration and joint busting ability on a long skinny critter with no joints. The only exception is if you want to shoot it lengthways. Do you think the 600 overkill with solids could make a Texas heart shot through 30 feet of snake with straight line penetration?

October 22, 2018, 07:41 AM	#14
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	The longest snake of which I recall from the news was an 18-foot python. It was found beneath a house in a subdivision around (IIRC) Fort Lauderdale. I've not read of an anaconda down in the Glades. Monitor lizards in the area around Ft. Myers, if you want a more active target.

October 22, 2018, 11:13 AM	#17
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	Focus on the artillery, not the specific foot-length. We COULD go with a 39-footer.... Denis

October 22, 2018, 11:44 AM	#19
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,812	A good long sword and Conan the Barbarian to wield it vs. Giant snake. Conan the talk show host would be fun to watch, but I'd put money on the snake.. why bother with a long gun?? Desert Eagle .44 Mag, and FMJ!!! There's no point to shooting a giant snake anywhere but in the brain (unless you're using 40mm + explosive rounds) Ok, new choice, long gun, 90mm recoilless rifle!! With Flechette(beehive) round! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

October 22, 2018, 11:48 AM	#20
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...the world has turned upside down..." It has. There are Burmese pythons and anacondas in Florida. The snakes and gators are fighting over who will be the top predator. Oh and a 10 foot pole will kill a snake. Except those pythons and anacondas grow a lot bigger than that. Might be the only time buckshot would be the best choice. Just remember that to a 40 foot anaconda, you are food. The Slate.com page is dead. Lots of pictures(6,730,000 results) from an "anaconda in Florida" net search. Including pictures of gators and snakes eating each other. One where a snake burst after eating a big gator. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

October 22, 2018, 05:33 PM	#23
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	So we are talking a constrictor and nothing venomous? I'd take something small and Hi-cap, let's say my S&W 469 or a 6906. I'd let him swallow me... then I'd shoot my way out! That would be a great story for the Grandkids! __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

October 22, 2018, 08:58 PM	#25
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	Gator hunters I watched a few episodes of Swamp People, and they were using 22 long rifle to dispatch their quarry. Here is a short article about that subject: https://www.americanhunter.org/artic...lligator-ammo/