page_title: Snake shot
section_title: Snake shot shells
hierarchical_section_title: Snake shot / Snake shot shells
caption_attribution_description: English: .38 Spl shot cartridge
context_page_description: Snake shot refers to handgun and rifle cartridges loaded with small lead shot. Snake shot is generally used for shooting snakes, rodents, birds, and other pests at very close ranges. The most common snake shot cartridge is .22 Long Rifle loaded with No. 12 shot. From a standard rifle these can produce effective patterns only to a distance of about 3 metres, but in a smoothbore shotgun that can extend as far as 15 metres.
context_section_description: Both Winchester and Federal make star-crimped .22 Long Rifle snake shot loaded with No. 12 shot. These cartridges resemble traditional crimped blank cartridges. 
  CCI is by far the largest single manufacturer of snake shot ammunition, making cartridges in .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, .38 Special, 9×19mm Luger, .40 Smith & Wesson, .44 Special, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt. CCI rimfire ammunition and nearly all of its centerfire snake-shot cartridges use a hollow plastic capsule which holds the shot, and is often shaped like a bullet to aid in feeding.  The plastic capsule shatters during firing, and allows the shot to disperse after it exits the muzzle.
caption: CCI .38 Special shot shells using plastic capsule
exif: {}