Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How far does it go? You see, that is the worry I have with my .308 that it's capability far outdistances the dimensions of the ranch.
Any centerfire rifle is going to shoot a mile or more if you miss and have the muzzle elevated. The 300 Blackout with subsonic 200gr ammo will not shoot as far as a regular .308. I shoot a .308, and always try to make sure I am aiming down at the target, or there are hills or trees behind the deer or hog or whatever.
AR15 in 300 Blackout is a great choice. It will stop people, pigs, and anything else you might run into in the Texas Hill Country.
When I visit a friend's ranch and wander around, I know not to stick my hands or feet in places that might harbor snakes. I am seldom even armed when I wander, unless I am looking for hogs to shoot. Most wildlife will go out if its way to avoid you. Deer does with fawns will try to lead you away from the babies.
The 5.56/.223 is great for bad people and good for pigs up to a certain weight (to humanely harvest one) using the right ammo. I read about the monolithic bullets like Barnes. They penetrate and expand like a mini-30-06.
The 5.56/.223 is great for bad people and good for pigs up to a certain weight (to humanely harvest one) using the right ammo. I read about the monolithic bullets like Barnes. They penetrate and expand like a mini-30-06.
.223 is good for hogs maybe up to about 100 pounds. After that, you pretty much have to shoot them in the ear, or the bullet won't penetrate to a vital organ or will bounce off the skull. Feral hogs are really tough critters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by curiousgeorge5
Open tip match bullets are more accurate.
Natch bullets are more accurate, but far more likely to blow up on impact. A Sierra 165gr spitzer boat tail in .30 caliber will penetrate far better than a 168gr Sierra Match King, and have very good accuracy. In 300 Blackout with a silencer, the 200 gr Sierra hunting bullets knock down pigs with authority. Without a silence, the 165gr bullets are a good choice.
There are two brands of antivenom available in the USA which are each effective across the Crotalinae subfamily including rattlesnakes, water moccasins (cottonmouths), and copperheads.
That makes more sense than carrying it in the field, assuming a camp with a refrigerator, saline, and trained medical personnel, considering that a single bite requires anywhere from 4-12 vials, and the vials must be stored refrigerated (never frozen).
$100 in Mexico.
Prices start at ten times that in the US.... that's wholesale, not the hospital rate.
How much is your life worth to you? I figure if i'm bit by a poisonous snake, if i can take 1 or 2 doses of antivenom, it gives me a chance to get into town or doc for help.
When i had a heart attack in 1995, the Paramedic's charged me over $2000.
The Navy issued me snake chaps to use when I was inspecting radar sites in Texas and New Mexico. I carried those things in my trunk for years and used them at my lakeside property or when checking out new properties - very handy!
If you're lucky, the lightning strike & anticoagulant in the copperhead bite will reverse the heart attack
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawk J
How much is your life worth to you? I figure if i'm bit by a poisonous snake, if i can take 1 or 2 doses of antivenom, it gives me a chance to get into town or doc for help.
When i had a heart attack in 1995, the Paramedic's charged me over $2000.
So were you out hiking the back country with and Automated external defibrillator (AED) in case of a heart attack? That is after all more likely than a life-threating bite from one of our native pit vipers.
Of the +7K Americans bit each year by a native snake species, maybe five die (so in terms of absolute risk and also fatalities per incident, you're in more danger from lightning than snakes). If you're running the numbers on risk mitigation, carrying an AED would be more practical. Or for backcountry hikers in snake country, an Iridium Yellowbrick 3 would be a better use of money and weight, and has a longer useful lifespan than a vial of antivenom.
...Natch bullets are more accurate, but far more likely to blow up on impact. A Sierra 165gr spitzer boat tail in .30 caliber will penetrate far better than a 168gr Sierra Match King, and have very good accuracy. In 300 Blackout with a silencer, the 200 gr Sierra hunting bullets knock down pigs with authority. Without a silence, the 165gr bullets are a good choice.
How much is your life worth to you? I figure if i'm bit by a poisonous snake, if i can take 1 or 2 doses of antivenom, it gives me a chance to get into town or doc for help.
When i had a heart attack in 1995, the Paramedic's charged me over $2000.
I live in the state that leads the country in the county that leads the state for poisonous snake bites. Mostly Copperheads but I've killed Cottonmouths and rattlesnakes aren't unheard of.
I spend most of my free time hunting or fishing or running dogs in the great outdoors. No one I know takes precautions beyond snakebite boots and most don't bother with snake boots.
A bite isn't something to be ignored, but you have time to drive yourself to a hospital or call an ambulance.
A final thought...I know two people that have been bit. Neither of them were in the woods. One was taking the trash out and (she thinks) the snake was under the recycling bin, and struck her foot (she was wearing flip flops.) The other was moving his grill. The one that spent the most time in the hospital actually did so because she had a wicked infection from the bite.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you're lucky, the lightning strike & anticoagulant in the copperhead bite will reverse the heart attack
