Originally Posted by Sahagan

I had an unexpected experience one day, but with .38 shotshells.

I always raise a pretty good crop of Copperheads here on our place. And carry on my mower, a Taurus .357 Magnum revolver for Copperhead dispatch.

I always load at least one cyclinder with a .38 caliber shotshell.

So last summer, happening upon a smallish Copperhead on my concrete drive, I summarily executed it...but with an error in judgment.

Forgetting which direction the cyclinder turned, I pulled the hammer on the shotshell, only to find it was a 158 grain .357 magnum. I shot the snake laying on the concrete, a foot or so from my foot.

The snake literally vaporised. After the shot, and after I calmed down, I noticed a red cloud floating away on the air above the snake. That's all of the snake I ever found. And the bloomin' hole in my driveway is still there.

Just thought I'd share so folks wouldn't pull a similar trick on a .44 Magnum. Make it an axiom, always load your gun with only shotshells, when shooting shotshells. Or at least know the proper direction of cylinder rotation.