When Centerfire Pest Control Makes Sense

By Brian Lovett

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HEVI-Bismuth Shotshell box and cartridges laying on a table

A common school of thought lumps pest-control cartridges into an easily defined category: rimfire loads of various calibers capable of dispatching everything from garden chipmunks to the occasional coyote.

But folks who follow that wisdom probably never turned a corner on a ranch road or mountain hiking trail and came face to face with a rattlesnake or copperhead. If they had, they’d realize that another category of pest-control loads makes a lot of sense: centerfire pest-control handgun shotshells.

The idea is nothing new. Rifle or handgun cartridges loaded with shot instead of bullets—often called snake shot, rat shot or dust shot—have been around for years. In fact, during World War II, the U.S. military developed 45 Auto M12 and M15 shotshell cartridges that were issued to pilots as foraging ammo in case they were shot down or forced to land in unknown areas.

Nowadays, pest-control shotshells might be somewhat overlooked. After all, standard rimfire rounds are well suited for taking out small pests around your home, barn or garden. But centerfire handgun pest-control loads work extremely well for people who might encounter larger or more dangerous pests—think snakes or rats—while hiking or doing chores. Better, those loads are extremely convenient, as many folks likely already carry a centerfire pistol in a holster while hiking, hunting or doing ranch work. And they’re available in many common self-defense handgun calibers.

person aiming handgun while looking for pests outside

Some people might question the effectiveness of relatively small shot payloads fired from short-barreled handguns, but pest-control shotshells typically produce muzzle velocities of about 900 to 1,250 fps, depending on the cartridge. Further, the handgun loads let people quickly draw and fire repeatedly at pests—something that would be extremely difficult with conventional long-gun rimfire loads.

CCI offers several centerfire pest-control options, including original Pest Control Handgun Shotshell, which is available in six common handgun cartridges and features No. 9 or 12 shot, depending on the caliber. The loads produce consistent patterns to knock down pesky critters in close quarters.

Also, CCI offers Big 4 Shotshells, which are available in four common handgun calibers and feature No. 4 lead shot, which lets them take down larger pests at longer distances.

In addition, there’s the newest addition: Pest Control HEVI-Bismuth shotshells, which come in six cartridges and use loads of No. 8 HEVI-Bismuth. The pellets have almost the same density and produce similar down-range energy to lead but adhere to nontoxic ammunition requirements.

So, the next time you plan to stroll through snake country, consider expanding your pest-control options. That handgun shotshell at your side might provide the protection you need in a tight situation.