I've been told to get a Judge. What are your thoughts on a gun to carry around the ranch in caseIi encounter a snake that I can carry on me.

Judge

what about the govenor?

If I see a poisonous snake that needs killing I just use a rock or stick.

However, if you are justifying buying a new gun, well now, that's different! I really like the Ruger Single Six for small critter removal.

.22

Rumor is the rifling makes the shot spread out in a pattern too large to put enough shot on a snake. Anybody have experience with this? Seems like I learned that here.

Killed many a snake with my judge. Just step up close and blast.
With a judge:

Cheap .38 Revolver, with 4" barrel have killed several snakes with mine (A Taurus). Wear it working at the lease, don't mind it getting dropped, dusty, or wet, and it goes bang every time. Snakes fear it. 3 CCI Ratshot and 3 +P hollow points in the cylinder at all times. You can spend more, but it doesn't kill them any deader, the judge weighs a ton too. So think about carrying that on your hip and running a chainsaw or something like that all day.

Judge works fine as do lots of others. To the ones saying the rifling in a judge makes shot spread faster sure it does but so does every other rifled barrel be it the Governor or single six. My personal favorite is an original Ruger bearcat that and the shot shells has dispatched lots of snakes

If I have my pick a shovel or a hoe.

If you want a gun I would want a shotgun, therefore a judge. You can easily get within 5-6 feet of one and still be safe and that's plenty close enough to kill.

.22 with ratshot.....or any caliber with ratshot really.

Any revolver with birdshot will work fine.

Grenade.

I think it's more the short barrel and no choke rather than the rifling that affects the Judge shot pattern. The Governor is just like the Judge only it shoots 45 ACP also.

Thats what i have and love it.

Have a friend with a judge and dad has a poly judge, by the looks of a can at several feet away, it would be bad medicine for snakes!

Dang KCR you sure have a lot of guts to pose for THF in an outfit like that!!

By the way I don't see any blood on that pet rattler; so I'm guessing he took one look at you and laughed himself to death.

22LR works on most anything and especially crawling critters.....Never understood the thoughts on or use for ratshot. If a person can't hit a snake in the head at 10', they shouldn't be carrying a gun. I've heard the reasoning about ricochets and such, but still don't see the sense it those either.

Single 6, MKIII 22/45, Buckmark, etc. make ideal camp guns carry around guns.

357 Mag and 45ACPs do real well with complete head removal.

I recently picked up a three screw Blackhawk in 357 that came with a 9mm cylinder. Nine mil snake shot makes a pretty good snake gun. Backed up with the 357 cylinder and you got a good combo.

22mag or 38/357 revolvers with CCI snake shot

You gotta be a bad somebuck to dress like that. Snake boots and shorts, hell yeah.

I carry, & my kids also carry 22LR 9 rd revolvers loaded with hollow points. They come in handy for shooting snakes, rabbits, pigs in the traps, and occasionally finishing off wounded critters.

I've killed a bunch with 22 shot and 38 shot but a judge loaded with #4 or #6 does a better job on big snakes.

I thought the whole idea of a firearm is so you don't have to step up close!
For me, .357 Blakhawk. at 6-7 yards, I can pop 'em in the head almost like clockwork.

Define close. I was 5 yards away and he was dead. Stepped in and gave him an extra for good order.

Ruger Single Six 5.5" barrel with standard velocity LR hollow points.