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Probably wouldn't have shot it at all, unless it was in extremely close quarters (like the one I found in my wellhouse last year). I usually dispatch rattlers with a stick, my boot, and/or a big ol' knife. My current favorite for use on rattlers is a K-Bar Kukri machete, which is remarkably accurate when thrown, and hasn't failed me once. I've also used tire tools, rocks, and a pocketknife a couple times.

When I do have to shoot one, such as the one in the pumphouse, I prefer to use one of the snake or rat shot cartridges, to reduce the danger of ricochet or accidentally puncturing important things. I can personally attest that .22 shotshells do work on smaller rattlers, and my wife has used .38 shotshells on another one. Both snakes were DRT, and the problem was solved. That being said, we're out in the boonies and our nearest neighbor is a few acres away; I don't know that I'd want to shoot a snake in Lower Suburbia unless I absolutely had to. If nothing else, it's neighborly courtesy not to be making loud noises.