I picked up a couple boxes of them today at the LGS. when I got home with them and began to admire them, I noticed they are labeled "Big 4". And they are loaded with 81 grains of #4 birdshot, offering "improved penetration". I'm not sure I'm thrilled with this. It's always seemed to me that the shortcoming in the old load was a lack of pattern density, not penetration. Anybody have any experience with this "new improved" stuff?

Everything I have is labeled 1/4 oz. #9, did they change it?
Edit:
Nevermind, there are different loadings.
From what I'm seeing it's for medium small critters, I've only every used these on snakes.

http://www.cci-ammunition.com/...ntrol_specialty.aspx

Here's a decent video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxphDh9ydII

Thanks. Those patterns aren't dense enough to be reliable on a rattlesnake, in my opinion. Dang it.

It's easy to identify the new CCI shot loads. They sport a red plastic capsule rather than blue. I've tested patterns between the old and new #4 shot, in .38 Special, coming out of a 3" revolver barrel. The new stuff is lousy at 6' and beyond, having far too little shot to provide a dense pattern. You'd be fortunate to put down a snake at that distance. I cancelled my order for two boxes of 9mm with the new #4 load. What is CCI thinking?

Sooner or later someone will tout them as a good home-defense load—if, of course, we don’t really want to hurt anyone.

quote:

Originally posted by Samps:
What is CCI thinking?

Maybe the idea was to make them better for bigger targets (rats, squirrels, etc) although less effective at snakes...

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It's going to be rare for a rat or squirrel to sit quietly while you advance to a position 5' away from him in order to commence firing.

I wish CCI would put this load out in .380 with the #12 shot used in their .22lr product. Lots of folks are buying subcompacts for concealed carry. The CCI shotshell has always been a reliable small pest cartridge. The shorter tube on .380s would do a better job at 6'-8' ranges than rimfire rifles do, generally spinning the small pellets out of pattern due to their barrel rifling. I think the .380 would be a big seller. However, the #4 shot now offered in 9mm makes little sense to me.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
It's going to be rare for a rat or squirrel to sit quietly while you advance to a position 5' away from him in order to commence firing.

That's not how it works for killing rats. Stick a water hose into their tunnels, they will come to the surface and give you plenty of notice as they pop up wet and dazed. They are easy to kill with 'snake shot' that way.

quote:

Originally posted by stiab:

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
It's going to be rare for a rat or squirrel to sit quietly while you advance to a position 5' away from him in order to commence firing.

That's not how it works for killing rats. Stick a water hose into their tunnels, they will come to the surface and give you plenty of notice as they pop up wet and dazed. They are easy to kill with 'snake shot' that way.

Even better, empty soda pop cans out of a slingshot.