badsworth

I agree with John Galway too - I would never pass up a chance at a Fox. To leave them 'unless they cause problems' is madness. It is in their nature to kill anything they can - sometimes even if they have just eaten and do not need to feed. Foxes even kill when they have no intention of 'caching' the meat for later. I kill cubs without hesitation - every little fox will become a big fox, and until they ALL become vegetarians I will kill them whenever I can. My intention is to keep the area of my 'permissions' (which includes my home address) as free of them as possible. I will never wipe them out - whenever one is eliminated another will take its place within weeks - but I keep them thinned out. B

Stalker () - don't be surprised if you lose your permission to shoot there. It is supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement and to be frank there are loads of shooters about who would bite their hands off if offered the chance to take out their foxes. I would!

750 Euro - cheap! - don't think so! B

You mentioned loading with 3.5" of BB. Does your Baikal cycle OK with 2 3/4" and 3" shells as well? B

I've used CCI in my CZ for months - no problem. The advantage with using CCI subs for me is that I also use CCI high velocity for close range Fox. Both rounds are 'Copper Washed' rather than greased, so there is no 'settling in' when swapping between the two rounds. If you swap between a copper washed and a greased bullet (or vice versa) the first 5 rounds or so will not hit their usual point of impact. The POI is different for Hi Velocity and subsonic rounds of course - but with practice you know where it is. I zero my subs at 75yards, then find that the gun is more or less spot on with Stingers at 105 yards. CCI work for me!

There are usually a few on Ebay - its amazing what you find there! B

Yes I did - I had terrible trouble getting it through and eventually the string snapped after about two months. I took it back to the shop where I bought it (Sportarm at Dorchester) and they replaced it free of charge. The replacement seems a much better fit and I have had no trouble. A quality control issue? I don't know but it is definately the best way to clean a .17. Badsworth

Haven't got a picture but my best group is around 3/4" at 100yards and usually around 1". I find the ammo to be very consistent and I am really impressed with the calibre. I use Remington Premier 17 grain. B Oh and I have a Savage R93 in Stainless.

I must be the only one on here who has never found the BBS forum - I'd like to check them out if only for a laugh. Can someone provide a link please? B

Thanks - that is really good advice. I used the Collet die only - Not the the full length jobby. I am just using up the brass from my initial selection of factory loads - this particular batch was Federal (not American Eagle). I have a feeling they won't be the thickest brass around!. When I come to purchase brass I will be using Lapua. I will polish the Collet die then if I still have a problem. Thanks for the help! B

I think one of the mistakes I may have made was to add a small amount of lube to the cartridge brush when I was cleaning the cases. As I only neck size I shouldn't have needed it, and it may have made the bullets a slightly looser fit. I'll try without next time. Just tested my first batch - about a 7/8" group @ 100 yards. I know I can do better than that, and I will be building up the charge a little. I was a bit surprised how much lower the shots were landing - about 3.5" low compared to factory ammunition. This was a start load though - 25.5 grns of Varget. No problems so I will build it up a little. Thanks B

The Lee Reloading Manual (Modern Reloading) recommends that all hunting cartridges are 'Crimped' to withstand rough handling in the field. Does anyone have any views on doing (or not doing) this? I have just made my first batch of 12 test loads (.223) which I shall be tweeking gradually to improve accuracy. The bullets dont feel particularly tight and I wonder if the optional Lee crimping die is a good idea? Of course I may have a problem - the Hornady V-Max bullets I use do not have a cannelure so the crimping die might not improve things at all. Anyone got any advice please? B

She must be one of those folks with 'eyes in the back of her head!' B

I'd love to sign but it won't let me! The site tells me that it has sent me an e-mail which I must click to confirm my vote. It tells me that if it doesn't show up to check my junk mail basket to make sure it has not gone there. It hasn't and I am stuffed! So much for healthy consultation! It cannot be my computer because it recorded my vote fine when I voted to support the pistol shooting team for the Olympics yesterday. Blair?? B........s!!!!!!!!

Its got a 1 in 9 twist. I'm sure it won't like the really light rounds (like 40gr) - but it shoots well (under 1" groups at 100 yards) with all the factory ammo I have tried in 50 gr and 55 gr - even the ultra cheap American Eagle stuff. I'm just about to start home loading 55gr Hornady v Max bullets and hope to get really tight groups. Later on I shall try some heavier bullets 62gr and maybe 69gr, but really the 55gr seems to do all I want. The round used here was a 55gr Federal V Shock (Ballistic Tip) and as someone says above, it looks like it was hit with an RPG.

I'll put a picture of the Steyr on when I have a mo. Tough choice - they are both fine rifles and the Tikka is a very competitive price. B As promised - Steyr Scout in .223 with 'Ching Sling' and Swarovski 6-24 x 50 PVI Hi Grid Scope with IR + T8 Mod. Very Tasty - Unless you're name is Charlie.

So they say in their piece on Magpies and Songbirds - soooooo! As we (hunters) are also predators (of the magpies) the numbers of Magpies will not be affected by an increase in our numbers! Get shooting guys - the RSPB says it is OK B

I'll put a picture of the Steyr on when I have a mo. Tough choice - they are both fine rifles and the Tikka is a very competitive price. I went for the Steyr because it is lighter and shorter (19" barrel) - but I would have liked it even more if it had a stainless barrel. They are available - but it would be a pecial order and would not come screw threaded so the package would be mighty dear. Good luck with your choice. B

No actually it was pretty mangey - that might be why it was still about at 1020 in the morning. I usually keep the tails but decided I didn't want to touch this one too much. I think it was the mate of the one I shot last week - she was a first class specimen and a fair bit bigger than the dog fox - which is unusual. The rifle is a Steyr Scout (in .223) which I am still getting used to, but am so far mighty impressed by. It is almost two years to the day since two foxes killed our family cat on almost the same spot. In february Foxes tour the area around their 'birthing den' and take out all the predators they can. My cat was unlucky. Since then I have killed 35 foxes in the surrounding area. The thing is that you take out one fox, and in a few weeks other ones always move in. Most of them are a lot harder to despatch. This one was easy and in a way I did him a favour. Mange is a slow and nasty way to go. B And no - that is not my PJs - it is a track suit I shoved on quick. I like to get the tails before rigor mortis sets in.

I have spent hours of my life laying up in wait for foxes at ungodly hours. Last Sunday I was out laying in a ditch at 0530 studying the field opposite my house in the moonlight. At 0740 Mrs Fox comes home from a nights hunting and bang!!!!! Sorted with a 55gr pill from my Steyr Scout! But this morning at 1020 my wife was making the beds and shouts that there is a fox on the bank opposite my house. Myself and Son #1 race upstairs (me still in my dressing gown) and there was Mr Fox slinking in and out of the bushes 90 yards away. Son shouts for me to get the rifle. I thought “No way is he going to still be there by the time I have been to the cabinet and loaded up†– but I went for the gun anyway. Sure enough a few minutes later and no sign of Charlie – but after a two minute wait out he saunters again and turns sideways on allowing me to take a standing shot with my hand steadied on the window frame. Bye bye Mr Fox. I think in future I shall be staying in bed and having my wife keep watch out of the window with binoculars. I’ll just get up to pot anything she spots then get back into bed again! Don’t you just love living in the country!

The foam cover is a really good idea - but remember to cover the T8 in vaseline or similar grease before it goes on. The manufacturers recommend that you store them 'off' the gun between shoots so it is easy to overlook a few raindriops on the mod - the vaseline will prevent nasty surprises when you take it off later. Nice outfit! B

No - it won't make any difference in my opinion. I've got a `Hushpower' 12g - useful piece of kit. If I fire non-subsonic cartidges they are quieter than in another, unmoderated gun, but it does not work the other way around (sub-sonic cartridges in an umoderated gun). Yes they are pretty long aren't they! B

I have visited them a few times for ammo and bits - very helpful and top blokes in my opinion. I wish they were closer. B

I think I will reload some of my more expensive brass first and keep the AE cases as backup in case I get stuck. Thanks Folks - I knew that someone would know. B

I know that several users of PW use and rate American Eagle Ammo - especially in view of the price. Does anyone reload it? Are there any problems with it? The whole round costs little more than some once fired cases. I've heard that Lapua is the best (and possibly the dearest), and that Service Ammo is the toughest and thickest - but that in itself can cause pressure problems. How does AE brass fare? Badsworth