Can you shoot foxes with an air rifle ?

[SSS]

yep. i regulry shoot foces with my gas powerd bb gun, kill them sotne dead at 1500 yard with a wee bit o holdover. ha!

Have you been on the vodka babs?

Edited February 6, 2010 by SSS

[Mr_Logic]

I was told that there was a legal minimum weight of 40 grains for shooting fox. ***, we'll have every tom **** and harry out there wounding foxes with pea shooters next.

Not sure who told you that, it's wrong. No legislation says what you can or cannot use on fox - so in terms of firearms law, you're legal. However, we also have laws governing cruelty to animals - air rifle on fox is not commonly considered humane, so you may fall foul of these laws.

[Heladoxa]

Have you been on the vodka babs?

 

Pleeez laeve babs alon. praps his hadda bad day. U dont no :rols eye:

[Pirate]

I did notice that Mr Wallace only said he had 'shot' foxes with an air rifle.. Never said he killed any mind you...

[SSS]

Pleeez laeve babs alon. praps his hadda bad day. U dont no :rols eye:

Do you mean good day

[fortune82]

I used to regularly kill foxes at 400 yards plus with my .177 GAT gun. They never even flinched.

[paulos]

I used to regularly kill foxes at 400 yards plus with my .177 GAT gun. They never even flinched.

 

I hope that was with a little feathered dart? The corks are only good to about 200 yards and the pellets struggle after 300

[SSS]

I hope that was with a little feathered dart? The corks are only good to about 200 yards and the pellets struggle after 300

I had more joy at that range with a peice of rolled up chewing gum. The trajectory was much flatter

[Beretta28g]

You know i find the blowpipe effective to 1000 yards

However catapoults are only good for 400, based on this logic airgun at 2000 yards a wee bit of holdover and a piece of cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

******

[MM]

 

anyone thought that this had been a typo in press?

[SSS]

MM, I have got to ask, where do you find all of these pictures. I love the posts with the text and pictures

[Heladoxa]

I had more joy at that range with a peice of rolled up chewing gum. The trajectory was much flatter

 

If you use little balls of Blu Tak you can stick them up like fridge magnets

[Heladoxa]

 

anyone thought that this had been a typo in press?

 

NO

[SSS]

NO

do you mean

[MM]

NO

 

 

[MM]

MM, I have got to ask, where do you find all of these pictures. I love the posts with the text and pictures

 

 

[MM]

................

Edited February 7, 2010 by MM

[Dave-G]

Back on topic then.

 

I have not read the full article but would imagine it might have been less controversial if he had written something to the effect of shooting a fox in a cage or pen with a .22 air rifle. I read the page on this thread about what he says he used, and to be fair he never implied he used an FAC air rifle. Did he refer to it later in the topic?

 

Whilst it would be preferable to use the most powerfull air rifle he could get for a fox in a cage if one had to be used at all - it's fair to say he does not have any licensing restrictions about the quarry shot with a sub 12ftlb rifle. Though protection of livestock might provide for use of an FAC air rifle if he was worried about repercussions of a lump of lead going somewhere. A pellet with a skirt on isn't likely to richochet far if it ever comes out the other side of a fox head.

 

Let me put something forwards if I may.

 

I don't have "fox" on my air or rimfire conditions. Were I to trap a fox in a chicken pen in suburbia, I wouldn't want to use a centrefire to despatch it - though my conditions might say I can if I had an open ticket. I'm not allowed to use the fac air nor rimfire, but there are no restrictions placed on a sub legal limit rifle and I want the fox to get dead.

 

Time and place for everything like he said?

[Alycidon]

A 12 bore will kill foxes out to 50 yards and it doesn't necessarily have to be BB's. I consistently shoot them on fox drives with no. 2's.

 

 

2s are fine up to about 35 yards, I have BBs and 2s for the same purpose. 6s, under 25 yards only in my book. I have in the past patterned my Beretta on the side of a fox at 35 yards with 6s, head down to the rear of the front shoulder, twice, with 1/2 + 1/4. Shot it with a 6mm a few weeks later with the pellet wounds very festered, never again. Only one I have shot since with a 12 was at about 15 yards, came straight through a gun line in the middle of a big field on a pheasant drive.

 

I think I have seen more web fights on air rifles and foxes than anything else, the question has essentially been answered so its probably time to call this thread done before any aggro breaks out.

 

Thanks

 

A

[Vince Green]

We used to shoot foxes with a .22 R/F years ago on my Uncle Harry's farm because thats all we had. Even shot clean through the heart at close range they still run but hopefully don't get that far before they drop. They still usually need a shot through the head to depatch them. You can't easily head shoot a fox with a .22 R/F because the bullets richocet off their skulls (its true, I kid you not). A foxes skull is like a panzer tank, all curves and angles that deflect a bullet. Using an air rifle? Can't see it myself.

 

However, lets just examine the other part of that article. He's talking about using a .270 for foxes. Why? Apart from the arguement that having one rifle for all your needs is cheaper than having several?. Again I can't see it myself. The .270 is a great deer calibre but I can't see any need for a heavier bullet at lower velocity for foxes. A very light bullet at high velocity is what you need.

Edited February 7, 2010 by Vince Green

[Mr_Logic]

Vince, I don't doubt you may have seen one weird random occurrence, but I've shot plenty of foxes with a 22LR, and a headshot = dead fox, no messing. Heart shot doesn't always finish in one go but it doesn't take very long at all. Rimfire = head shot for me though, personal choice having tried both.

[Blackbart]

Back on topic then.

 

I have not read the full article but would imagine it might have been less controversial if he had written something to the effect of shooting a fox in a cage or pen with a .22 air rifle. I read the page on this thread about what he says he used, and to be fair he never implied he used an FAC air rifle. Did he refer to it later in the topic?

 

Whilst it would be preferable to use the most powerfull air rifle he could get for a fox in a cage if one had to be used at all - it's fair to say he does not have any licensing restrictions about the quarry shot with a sub 12ftlb rifle. Though protection of livestock might provide for use of an FAC air rifle if he was worried about repercussions of a lump of lead going somewhere. A pellet with a skirt on isn't likely to richochet far if it ever comes out the other side of a fox head.

 

Let me put something forwards if I may.

 

I don't have "fox" on my air or rimfire conditions. Were I to trap a fox in a chicken pen in suburbia, I wouldn't want to use a centrefire to despatch it - though my conditions might say I can if I had an open ticket. I'm not allowed to use the fac air nor rimfire, but there are no restrictions placed on a sub legal limit rifle and I want the fox to get dead.

 

Time and place for everything like he said?

 

 

Would it kill it though dave ??

 

I dont think a non fac air rifle would penetrate a foxes skull and a boiler shot isnt going to carry on if it hits a rib.

 

I have an air rifle non fac and may keep a fox this week and put one in its nut and find out where it goes It would be interesting to see what it does...

 

Either way i dont think a firearms consultant that advises the NGO should be spouting off in a shooting mag about shooting foxes with an air rifle

[Ozzy Fudd]

Have you been on the vodka babs?

 

and port

[hunters_return]

Quote;;

I don't have "fox" on my air or rimfire conditions. Were I to trap a fox in a chicken pen in suburbia, I wouldn't want to use a centrefire to despatch it - though my conditions might say I can if I had an open ticket. I'm not allowed to use the fac air nor rimfire, but there are no restrictions placed on a sub legal limit rifle and I want the fox to get dead.

 

 

Essex would not put fox on my .22lr and they must have their reasons, so i would not shoot a fox with it as its not on my ticket.

Saying that because there is no restrictions in place on sub air rifles means you can use them on anything opens a whole new can of worms.

What pellet weight should i use for wild bore ??

[Dekers]

Vince, I don't doubt you may have seen one weird random occurrence, but I've shot plenty of foxes with a 22LR, and a headshot = dead fox, no messing. Heart shot doesn't always finish in one go but it doesn't take very long at all. Rimfire = head shot for me though, personal choice having tried both.

 

 

 

Never had a rimfire bounce off a foxes head yet!!