Fox Calibre

[ellebarto]

I guess there might be various answers to this question but if you are used to shooting .17HMR and .22 and want something to 'legally' go after a fox with, whats the best option?

 

I'm never likely to want to shoot anything bigger. The chance to shoot a fox is rare so ideally not looking to spend mega bucks and I dont want to go overkill with some monster calibre!

 

Any thoughts or recommendations based on what you guys currently use?

[jamie g]

any of the 22 caliber centrefires will do. most people will go with 223. i perfer 22/250 but thats just me.

 

tho i do have a 222 as well. imo 222 would be more then enough. the reason i said this instead of 223 is because 222 can be picked up very very cheap on guntrader. and on the different shooting forums.

 

this is why i would pick that. dont get me wrong 223 can be had cheap but most the 222's that are for sale are good make's like the old m595

[wymberley]

I guess there might be various answers to this question but if you are used to shooting .17HMR and .22 and want something to 'legally' go after a fox with, whats the best option?

 

I'm never likely to want to shoot anything bigger. The chance to shoot a fox is rare so ideally not looking to spend mega bucks and I dont want to go overkill with some monster calibre!

 

Any thoughts or recommendations based on what you guys currently use?

Hi,

If your maximum range requirement is beyond the HMR or WMR, you may like to consider a 22 hornet. Used rarely as you suggest, factory ammo won't break the bank.

You could put a N550 on it but that's another story!!!!

Cheers

[kent]

Get a .222 rem if your going to reload and buy it secondhand or a .223 rem if you are to buy all factory and buy it new. Reason is .222 is becoming less popular than .223 for this reason second hand guns in the cal are cheaper. 223 rem is the gun to buy new and the easiest to get factory ammo for. The only other choices are more bang and shorter barrel life for no practical gain to 95% of foxers or limited power and range with the smaller hornet ( though if you are looking a sub 100 yds and moderated a fine choice)

[wymberley]

Get a .222 rem if your going to reload and buy it secondhand or a .223 rem if you are to buy all factory and buy it new. Reason is .222 is becoming less popular than .223 for this reason second hand guns in the cal are cheaper. 223 rem is the gun to buy new and the easiest to get factory ammo for. The only other choices are more bang and shorter barrel life for no practical gain to 95% of foxers or limited power and range with the smaller hornet ( though if you are looking a sub 100 yds and moderated a fine choice)

Hi,

Have I read that right? Hornet sub 100yds?

Cheers

[al4x]

big question and any centrefire will do, cheap to buy and run personally is the .223. Ammo available anywhere loads of guns about and plenty of clout. The .222 is milder to shoot but there are less about otherwise if you like a bit of a monster the .22-250

If I wasn't going to shoot that many and no small deer then I'd probably have a look at a 204

[ellebarto]

Thanks chaps. Food for thought!

[jonesbach]

never fired a hornet so not sure about this, but my .22lr is good for anything sub 100yrds..wont even switch guns if out after bunnies and charlie pops up at 70yrds!! between the eyes..good night! anything over a 100 and not worth taking, too much chance for wounding. .223 choice for that...! cheap ammo, complete setups for sale often enough at affordable prices!

 

good luck in your search!

[kent]

Hi,

Have I read that right? Hornet sub 100yds?

Cheers

 

Yep, you did just because you can kill a fox at 800 yds with a 22-250 dont mean its a good idea to try. Ok thats an silly over statement but you get the point? it takes an experianced hand and a good rig to make the Hornet humane much further out than this although it might have the power to do much more i have yet to find one doing MOA at say 200yds. The OP says it won't get much use remember

[wymberley]

Yep, you did just because you can kill a fox at 800 yds with a 22-250 dont mean its a good idea to try. Ok thats an silly over statement but you get the point? it takes an experianced hand and a good rig to make the Hornet humane much further out than this although it might have the power to do much more i have yet to find one doing MOA at say 200yds. The OP says it won't get much use remember

Hi, thanks for the reply. However, I think we'll have to agree to disagree.

Cheers

[NorfolkPoacher]

my .223 rem 700 is fine tool, what ever gun just be concious of its and your own limitations.

[camokid]

i have the howa 223 the price is right a lot of places sell the gun with prd8 mod i have taken foxes from 30 yards up 200 fine all dropted on spot

[njc110381]

I think if I already had HMR and .22lr then I would one for one the HMR for a Hornet. I too disagree with Kent on this one, I feel the Hornet is more than capable of taking a Fox out to 200 yards and the accuracy really isn't as much of an issue as he's making out. My old CZ would shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards and safely under 2" at 200. That was with home loads mind.

 

The Hornet is just like the HMR but with more punch. It's mild and accurate and if you home load can be fed for about 20p per round. I've just sold my .17 Ackley and am going back to the same old .22H that I sold to fund it. Selling that rifle was always a mistake, it was perfect for me (bunny bashing and Foxes out to sensible ranges, personally 250 yards was my limit).

[ellebarto]

i have the howa 223 the price is right a lot of places sell the gun with prd8 mod i have taken foxes from 30 yards up 200 fine all dropted on spot

 

I'm not familar with Howa but I see at my local gunsmith you can almost custom build the rifle and there are some very interesting stocks to be had!

 

I had 223 REM in my head but the Howa is a good looking gun. You finding it accurate and general solid? Any down sides to it?

[garyb]

.223Rem

[al4x]

I'm not familar with Howa but I see at my local gunsmith you can almost custom build the rifle and there are some very interesting stocks to be had!

 

I had 223 REM in my head but the Howa is a good looking gun. You finding it accurate and general solid? Any down sides to it?

 

 

pm mungler for his Howa review makes good reading

[ellebarto]

pm mungler for his Howa review makes good reading

 

Cheers

 

Done.

[al4x]

let us know what he reckons

[kent]

I think if I already had HMR and .22lr then I would one for one the HMR for a Hornet. I too disagree with Kent on this one, I feel the Hornet is more than capable of taking a Fox out to 200 yards and the accuracy really isn't as much of an issue as he's making out. My old CZ would shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards and safely under 2" at 200. That was with home loads mind.

 

The Hornet is just like the HMR but with more punch. It's mild and accurate and if you home load can be fed for about 20p per round. I've just sold my .17 Ackley and am going back to the same old .22H that I sold to fund it. Selling that rifle was always a mistake, it was perfect for me (bunny bashing and Foxes out to sensible ranges, personally 250 yards was my limit).

 

I think yourself and wimberly are missing two important points, the first is the OP is only going to use it occasionally to get safely under 2" at 200yds is going to take a lot of practice, good handloads and a better than normal off the shelf hornet chambered rifle and secondly and more importantly .222 rem and up are far better choices for 200yds shooting it's a rare hornet that shoots as well as you suggest especially with factory ammo yet i should totally expect this performance from the more powerful and shoulder "head space seating" calibres .222 up.

The Hornet remains a good handy little gun but to actually recomend it for 200 yds foxing i think not

[ellebarto]

let us know what he reckons

 

Cheers for that setup!!! He's obviously not a fan!!! Lol

[jamie g]

hornet is more then a 100 yard foxing rifle. its range limit is around 175 yards .200 yards is poss but its not ideal. same as a 222 there around 200 yards maybe 220 at a push.

 

anything over that then get the 223. again when you get to 270 or 280 yards the 22/250 will take over and etc etc etc......

 

you got to find one that will suite YOUR NEEDS imo a 204 would be a good choice but imo it falls into the same league as the hornet. that is to get the best out of them you need to reload for them.

 

there are lots of 222 rifles about there very accurate, and if you did reload for it its so easy to find a load for.

[jay222]

i went .223 but as said any centrefire will do the job

[wymberley]

I think yourself and wimberly are missing two important points, the first is the OP is only going to use it occasionally to get safely under 2" at 200yds is going to take a lot of practice, good handloads and a better than normal off the shelf hornet chambered rifle and secondly and more importantly .222 rem and up are far better choices for 200yds shooting it's a rare hornet that shoots as well as you suggest especially with factory ammo yet i should totally expect this performance from the more powerful and shoulder "head space seating" calibres .222 up.

The Hornet remains a good handy little gun but to actually recomend it for 200 yds foxing i think not

Could have sworn I said something like "rare use" and did not mention any range other than "sub 100".

 

talk a little, read a lot

Cheers

[njc110381]

I guess there might be various answers to this question but if you are used to shooting .17HMR and .22 and want something to 'legally' go after a fox with, whats the best option?

 

I'm never likely to want to shoot anything bigger. The chance to shoot a fox is rare so ideally not looking to spend mega bucks and I dont want to go overkill with some monster calibre!

 

Any thoughts or recommendations based on what you guys currently use?

 

 

As I said before kent, I would chop in the .17hmr for a .22 Hornet. The OP could then use it instead of his HMR (he states he's used to using one) and it would be very similar in performance. When home loaded too the cost is very reasonable and similar the the HMR so it could be used a lot, meaning he would become familiar with the gun and learn its limits.

 

This in my opinion would be much better than buying a .223, taking it out once in a blue moon and not knowing it at all. Add that to the fact that to shoot a Fox with the .223 he would have had to be called by the farmer so he could head out especially to shoot it as he wouldn't have the gun with him if one just happened to turn up. You have to admit a gun that you use a lot and know is miles better than an odd occasion boomer that just comes out now and again?

 

I can only comment on my experience. I had a HMR for a while and used to use it as my main gun. I had odd chances of Foxes and my force allowed them on my conditions, but I just didn't find the little round suitable. I bought a .223 and took it Foxing but it didn't get used much, it was far too much for bunnies and the same thing went on - I'd be out bunny bashing and a Fox would appear but only having the HMR I was leaving them. So I chopped in the HMR and .223 for a .22H - ok the .22H ruins meat if you body shoot the bunnies but so does the HMR. I found that I could confidently head shoot Rabbits at the same ranges as I did with the HMR but also take Foxes when I needed to. Also with the price of home loaded ammunition I could afford to use the rifle as my every day bunny basher. It was my gun of choice for 99% of my shooting and I put an awful lot of rounds through it.

 

I stick by my opinion that buying a .223 to sit in the cabinet for most of its life isn't a good plan. Much better to buy a gun which is a great substitute for one he already has and use the thing day in,day out placing the bullet in the right spot at 200 yards and be confident doing it. At the end of the day a pulled shot with an unfamiliar gun is a balls up no matter what the calibre, so shooting a .223 that he doesn't really know how to handle could be worse not better.

[vmax55]

I guess there might be various answers to this question but if you are used to shooting .17HMR and .22 and want something to 'legally' go after a fox with, whats the best option?

 

I'm never likely to want to shoot anything bigger. The chance to shoot a fox is rare so ideally not looking to spend mega bucks and I dont want to go overkill with some monster calibre!

 

Any thoughts or recommendations based on what you guys currently use?

 

dont chesire police allow fox on your hmr?