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Minimum calibre for foxes?


pegleg31
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Just spoke with the fireams officer at nottingham headquarters and he's just told me that .22 rimfire and .17 HMR are fine for foxes in this area.He's also told me to carry on going out with the bloke i've been lamping with for the last 2 years or so and i think i'll join a target club to get a bit more experiance.So hopefully when my SGC is up for renewal in a few months i can apply for my FAC :D

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The postcode lottery continues, although the other day I was out with a lad from here and talking about his recent FAC application. He put in for HMR for Foxes and it was ok'ed although when I mentioned to my FEO a while back about Norfolk's standpoint on minimum calibre for fox he said .22CF. What makes this a bit more confusing me and this lad not only have the same Firearms Office... we also have the same FEO!

 

So it seems you can't rely on a consistant answer even from the same Firearms Officer!

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Best just to phone Headquarters, Sherwood Lodge, Arnold, Nottingham

 

http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/contact/

 

Then ask for the firearms department,

 

It also depends on the land you have permission on,

 

He could, but I assure you they allow HMR for fox unless they have changed in the last 4 weeks, I shoot in Notts.

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best not to ask and if you have vermin just do it, there is such a long chain of what ifs that you would be the first person to run into trouble over actually doing it in the country. 1st you've got to get caught, 2nd you've got to have an argument over whether they are vermin and after that you'd need an FEO who wanted to take action rather than tell you they don't class them as vermin and not to do it again. In reality the 1st point never happens

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He could, but I assure you they allow HMR for fox unless they have changed in the last 4 weeks, I shoot in Notts.

 

 

kyska,the FEO told me .22 rimfire upto 55 yards was fine, and i'd only be considered for either .22 rimfire or .17 HMR.

 

whats the difference in all the .22's? (lr,wmr...etc)

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the WMR is the same case the HMR uses just fires a .22 projectile rather than the .17 that the HMR fires. Realistically sounds like they are being sensible in my book. Personally I'd get an HMR and use it for a while get used to it and you will like it, and once you have a bit of experience under your belt put in for something bigger if the foxes and deer require it.

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kyska,the FEO told me .22 rimfire upto 55 yards was fine, and i'd only be considered for either .22 rimfire or .17 HMR.

 

whats the difference in all the .22's? (lr,wmr...etc)

 

The WMR is also ok with it have a higher ME than a HMR.

 

Which FEO was that mate?

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the WMR is the same case the HMR uses just fires a .22 projectile rather than the .17 that the HMR fires. Realistically sounds like they are being sensible in my book. Personally I'd get an HMR and use it for a while get used to it and you will like it, and once you have a bit of experience under your belt put in for something bigger if the foxes and deer require it.

 

 

to be honest i'm fine with the smaller rifle's if they are up to the job as personally i'd like to get a feel for it first.no point going out and buying a ferrari when you've just past your test :oops: .

 

 

kyska,sorry i forget his name.he was very helpful and did'nt seem to mind me asking ALOT of questions :lol:.i do remember the womans name who answered though :blush:

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to be honest i'm fine with the smaller rifle's if they are up to the job as personally i'd like to get a feel for it first.no point going out and buying a ferrari when you've just past your test :oops: .

 

 

 

that was my thoughts when I got mine then went for .223 after a few years and .243 on renewal and had none of the problems people seem to get, and yes there is a huge difference between the HMR and the .223

the hmr isn't a dedicated fox gun but if you see one at sensible range while out its plenty capable of handling it :good:

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As you are aware the important part of this is Guidance to the police, in addition, I am pretty confident you will not find any mention anywhere in this guide to the HMR.

 

The Guide took about 2 years to compile I understand, and at the time the HMR was a very new animal and not considered, just like various other calibers were not available/considered at the time!

 

There is NO legal minimum caliber/power for fox!

 

ATB!

There is some guidance re muzzle energy, my feo referred to it during a interview for a variation, the variation was for .17AH, and the feo reckoned it only just made the required muzzle energy. If thats the case the .17hmr will be no where near and the only true possibles would realistically be center-fires (and may be the wmr?)

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What sort of use do you plan to give the gun? Lots of bunnies and the odd Fox or more Foxes? Are you prepared to buy two rifles or do you just want one?

 

The .22WMR would be my choice for Fox if I had to use a rimfire. The other two will also kill them but at lesser ranges. I'm very surprised that they'll not allow you a small centrefire for this use.

 

Have a word with them and see how soon they would consider a CF rifle. If they just want you to get a bit of experience with the rimfires first then I suggest that you get either a .22lr or .17hmr, use that for now at sensible ranges and then ask again for a CF as soon as you can. The WMR is losing popularity these days and it's not the best calibre to be buying for any other situation than Foxing when a CF isn't allowed!

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the chap that made the 17hmr steve hornady said it was not made for shooting foxes i suppose i will get flack now like always

 

Not at all. What you've said is accurate, just some people are very confident with the HMR and it can be made to do it at a push. The .243 was never invented to be a Deer round, rather a heavy varminting gun. What's the most common Deer stalking calibre in the UK?.... .243! Just because something wasn't designed to do a job doesn't mean it can never do it - it will just never be ideal.

 

As for the .22lr not being up to the job on Foxes, that's just bull. It's not a Foxing rifle but catch one in the boiler room or between the eyes at under 60 yards and it isn't going far. The bullet will often exit on a boiler room shot.

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