What calibre should i use for foxing??

[kent]

Thanks for all the replies folks

I'm about 90% sure i'll go with the .22-250 as plenty of ammo easily available, very flat and lots of power.

Just need to choose a gun now, having said that i do like the CZ 527. Thanks Kent!

 

The 527 dont come in 22-250. Why on earth would you need a 22-250 if your only shooting out to 200 yds anyway. The 22-250 only has an edge at 300yds and further (way beyond a new shooter) barrel life will be shorter, noise and recoil will rise, all for what? Zero practical gain.

Fact is you can with a modecome of skill shoot foxes at 200 yds with a .22 Hornet and kill them very clean, the bigger gun cant kill them double dead

[henry d]

From my own research into this it seems the 222, 223 or 22-250 will all do a fine job, and the decision between those three will probably be based on a mixture of the likely ranges involved, and the cost and availability of the hardware.

 

With my own pref for the .222

[Thunderbird]

I like the 222, too.

[jam1e]

Let me add abit more info.

I've asked for a .22 and .17 rimfire, as i had these on my previous ticket. This is obviously for smaller game out to around 100-150 yards.

I have shot deer at around 300 yards (not on a regular basis) with my previous .243 having used mildot "holdover" as was zeroed at 150 yards.

However, i'm abit older now, and have back problems so i may not be able to get into a position where i'm comfortable to make a 300 yard shot. Clean kills and all that. Hence stating 150 to 200 yards in my first post

As for accuracy, i have to admit to being abit of a perfectionist. And if making my own ammo up takes my groups from 1" to 1/2" then re-loads are for me!

[Thunderbird]

Well, whatever you do, enjoy your shooting and have fun getting back into it!

[jam1e]

Well, whatever you do, enjoy your shooting and have fun getting back into it!

Thanks Thunderbird. I'll try! But it's not in the bag yet!

When and if my red letter day comes i'll be over the moon!

I notice your in the Cotswolds. I'm around 10 mins from Broadway. Are you close yourself?

[Thunderbird]

Quiet a bit further south, in Wotton Under Edge.

 

Keep an eye on the events section though as we have an (at least) annual Cotswolds get together. The last two have been fantastic.

[Vince Green]

My local RFD has told me that the .243 is the cheapest round he could supply, and can be had for 60 pence a shot, using "Partizan" rounds. Anyone heard of that make?

The .233 is next at 78 pence a shot, then .222 and .22 250 at £1.00 a shot.

 

 

You need to have a serious word with your RFD about ammo prices .223= 40p a shot, .243 = 50p a shot. .22-250 the same

 

http://www.peterlawman.co.uk/ammunition

[jam1e]

You need to have a serious word with your RFD about ammo prices .223= 40p a shot, .243 = 50p a shot. .22-250 the same

 

http://www.peterlawman.co.uk/ammunition

 

Christ Vince that is a good price!! :o

I was paying a £1.00 a shot for .243 7 years ago!!

I've put that site in my favourites. So thanks alot Vince!

Edited August 2, 2012 by jam1e

[Vince Green]

This man is very good on ammo prices as well

 

 

http://www.tfsa.co.uk/index.html

Edited August 2, 2012 by Vince Green

[al4x]

You need to have a serious word with your RFD about ammo prices .223= 40p a shot, .243 = 50p a shot. .22-250 the same

 

http://www.peterlawman.co.uk/ammunition

 

to be fair that guy sells as a part time job from home so has no overheads so its hard to compare prices. Also try getting hold of him......

[bullet boy]

My preference is the .22-250.

I have used this calibre the last 6 years now and i love it!

This is a fantastic Fox round-Very fast and flat shooting.

I use Norma 50 gr V-Max ammo in my Tikka T3 to great effect!

ATB in whatever you choose.

[Alycidon]

Your post suggests that you have limited or no experience in this area. I would therefore suggest that you look at one of the popular factory calibers, my first choice for you would be 223 followed by 204 or 222. They will do all you want up to about 250 yards.

 

A

[Scot The Sniper]

the desired round for foxing is .22/250 end off

[Shotgun jimmy]

My preference is the 220 swift!

[jam1e]

Your post suggests that you have limited or no experience in this area. I would therefore suggest that you look at one of the popular factory calibers, my first choice for you would be 223 followed by 204 or 222. They will do all you want up to about 250 yards.

 

 

No offence "Alycidon", but I'm puzzled by your comment. If i want a round that is as flat as possible that works well on foxes, why would i want to start with something that doesn't suit my needs as well as something that does

Granted i'm no expert on weapons and I've been out of shooting for a few years, due to kids, work ect. But i've owned .22 and .17 rimfires and a Tikka T3 in .243 for some "troublesome deer" at the time. The .22 was ok with a mod and subsonics for close work but stretching out just meant working out holdover. No big deal i know. But i then bought the .17 rimfire to stretch out further. And although i couldn't do much to quieten it down, (for the obvious) i just loved how fast, flat and devastating it was on small vermin. As my personal view is that a fox should be taken out with a CF rifle i just used my .243. Which just seemed "overkill", especially at close range! I may be contradicting myself a little here but i hope you get the point?

Now the deer are no longer a threat to the farmers once sapplings, he doesn't want them shot. So as the rifle will be used mainly for foxing i want to buy the right calibre first time round and not keep losing money swapping and changing.

ATB Jamie

P.S Once again, thanks for all the valuable imput folks!

[jgguinness]

If it's a flat round that you want, I would go for a .204, that's what I have. Factory rounds are not the cheapest though. Mine are home loaded, but factory from the local shops comes in at £19 for 20. A mate has a 22-250 and swears by that round too.

 

Regards

Jonathan

[pigeon pete]

if you do go for a .223 you could go for a better twist like a 1 in 8 this way you can use a heaver bullet better for shooting in wind ,but i don't own a 243 but a lot of the lads i know that shoot foxes have swapped there 223s for 243s

[al4x]

No offence "Alycidon", but I'm puzzled by your comment. If i want a round that is as flat as possible that works well on foxes, why would i want to start with something that doesn't suit my needs as well as something that does

Granted i'm no expert on weapons and I've been out of shooting for a few years, due to kids, work ect. But i've owned .22 and .17 rimfires and a Tikka T3 in .243 for some "troublesome deer" at the time. The .22 was ok with a mod and subsonics for close work but stretching out just meant working out holdover. No big deal i know. But i then bought the .17 rimfire to stretch out further. And although i couldn't do much to quieten it down, (for the obvious) i just loved how fast, flat and devastating it was on small vermin. As my personal view is that a fox should be taken out with a CF rifle i just used my .243. Which just seemed "overkill", especially at close range! I may be contradicting myself a little here but i hope you get the point?

Now the deer are no longer a threat to the farmers once sapplings, he doesn't want them shot. So as the rifle will be used mainly for foxing i want to buy the right calibre first time round and not keep losing money swapping and changing.

ATB Jamie

P.S Once again, thanks for all the valuable imput folks!

 

I'm more puzzled by your response! the advice you were getting was probably the best in your situation. If you zero at 175 yards with a .223 that gives you roughly an inch high at 100 and an inch low at 200 and about 9" low at 300 those figures are pretty reasonable to work with and depending what you class as flat shooting not bad from where I am. Thats using 55 grain bullets and you can go lighter and improve them. You then have pretty much the largest availability of off the shelf guns and factory ammo there is. The caliber is mild compared to your .243 and it flattens foxes fine. I've got both and don't find the .223 lacking when foxing and actually when you swap to it you realise how nice it is to shoot. Couple that with roughly 10 grains less powder when you reload and its even economical as well.

[Salop Matt]

Am not a centre fire user or big foxer but what i picked up watching George Digweed on FSB was that some of the smaller vmax type bullets he felt were resopnsible for him losing a few foxes in the stubble with as the round would hit a peice of stubble on its way and either break up or deflect ! this was with his .223 so he is using his .243 currently. But surely he would be better still using his .223 and using a soft point rather than a balistic tip in say 50grain if he wanted to stick to his .223 ?

 

I always thought for fox that soft point would be a prefferd bullet to v-max to ensure penetration of the ribs etc and not get shallow splashes etc ! So can someone explain the CF bullet choice for fox a bit more please ?

 

ATB

 

Matt

[Gerry31]

You will get loads of different answer to this question I think its down to personal experience I myself use a 50 grain soft point 22:250 its never let me down and charles really hates it.

[al4x]

Am not a centre fire user or big foxer but what i picked up watching George Digweed on FSB was that some of the smaller vmax type bullets he felt were resopnsible for him losing a few foxes in the stubble with as the round would hit a peice of stubble on its way and either break up or deflect ! this was with his .223 so he is using his .243 currently. But surely he would be better still using his .223 and using a soft point rather than a balistic tip in say 50grain if he wanted to stick to his .223 ?

 

I always thought for fox that soft point would be a prefferd bullet to v-max to ensure penetration of the ribs etc and not get shallow splashes etc ! So can someone explain the CF bullet choice for fox a bit more please ?

 

ATB

 

Matt

 

just seen that and I think I lost one the other day in the same circumstances with a .243, basically it comes down to speed the higher it is the more likely in my mind to break up, so I really can't see it will make much difference between the two as the 55 grn .223 will usually be slower than a lot of .243 rounds. The simple answer is to wait for a clear shot but easier said than done in some situations

[CharlieT]

Currently I have a .222, .204 and .243 I use for foxing. At distances up to 250 yards it's just point and shoot, the fox and I can't tell the difference. Over that they will all kill cleanly, all one has to do is allow for a little drop.

 

Whichever you go for you won't go wrong, just chose the one you fancy. These days I tend to prefer a caliber that's sweet to shoot and the .222 & .204 fit the bill, as would a .223. I gave up the 22.250 after I got the .204 as for me it wouldn't do anything the .204 wouldn't do.

[wymberley]

I don't think the choice of bullet is particularly critical other than from the shooter's point of view regarding his preference for trajectory. This because a vast number of foxes are shot at ranges where the energy involved would put an elephant into terminal decline.

[jam1e]

Lots of info there folks! :blink:

I value all your opinions. However, when you add various bullets into the mix, with various distances and situations all calibres will have there advantages and disadvatages. And when people put their personal preferences of calibres into the mix it all becomes a grey mix....

I know very little about this calibre, but i am quite a fanatical researcher before i go ahead with a choice of whatever i'm paying out for.

To be honest my first choice was a .223...

I'm not set on the .22 250, (but almost!!) as its a fast flat round which can be pushed out quite far without much drop, and is easy to use for reloading if i go that way.

I'd appreciate some advice on the differences (both good and bad) of the .204 compared to the .22 250 as i haven't researched the .204 round much at all. Including reloading, trajectory and cost per round, availability in store and anything else you can think of........

And lastly a big thank-you to all the folks who contributed on this thread! I'm sooo glad i came accross this site as it's so informative and obviously has people who are as keen as i am. So thanks alot folks!!