white flash Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 Help needed.Going to apply for firearms cert but don't know what cal to get .22 or 17hmr.Will be shooting rabbits and odd fox what would you good people recommend and what makes.Been through all threads for 2days heads done in.Hope you can help.atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 Ask for both would be my advice, then you'll have five years to get both if your needs dictate. BUT:- bear in mind that many forces are really funny about using HMR for fox, and 22LR would be a definite no-no. If you definitely have permission to shoot foxes you could ask for a centre-fire in addition to your rimfires. I did and got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe soapy Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 HMR, unless shooting on a tight budget.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 0-100 yards .22, 0- 100+ yards hmr. Upside of the .22 is its quiet with subs, quarter the cost to feed with ammo and doesn't need a fanatical cleaning regime. Downside is its slightly more prone to ricochet. But that seems to be ammo related. Hmr ammo is 4x times more, it is loud by comparison, needs mod off/cleaned every outing, Personal choice at the end of the day, but I'm lovin my .22 over the hmr at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 i agree, apply for both and keep your options open. Unless you can demonstrate experience with the cf, they are likely to want to put a mentoring condition on your ticket. ATB David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browning123 Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 I own both 22lr & 17hmr and prefer to use the .22, I seem to have more luck with it and can hit anything with it even with hold over upto 100 yards. Maybe its my advancing years and what I'm used to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telf Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 i have had 2 hmrs in the past ,sold them both and now have 2 x .22s,best round for rabbits imho,also ok for the occassional walked on fox(within a sensible range) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Put down for both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 I see neither as fox rifles other than extreme special circumstances like in back gardens and 50 yards or less. If I was going out for a fox in the fields and had the choice of either of those and a 12 ga I have to say I should pick up the shotgun every time. the .22 lr loaded with subsonic ammo and sound moderator is the best rabbit gun ever invented. Out to 50yards in hands with only a modicum of practice its highly effective, in more practiced hands it can reach out more than double that. Its very cheap to feed, very humane and incredibly quiet. there is nothing to not like in that. You can feed it reduced power rounds (not all shoot great but some do just fine depending on the gun in question) these range from 24 ft lb to around 40 ft lb. (the std sub gives around 100ft lb give or take). You can then step up through into High velocity and hyper velocity rounds giving upto 190 ft lb. The HMR shoots flatter, I am afraid that's about it! Windage allowance is not much different from the .22 lr with subsonics at 100 yards and this is the limiting factor on live quarry. Although it produces around 50ft lb more than the most powerfull .22 lr ammo it lacks the terminal performance of the bigger bullet once it gets out to around 160 it frequently fails to expand correctly, still at short range it frequently lets go to easy and can make a right mess of a rabbit carcass or lead to wounding on larger quarry. Ammunition is pretty much Hobsons choice performance wise you get a 17 grain or 20grain full power round. Its noisy even with a moderator on and more than double the cost on ammo. Ammo BTW seems to be going backwards in quality from when I owned mine (its not a rifle I miss though it shot little bug hole groups on paper). On a good day (no wind etc) and a well rested stance with only a fair modicum of practice you should get out to 100yards with one, a good shot could add 60or so to that, though there are I might add people out there who shoot competently and humanely to 130 or so with the LR with std subsonic ammo ricochet potential should be ignored on either of the above as far as risk go, there isn't a shot that is safe with one that isn't with the other. Here is my suggestions 1. Get a .22 LR with moderator and scope and add a 12 ga magnum chambered shotgun for fox 2. Get a .22 LR as above and a small centre fire rifle like the .17 or .22 Hornet or a fireball moderate it well and hand load it for long range rabbits, crows and foxes 3. Just get a .22 LR learn to use it well and be very,very choosy about the foxes you shoot at as regards placement and range (the ,22 will kill anything in the UK with spot on placement at 50 yards) not that I recommend you try to prove that!. it will breeze through 3- 4" of hardwood at this range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Several problems here. First one is that this thread will be identical to all the other ones you've spent two days looking through. Secondly, rabbit and the occasional fox can be a contradiction in terms for the two calibres in question for the reasons already given. For rabbit, personal preference, pick whichever you fancy dependent upon what range you consider will be appropriate. Fox, define occasional - two a year for the sake of it, why bother - 2 a month for vermin control, then you need something more appropriate and Thunderbird has your answer. If a centrefire and a small rimfire is out of the question for you but you really want something for fox, albeit short range, then there is a third option which may or may not suit but which you haven't mentioned. Think 22WMR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Put both down, you have 5 years then to find both start with your main quarry, if bunnies 22lr then wait for a deal on the HMR or vice versa. CZ or BRNO rifles are great accurate no nonsense tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbiter Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 ive got both calibres mate,just put in for variation for .223,when i had my visit from feo on wednesday,(this week),i asked about .17hmr being conditioned for fox by northumbria,she said yes,they do recognise it as a suitable calibre for fox,i think its ok sub 100 yards,but thats why ive put in for .223 as most of my shooting will be past 100 yards,my mate put his variation in for same cal 223,last saturday and recieved it back yesterday,just waiting for mine now,so id say go for both,.22 and .17hmr....DAZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 ive got both calibres mate,just put in for variation for .223,when i had my visit from feo on wednesday,(this week),i asked about .17hmr being conditioned for fox by northumbria,she said yes,they do recognise it as a suitable calibre for fox,i think its ok sub 100 yards,but thats why ive put in for .223 as most of my shooting will be past 100 yards,my mate put his variation in for same cal 223,last saturday and recieved it back yesterday,just waiting for mine now,so id say go for both,.22 and .17hmr....DAZ yet you wont have shot one with it yet obviously Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazza9t9 Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 I'm in a similar boat, in the near future I putting my FAC in. I have been trying to decide .22 or .17 I have decided to go both. At this stage I cannot decide. As stated you have 5 years to obtain and try to see which suits. As for foxes, I am considering a 22 wmr however I don't know a lot about them. This is an area I want to do a bit further research . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbiter Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 yet you wont have shot one with it yet obviously shot one with what?? .17 or .223.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicykillgaz Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Get a .22lr it's perfectly legal to shoot fox with one despite what some forces recommend. just state vermin as the use rather than specifically asking for them to condition it for fox and keep it to below 50yrds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 both they are not comparable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbuster Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Get a .22lr it's perfectly legal to shoot fox with one despite what some forces recommend. just state vermin as the use rather than specifically asking for them to condition it for fox and keep it to below 50yrds. Totally agree, so long as you keep to close range, either are perfectly adequate to dispatching a fox. If your going for a dedicated foxing rifle I would defiantly go for a centrefire, but a rimfire at sensible ranges and good shot placement will drop a ginger no problems. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet boy Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Apply for both for Vermin Control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbuster Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 0-100 yards .22, 0- 100+ yards hmr. Upside of the .22 is its quiet with subs, quarter the cost to feed with ammo and doesn't need a fanatical cleaning regime. Downside is its slightly more prone to ricochet. But that seems to be ammo related. Hmr ammo is 4x times more, it is loud by comparison, needs mod off/cleaned every outing, Personal choice at the end of the day, but I'm lovin my .22 over the hmr at the moment Not having a go, but why do you take mod off and clean every outing? I'm either a lucky so and so (or just plain lazy:-)) I only clean her when she loses accuracy (every couple hundred rounds)?? Horses for courses I suppose? Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjm160 Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 I started with a Sako Quad in HMR and as my sole rifle, absolutely loved it, and proved it devastating on rabbits comfortably out to 150 yds. Now I've added .243 a "quiet" rimfire was more appealing. So, I added a .22 LR barrel, which combined with subsonics, is superbly quiet and still deadly on rabbits up to 100yds (and with less meat damage). OK. I've lost 50 yds distance, but on my permissions that's less of an issue than the noise and so I doubt the HMR barrel will be used again for the foreseeable future. The beauty with the Sako Quad, is this flexibility (and can always add an extra .22 WMR barrel - a better foxing round up to 100yds, than HMR). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Not having a go, but why do you take mod off and clean every outing? I'm either a lucky so and so (or just plain lazy:-)) I only clean her when she loses accuracy (every couple hundred rounds)?? Horses for courses I suppose? Cheers. The hmr round is really dirty and the mod gets full of wet corrosive nasty stuff after only a few rounds. If left on an upright rifle, it will dribble down the bore. I strip and clean mine after each outing and then it goes back on. Strip you mod after your next outing.......you will be surprised Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white flash Posted April 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Thankyou for all replys.Ithink I will put down .22 and look at the sako quad.How much ammo should I put down on cert might be a silly but have not got a clue.Thankyou again alb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigeon Paul Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 I put down for 600 of each rimfire (hmr &22) and got that.... I put down for 150 .223 and got that plus 600 ".223 expanding missiles" (expanding bullets heads only for reloading) which I hadn't even thought of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 You know 2 years ago 75% would have said HMR, a mate commented on this slide away from the hummer last week and I think its true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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