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Question is there a rifle that will do both for foxes and rabbits?


murph3010murph
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3 hours ago, murph3010murph said:

I would like to buy a brand new gun would these optics be OK.  They are on my air rifle but would if I can save on the optics I can maybe get a nightlite viper thingy.  Oh its a hawke optic 

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more than good enough. its got a cross and adjustable get on and enjoy yourself:good:

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17HMR and any of the Hawke range of air rifle scopes will suffice.  No disrespect to the other suggestions as they will all do the job, but the 17HMR in my experience is scary accurate.

For fox I limit myself to around 60yrds and wait until the animal is spot on sideways. Then one mid body through the chest will result in a dead fox. I have had to put down so many deer over the years that some idiot has tried to head shoot, running around with bottom jaws flopping around that I never take the shot myself and am totally aginst such.

Fox, rabbit or deer we should all aim to kill the animal as quickly and humanely as possible with less chance of having that animal running around in agony maybe for days.

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2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

17HMR and any of the Hawke range of air rifle scopes will suffice.  No disrespect to the other suggestions as they will all do the job, but the 17HMR in my experience is scary accurate.

For fox I limit myself to around 60yrds and wait until the animal is spot on sideways. Then one mid body through the chest will result in a dead fox. I have had to put down so many deer over the years that some idiot has tried to head shoot, running around with bottom jaws flopping around that I never take the shot myself and am totally aginst such.

Fox, rabbit or deer we should all aim to kill the animal as quickly and humanely as possible with less chance of having that animal running around in agony maybe for days.

See I don't think a .17HMR has enough weight to it to make good chest shots.

Headshots, need to be done right, the fault is with the operator not the caliber. If you aim between the eyes at 100 yards and your rifle shoots sub 1MOA then that's a dead fox.

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This subject has been round several times.  The answer simply depends on the land and distances, but HMR is probably the best general option.

It has the energy and accuracy to deal with foxes to over 100 yards and with a bit of thought and experience foxes can usually be persuaded to comply with those distances, good on bunnies as well.  IF you are looking to take foxes in the next county then you need something bigger!

I take a lot of foxes with all my rimfires, but that is simply down to experience and the type of shooting I usually do, if you are in the Highlands or on very open ground you may well want something more like a Hornet or .222/.223, but they are usually a bit OTT on bunnies!

 

 

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1 hour ago, Brad93 said:

See I don't think a .17HMR has enough weight to it to make good chest shots.

Headshots, need to be done right, the fault is with the operator not the caliber. If you aim between the eyes at 100 yards and your rifle shoots sub 1MOA then that's a dead fox.

Six shots Six foxes, 3 head, 3 chest. 17g Hornady V-Max, delivered accurately at appropriate distances, works just fine.  Certainly a bigger calibre gives more leeway, but sometimes the environment is better suited for a rimfire than a centrefire.   Shoot within your capabilities and that of the rifle/ammo and all should be well!

073f.thumb.jpg.9b75ce0c0cdf9fc2a933b569a78e5438.jpg

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4 hours ago, Brad93 said:

See I don't think a .17HMR has enough weight to it to make good chest shots.

Headshots, need to be done right, the fault is with the operator not the caliber. If you aim between the eyes at 100 yards and your rifle shoots sub 1MOA then that's a dead fox.

Not really a gust of wind or the Fox moving the mobile part of its body i.e. its head just as you pull the trigger can produce a horrific jaw injury.  Wait until it is side on and shoot behind the shoulder.  They work fine in my limited experience of shooting around 10 at short range < 75 yards.

Edited by JRDS
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10 hours ago, Brad93 said:

See I don't think a .17HMR has enough weight to it to make good chest shots.

Headshots, need to be done right, the fault is with the operator not the caliber. If you aim between the eyes at 100 yards and your rifle shoots sub 1MOA then that's a dead fox.

if your a little bit low that small projectile is breaking up on that big nose. from another experianced stalker/fox shooter that again has seen deer with jaws blown off etc. chest shot for me all the time. maybe its because i miss and i know i have more room for error than trying to find that small brain on a large head. when i was young i got told when calling foxes into shotgun to always shoot them side on as they turn. there is very little protecting there vitals there.where as front on the small pellets have to penetrate a thick skull. just my take on it and it works quite well for me

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On 20/02/2018 at 05:36, Whitester said:

I'd say the hmr is the best all rounder , if I thought about picking up just one rifles for a nights shooting then it covers all bases.

it has limitations for fox but you can work within these.

its cheaper than centre fire if you can't be bothered with reloading , it's relatively safe from a ricochet perspective and not as loud as most centre fire.

 

whatever you do though don't get rid of your air rifle, you'll always needs it.

Yeah I have decided to keep the air rifle but I do have a sporter 12g o/u taking up space in my cabint that should cover allot of the cost of getting a new rifle when the time comes. Cheers 

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On 20 February 2018 at 05:12, oowee said:

Lots of talk on here of head shots on fox. It's a very risky and I think mostly unnecessary choice of shot. The best of us can miss and a misplaced head shot could easily lead to a fox without a jaw. A boiler room shot is a bigger target and the HMR will easily take down a fox with such a shot at up to 100yds side on.

Good point.

 

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8 minutes ago, redial said:

Never see or hear of 22 mag these days.

.22WMR is a useful calibre and I rate mine very highly, and whilst it is great on foxes (as is HMR) I've never really seen it as a rabbit gun, my .22lr or HMR win on that front!

Hence why my answer to this thread is HMR!

:good:

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On ‎20‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 05:12, oowee said:

Lots of talk on here of head shots on fox. It's a very risky and I think mostly unnecessary choice of shot. The best of us can miss and a misplaced head shot could easily lead to a fox without a jaw. A boiler room shot is a bigger target and the HMR will easily take down a fox with such a shot at up to 100yds side on.

 

22 minutes ago, redial said:

Good point.

 

 Shoot within your capabilities and that of the rifle/ammo and all should be well!

Foxes present in all manner of ways, quite often they can be found sitting like a dog and just looking at you, if the head or chest is the best shot then you take it!

Put very simply, you go for the most appropriate shot in the circumstances, wherever that may be, and if it isn't an appropriate shot you simply don't take it.  Making a statement about not head shooting is daft, people DELIBERATELY go for head shots on rabbits all the time, and pretty much any Game Dealer will pay you more for head shot deer than chest.

Just the same, nobody is making anyone pull the trigger, or take any shot they are not confident with.

I never go out with the intention of head shooting a fox, I go out with the intention of stopping it, sometimes that will mean a head shot, simple as!

:good:

 

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10 minutes ago, Dekers said:

 

 Shoot within your capabilities and that of the rifle/ammo and all should be well!

Foxes present in all manner of ways, quite often they can be found sitting like a dog and just looking at you, if the head or chest is the best shot then you take it!

Put very simply, you go for the most appropriate shot in the circumstances, wherever that may be, and if it isn't an appropriate shot you simply don't take it.  Making a statement about not head shooting is daft, people DELIBERATELY go for head shots on rabbits all the time, and pretty much any Game Dealer will pay you more for head shot deer than chest.

Just the same, nobody is making anyone pull the trigger, or take any shot they are not confident with.

I never go out with the intention of head shooting a fox, I go out with the intention of stopping it, sometimes that will mean a head shot, simple as!

:good:

 

The only reason I can think of needing to head shoot a fox is when its in cover and that's all you can see.

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21 minutes ago, bornfree said:

The only reason I can think of needing to head shoot a fox is when its in cover and that's all you can see.

That's fine, I thought I made it clear that nobody is making anyone pull the trigger if they are not happy. 

My first company was called Fox Control, which grew into a bigger Pest Control company, I shoot loads, from pocket handkerchief back gardens to the largest country estates, etc., and head shots present in all sorts of environments................... 

Like when they are in a back garden and have their head down in a bowl of dog food where you have baited them to achieve the most appropriate shot!

Edited by Dekers
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33 minutes ago, Dekers said:

That's fine, I thought I made it clear that nobody is making anyone pull the trigger if they are not happy. 

My first company was called Fox Control, which grew into a bigger Pest Control company, I shoot loads, from pocket handkerchief back gardens to the largest country estates, etc., and head shots present in all sorts of environments................... 

Like when they are in a back garden and have their head down in a bowl of dog food where you have baited them to achieve the most appropriate shot!

Nice one :good::)

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1 hour ago, Dekers said:

 

 Shoot within your capabilities and that of the rifle/ammo and all should be well!

Foxes present in all manner of ways, quite often they can be found sitting like a dog and just looking at you, if the head or chest is the best shot then you take it!

 

I never go out with the intention of head shooting a fox, I go out with the intention of stopping it, sometimes that will mean a head shot, simple as!

:good:

 

beat quote i have read :good:

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