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.17 for Fox???


Bryn
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I used to have a 0.17Rem for a couple of years.

 

My previous foxing rifles were a 0.223, then a 22-250, added a 0.17Rem and then got rid of both to go back to a 0.223.

 

I shot a lot of foxes with the 0.17, and so why did I change?

 

The 0.17 was a little more difficult to reload, but once the appropriate handload was found it was OK, as long as you were very careful in being meticulous in all the normal aspects of reloading. I used 25g bullets.

 

As with all small high velocity bullets you had less opportunities for poor bullet placement - as someone said to me once, would you like to be hit in the right place by a high velocity pebble, or slightly off-centre by a slower housebrick? You can debate this all day, but it was my experience that the 25g bullet was more affected by wind, and as in all aspects of shooting it's confidence that matters. I had a couple of foxes that were hit and didn't go down straight away, and that was it.

 

If you want an exotic round, then OK, you can warrant a 0.17Rem (or a 0.204, or whatever). There is some satisfaction in saying I've got something different, with a bit of mystique to it - until you want to try and sell it.

 

However, in the real world it was my experience that the 0.223 would do all that the 0.17 would do and more - especially with the new V max bullets that give superb fragmentation. You can't beat picking up a fox with no exit wound, and it sloshes about inside when you shake it - a very dead fox that drops in a heap with no twitch.

 

I didn't go back to a 22-250 because for the ranges that I shoot at, I didn't feel that I needed it - most of my foxes are shot at a range of less than 200 yards.

 

Now if I had nice flat fields to shoot over, then the extra 50 yards range of the 22-250 might make me reconsider, but I shoot mainly in the Welsh hills at night and most foxes are shot at 100-150 yards, with the odd one at 200 yards. Shooting foxes at 300 yards did attract me once, but 300 yards on a dark, windy night with the distractions of numerous sheep about makes me nervous - it's a helluva long way. It's all right to boast about good 300 yard groups on a range, but when you are lying in a cow pat, on uneven ground, on a windy night then you want everything in your favour to be certain of a kill. That's why I don't take 300 yard shots at night - but it may be OK on a flat fenland field.

 

Hope that the above makes sense.

 

Don

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.17hmr - hornady magnum rimfire pushs a 17gr bullet at around 2600fps

.17rem - remington pushs a 25gr?? bullet over 4000fps

 

for comparison a .223 i think averages about 2100 roughly with maybe a 50gr

and a .22lr with 40gr is around 1100fps

:whistling::good::good:

.223 factory will push 50 grainers along at 3200fps to 3300fps ish

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The .17rem falls in the home orifice guild line bracket of vermin and fox along with the .22hornet, never had any experience of one, however I have been doing a lot of research recently into the 17cf cals and the .17 fireball / mk4 is up there with the 17 rem, but with less powder as much speed and may be better accuracy, myself I've been looking at a 17AH or 17bee, all good stuff with velocity around the 3900fps to 4100fps, ideal for longer range crows and magpies :whistling:

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.17hmr - hornady magnum rimfire pushs a 17gr bullet at around 2600fps

.17rem - remington pushs a 25gr?? bullet over 4000fps

 

for comparison a .223 i think averages about 2100 roughly with maybe a 50gr

and a .22lr with 40gr is around 1100fps

:whistling::good::good:

.223 factory will push 50 grainers along at 3200fps to 3300fps ish

 

Opps although i did say roughly sorry if its a bit in accurate numbers off the top of my head and i dont shoot CF

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