How can you live after this

[Big Dog]

.222 23.5g Varget with Hornada V-max pill - a good fox mix, well this little vixen below held her own against it. Shot her this morning about 0830hrs. I had been out from about 0600hrs with my lamp. It,s a big farm area with sheep and a lot of phesants. I have never lamp/called a fox on this farm (300 acres). Yet lambs have been lifted. Tried new strategy today, morning watch. As light came I crossed into the next farm where loads of Phesants were flying, walking sitting everywhere. I also shoot rabbits on here. I thought the foxes must work this farm.

 

After a walk around the farm I was returning to the car and saw 4 Phesants just of the lane. I was watching them in my binos (70yrds) when this wee vixen charged in for breakfast. The flapping flying birds trying to escape kept her attention. No back stop was almost my bad fortune until she ran 30 more yrds to the fence. I had a view seconds before she was jumping the fence. She was sitting up straight looking over the grass/wire. I got my sticks up and struggled to get clear eye relief on the Leopold scope, always a problem, it was a very quick shot and she dropped. That said, she was not dead. Massive wound and blood loss, she even looked up at me (silver grey eye???). Even with round 2 she still fought to the last.

 

 

Light snow on the ground.

 

 

Look at that wound. Entry through left shoulder and the exit took out the right shoulder and side of her ribcage. I can't believe this wasn't a clean kill. She was going nowhere and would have die in minutes but that not what I aim for.

 

 

I alway thought a foxes eyes were brown. This girl had silver grey eyes. She looked at me a couple of time before the I put her to sleep.

 

 

On the Leopold scope matter. When mag is up they are way to slow to get eye relief in a hurry. Lamping is hard. I think I will change it sometime soon.

Edited February 2, 2008 by Big Dog

[Oly]

Good to hear a good honest report there mate :blink:

 

Looks like the shot was 4"-6" too far forward for a heart shot, and a touch low (~2"-3") for a neck shot. The combo your using should be fine, but I guess you may need to be a little more patient with your shots to get the right placement - or upgrade to a slightly larger calibre (e.g. .243 or 6.5x55).

 

Regarding the Leupold - it's common on most high mags on variable scopes. You're ideally looking for an exit pupil of, as near as possible, 7mm or greater (which is the size of the average pupil) - which can be obtained by dividing the size of the objective lens by the magnification i.e. 50mm objective / 7x mag = 7.1mm, alternatively winding the mag on the same scope up to 20 gives 50mm obj / 20x mag = 2.5mm - hence you will struggle to get clear eye relief. When lamping simply wind the mag back some to get better eye relief. Utimately the Leupolds are great scopes, doubt you'll find any of the same spec that will give you better eye relief - that is only possible with a fixed mag/less variable mag scope :blink:

Edited February 2, 2008 by Oly

[russ91]

good shooting mate and nice write up

[Big Dog]

Hi Oly - I think the .222 is gun enough OK but the vixen was sitting stragiht up like a dog begging for a treat. So instead of head and tail horizontal they were vertical. I was also standing out is the open so time was short. Your are right on the mag, I often keep it up more a eye sight thing I guess. I also have a Kalhes on my 6.5 but never experience it with it, at least not as much. I haven't been out hunting much with the Leopold this session so practice will help.

 

On your note about a larger Cal for fox. I wise :blink: . Over here big Cals are for deer .222 is the norm for fox.

[tikkamark]

If the bullet entered the left shoulder and exited like it did the bullet missed its heart and lungs thats probably why it did not die instantly as oly has mentioned the shot was just a touch to far foward.Foxes are amazingly tough alright the bullet has to destroy its vital organs or brain for it to drop instantly no matter what the caliber your using stepping up to a bigger caliber would not make any difference the .222 should knock them down every time providing the bullet is put in the right spot :blink:

[Big Dog]

I agree tikkamark all the other foxes I have shot with this gun have dropped, all shot with winchester superX 50g SP. This was my first time witht the V-max. One of those things

[Oly]

...no matter what the caliber your using stepping up to a bigger caliber would not make any difference...

 

I know where your coming from Mark, but a larger caliber does end up with a bigger shock wave & larger damage, hence more room for inaccuarcy (NOT that that is an excuse!). Taking it to the extreme, hit that fox anywhere with a .50cal and it's dead, do the same with a .22lr and it's certainly very not dead.

[kip270]

Like the others have said, shot placement was a bit off, too far forward.

You certainly do not need more gun, the .222 is a very good choice, i love mine I have bagged over 50 foxes with mine, and have only had one that needed a coup-de-grace, shot placement is key

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2008 by kip270

[Big Dog]

I agree kip270. This is was the first fox I have every had to double shoot

[deadeye ive]

I got my sticks up and struggled to get clear eye relief on the Leopold scope, always a problem, it was a very quick shot and she dropped. That said, she was not dead. Massive wound and blood loss, she even looked up at me (silver grey eye???). Even with round 2 she still fought to the last.

 

 

 

 

 

On the Leopold scope matter. When mag is up they are way to slow to get eye relief in a hurry. Lamping is hard. I think I will change it sometime soon.

BD

 

Good honest post Hugo

 

 

I too shoot off sticks alot more nowadays and I have in the last week taken my leupold off my HMR and attached a Fixed mag Schmidt for the very reason you have stated ........The eye relief started at 5" and then reduced to 3" when on full mag ,It also whited out very easily.......Fantastic in long range daylight situations though .

 

It's not easy shooting off sticks at the best of times but I know from experience a scope that whites out won't have helped and would have been frustrating ......Had you shot from a Bi-pod I'm pretty sure it would have been a instant clean kill

[al4x]

...no matter what the caliber your using stepping up to a bigger caliber would not make any difference...

 

I know where your coming from Mark, but a larger caliber does end up with a bigger shock wave & larger damage, hence more room for inaccuarcy (NOT that that is an excuse!). Taking it to the extreme, hit that fox anywhere with a .50cal and it's dead, do the same with a .22lr and it's certainly very not dead.

 

 

you say that but have you seen a few of the yank films on distance shooting with a 50 cal and in some the deer certainly don't go straight down, with that shot there wasn't enough to hit to cause that much shock even with a bigger caliber. Ok it wasn't going to go far at all but just didn't drop on the spot.

[Big Dog]

Nick I use to use a bi-pod, sometime still do for fun in summer time. I use 2 main methods:

1. Off the sticks

2. Off my back pack which I usually have with me. I have 2, a larger one and one that is like a bum bag but has full ruck shoulder straps.

 

The ruck has 2 bit of close cell foam inside. One against the outside and one against the inside. All the kit fits in between. What this give me is a light version of a shoot bag. With the gun craddled in between the entire forend is supported and give a very flat, stable and satifactory platform to shoot off.

 

Something else Nick I have just learnt that may be worth a note. Normally with my .222 I can put 10 rounds into a 3" target at 100 mtrs on my sticks.

 

My deer stalking rifles is the same gun just bigger cal and 3.5" longer on the barrel. In November when i was getting ready for going stalking, I though as I had not shot of the stick for a will I should sharpen up a bit. After zeroing in, I got up set up my sticks, and WOW! I could not get on the target at all . I couldn't have taken a shot at a deer; a 6" target.

 

I was shocked at this and thought it was just my age catching up. 3 weeks ago I started to put the pieces together. My .222 has a moderator. My 6.5 has a mod, but I had never used it to keep weight down. So at my last range day I took the mod and tried it shooting on my bag WOW! It was unbeliveable the difference, so steady.

 

I haven't tried off the sticks yet but I know that is what it was. I am used to the extra weight on the sticks which balances the gun out for me better.

 

As an extra point. When I went stalking, I told the guy I was with that I wouldn't take a standing shot for that reason. Its funny what you get used to. I shoot a Roe last year at 180yrs standing with no mod and shot of my mates shoulder; straight through the heart, didn't run 12 ft. What a difference and year can make.

 

Hope you find that interesting

Edited February 6, 2008 by Big Dog