bignoel Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 i know it may seem a stupid question to a you lot of you but if you dont know then you need to ask. so here goes can anyone tell me the killing range of a 17hmr on fox safely and again on rabbits .thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulkyuk Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 (edited) You can shoot a fox out to 100yrds ( a little futher with a head shot) and rabbits out to 200+ if theres no wind The little 17grn pills get buffeted by the wind quite a bit, but are fine out to 75- 100yrds even in strongish wind conditions Also remember most 17HMR rifles dont shoot brilliant groups untill they have had at least 500 rounds down em. Edited April 10, 2008 by tulkyuk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignoel Posted April 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 thankyou very helpfull info all taken in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunk Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Noel, try the 20gn xtp`s on foxes, they stay together and expand less explosively than 17gn, penetrating further. My cz has the same poi out to 100yds with 17gn and 20gn which is helpfull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 I would agree with Tulkyuk, I would add though, I would restrict the distances as given especially on fox by quarter. At least until you have a full and complete understanding of the round and its/your ability. Ballistic tips work well on rabbits out to distance but any deviation on target with a Fox could end up being inhumane. There is a much smaller margin for error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRDS Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Any FEO worth his money won't grant one for Fox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignoel Posted April 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 jrds are you saying its not suitable for foxes ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 for foxes id opt for centrefire id class the hmr as a small vermin gun.i would however say that if the pill is correctly placed it will kill foxes but i would nt take the risk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pagey Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 Placed correctly the hmr will knock a fox down instantly in the kill zone out to about 100yds just as well as my 22-250, always nice if you happen upon a foxy whilst out rabbiting! Would agree with the comment that the 20gn are better though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignoel Posted April 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 cheers guys plenty of info i am getting an insight as to what i can do with the 17hmr. and i like the sound of it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 IMO the .17HMR is a brilliant little rifle FOR small vermin but my take on it's ability to quickly and humanely kill foxes is that it should be a NO NO. I know there's always a big (dare I say mass ) debate on here about whether it's good enough or not but IMO you should always use more gun than necessary to ensure a kill and I don't care how good a shot you are. Under field conditions you can NEVER be sure of a totally accurate placement but with a larger calibre you can be sure that so long as you're in the right area you'll do the job and if you can't be sure of that then what are you doing shooting live quarry anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Any FEO worth his money won't grant one for Fox. Herts include them as vermin these days, used right the HMR doesn't have any problem with foxes and does give you extra range on them over the .22lr, But its not a fox round the only reason to use on fox is when you encounter them while rabbit shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 The Home Office Guidance to police says; 13.17 The rifle cartridge most commonly used to shoot ground game and vermin is .22 rimfire. If a combination rifle/shot gun (such as a German “Drillingâ€) is used, the rifle calibre should be .22 rimfire. More powerful rounds such as .17 Remington and .22 Hornet are suitable for ground game and vermin, and may be considered if the applicant also intends to shoot fox to avoid possession of a further gun. Expanding ammunition may be granted for shooting vermin. Note that it says 17 remington, a very different animal to 17HMR. The 17 Remington has a muzzle energy of 900 ft/lbs, the 17HMR has a ME of 245 ft/lbs. The 17HMR is a useful little round, but should be used within it's limitations, and fox is not within them. I agree with al4x with his comment; "........ But its not a fox round, the only reason to use on fox is when you encounter them while rabbit shooting." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Sussex include them for Fox. I think the problem lies in the 2002 Firearms Law Guidance Notes in that .17REM is classified for Fox but there is no mention of the .17HMR as it was not introduced until later that year. So some areas determine the .17HMR to ok as .17 is listed but others clearly note that .17REM is a different calibre. I am still prepared to shoot a Fox with a .17HMR but I do restrict my shots to as close a distance as possible and would rarely take a shot over 75 yards. The margin for error is far greater than with a larger calibre which has a much harder punch to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 (edited) Sussex include them for Fox. I think the problem lies in the 2002 Firearms Law Guidance Notes in that .17REM is classified for Fox but there is no mention of the .17HMR as it was not introduced until later that year. So some areas determine the .17HMR to ok as .17 is listed but others clearly note that .17REM is a different calibre. I am still prepared to shoot a Fox with a .17HMR but I do restrict my shots to as close a distance as possible and would rarely take a shot over 75 yards. The margin for error is far greater than with a larger calibre which has a much harder punch to it. "I am still prepared to shoot a Fox with a .17HMR". Yes, I would agree with you, as I would be prepared to shoot a fox with a subsonic 22 in the right circumstances, but that does not qualify either of them as a fox round. At 100 yards, the 17hmr has 99ft/lbs of energy, the LR High Velocity HP, Winchester's Super-X load, with a 37 grain hollow point bullet at 100 yards has 85 ft. lbs. 13ft/lbs difference between a 22rf and a 17hmr is not enough to make it the wonder round that most 17 owners imagine it to be. And yes, I do own one, and no, I don't rate it as the b-all and end-all of rifles. It's useful in the right circumstances, but no way a fox round. Edited April 11, 2008 by bob300w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axe Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 I would have to agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 Bob whilst i agree that the 17hmr is never going to be a decent fox rifle, i would like to point out that your energy calculations at 100 yards are incorrect .17 hmr 137 ft/lbs ( 2550ft/s, 17 grain, .125bc) .22lr sub ( eley 40 grain ) 72 ft/lbs ( 1065ft/s, 40grain, .115bc) http://www.eskimo.com/~jbm/ballistics/traj/traj.html .22 hornets the cal for the job, or go all out and opt for .222 /.223/ .22-250, .243, 6mm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 bob I am with you the .17 is rated so highly among shooters. It is a great long range vermin round but not the be all that people imagine (someone even advocated its use against badger on this forum recently). I know it can kill a fox but I know of a suicide with a .22 rimmie, just because it can does not mean it should. steve b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.