100-150 yd fox rifle calibre

Overlay

Well-Known Member
Hi Guys I currently use a 22 WMR for short range foxing and a 222 for distance

looking to get a calibre something in between ( if there is anything else ) Only reason I ask, I've tried the good old hornet, looking for something that would resist an exit wound but still have a good terminal energy

.204 .17 cf perhaps I've never shot any of these two any info would be appreciated or any other calibers you used

cheers

phil
 
You will find it hard to better the .222rem for foxes, just choose the right bullet. So why waste money buying another rifle.
Why are you concerned about exit wounds?
 
Last edited:
You want something to shoot only at one range? Does this mean you will be carrying 3 rifles in and selecting which one to use based on the range?
The .222 should make the .22WRM redundant unless it is a rabbit at 50m and you want meat. Even then the .22 Mag tends to bruise badly.
The .204 is a replacement for a .222 and the .17 Rem Mag likewise. I had a mate who shot foxes for skins and his experience with the .17 was short but not sweet. Sometimes they stayed inside but other times at the same range blew a huge hole in the pelt. He sold it and now uses a .223 with FMJ and head shots only.
 
Last edited:
Hybridflat, your friend didn't bother to find a suitable bullet for his 17 (I presume you mean a .17 Rem as the 17 Rem Mag doesn't exist). You can hardly condemn the calibre for that.
I've shot plenty of foxes with 25 grain Berger and Starke bullets. Exits are rare.
 
I don't know what he used, I only heard the complaints. He is the kind of enthusiast who has about 6 different loads/bullets for every rifle. Not my bag I stick to one. I've not shot with him for a while. Yes it is the .17 based on the .222 Rem Mag case. I stand corrected.
 
You will find it hard to better the .222rem for foxes, just choose the right bullet. So why waste money buying another rifle.
Why are you concerned about exit wounds?

the WMR is perfect out to hundred on foxes all day can't fault it, it's been the perfect short range fox calibre, used this calibre for years and still will.

222. I use out to 250 with ease, my Wehrauch 222 is permanently with NV as I have another in a blaser barrel for the R8 pro which I use for munties and Canada geese on a day scope, I like the 222 as its a faultless round and accuracy is brilliant, reloading it is a walk in the park

i control a lot of geese with 222 but use HP non tox ammo on some areas

Ive no real experience of the 17 or 204, friend of mine is looking for a 222 and I'll probably let the weihrauch go to him and that leaves me with an empty slot, hence I'm looking to have a possible change of a rifle if I can find a calibre to fit the bill, I try to fit the calibre to the range and resist that toooooo much gun syndrome, if I could find a calibre that kills foxes / geese out to 150 ish without having to pick up the pieces so to speak, I have 308, 6.5 x 55 222. 22WMR and reload the 6.5 and 222, so another calibre in between would be desirable if it fits the bill.


any recommendations


cheers

phil
 
.22 hornet with 35 grain V max, dead fox out to 200 and no exit would on body shots, even at short range.

Neil. :)
 
.22 hornet with 35 grain V max, dead fox out to 200 and no exit would on body shots, even at short range.

Neil. :)

hi Neil
what range have you zeroed on with 22 hornet, I had one a few years ago ( it was a converted rook rifle ) it didn't really hit the button at 150. It may have been the rifle due to age etc, I couldn't get it to shoot less than a inch group at a hundred yds so that was as far as it went on foxes or shorter, that was on factory loads

phil
 
Hi Guys I currently use a 22 WMR for short range foxing and a 222 for distance

looking to get a calibre something in between ( if there is anything else ) Only reason I ask, I've tried the good old hornet, looking for something that would resist an exit wound but still have a good terminal energy

.204 .17 cf perhaps I've never shot any of these two any info would be appreciated or any other calibers you used

cheers

phil

sounds like you already have two

I have the same
the WMR was my go to golf club rifle for foxes
usually inside 120yds
had a couple that made it more than 10 yds which was unacceptable where I was shooting...(10yds is a back garden in many cases)
I went .222 for energy not range but also it doubles as my roe rifle
get some 40-50gr Vmax or SBK.
well placed chest shots won't usually exit
you will always get exits with any round if you shoot enough
 
.22 hornet with 35 grain V max, dead fox out to 200 and no exit would on body shots, even at short range.

Neil. :)


This. ^^^

I use hornet for most of my shooting, 35 gr v-max home loads doing 3050 fps zeroed at 100 yards, don't shoot a huge amount of foxes but of the 5 I've shot this year between 40 and 120 yards i have had no exits and all have dropped in their shadow, all shoulder / bib bar one head shot vixen which was head shot and did one single flip. Cracking little round for foxing around lambing sheep too as its nice and quiet, no louder than a moderated 0.22 with HV ammo really.

As for accuracy I am trying the 30 gr barnes varmint grenade at the moment, not because the v-max is lacking just to try something new, head shot a rabbit at 167 yards off of sticks last weekend and the v-max will do the same out to 150 and probably further so with a modern load and modern rifle fox kill zone size targets are not an issue at the ranges you are wanting. Haven't chronoed the barnes yet but at that range the v-max is still carrying 240 ft-lb so as much as HMR at the muzzle. The rifle is a 20 year old CZ527 (I believe the same rifle as Neil) with a slightly pitted barrel and still shoots sub moa at 100 yards with various home loads or winchester factory ammo.
 
Last edited:
Looking for a rifle between a 22wmr and a 222 really is splitting hairs. Yes the Hornet sits there, but so what.

The 222rem covers you from the muzzle to 200 plus yards.

A 204 does not sit between the 22wmr and the 222 - it is a beast of a different colour completely - its a 500 yard plus rabbit and crow killer.

If you just want another rifle - get on with it, you don't need to justify yourself to us....I have all the calibres listed in my post, plus some more....
 
Looking for a rifle between a 22wmr and a 222 really is splitting hairs. Yes the Hornet sits there, but so what.

The 222rem covers you from the muzzle to 200 plus yards.

A 204 does not sit between the 22wmr and the 222 - it is a beast of a different colour completely - its a 500 yard plus rabbit and crow killer.

If you just want another rifle - get on with it, you don't need to justify yourself to us....I have all the calibres listed in my post, plus some more....

This is very true, I have a WMR and 1:9 twist 0.223 but still felt the need for a hornet, which has very much become my favourite rifle!!
 
A .22 WMR will certainly reach out to 150 yards, but the .22 Hornet is really in its element at 100 to 200 yards on smaller vermin. And many of the Hornets, like the Anschutz and CZ, are so accurate. No recoil, you can see the impact, cheap to reload, lots of good bullets today.... what's not to love?
 
17 Remington is a very competent fox rifle out to 200 yards, perhaps more. The 25g Berger match bullets exit on one fox in 5 perhaps but I would expect this to be less often with 20g or 25g Vmax that seem far more frangible. I have stuck with the Berger as it is stupidly accurate in my rifle
 
I'd get a 22 hornet and use an ASE jet z CQB mod , flawless combination for populated areas and good out to 150 yards

I use a .22 hornet on a private airport for fox and other ground based quarry as they point blank won't allow a rimfire of any discription and it ticks every box
 
It does sound like you already have ample firepower and options in your cabinet but if you really must have another rifle I reckon the .22 hornet is the one. I'd just get em shot with the treble or the 6.5 personally
 
My .20 vartarg gets exits with the 39 grain blitzing, however the 20 grain Barnes grenades might be an option. I have some but haven't tried them on flesh. I remember reading that guys in the states use them on coyote when wanting the pelts. I think that they are so soft and break up so rapidly that you tend not to get exits.
 
Back
Top