.17hmr for foxes

needsy

Well-Known Member
I understand that here in Essex they don't deem the .17hmr suitable for foxes & that you can't get it on your certificate, but it seems that other areas allow it. Surely it would make sense to have a nationally agreed approach.
Im not saying this would be my first choice of round as I prefer my .243, but if I was out with the .17hmr & there was the chance of a fox i would like to be able to take it. Anybody else had problems??
 
It can and has been done, but it is a f**k up waiting to happen. I have seen foxes taking four or five shots from a HMR. However, I have a well known prejudice. I can't stand the 17, marketing junk.
 
Why do we have to put up with this interfering
and being told what is and what isnt suitable.
.17hmr is extremely accurate and is highly suitable for foxes and very safe too.

I dont always want to carry a centrefire rifle around if Im not specifically after foxes or deer.
 
Do you think was that down to shot placement, range or the round itself.

The latter two. Short range is a particular problem. Saw a vixen take four 17gr bullets at about 30 yards, all blew up without penetrating before a head shot finished the debacle.
 
I have killed them with head shots easy enough but I shot one in the H/L area the other day and it ran off into deep cover, I never found it, I'm sure it died but when and where I can't say. Thats not good enough for me, I won't try it again. I think you really need a CF for foxes, I have twice missed with the HMR going for head shots on longish range foxes, with a CF I could have gone for a much bigger target body shot...

Personally I wouldn't say the HMR is a foxing rifle, but thats just my opinion.
 
I agree that .22 and .17hmr are not the best fox calibre.
and a centrefire will outrange and out perform a rimfire obviously.
years of keepering I carry a rimfire and if I see a fox in range
I`ll shoot it. my point is its my decision not big brothers
 
I have a .243 but .17hmr is all I use really for foxes and I've shot hundreds with .17hmr and a dozen or so with .22lr.

I will confidently head shoot foxes at 100yds plus but I try to keep chest shots at 60 or less - having said this I took someone out last week whose shot fell low at 130ish yds and the exit wound was massive (he was aiming for head but shot entered neck and exited spine between shoulders).

It's a perfect fox round - anyone who puts 5 shots in and doesn't kill a fox is either:
a) missing
b) hitting the guts
c) shooting from 200m+!!!

I use 17gn hornady bt's, cz452 16" barrel, hawke scope
 
I have used my .17hmr for years of foxing and it has accounting for many hundreds of foxes. This is my preferred round, I will take foxes out to about 150m. It is very capable and I will not be changing any time soon. I have seen more deer run on larger caliber then foxes with the .17 it’s not the round, every caliber has its limitations. I think it has more to do with how well you know your own rifle, its limits and your own marksmanship skills.

Regards
 
i have shot alot of foxes with a hmr, all with one exception were dead on the spot i used to use a 17grn ballistic tip but have switched to 20 grn hp which i find better , for many years i shot foxes with a 22 hornet with winchester 45 grn hollow points the hms will do all that the hornet did
it's no more a fu waiting to happen than shooting with any calibre shot placementand range are paramount
 
.....It's a perfect fox round - anyone who puts 5 shots in and doesn't kill a fox is either:
a) missing
b) hitting the guts
c) shooting from 200m+!!!

boll#cks to all three.

I have shot literally hundreds of foxes, somewhere over 400 with the 22wmr, 222rem ( mostly ) and the 22/250. I would not rely on the HMR for a bet. My buddies rave about the 17, but I have seen so many run after good hits. Nothing runs after being hit with a 22/250...barrels are cheap!
 
boll#cks to all three.

I have shot literally hundreds of foxes, somewhere over 400 with the 22wmr, 222rem ( mostly ) and the 22/250. I would not rely on the HMR for a bet. My buddies rave about the 17, but I have seen so many run after good hits. Nothing runs after being hit with a 22/250...barrels are cheap!

I think southdowns stalking finishes his post with some very valid points .
my take on it is you only here about the hundreds people shoot with this caliber
not about the ones that go on with a bullet in the gut to die a horrible death
I know you will get people say its only a fox
I have a bit more respect for my quarry and want to do the job properly
regards pete
 
I think southdowns stalking finishes his post with some very valid points .
my take on it is you only here about the hundreds people shoot with this caliber
not about the ones that go on with a bullet in the gut to die a horrible death
I know you will get people say its only a fox
I have a bit more respect for my quarry and want to do the job properly
regards pete[/QUOE

well said sir
 
Something nobody has said yet , and a point I think is very important , I've killed loads of foxes with my hmr , I particularly like this round for cub shooting . But how many of you lot slagging off the hmr have ever tried the Hornady 21 gr hollow point . Its a way better bullet . Between me and a couple of mates locally we kill over 60 foxes a year using a hmr or a .243 .
 
boll#cks to all three.

I have shot literally hundreds of foxes, somewhere over 400 with the 22wmr, 222rem ( mostly ) and the 22/250. I would not rely on the HMR for a bet. My buddies rave about the 17, but I have seen so many run after good hits. Nothing runs after being hit with a 22/250...barrels are cheap!

If they run then how do you know they're good hits??? :-|

It's definitely not a 400m fox round though but I'm assuming no one would be silly enough to think it was...?
 
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I think its a cracking round for fox, head shots at 150 m ..... Nothing is running after that, yes i use .243 also but i dont have any problems taking fox's with the 17hmr
 
Just because its a fox doesn't mean we shouldn't respect it, head shots, yuk, .243 body shot and they never go anywhere, and yes i have experience of the .17hmr, i have used it on rabbits, which in my opinion it is absolutely fine for as is the .22
 
Just because its a fox doesn't mean we shouldn't respect it, head shots, yuk, .243 body shot and they never go anywhere, and yes i have experience of the .17hmr, i have used it on rabbits, which in my opinion it is absolutely fine for as is the .22

headshots yuk ?
No ones asking you to eat it !
 
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