Foxing calibre

[steve54]

Tikka T3 .223 with 55gr Sierra Blitzking's, and a Ward 800s on the back.
Does the job for me.

 

[User00025]

I use home loads really zipping along 75 gr.
If I set 1" high, I'm spot on at 150 and 3" low at 200. At 300 I'll be 10-11" low.

 

[J_Borer]

Tikka T3 .223 with 55gr Sierra Blitzking's, and a Ward 800s on the back.
Does the job for me.

.223 is winning the race for sure! Can I ask, how much are bullets costing you?

 

[Triggermortis]

Would using an nv scope mounted higher than a day scope not make a difference if zeroed at the same range ?

 

[steve54]

.223 is winning the race for sure! Can I ask, how much are bullets costing you?

Not sure at present, but i think the Sportsman gun centre Exeter are doing them for £31 per 100

 

[ChrisJB]

Could you consider Pard 008 LRF on your current setup use for day and night with a separate thermal spotter and set different zero memory for ammo grain used depending on what quarry you after ?

 

[25 Sharps]

View attachment 194266See the top row included is the .204, not appropriate for foxes and whereas other calibres there are exeptions there isn’t for the .204. I would also argue against this but it’s the only answer I can find!

That table is about establishing good reason (like it says at the top of the screenshot you posted), not legal calibres for quarry, the only quarry that there are legal minimums for are deer, seals and badgers in that order

 

[25 Sharps]

.22 hornet is also really nice.

Not for 300 yards it isn‘t

 

[25 Sharps]

Hi guys,

This has probably been asked plenty of times but curiosity and the fact I need to make 30 posts before putting a wanted advert out for some stalking I thought I’d shoot my shot.

Now I have a .243, cheep and cheerful Ruger M77 mk2 paired with a Leupold VX-3 with a moderator I paid £350, I chucked on one of dads old harris bipods and a sling and it does everything I need it to, lamping foxes and the morning stalks on the Red/Roe.

I want to now get a second rifle for a dedicated night vision rifle, something that’s cheap to run(I home load my ammunition) easy to get hold of, flat out to 250-300yards and will be enough to stop them without any doubt! It will be solely for foxes so won’t need to cover any other species.

Thanks

Jack

Has to be .22 creedmoor

 

[25 Sharps]

Hi Jack
I would go for a 223 - has all the attributes - including low recoil which is preferable for NV shooting - From my own experience of mounting my NV scope on my 234 and 6.5 CM - i sometimes missed the impact, especially when shooting off the bonnet of my 4x4. As said no cal is truly flat 250-300 yards , and if you do get one , you will probably by on your local rifle smiths Christmas card list but i know what you mean - flat as possible and good in wind too.

The lateral drift is really important , as you could get lulled into the trap of just shooting lighter and lighter bullets - going for max velocity, but these bullets tend to have low BC and can get blown about in the breeze at ranges over 250 yrds.

A few to consider

The 223,- shooting a 53 g Vmax (or similar) at around 3400fps - Zeroed 3/4 inch high at 100 - will a drop 2.1 inch at 250 yrds . the bullet will hit with approx 760 FPE . ( more than a 22 hornet at the muzzle)

22.250 does a splendid job at 300 yrds - sending the same bullet 300/ 400 fps faster - dropping 1.6 inches at 250yrds and and moving less in the wind too. It also hits with over 950 FPE. only real difference in cost is the few pence more in powder. As a foxing rifle barrel life isnt an issue. In years gone by , I was shooting over 300 fox per year, for many years. My favorite foxing cal is the 22.250 - so i am biased

The 20 cal are also perfect for that range - albeit the choice of rifles and bullets is less - the 39 grn SKB and 204 makes a excellent 300 yrd combo for NV.

Personally , give your criteria, i would go for the 223 - everything about the 223 is easy - fantastic selection of accurate rifles - different barrels twist and configurations - Ammo and all reloading stuff is easy to find and there is a huge selection of both cheap stuff and very high quality reloading components.


ATB
Alan

Alan, you need to load your hornet hotter.

 

[stubear]

Not for 300 yards it isn‘t

True - beyond 200y it does start to drop off.

 

[J_Borer]

Has to be .22 creedmoor

This is new to me? Do you have one yourself?

 

[25 Sharps]

This is new to me? Do you have one yourself?

Nope. Have had a 6.5 creedmoor for about 6 years, the .22 is the new member of the family following on from the 6 mm creeedmoor. It’ll be a barrel burner but ballistics are good.

I use the 6.5 creedmoor a fair bit for NV work with 85 gr hollow points at 3400 FPS, they kill very well but are now discontinued. My out and out fixing rifle is a .223AI with 50 gr v-max. The 25-45 sharps is also very effective with 75 gr v-max.

 

[25 Sharps]

True - beyond 200y it does start to drop off.

I use 35 gr v-max or varmageddon now as if I want to shoot any higher bc I just use the .223 ackley.

It drops of way before 200 and blows around in the wind but in good conditions it’s a great combination rabbit and fox calibre. When I get through my last 750 35 grainers I am going to rebarrel to 20 ackley hornet. Just because mainly, but that should be point and shoot on a rabbit’s head to 200 yards

 

[sako85708]

Has to be .22 creedmoor

22 250 vs 22 creedmoor ????

 

[25 Sharps]

22 250 vs 22 creedmoor ????

22 creedmoor all day long in a factory rifle

(my post suggesting it was entirely a joke)

 

[Fox Red]

204 shooting 39gr Blitz or 223 shooting 40gr V-Max would be perfect out to 300 yards.

Zeroed at 100 yards, I'm only getting 6" of drop in my 204 with the 39gr Blitz.

22 Hornet is great out to 150 yards on foxes but wouldn't be my choice for a dedicated fox rig. Rabbits out to 350 yards on a calm day are doable, though

 

[User00025]

True - beyond 200y it does start to drop off.

Agreed Stu, but I have seen too many shot at further away, only to be missed and become shy of lamp or laser. If you can't get it with a hornet don't shoot at it. Hear a lot of these " Got one at 420 yds last night" jobs, has to be a very unlucky fox. Most scopes the crosshairs would hide the fox. My foxes have to be dead, if it isn't with a hornet it will be with a wire or cage, it's not sport but necessity.

 

[25 Sharps]

Agreed Stu, but I have seen too many shot at further away, only to be missed and become shy of lamp or laser. If you can't get it with a hornet don't shoot at it. Hear a lot of these " Got one at 420 yds last night" jobs, has to be a very unlucky fox. Most scopes the crosshairs would hide the fox. My foxes have to be dead, if it isn't with a hornet it will be with a wire or cage, it's not sport but necessity.

Agree on 400 but out to 300 is pretty achievable with modern kit. None of the variable scopes I use wouldn’t cover a fox at 400, think about all the Americans that shoot gophers out to silly ranges, they are smaller than a fox and don’t get obscures they just use a scope with a fine ret

 

[User00025]

Agree on 400 but out to 300 is pretty achievable with modern kit. None of the variable scopes I use wouldn’t cover a fox at 400, think about all the Americans that shoot gophers out to silly ranges, they are smaller than a fox and don’t get obscures they just use a scope with a fine ret

Great if a fine Ret shows up. I have one on a 243 but no good on ordinary lamp. I've shot stuff at silly ranges many years ago, but the kit was exceptional as with the stuff the yanks use.