223 or 243
- Thread starter GSD 23
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I have .204, .223 & .243. The .204 is my foxing rifle.
DG
IMO the 243 gives you around an extra 50 yds point blank range over the 223, it also hit harder meaning fewer runners.
I have owned 223, 22-250, and 243, lots of people talk about zeroing 1" high at 100 yds, what i found out with this is most centre fire rifles go an extra 1/2" higher at 150 yds ( 1 1/2" ) if you then slightly pull the shot high off say quad sticks it can go through the foxes hair, so now i zero 1/4"-1/2" high at 100 yds with 22-250 & 243 and i can more or less head shoot hares out to 200 yds and body shoot foxes out to 250 yds point blank range.
The barrel life span on a 243 will be less than a 223 and it will cost around 20p per round.
I've often seen foxes jump through 6"/150mm wire fencing hence their bodies are less than this ------not as bigger kill zone as they look.
As for noise yes the 243 is louder but i think some moderators are better than others, i have a ASE SL5+ on my 22-250 and that is not noisy and is used for farms with housing estates around them.
223 22-250 or 243 all good for foxing but the latter two IMO are better for the above reasons.
Dave (warbucks)
I'm going to take a marginally different position to Warbucks and lean the other way. I don't disagree with anything he's said but I rarely shoot foxes or hares out to 200yards. It's a consequence of the ground I shoot rather than a lack of confidence.
I use a .22-250 for fox, deer and hares and love it but truth be told I don't need the extra range. A .223 uses less powder and cases are cheaper (This may be less of a concern if you're only taking a few shots a year but I reload and also shoot at the range).
In most spontaneous situations there's little difference between .22-250/.243 and .223 and should a longer shot present itself the extra 1/2 second to think about raising the crosshairs probably wouldn't be an issue.
As Warbucks said there's a definite advantage to the extra power/range of the punchier rounds.
I use a .22-250 for fox, deer and hares and love it but truth be told I don't need the extra range. A .223 uses less powder and cases are cheaper (This may be less of a concern if you're only taking a few shots a year but I reload and also shoot at the range).
In most spontaneous situations there's little difference between .22-250/.243 and .223 and should a longer shot present itself the extra 1/2 second to think about raising the crosshairs probably wouldn't be an issue.
As Warbucks said there's a definite advantage to the extra power/range of the punchier rounds.
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long_range_rob
Well-Known Member
.243 with 70gn bullets personally. Designed for coyotes (similar to foxes) and just works.
Ciganka762
Well-Known Member
As you already have a 6.5 creed go with the .223
I started out by using my creed exclusively but then picked up a 22-250 which I am now totally in love with for foxes. It's a light little rifle to carry round all night (I got a light profile barrel Tikka T3) and very quick to whip up onto the sticks. It has no recoil compared to the creed and so no disturbance to sight picture throughout the shot which I found rather distracting using NV on the creed (which also seemed to produced a lot more 'smoke' which blinded out the NV).
If you can get yourself a 22-250 I can certainly recommend the calibre (it's like shooting a laser pointer). But if you've got a specific .223 your looking at I think it will make a really good companion to your creed.
I started out by using my creed exclusively but then picked up a 22-250 which I am now totally in love with for foxes. It's a light little rifle to carry round all night (I got a light profile barrel Tikka T3) and very quick to whip up onto the sticks. It has no recoil compared to the creed and so no disturbance to sight picture throughout the shot which I found rather distracting using NV on the creed (which also seemed to produced a lot more 'smoke' which blinded out the NV).
If you can get yourself a 22-250 I can certainly recommend the calibre (it's like shooting a laser pointer). But if you've got a specific .223 your looking at I think it will make a really good companion to your creed.
Fox Runners with .223 should be very few and far between!
Envillegc1
Well-Known Member
240 wetherby is the answer
long_range_rob
Well-Known Member
Try 243 with 70gn Varmageddons. No exit wound at 60 yds
I don’t have a .243, though applying for one soon to replace the hornet.
But I don’t have any issues with runners with 50 gr v-max from the .223, I hit the foxes and they fall over, out to 300 yards which is as far as I push them.
HonestJohn
Well-Known Member
.222 - I have one for sale, buy it! 
So what dose the 204 do that the other two can’t,except shoot a lighter grain bullet a little bit faster?
Not a lot…
I've got both 243 and 223, right now the 243 is the dedicated NV shoots the 58g vmax superformance braw.
Sometime in the future il probably swap things up and make the 223 the dedicated NV, hornady 55g vmax is my usual go to for foxing with the 223.
I do enjoy Roe stalking with 223 great little versatile calibre.
Sometime in the future il probably swap things up and make the 223 the dedicated NV, hornady 55g vmax is my usual go to for foxing with the 223.
I do enjoy Roe stalking with 223 great little versatile calibre.
I guess it’s just personal choice…
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