Fox drives
- Thread starter homer
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Last time was in Devon many years ago when invited to a Saturday shoot and I rocked up with a 222 stutzen! Needless to say I was positioned in some interesting places but yes, the heart did indeed race when an out of season roe came straight towards me in overdrive!
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Rhodesianjess
Well-Known Member
Got my annual vermin day Saturday week. Boys on known fox runs outside the woods, boys inside beating will shoot the squirrel dreys out plus any jays, magpies,crows etc. Boys outside generally account for Charlie, very rare they turn back through the beating line.
Flask and sarnies day, good craic with the lads, does a lot of good too.
Flask and sarnies day, good craic with the lads, does a lot of good too.
Rhodesianjess
Well-Known Member
To be fair, we're lucky if get a brace normally, generally only one.
Goes without saying I get lots of stick from the lads for ruining their day by night time control
we had two years on the trot a while ago when I shot the only Charlie on the day. Accompanied by choruses of " very kind of you to invite us to beat a fox to you Jess, typical bloody keeper
"
Brilliant day with brilliant lads, enjoy them more than some of the pheasant days I've been invited on!
Goes without saying I get lots of stick from the lads for ruining their day by night time control
we had two years on the trot a while ago when I shot the only Charlie on the day. Accompanied by choruses of " very kind of you to invite us to beat a fox to you Jess, typical bloody keeper"Brilliant day with brilliant lads, enjoy them more than some of the pheasant days I've been invited on!
no 1 or no 3 is plenty
Rhodesianjess
Well-Known Member
Personally I use 1 Oz of 5's in my 16 bore.
I buy a couple of boxes of Gamebore Buffalo 42 grams in 3's for the lads. Don't need a magnum chamber in your gun and don't half have a whack at the other end on old Charlie.
Over the years, I've done dozens of fox drives, many just after the pheasant season ended, a good time to get rid of the vixens before the cubs are dropped. If they are well organised, they can be very productive. We always used shotguns with either BB or similar.
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
#5,4,3. Sooner have a dense pattern over large pellets.
#5 shot .
#4 buck, one pellet, found next day!
#4. One shot.
BB, took both barrels.
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Lol, the other day I found an old eley GP 16g case. Had #5 shot written on it. Lord knows how long it has sat under that holly hedge. No one has shot there other than me for nearly 30 years.
Rhodesianjess
Well-Known Member
Wasn't me guv, honestly
someone kindly gave me a slab of Eley paper case 5's they found in a deceased relative house clearance, donkeys years ago. Still knocks things dead.Biggest I've ever seen in 16 is 4's, continental manufacturers make larger shot but never struggled with 5's.
Found the pattern is excellent in my old 16, knocked a lot of Charlie over with them.
Rhodesianjess
Well-Known Member
@Smellydog , continuing on your theory that small and dense pattern is better, I'll give you a laugh.
First keeper job, found a box of Alphamax LG in the cottage I moved into. Just the job for foxes
next fox drive I attended,took them. Loaded one barrel with them,thank god I put 4/5's in the other barrel.
Small vixen exited wood towards me,let her get 20 yards away and gave her the Alphamax. Cue one very surprised vixen as half a dozen half brick sized clumps of drilling erupted around her never touched her. Thank god I had small shot in the other barrel or my reputation as a keeper wouldn't have been ruined for life.
First keeper job, found a box of Alphamax LG in the cottage I moved into. Just the job for foxes
next fox drive I attended,took them. Loaded one barrel with them,thank god I put 4/5's in the other barrel. Small vixen exited wood towards me,let her get 20 yards away and gave her the Alphamax. Cue one very surprised vixen as half a dozen half brick sized clumps of drilling erupted around her
never touched her. Thank god I had small shot in the other barrel or my reputation as a keeper wouldn't have been ruined for life.Thanks everyone. Just watch out with 42 grams in older guns. Some will have a maximum proof of 1 1/8 oz or a 2.75 inch chambers.
It seems most modern guns now get 3 inch chambers and proofed for 1320 bar which pretty much allows anything you could buy. Its probably legal arse covering, mind you the gun shouldn't blow up but it would still hurt your shoulder!
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Lol, I was gifted some of those useless things several years ago.
After some testing I cut them up and saved the components.
In the 10g muzzleloader about 12 of them may just come in handy come dooms day!
Many years ago, when I shot foxes for a living, quite a few of them had five shot under the skin. We tried various shot sizes for fox, but found the BBs gave the best results overall.
Clearly, fives will kill foxes, but your range is pretty limited.
Clearly, fives will kill foxes, but your range is pretty limited.
Its super interesting to read that people find smaller shot sizes work better. I guess this thread is generally about lead shot, which is fine for foxes and inland geese in Scotland. I guess we are affected by steel shot for geese where it is advised to go up in size in terms of shot size.
Also we probably don't check the pattern enough. I must do this! I have some 30g of 3s for the older sbs and have just acquired some 40g 0s for the new o/u.
Also we probably don't check the pattern enough. I must do this! I have some 30g of 3s for the older sbs and have just acquired some 40g 0s for the new o/u.
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