Rimfire for fox.

guevara

Active Member


I found the above video of a 17HMR killing a geese at long range.Surley a goose is bigger than a fox and and goose has a doubble layer of fat.

I have put down 22WMR for fox on my FAC application form and i will just see what he FO says.
 
on the subject of shooting fox with rimfire, my uncle, a part time keeper shoots upward of 50 foxes every year with his brno .22rf, using subsonics. some drop on the spot, some are hit but never found, and others get a few put into them as they are limping off. his record is 170 paces (he's 6ft 2 inches tall).

every time his renewal comes round the FEO urges him to get a bigger rifle, but he refuses on the basis of the cost of ammo. i have even offered him use of my .243 to have a play with, but he's not interested in paying £1 to kill a fox outright, he would rather pay 6p to fatally wound one, or not.

the FEO also pushes him to get a proper gun cabinet, but good old uncle still keeps his many shotguns and the rimfire in an old filing cabinet with a single lock.
 
What a p***k :evil: nothing clever about what he is doing and probably not even legal, maybe the clip will help out on the suitability of rimfire weapons for larger quarry.
 
legal

shooting fox with .22rf is legal and many have been shot with .22rf. I don't think it's good practise. .22wmr is more suitable especially at more limited range. but really a centrefire is the thing.
 
these are the calibers listed in HO guidance as "reason to posess" for Medium Quarry – fox, feral cat and other similar sized quarry. I belive the police can only grant you a calibre which is aligned with your reason to posess. ie. if your reason to posess is for shooting fox, it must be one of these calibers. if your reasen to posess is shooting vermin and ground game, then it can be something smaller. i dont believe there are any specific laws which prevent you shooting foxes with the smaller calibres, if your intention is for a clean kill.

.17 Remington
.218 Bee
.22 Hornet
.22-.250
.220 Swift
.222 Remington
5.56mm/.223
.243
6mm PPC
6mm/.24

interstingly, you can shoot a badger with a 160ft/lb 38gn bullet if you have permit to do so or you are putting it out of its misery! that could be a Hv .22 rimfire.
 
The video i posted was to show HMR at long ranges but i did not agree with the way he was killing them.

I have put 22WMR and will just see what the FO says.


Regadrs
 
I am not implying that its not illegal to shoot fox with a rimfire i was stating that it was maybe illegal to shoot water fowl with lead but maybe not .

At the moment on the neighbouring ground that i am a p/t keeper on there is a guy thinning out the canadas using 22 rimmy and i am not sure that how he is doing it is legal but i am fairly sure he has a out of season licence.
 
monynut said:
What a p***k :evil: nothing clever about what he is doing and probably not even legal, maybe the clip will help out on the suitability of rimfire weapons for larger quarry.

i thought you were commenting on uncles foxing activity, not the chopper with the HMR!!
:oops:


those geeses wern't even dead!!! :evil:
 
That clip above is horrid, it is shot in New Zealand and they may have different rules to us re lead and wildfowl. But that aside the way he shot the geese is not to be condoned.

Re rim fire and fox, some forces will give it on the ticket, mine is worded to specifically include fox for my HMR slot and I have used it for that role and it works very well in the right situation. Range less than 100m in still weather conditions and where the added noise of a centre fire might not be wanted.

I do prefer to use the 243 if possible though.

Jerry
 
Rimfire for fox No NO NO NO!

Tried it... it don't work. Not reliable enough

Use a centrefire. simple as that, unless you just want to injure and mame.
 
rimfire for fox

I have no idea of the rules and regs in New Zealand but have to say that was pretty bloody awfull. I feel that anyone who does what was shown in that vid: needs a kick up the ass, followed swiftly by his HMR.
As far as foxes and rimfires are concerned, I probably shoot as many as most and have done for more years than I care to remember. most firearms are more than capable of taking out a fox, skin one out, they ain't very big! However unless you know in advance how far out you will be shooting it is better to be equipped for all eventualities. Rimfires are fine but limited. The little HMR is good but I would have to say 100 yards is top whack on a fox with one. .22lr much less than that. If you are foxing stick to 223 or 243 then you know you have the correct tool for the job, whatever the range.

I know how keepers feel about foxes, I hate them! but even they deserve to be killed as humanely as possible, as does all quarry. My 243WSSM will take out a fox at all ranges out to my capabilities, and if hit with an 85gr hollow point almost anywhere, it will be killed. Not glamorous but effective, too often rimmies will injure and maim. in the days when I skinned hundreds of foxes every year it was common to find wounds, healed and otherwise from 22 rimfires but I dont ever remember finding one with a centrefire wound that had healed. IMO rimfires are for rabbits etc; and the odd close range charlie, but not much else.
 
poddle said:
Rimfire for fox No NO NO NO!

Tried it... it don't work. Not reliable enough

Use a centrefire. simple as that, unless you just want to injure and mame.

Sorry to say this poddle and do not take it to heart but that`s b*****ks.

Like i said on the other thread, i have personally shot dozens of foxes with rimmys and some with the subs aswell and have not had any problems with them. I am not saying i haven`t had the odd lame one needing a second shot, but even a .243 shot incorrectly will leave em wounded. Sorry mate but you are wrong :rolleyes: personal choice i suppose.

wadas
 
wadas
you are being a bit harsh here
poddle is right ,as in his mind and capabilty the 22rimfire is not good enough
but you are a pro and found it adequate for the job inhand ,when it comes to charlie, any shooting stick in my hand at the time is used as long as the distance is within my capabilty with the weapon i am holding
as for the fella in NZ i believe this is common practice but head shots would of been a better test of his shooting skills and hopefully a cleaner kill
monynut
i am informed that if shooting cannada's on licence they are classed as vermin so making it legal to use a 22 rf with lead ammo, only on a sssi site would he need to use lead free( i could be wrong)
 
Say what you like Wadders, it aint approved by the FLO in my area and they encourage the use of CF. I have killed them with Rimmy, but there are too many runners, and that aint B*LLOCKS mate, it's a fact.

I have yet to have a runner with the 243, and on that I stand.
End of conversation
 
I lamp rabbits in orchards on a regular basis and come across charlie nearly every time. I do take them with the .22rf if they are of a respectable distance (Sub 50 yards) and are looking straight at me. I took one the other week and it was only when I went to collect it that I realised that I had misjudged the distance. It was at 87 paces and the shot had dropped low. Luckily it had dropped below the chin and taken its spine out so no harm done but if he had been at 75 yards, I would have hit his chin and I doubt it would have stopped him.
I have yet to leave one wounded but often have had to take follow-up shots which is one advantage of using a semi.
As I said on another thread, my ideal rifle would be a combination .22rf and .243 so I can take charlie and rabbits without fumbleing for another smoke pole. As far as i know, this ultimate weapon does not exist yet.
Cheers
Andy
 
Cmon guys thets not turn this into an arguement.I changed it to 234 and i will see what the FO says.

Its the goverments fault for making stupid law regarding rifles.
 
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