What rifle

Cbeirne82

I am thinking of buying a riffle for lamping foxes but dont know much about what calibre etc. I beleive the hornet is good for the job but I have never owned a rifle so can I go straight to a hornet or do I have to start out with a .22.

pestshooter7

no offence mate but it doesnt sound like you know much about it!
Fox is a hard quarry to start off with!
Also a hornet is a 22 caliber but is not reccomended!
most popular calibers are 220 swift, 223, 22-250 or 243 for deer and fox!
Most people here will reccomend a 22lr or 17 hmr for rabbits, crows and magpies but you will need a while shooting these before you can shoot fox with the larger calibers.
I spent 4 years shooting with a 22lr and never shot a fox and i think its much better as you gain skills in hunting and shooting! Then get a larger 22 caliber for the fox!
Just my opinion, but i wouldnt reccomend fox to start off with as it is far from easy to get them!

stevoman

good point. i have a .22 lr. it was my starter rifle but i still use it. its good for rabbits and mags and a great learning rifle. Im not changing mine for 4 years..... just like an apprenticship!

Cbeirne82

I do alot of pheasant shooting during the winter and throughout the season gone by I saw a lot of foxes (nearly more than pheasants) and they have to be having a negitive effect on the population of game birds. I have tried lamping foxes a couple of times with a few mates and we saw plenty of them but we only had a shootgun and therefore didnt have the range to take them. As for buying a less powerful rifle to start off I dont see the point as I have fired rifles plenty of times in the past and have a good shot.

revan23

well i got a swift as my first rifle but i had already been shooting for a while at that stage and hunting rabbits etc.. i suppose it depends on the shooter, i knew for me that it would have been a waste of time getting a smaller rifle to start as i prefere hunting rabbits with shotgun and im not into plinking or short range stuff, but then there are the downsides.. it might not be as easy to get a licence for a .223 as a first gun, plus it will be much more expensive for a good centrefire rifle, and the same money again for a scope.
but it's up to you in the end, you should get a bit of expirience on a centrefire before you decide.

meathstevie

Have hornet for a while and knowing what I know now I should have bought a .223. Slightly cheaper to run, more power and a flatter trajectory. Swift would be even flatter shooting but ammo is a good bit more expensive than .223.

Cbeirne82

Since writing this i have seen a good few people talking about the .222 rem. Is this suitable? and easy to get a licence if its a first rifle?

pestshooter7

The 222 rem is a very old round!
The 223 is the newer version of the round, ammo is cheap compared to 22-250, 22 swift and hornet! Good 223 fox guns would be the remington varmint selection, savage varmint, tikka T3 varmint/tactical! starting price about 1200 euro with another 1000 with scope on top.
range at night is a maxium 200 yrds and day about 300 depending on the shooter!
its advised not to go cheap because well breaks etc.
Try not to miss the fox as its nearly impossible get them again!! They never forget the lamp! Good ammo will be 30 euro for 20. and for plinking/practice use UMC @ 11 euro for 20!
Good luck! Its great fun aswell!!!!

johngalway

Welcome to Boards CB

I'm assuming, always a dangerous thing to do here, that since you mention phesants you hold a shotgun yourself. If that's correct you'd be in much the same boat as myself when I went for my first rifle (.223).

If you've permission on land, or better if you own your own then I don't see a problem with getting a centrefire rifle first time. It does indeed sound to me like you have reason for owning one.

Giving you the short version here but I would look at either a .223 or a .22-250. The .22-250 has a longer reach than the .223 but is louder from what I hear. .223 is what I have for foxes, I'm not into long range shooting but out to 200 yards foxy is in for some bad juju.

Scope mounted Lightforce 170 Striker is what I use for lamping. Best lamp out there in my opinion.

Scope choice is important. But it's an entire new thread in all honesty.

Cbeirne82

Thank you all very helpfull.

It wasn't me!

You shouldn't have a problem with getting a centrefire if you already own a shotgun. Frankly, if the problem's a little more immediate, it might be an idea to get a few mates and drive foxes, or if you know what's what, it's perfectly possible to lamp foxes with a shotgun, if a little tricky. Better to get the centrefire in any case, but driven fox shoots are good in the more immediate way.

Cbeirne82

Im thinking along the lines of a .223 so. Would I be correct in saying that the .223 is less powerfull than both the 22-250 and the 220 swift? I heard before that the 220 swift is very loud and for night shooting it really need a sound moderator. Is this also the case with the .223?

Jonty

CB, You're dead right about it being weaker than either the swift or 22/250, but its still a 300yd rifle. As regards a moderator, I'd put one on anyway.

revan23

yep, the swift is more powerful and very loud, but unless you're prepared to fork out about 4 grand for a proper rig, and then about another 2 euros for each shot, i'd go for the .223