.17 hmr ???? advice

shane_318is

want to get a rifle but all i can afford is a .17hmr just wondering are they any good for foxes,, if i buy i will be getting a new cz .17 with a scope for 500 which is the top of my budget ,, just looking for advice thanks

Feidhlim Dignan

you could get a second hand .22 hornet for round the 300 mark and it would be a way better gun foe foxes.

beanie10

17 hmr is a very good gun, its good on rabbits and magpies at 200 yards and foxes at 150. BUT if you are shooting foxes at 150 yards you have to know your gun inside out as there is no room for error.You would have to put the rifle through 1000 rounds at different ranges on paper before you go after foxes after all we dont want the antis giving out about maimed animals. The 17 hmr in right hands will kill a fox instantly at 150 yards and €19 for box of 50 vmax is relatively cheap to run.

Glensman

You need to start looking for cheap second hand centrefires if you're going to be using it primarily for foxes.
.223 would be my preference, accurate, plenty of power and cheap ammo

fallowbuck

i got a .17 a real accurate rifle cant go wrong knock foxes no prob .... once its placed right:p

Xplor.er

had a marlin 17hmr for two years. it was lethan on rabbit around 200-250 yards. the 17hmr is very limited for foxes, ok up to about 150-170 yards but bullet placement is crucial.
as i shoot a lot of foxes i changed to a 223 for more stopping power at longer ranges.

6.5x55

I have a CZ 452 which was e350 new 3 years ago .It Is extremly accurate out to 150- 200 yards but I would refer to the other posters statements that the calibre is really only any good on foxes if you are able to place your shots correctly.You should be able to pick one up cheaply and get a reasonably good scope within your budget .But practice practice ,practice till you are confident enough .

tfox

I have a HMR and .223 and TBH I shoot more foxes with the .17. Its my general purpose rifle I normally bring with me to work, great for corvids, bunnies, foxes etc and at €15 for 50 Hornady 17gr V-Max very cheap to feed.

As already said you have to be confident with your shot placement at longer distances but I have regularly headshot rabbits 200+ yards.

At €500 sounds like a good deal, I'd go for it, good bang for your buck

marlin vs

You don't need a sledgehammer calibre to kill a fox, the 17hmr is well capable in the right hand's, and it's very flat shooting so it takes a lot of the guess work out of shooting,as was previously said practice enough with it and you will be well capable.

garv123

shane_318is wrote: »

want to get a rifle but all i can afford is a .17hmr just wondering are they any good for foxes,, if i buy i will be getting a new cz .17 with a scope for 500 which is the top of my budget ,, just looking for advice thanks

if your new to shooting you really dont need a center fire rifle for foxes. just know the limits of the gun and dont be going for stupid 200 yard shots.
when we're out shooting most foxes are shot with the .22magnum up to about 120 yards without any bother and the .243 for anything out past that.
.17 hmr will do the job fine with the v-max bullets.

Spunk84

I have a marlin v917 .17hmr and I can honestly say it's a great gun for foxes at 100-150 yards. I recommend a .17hmr for bunnies and foxes:D

daithi55

i bought a brand new savage stevens in .223 about four years back for 550 euro
if your looking for a proper foxing setup id hold on a while and get a few extra quid together and buy a decent foxing gun

once ya have the .17 and have shot for a few months yal want to get a more powerful rifle for longer distances and better killing power

your probably not going to get your license for a while and once ya do
they foxes will have young and i dont no if ya want to be shooting them as its summer as well

this will give ya a while extra to save a few quid and start off next september with a proper foxing gun

shane_318is

thanks for all the advice guys , ill be giving a call to the gun dealer today or monday, for 500 euro what other caliber rifles should i ask to see maybe something that will knock a charlie at 200 yrds ,, when i went the last time i only asked to see .17hmr's . Thanks lads

Xplor.er

shane_318is wrote: »

thanks for all the advice guys , ill be giving a call to the gun dealer today or monday, for 500 euro what other caliber rifles should i ask to see maybe something that will knock a charlie at 200 yrds ,, when i went the last time i only asked to see .17hmr's . Thanks lads

22mag, hornet, 222, 220swift, 223, 22-250 all great fox rounds.
use a 223 myself and cant rate it high enough for foxes at 200-250yards

Cass

You are getting alot of good advice there, but the one question i haven't seen is "How experienced are you with rifles?" I see by your previous posts that you have only recently gotten your first shotgun.

I would always advice against someone with no experience getting a centrefire for their first rifle and definitely not to be looking at taking 200+ yard shots with it.

I know lads that have used a .22lr for years and even they had to learn to walk before they ran. Because the gun can do it does not mean you can/should.

Start slowly, and work your way up.

Anyway, just my opinion on the matter.