Fox shooting

nedser86

Could anyone tell me if a.22lr is effective for fox shooting and if so at what ranges

The Big Fella

In my opinion 50 yards max headshot only. The .22lr is a rabbit gun really and a fox is a big animal.
Get a centrefire if your serious about shooting foxes.

declan1980

For a dedicated fox gun a .22 hornet should be the minimum

browning 12 bore

22 magnum is fantastic as well there lad but has to be head shot or though the engine room as they say or you could be doing a little running as they say

kildare.17hmr

The Big Fella wrote: »

In my opinion 50 yards max headshot only. The .22lr is a rabbit gun really and a fox is a big animal.
Get a centrefire if your serious about shooting foxes.

I never understand this headshot only thing imo they are for heros, yes i have taken a couple when another shot was not possible but i wouldnt go out to do it. chest is a much better option imo. Less room for error.

Agree about going centrefire if gettin serious into foxing

The Big Fella

Thats why a .22lr isn't suitable for shooting foxes. I only ever shot two foxes with my .22lr one was a headshot at 40 yards and the second a chest shot and he ran! A shotgun is more effective with a 3'' magnum. I like to put foxes down quick. I agree with declan a hornet should be the min as a dedicated foxing rifle.

johngalway

Shot four foxes when I had my 22, 2 brain shot 55 and 80 yards, both dropped. One surprised me in close, shoulder shot and ran. The last one I had a poor rest, neck shot him but he required a follow up kill shot. Great calibre but it gives you no room for error. Not a fox specific calibre.

cavan shooter

forget the 22lr for foxes its not worth the hassel even though years ago I have shot them with it. 22 Magnum ,imi,um at 100-120 yards aim for the chest. I shot for years with a magnum and know a lad who traded a 223 and went back to a magnum. (weight and awkwardness only)

I have a 22 hornet which over the land I shoot is perfect for foxes but dont use it on a rabbit;)

moby30

I shot around 20 foxes last year with a .22 Lr. As Bigfella says though it can only be a head shot and ideally at around 50 yards between the eyes. In all honesty I think it has more to do with experience as to what you should use- somebody new to it shouldn't really use a.22lr. I am very comfortable using it as it suits me for some of my permissions and I enjoy the challenge of getting the fox up as close as possible even when using the.243 The most important thing is making sure its going to be a good clean kill.

charlie10

i had a 22lr and i traded it in for 223 and i think its the most forgiving round as it is as flat as you can get .but word of warning DONT getrid of 22 like i did cause some nights i would love to have it for the bunnies:cool:

pigeon shooter

Basically if your using a rim fire rifle you simply have to be more precise on where you place the bullet and get the fox in that bit closer! With centerfire you can afford to be less accurate because your dealing with more take down power!! For instance if you shoot a fox at lets say 100 yards with a .223 and its a gut shot(badly placed shot) the fox 99% of the time will hit the deck on the spot!! If you take a .22 magnum and same thing gut shot 100 yards the fox will run on wounded!!

johngalway

charlie10 wrote: »

DONT getrid of 22

Amen to that.

4200fps

My opinion and lots on this is right anything from a hornet and up is best and with a well zero'd in rifle.
anything below a hornet may kill at close range but if i hadn't anything stronger than a hornet i be taking the shotgun loaded with something like BB's

Invincible

4200fps wrote: »

My opinion and lots on this is right anything from a hornet and up is best and with a well zero'd in rifle.
anything below a hornet may kill at close range but if i hadn't anything stronger than a hornet i be taking the shotgun loaded with something like BB's

Just because you have an inaccurate shot doesn't mean everyone else has

pigeon shooter

4200fps wrote: »

My opinion and lots on this is right anything from a hornet and up is best and with a well zero'd in rifle.
anything below a hornet may kill at close range but if i hadn't anything stronger than a hornet i be taking the shotgun loaded with something like BB's

I agree with you on anything from a hornet up is best for foxes!! But I enterily disagree that a shotgun is better than a .22magnum(BELOW A HORNET)!! A hornet is obviously going to be better than a magnum but defo not a shotgun!! Goodluck to you trying to shoot a fox out to 100 yards with a BB load! Because thats what a magnum would do with a rightly placed bullet!!

garv123

4200fps wrote: »

My opinion and lots on this is right anything from a hornet and up is best and with a well zero'd in rifle.
anything below a hornet may kill at close range but if i hadn't anything stronger than a hornet i be taking the shotgun loaded with something like BB's

Good luck shooting a fox at 100 yards with a shotgun instead of a wmr or hmr.

Both well capable of doing the job if you have a brain.

Farmlife

My uncle told me if you cut an x across the tip of the round its more effective on foxes, not sure how true this is tho

slingshot88

rgugliel wrote: »

My uncle told me if you cut an x across the tip of the round its more effective on foxes, not sure how true this is tho

ya i heard that to,but have yet to try it..

fodda

Thats called a "Dum-Dum" bullet used in WW1 which was a savage war and caused massive horrible wounds. In fact so bad that the use of these are outlawed by the Geneva convention or something.

If you were caught with any, the other soldiers shot you with them in a way that you didnt die instantly but in agony because of the wounds they caused (so the stories go).

They are highly inaccurate after a certain range and i am not sure if they are legal in any situation. I should imagine not legal ? and quite rightly so.

garv123

rgugliel wrote: »

My uncle told me if you cut an x across the tip of the round its more effective on foxes, not sure how true this is tho

Illegal to tamper with ammunition though.

fodda wrote: »

Thats called a "Dum-Dum" bullet used in WW1 which was a savage war and caused massive horrible wounds.

They are highly inaccurate after a certain range and i am not sure if they are legal in any situation. I should imagine not legal ? and quite rightly so.

I'd imagine if each bullet didnt have the exact same "cut" it would effect the accuracy for each shot.

Spunk84

The Box O' Truth #32 - Dum-Dum Bullets and the Box O'Truth -
Below should answer your question;)
Check out link http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot32.htm

Had a few folks ask me recently about Dum-Dum bullets.

Let's see what we can find out about them on the Internet:

"The 'dum-dum' was a British military bullet developed for use in India - at the Dum-Dum Arsenal - on the North West Frontier in the late 1890s.

The dum-dum comprised a jacketed .303 bullet with the jacket nose open to expose its lead core. The aim was to improve the bullet's effectiveness by increasing its expansion upon impact.

The phrase 'dum-dum' was later taken to include any soft-nosed or hollow pointed bullet. The Hague Convention of 1899 outlawed the use of dum-dum bullets during warfare."

Some folks have heard rumors of soldiers and others cutting an "X" in the nose of pistol bullets to "improve" performance.

Today's question: Does altering the nose of a bullet make it more effective against living targets?

4gun

fodda wrote: »

Thats called a "Dum-Dum" bullet used in WW1 which was a savage war and caused massive horrible wounds. In fact so bad that the use of these are outlawed by the Geneva convention or something.

If you were caught with any, the other soldiers shot you with them in a way that you didnt die instantly but in agony because of the wounds they caused (so the stories go).

They are highly inaccurate after a certain range and i am not sure if they are legal in any situation. I should imagine not legal ? and quite rightly so.

I dont think the Geneva convention covers foxes Fodda.

clivej

rgugliel wrote: »

My uncle told me if you cut an x across the tip of the round its more effective on foxes, not sure how true this is tho

Doh don't they call that balistic tipped ammo now?????

And is available to buy in your local gun dealers.

Hunter21

It's written in many articles that Michael Collins was killed by a dum-dum as noted in the autopsy there was no exit wound. But a big bad entry wound.

Sparks

garv123 wrote: »

Illegal to tamper with ammunition though.

Just in case folk missed it the first time round...

4200fps

pigeon shooter wrote: »

I agree with you on anything from a hornet up is best for foxes!! But I enterily disagree that a shotgun is better than a .22magnum(BELOW A HORNET)!! A hornet is obviously going to be better than a magnum but defo not a shotgun!! Goodluck to you trying to shoot a fox out to 100 yards with a BB load! Because thats what a magnum would do with a rightly placed bullet!!

I didnt say id shoot a fox at 100yards with a bb??? 50 yards no bother. I can say a good man will call a fox into shooting range of a shotgun.it has being done for years when 22hornets was the highest caliber people could get for foxs many years back and the highest cal anyone could get years back was 220 swift or 22-250.The law changed with firearms so better selection of calibers.some didnt bother with rifles years back only shotguns and still to this very day its a very popular method and successful

4200fps

Invincible wrote: »

Just because you have an inaccurate shot doesn't mean everyone else has

at closer range i mean.50 yards aprox and i done it.

4200fps

garv123 wrote: »

Good luck shooting a fox at 100 yards with a shotgun instead of a wmr or hmr.

Both well capable of doing the job if you have a brain.

oh ur so funny :D:D

The Big Fella

4200fps wrote: »

oh ur so funny :D:D

But you yourself said you would rather have a shotgun.;) A magnum will knock a fox at a 100 yards with a well placed shot.

4200fps

The Big Fella wrote: »

But you yourself said you would rather have a shotgun.;) A magnum will knock a fox at a 100 yards with a well placed shot.

I would,100 yards you would id say but any further and it be taking the p!ss as it would bounce of him and scare him off.we have some dummy's around here lamping and shooting foxs with rabbit guns and they are wounding/missing them,they would think a hornet bullet is an anti tank round if they seen one.they are missing and scaring them of lamps.thats why you will see fox's which are lamp shy. Some learned the hard way

fodda

4200fps wrote: »

I didnt say id shoot a fox at 100yards with a bb??? 50 yards no bother. I can say a good man will call a fox into shooting range of a shotgun.it has being done for years when 22hornets was the highest caliber people could get for foxs many years back and the highest cal anyone could get years back was 220 swift or 22-250.The law changed with firearms so better selection of calibers.some didnt bother with rifles years back only shotguns and still to this very day its a very popular method and successful

I experimented with buck shot once (9 shot) and i was shooting a plywood cut-out at 40 yards.

If the shot hit it then it would go straight through the plywood no problem with plenty of power.....trouble was the spread is unreal and you would be lucky to get one buck shot on target never mind in the right place.

I wouldnt use a shotgun on a fox unless it was up closer. They just arent designed for large animals or distance shooting unless you have specialized cartridges.

4200fps

The Big Fella wrote: »

But you yourself said you would rather have a shotgun.;) A magnum will knock a fox at a 100 yards with a well placed shot.

I'm not trying to me smart but anything over 100yards with a 22magnum is dodgy and is not a humane way to kill a fox. I would use a shotgun and try call a fox in to about 50yards and shoot rater than use anything below a hornet. A .17rimfire isn't a bad caliber for 100 yard shot or under but i personally think it be much better round than a .22 magnum

4200fps

fodda wrote: »

I experimented with buck shot once (9 shot) and i was shooting a plywood cut-out at 40 yards.

If the shot hit it then it would go straight through the plywood no problem with plenty of power.....trouble was the spread is unreal and you would be lucky to get one buck shot on target never mind in the right place.

I wouldnt use a shotgun on a fox unless it was up closer. They just arent designed for large animals or distance shooting unless you have specialized cartridges.

I agree totaly

stoeger

4200fps wrote: »

fodda wrote: »

I experimented with buck shot once (9 shot) and i was shooting a plywood cut-out at 40 yards.

If the shot hit it then it would go straight through the plywood no problem with plenty of power.....trouble was the spread is unreal and you would be lucky to get one buck shot on target never mind in the right place.

I wouldnt use a shotgun on a fox unless it was up closer. They just arent designed for large animals or distance shooting unless you have specialized cartridges.

I agree totaly

3"mag in 50g bb hull all the way for me no problem

pigeon shooter

4200fps wrote: »

I didnt say id shoot a fox at 100yards with a bb??? 50 yards no bother. I can say a good man will call a fox into shooting range of a shotgun.it has being done for years when 22hornets was the highest caliber people could get for foxs many years back and the highest cal anyone could get years back was 220 swift or 22-250.The law changed with firearms so better selection of calibers.some didnt bother with rifles years back only shotguns and still to this very day its a very popular method and successful

Listen the point im trying to get across is you can shoot a fox out to 100yards quite successfully with a .22mag. You cant with a shotgun!!!!!!

pigeon shooter

4200fps wrote: »

I would,100 yards you would id say but any further and it be taking the p!ss as it would bounce of him and scare him off.we have some dummy's around here lamping and shooting foxs with rabbit guns and they are wounding/missing them,they would think a hornet bullet is an anti tank round if they seen one.they are missing and scaring them of lamps.thats why you will see fox's which are lamp shy. Some learned the hard way

But sure anymore than 50 yards with a shotgun YOU would be taking the piss!! Any further than 50 yards with a shotgun 'wouldn't be a very humane way to kill a fox' as you say yourselve!! And i never mentioned shooting a .22mag beyond 100 yards at a fox!! I'm talking about it's effectiveness at 100 yards vs a shotgun!!

4200fps

pigeon shooter wrote: »

Listen the moral of the story is you can shoot a fox out to 100yards quite successfully with a .22mag. You cant with a shotgun!!!!!!

Yes but i didnt say i'd shoot a fox at 100 yards with a shotgun thats the thing

johngalway

fodda wrote: »

I experimented with buck shot once (9 shot) and i was shooting a plywood cut-out at 40 yards.

If the shot hit it then it would go straight through the plywood no problem with plenty of power.....trouble was the spread is unreal and you would be lucky to get one buck shot on target never mind in the right place.

I wouldnt use a shotgun on a fox unless it was up closer. They just arent designed for large animals or distance shooting unless you have specialized cartridges.

On more than one occasion I've had dealers tell me buckshot was the business for foxes :rolleyes: Now, I know it's a waste of time, and I knew then. But I have to wonder how many take their word for it.

AAA is the biggest shot I'd use on fox, with consideration given to range and spread. 34 or 36 gram BB is my regular fodder. 55 yards is the farthest I've shot a fox with the shotgun. People whom I'd consider trustworthy have done farther, but none of us recommend it.

Andre Georgescu shoots a fox with a bolt action magazine fed shotgun with a 36" barrel in one of his videos. I believe he said to aim just above head height at that range. Not a range I'd be comfortable with, but there you go, I think it took two shots to roll Charlie over.

A gun that fits the shooter, the right cartridge, and swinging through the shot will get good results.

4200fps

pigeon shooter wrote: »

But sure anymore than 50 yards with a shotgun YOU would be taking the piss!! Any further than 50 yards with a shotgun 'wouldn't be a very humane way to kill a fox' as you say yourselve!! And i never mentioned shooting a .22mag beyond 100 yards at a fox!! I'm talking about it's effectiveness at 100 yards vs a shotgun!!

Ah you'd role a fox with the right load at 70 yards no bother with a shotgun with the right load and barrel length and im certain about that and thats not taking the piss.save the .22 magnum for the rabbit

pigeon shooter

4200fps wrote: »

Ah you'd role a fox with the right load at 70 yards no bother with a shotgun with the right load and barrel length and im certain about that and thats not taking the piss.save the .22 magnum for the rabbit

Ah you'd role a fox at 120 yards with a .22 mag with the right shot im certain about that too!! I agree keep a .22lr for the rabbits but a .22magnums able to do the job with foxes if your good enough with it!! Its deadly for rabbits too!!;)

pigeon shooter

4200fps wrote: »

Yes but i didnt say i'd shoot a fox at 100 yards with a shotgun thats the thing

No but you said you would rather a shotgun to a .22 mag!! My point being if you were to bring out the .22 magnum instead of the shotgun you would kill more foxes because you have double the distance on a shotgun!! Lets face it It takes a pretty dumb fox to come in under 100 yards not a good man with a caller!! Only foxes I've ever seen come in closer than 100 yards were cubs or other Uneducated foxes as they say!!

4200fps

fodda wrote: »

I experimented with buck shot once (9 shot) and i was shooting a plywood cut-out at 40 yards.

If the shot hit it then it would go straight through the plywood no problem with plenty of power.....trouble was the spread is unreal and you would be lucky to get one buck shot on target never mind in the right place.

I wouldnt use a shotgun on a fox unless it was up closer. They just arent designed for large animals or distance shooting unless you have specialized cartridges.

Buck shot not designed for large animals???lol explain this one.;)
http://youtu.be/a_XrsPcE7J4 I can put this load down my gun 3 inch buck shot and ive shot foxs with number 4's 2and 3/4 inch cartridges when i had my 1st gun. your wrong thats it simple as that.theres the video and i wouldnt mind but 2 tango's down.the buck shot just doesnt take one deer but two.a fox is a 10th the size of them. if any1 tells me a shotgun isnt a humane way they can look at this again

4200fps

pigeon shooter wrote: »

No but you said you would rather a shotgun to a .22 mag!! My point being if you were to bring out the .22 magnum instead of the shotgun you would kill more foxes because you have double the distance on a shotgun!! Lets face it It takes a pretty dumb fox to come in under 100 yards not a good man with a caller!! Only foxes I've ever seen come in closer than 100 yards were cubs or other Uneducated foxes as they say!!

Lack of confidence i think you may have and no patience. If your good enough to outsmart a fox you will often get them coming from the field onto the road where you are calling providing wind doesn't blow your scent into the fox.the deer in that video aren't just dead they are stone dead .22magnum cant do that.keep it for the bunnys and don't be cruel shooting foxs with them.

pigeon shooter

4200fps wrote: »

i think you may have no patience. If your good enough to outsmart a fox you will often get them coming from the field onto the road where you are calling providing wind doesn't blow your scent into the fox.

Yeah your probaly right I've just never waited for them to come in any closer than 100 yards theres no need after all I'm using a .22mag not a shotgun:rolleyes:!! I just pop them at the 100 yard mark:D!! And will continue to do so!! I'll be popping plenty of bunnies with it aswell!!;)

4200fps

pigeon shooter wrote: »

Yeah your probaly right I've just never waited for them to come in any closer than 100 yards theres no need after all I'm using a .22mag not a shotgun:rolleyes:!! I just pop them at the 100 yard mark:D!! And will continue to do so!! I'll be popping plenty of bunnies with it aswell!!;)

I hope you do but don't underestimate the power and stopping power of a shotgun with the right load.The .22 will kill them but the military or swat teams wouldn't use shotguns if they weren't so effective

pigeon shooter

4200fps wrote: »

I hope you do but don't underestimate the power and stopping power of a shotgun with the right load.The .22 will kill them but the military or swat teams wouldn't use shotguns if they weren't so effective

I wouldn't for a second under estimate the stopping power of a shotgun!! Afterall I have more experience using shotguns than I do rifles! I would be more a shotgun man than a rifle man!! Military and swat teams use the for close quarters if you most notice as this is where the shotgun has an advantage on any other pistol,rifle,etc. Brilliant stopping power at close ranges!!;)

4200fps

If you want to stay with shotguns for big game and kill them at 200yards buy a rifled shotgun.nobody can run down shotguns

pigeon shooter

haha!! dead right lad!!:D

4200fps

pigeon shooter wrote: »

I wouldn't for a second under estimate the stopping power of a shotgun!! Afterall I have more experience using shotguns than I do rifles! I would be more a shotgun man than a rifle man!! Military and swat teams use the for close quarters if you most notice as this is where the shotgun has an advantage on any other pistol,rifle,etc. Brilliant stopping power at close ranges!!;)

But brilliant at long range too on rifled shotguns

4200fps

look at this baby oh man o man.
This will deliver an unmerciful punch to any target lol. Imagine having one http://www.hornady.com/store/Slugs/

fodda

4200fps wrote: »

Buck shot not designed for large animals???lol explain this one.;)
http://youtu.be/a_XrsPcE7J4

You should read the posts correctly.

What i actually said was ...

I wouldnt use a shotgun on a fox unless it was up closer. They just arent designed for large animals or distance shooting unless you have specialized cartridges.

In otherwords a shotgun purely by it's design is nothing but a short distance firearm, not because of it's power, but because of the accuracy of the gun design and it's ammunition.

The only ammunition to extend a shotguns range out to 100 yards is a solid slug and then they are in 6" - 12" groups.........so it depends what you call accurate.

I agree with John about shot size. The AAA or BB used to be the old Goose cartridges for wildfowlers with about 50 shot? in them. The will have enough energy and grouping to cause serious damage out to 45 - 50 yards but after that the spread is too much and less pellets on target means no knockdown just wounding.

Larger shot as i already said is no more accurate at longer range untill you get to sold slug. People sometimes confuse BB with Buckshot. Buckshot is usually 15 - 9 shot in each cartridge and are for very short range only because of their accuracy.

Here's some 80 yard long range buckshot testing for you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hZ8qiyvi-M and some at 50 yard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjzH_RUmAP4