Savage axis .223 remington bullet advice/help

The Red Lad

Title says it all lads new rifle need a bit of info on bullets it will be used for foxes and the odd long range rabbit as its a bit of an overkill for eating bunnies anyone have a good bullet to stick with atm apart from cheap bullets just to get the scope centred and getting use to the rifle itself i shot a fox last night and yes i know its out of season but was for a neighbour as it was terrorising ewes with new borns with wolf .223 rem 55gr hp were 8 euro just got these cause were cheap it was about 200 yards maybe a little more and it hit him the first time definitley and not sure about second he took off limping and barely dragging himself at a slow enough pace that we could walk up after him with the shotgun and finish him off he was in a very bad way already so definitley did damage hate to see them suffering so if i was to use hornady 223 rem 55grvmax that i had with me too would they have done the job ? as for the bunnies i dunno is it me or the scope or what but i only hit one out of 4 or 5 rabbits i had scoped im guessing its me ha :P as im only getting used to the rifle but just wondering on that too B*****ds are everywhere thanks in advance lads

Cass

It's a 1:12 twist so should work the best with the lighter rounds from 40 to 55 gr. Hornady are a good brand and reliable/consistent. Expensive enough at approx. €27 per box (well dear in .223 terms).

The Wolf ammo is effective, but muck. Like the American Eagle. Does the job but not the best in the world. Definitely not at longer distances. You also have Remmy .223 or Federal (power shok/vital shok) in 50 to 55 gr. Cheaper than Hornady at around the €18 - €22 mark.

The Red Lad wrote: »

........ i shot a fox last night and yes i know its out of season ......

No season for foxes.

.... was about 200 yards maybe a little more and it hit him the first time definitley and not sure about second he took off limping and barely dragging himself at a slow enough pace that we could walk up after him with the shotgun and finish him off ....

It's good that you followed up and got him, but based on your previous thread about no experience with a rifle i'd suggest keeping the distance shorter until you get the hang of wind reading, and shooting with the rifle. Had amate that dropped a rabbit at 183 yards with a Hornet. He thought he was a great shot and was baffled how he missed everything else. I checked and his scope was off and he did not understand the basics of rifle shooting. The first shot was a pure fluke.

Not being a dick, but as hunters our quarry deserve a good clean kill. Ya don't want to loose them. Vermin or not.

so if i was to use hornady 223 rem 55grvmax that i had with me too would they have done the job ?

I prefer Ballistic Tipped ammo. Seems cleaner than soft point and dumps all it's energy when it strikes bone. The soft nose stuff seems to "ball" and pass through. Remember that even though a fox is a big enough animal they are not a strong one and a .223 will have no trouble pissing on through it. No where near as strong/sturdy as say a deer. So other than good shot placement look for adequate back stops.

......... as for the bunnies i dunno is it me or the scope or what but i only hit one out of 4 or 5 rabbits i had scoped im guessing its me ...

1. Have you the rifle zeroed?
2. In what conditions did you do it?
3. At what distance?
4. Did you do a drop chart for the different distances to check actual drop?

If the answer to any oif the above is no then you need to get it done. Here are the reasons why to the questions above:

1. If not then it's pot luck. You have no way to know if what you aim at is what you are going to hit. IOW the scope and barrel are not aligned.
2. If you done this in a field, of a rocky platform in strong wind and settled for "It's grand/good enough", then when the conditions are settled your zero will be wrong. At shorter distances this may not be an issue but as you go out further the difference becomes larger (exponentially).
3. If you zeroed at 50, and with no real experience in rifle shooting then anything further is a guess. Also the art of 1" at 100 is good enough for 200 yards is not ideal. It does not always or even mostly work.
4. Do not rely on the above of a set amount high at one distance will suffice for other distances. Go out and physically shoot the distances with your zero to find out how much the bullet drops. Adjust the scope and see what it takes to come up to the distance. Record everything. Now you have a drop chart and can definitely know what you need to aim off or adjust to to hit your target.

Find a solid platform to zero your rifle from. Do the above about zeroing, checking drops and recording the results. All on a calm day to get as true a zero as possible.

Now the only obstacle you face is the wind. The wind will blow your bullet off target. How much depends on distance and the strength of the wind. Obviously the stronger the wind the more is drifts. So if unsure stalk closer to reduce the amount of drift. As your experience and confidence grows you can start to move out and take longer shots.

The Red Lad

Thanks very much for your help so your saying 40 to 55gr is what i should be using?

TriggerPL

The Red Lad wrote: »

Thanks very much for your help so your saying 40 to 55gr is what i should be using?

Hornadys vmax. 55 g is the only bullet for foxs , hit them right and ul never have a runner

The Red Lad

what should i be using for rabbits did surely just make complete poop out of them?A friend centerd my scope but i dunno about it if i was to centre it would i have to centre it using the hornadys vmax 55gr to get it spot on or is there no change in bullets once its centered?

Cass

Even if someone mounts, centres and zeros the gun or you, you need to fire it yourself. People have different cheek welds, eye relief, position, etc. My mate and i shot with the same eye relief, etc. yet due to cheek weld his zero at 100 yards is 1" off of mine.

As for the ammo. Even a 40gr will make mince of them. Try head shots. Leaves no damage to the body/meat. Even my .17 will do serious damage so there is not real way to avoid this other than shot placement.