New rifle :)

dodderangler

Well finally paid off the new fox killer
Any tips for sighting it in ? Will I leave it at 100yards?
Also it has no bipod but it's ok to hold steady so will I make sticks for it
Pics to follow and full info on gun.
It's the savage axis .223

dodderangler

Everything is camo. Rifle, stock, bolt even the scope covers




Il give details of the spec tomoro

LIFFY FISHING

Mind you dont put it down on the ground...you will never find it lol 😂😂

tprp226

dodderangler wrote: »

Well finally paid off the new fox killer
Any tips for sighting it in ? Will I leave it at 100yards?
Also it has no bipod but it's ok to hold steady so will I make sticks for it
Pics to follow and full info on gun.
It's the savage axis .223[/quote so when are we going out again I bring the targets

wexfordman2

LIFFY FISHING wrote: »

Mind you dont put it down on the ground...you will never find it lol 😂😂

Or on the bed spread :-)

Well ware.

Snakezilla

Best of luck with it ! Lovely gun ! I'd zero 1.5" high at 100 and thatll leave you fairly bang on out to 300 for foxes ! Depending on ammo of course !

dodderangler

Snakezilla wrote: »

Best of luck with it ! Lovely gun ! I'd zero 1.5" high at 100 and thatll leave you fairly bang on out to 300 for foxes ! Depending on ammo of course !

So if I'm shooting foxes over let's say 150 and rifle is sighted for 100 aim just above his head?

clivej

dodderangler wrote: »

So if I'm shooting foxes over let's say 150 and rifle is sighted for 100 aim just above his head?

Zero for what's known as 'Point Blank Range'

It means if the kill zone on your target is say a 3" circle, like on a fox. Then just say 1 1/2" at 100y will give you a kill out to 250y.
So you just aim at the centre of the kill zone all the time, because you will never be lower or higher than 3/4" out to 250y.

extremetaz

dodderangler wrote: »

So if I'm shooting foxes over let's say 150 and rifle is sighted for 100 aim just above his head?

Wouldn't aim for the head at all - far easier shot into the chest - and that round has a 4"MPBR out to a little over 200yards, so when zero'd as prescribed there's no hold at all out to that range, just aim square.


*edit: what clive said whilst I was typing.

deeksofdoom

Engine room all the way.

If you zero your rifle 1 inch high at 100yards you should be good out to 200.

Nekarsulm

LIFFY FISHING wrote: »

Mind you dont put it down on the ground...you will never find it lol 😂😂

Heard somewhere lately (radio?) About an 1890's Winchester found leaning against a tree in the Pacific Northwest. Apparently there many decades

Shaner82

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/outposts/post/132-year-old-winchester-found-national-park/

Yeah rifle found here

tomtucker81

Have to say (and pardon the pun) that it looks savage.

And well hidden on the bed!! From rrm?

jungleman

Custom made? Very nice piece of kit. Irish bought or imported?

dodderangler

tomtucker81 wrote: »

Have to say (and pardon the pun) that it looks savage.

And well hidden on the bed!! From rrm?

Yep I know shay a while. He seen me out a few times hunting and invited me to the shop for chat and food.
Showed me guns for foxing and instantly wanted this one.
Great blokes to deal with up there.

dodderangler

jungleman wrote: »

Custom made? Very nice piece of kit. Irish bought or imported?

Not sure if it's imported but yes custom made. Good bit out into it. Camo job is serious on it and it's quite light. Not sure of full specs on it . Floating barrel etc

tomtucker81

Ive been in there a few times too. Great fella to deal with. And full of chat!

Chesapeake

sight it in where you usually find em, if they're at 150 no point in being zero'd for 100, set up on paper during the day mark your dial ups and downs and then enjoy yourself.

MMmm nice camo (always fancyed a camo set up like that myself) , enjoy, wear safe and wear well.

dodderangler

Myself and the father went out today to sight her in. Took a while as it was a good bit off. But we got there.
Now all I need is to get a sling for it as there is a bit if weight in it ad get up tomoro morning and try for morning fox

cork shooter

Snakezilla wrote: »

Best of luck with it ! Lovely gun ! I'd zero 1.5" high at 100 and thatll leave you fairly bang on out to 300 for foxes ! Depending on ammo of course !

The above figures would not get you bang on at 300yards .A 300 yard zero which would be rare would require 3.5 inches high at 100 yards for one of the most popular rounds out there, 55gr v max.
I would be with Clive on this as he is giving solid advice for a beginner.All i would add is not to rush. learn to shoot your rifle first. A Clean kill on a fox at 300 takes a learned skill.
forget about head shots as these are best left to the"high stool crack shots".start at sensible ranges and work out from there.
Best of luck and safe shooting.

dodderangler

Uh where do I begin on this one.
Got up this morning for early fox.
I have rifle zero at 100 yards give or take.
Came across a rabbit at 75 yards and missed him.
Went over to flat ground and put target onto tree with good backstop.
Hit that at 75 no problems.
But here's the thing I carried on and came across a fox asleep!!!
Not a bother on him. And he never seen me. He was 50 yards out and yes I fcukin missed him!!
What did I do wrong there.
Any advice is welcome.

tomtucker81

Is there a slight possibility of snatching at the trigger with the live targets?
Considering you hit the paper at the same range.
Its a possibility, whether a fella realises or not, with the excitement or such to get the first kill with the rifle. I know i did miss a few sitters before and was convinced the scope was off but it was fine when checked.

dodderangler

I not sure at all. I know I was rapidly breathing and had to stop about 3 times to control my breathing.
It probably was excitement and I pulled the shot.
Any way to just knock that on the head. I'm sure some lads still get excited when out no matter how long they've shot

Ghost.

If you had the gun zeroed at 100 yards and were able to hit the target at 75 yards that fox should have been gone to the chicken coop in the sky.

Were you shooting of a steady rest or were you firing off hand from a standing position when you took the shot on the fox?

If you were firing from a standing position you probably just pulled the shot.

dodderangler

Ghost. wrote: »

If you had the gun zeroed at 100 yards and were able to hit the target at 75 yards that fox should have been gone to the chicken coop in the sky.

Were you shooting of a steady rest or were you firing off hand from a standing position when you took the shot on the fox?

If you were firing from a standing position you probably just pulled the shot.

I was kneeling. He was asleep and I didn't want to move in case I woke him.
I felt steady enough shooting on my knee.
I probably should've lay down. But I did take the shot at the paper from same type of position and hit it no problem.
I'd say I pulled the shot.
It's gas because if I had the shotgun he would've of been in pieces in the big coop in the sky.
It's my first rifle so I've alot to learn but I'd say I pulled the shot. I did do it a few times when first sighting it in.

cookimonster

Congratulations on new gun.

Get some target time in various shooting postions and see how your grouping and point of impact can change. Plenty of good u tube vids showing proper techniques for various postions. Invest in sticks and or bipod aswell as a good sling as all will aid in a better shot. Use all available surroundings both natural and man made for the steadiest rest.
I've missed the 'surest' shots due to poor postions and rushing the shot. You'll have longer than you think.
Best of luck next time.

extremetaz

dodderangler wrote: »

What did I do wrong there.

tomtucker81 wrote: »

Is there a slight possibility of snatching at the trigger with the live targets?

cookimonster wrote: »

I've missed the 'surest' shots due to poor postions and rushing the shot. You'll have longer than you think.

At those distances with that rifle, there's no question but that it's a combination of the above. It's very easy to relax when you're not anticipating your target moving - as soon as you start to anticipate movement everything goes to hell.

Take as long as you need to take the shot - if the target moves, it moves. There's nothing you can do about it and there's absolutely no reward to be had for trying to shoot faster than you're able to.

You're only fresh at it so it will take a while to get your head together when you see your quarry - couple that with your respiration rate from walking around to begin with and it's the easiest thing in the world to fluff the shot.

You'll get there.

dodderangler

Thanks for the advice lads. As for breathing I've read a good bit on the internet about how to control it and at what point I should squeeze the trigger.
But all that nearly seems to go out the window when there's live quarry in front of me. As I said I had to stop and breath 3 times to calm down.
I should invest in a bipod I know but I find over the years of taking shots with rifles that I am better freehand

dodderangler

More pics if rifle and detail of camo

tikkahunter

dodderangler wrote: »

Thanks for the advice lads. As for breathing I've read a good bit on the internet about how to control it and at what point I should squeeze the trigger.
But all that nearly seems to go out the window when there's live quarry in front of me. As I said I had to stop and breath 3 times to calm down.
I should invest in a bipod I know but I find over the years of taking shots with rifles that I am better freehand

Obviously your not by what you have just wrote ,you need either sticks or bi pod and a lot of practice ,If your pulling shots on paper ,then im sorry but you should not be firing at quarry without being confident of a clean kill

dodderangler

tikkahunter wrote: »

Obviously your not by what you have just wrote ,you need either sticks or bi pod and a lot of practice ,If your pulling shots on paper ,then im sorry but you should not be firing at quarry without being confident of a clean kill

Lesson learned over not shooting unless I'm confident.
I know I should spend hour or two just firing at a target from different positions and get used to it. After that no excuses for missing anything.

dodderangler

First blood. managed to get 2 rabbits and missed one.
This one was at 72 yards.

aaakev

What ammo ya using?

dodderangler

aaakev wrote: »

What ammo ya using?

55g American eagle

aaakev

fmj or hollow point?

dodderangler

aaakev wrote: »

fmj or hollow point?

Hollow point

noeleire

dodderangler wrote: »

First blood. managed to get 2 rabbits and missed one.
This one was at 72 yards.

Any photos of the rifle i can only see the rabbit.

aaakev

dodderangler wrote: »

Hollow point

I bought a hundred of them last year and found them great out of my cz, accurate and perfect for foxes. Got them for €12 A box at the time so very cheap too. Fired my last one 2 weeks ago and replaced them with 50gr vmax that i got at a good price

Nekarsulm

noeleire wrote: »

Any photos of the rifle i can only see the rabbit.

Fierce effective Camo. !

dodderangler

aaakev wrote: »

I bought a hundred of them last year and found them great out of my cz, accurate and perfect for foxes. Got them for €12 A box at the time so very cheap too. Fired my last one 2 weeks ago and replaced them with 50gr vmax that i got at a good price

€16.50 I paid for box of em. Very expensive I found but better than the other ammo I was using. What are they like for foxes damage wise?

dodderangler

aaakev wrote: »

fmj or hollow point?

My apologies aaakev.
I bought two boxes and never checked them. I have a box of each. Hollow point and fmj boat tail.
Ones I used today were fmj boat tail.
Any experience with them?
Again apologies for my last post.

amadablam

dodderangler wrote: »

My apologies aaakev.
I bought two boxes and never checked them. I have a box of each. Hollow point and fmj boat tail.
Ones I used today were fmj boat tail.
Any experience with them?
Again apologies for my last post.

FMJ are not really suitable for hunting, you will find they pass through a lot as there is no expansion.

In my experience, Only good for paper punching, leading up the barrel and plinking. Definitely not for use on live quarry.

outdoors247

Nice rifle I'd stick with HP's

dodderangler

amadablam wrote: »

FMJ are not really suitable for hunting, you will find they pass through a lot as there is no expansion.

In my experience, Only good for paper punching, leading up the barrel and plinking. Definitely not for use on live quarry.

Would they pass through rabbits and foxes?

amadablam

dodderangler wrote: »

Would they pass through rabbits and foxes?

Yep unless they hit bone and even then they can exit as they are not designed to expand. The American Eagle fmj are fine for cheap plinking on targets but not much else.

Stick to ballistic tips, soft points and hunting hollow points.

dodderangler

Cheers mate.
As you can see from the photo the shot on the rabbit was fairly obvious and leaves a nice hole but the second rabbit I shot there was no entry nor exit wound on him. Any suggestion on that?

amadablam

dodderangler wrote: »

Cheers mate.
As you can see from the photo the shot on the rabbit was fairly obvious and leaves a nice hole but the second rabbit I shot there was no entry nor exit wound on him. Any suggestion on that?

Second one probably died of fright after seeing the size of the hole in the first one only joking.

Hard to say but have you given it a thorough examination and skinned it? The entry might be quite small.

That looks like the exit on the first one though and the bullet likely hit bone.

Chesapeake

FMJ for paper or isis targets fella,
get yourself a good 50 /55 gr hp or bt that the rifle likes an mulah suff to your hearts content.

dodderangler

amadablam wrote: »

Second one probably died of fright after seeing the size of the hole in the first one only joking.

Hard to say but have you given it a thorough examination and skinned it? The entry might be quite small.

That looks like the exit on the first one though and the bullet likely hit bone.

Yeah the hole was the exit and was straight the shoulder( despite aiming for it's head
What are fmj bullets designed for? Is it just targets?

dodderangler

After searching the web on fmj I see they quite dangerous for hunting small game as they will pass through and they don't lose much energy after hitting it's mark unless it hits into bone and the like so I can imagine a headshot on a rabbit wouldn't be much bone for a bullet to stop at. Perhaps foxes it's ok.

amadablam

dodderangler wrote: »

After searching the web on fmj I see they quite dangerous for hunting small game as they will pass through and they don't lose much energy after hitting it's mark unless it hits into bone and the like so I can imagine a headshot on a rabbit wouldn't be much bone for a bullet to stop at. Perhaps foxes it's ok.

I was thinking as much on the exit wound.

If you were aiming for the head at reasonably short distance, it might be worth a rezero and some trigger time to tighten up your grouping. At 72 yards with a 223 if you aimed for the head, you should hit the head unless something is not right.

FMJ is not designed for a humane kill and should not be used on any animal, foxes included.

Really, you shouldn't use them on anything you hunt.

Fmj isn't even an optimum target round and is more suited to military use due to its non expanding nature.

For cheap target practice, its fine but that's about it.

Hunting ammo is designed to expand/fragment and should be your only choice.

Try some of the Hornady vmax or similar if you plan on shooting foxes or hunting.