Shooting foxes with a .223

Trojan911

Hello all,

Just curious to your opinions or experience on what range could I expect to drop a fox humanely using Sako 55gr soft point rounds in my .223? I am zeroed for 180yds but I know the gun will do longer distances.

Normally the foxes I shoot are within the 180yds but there have been a few further back as far as 250 - 300yds. I have a bipod & my scope is 10-40 X 50 so long distances are not a problem. Any thoughts?? Thanks...


TJ911...

foxshooter243

I use 40 grain v max zeroed at 200-I would dial up my scope for bullet dropafter the mpbr of 235 yds-have killed them over 300 measured yards
both at night and daytime-although it not a regular occurence to get a long shot at a fox mostly their in 100-15o yard range.

but if you know your trajectory the 223 will kill them well out -as long as you can strike the kill zone.

bitemybanger

Shot a fox tonight(in the snow:D) at over 200 yards, hit where i pointed, dropped on the spot

johngalway

It's the wind that'll f*cuk your shot up at longer distances not the drop which is easy enough to get the grip of.

I zero for 200 and my drop to 300 is 7 inches.

207 is my farthest fox, but I'd say 350 would be the legs on the .223 for fox depending on shooter skill.

Long long way at night.

AckwelFoley

is a .223 much more powerful that my .22 magnum?

Rovi

snyper wrote: »

is a .223 much more powerful that my .22 magnum?

Oh yeah!

Here are some images I posted before comparing the commonly available varmint rounds (and .22 LR), .22 WMR and .223 Rem are among them:

AckwelFoley

lol!


I feel soo inadequet now!!!

foxshooter243

johngalway wrote: »

It's the wind that'll f*cuk your shot up at longer distances not the drop which is easy enough to get the grip of.

I zero for 200 and my drop to 300 is 7 inches.

207 is my farthest fox, but I'd say 350 would be the legs on the .223 for fox depending on shooter skill.

Long long way at night.

have a video of a guy killing a coyote at 518 yards with a 223
and it dropped like a stone-and the range was ranged properly
with a rangefinder.

tikkamark

223 has plenty of energy its getting bullet drop and bullet drift calculations perfect thats the tricky bit using a range finder is essental to getting the bullet drop right at distance.

foxshooter243

tikkamark wrote: »

223 has plenty of energy its getting bullet drop and bullet drift calculations perfect thats the tricky bit using a range finder is essental to getting the bullet drop right at distance.

Totally agree-use a rangefinder myself-essential on long shots

freekhead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJWLP81qCAE

ive recently got a Savage .223 and have ta say its a brillant foxing gun, bullets are cheaper than my last gun (.17 Rem) and i find its drops them alot better, sometimes when i shot with the .17Rem they wouldnt stay down as the bullets volciety was so fast it would pass right through them, but the .223 with UMC bullets does a brillant humane job

fish slapped

Hi lads new to the the boards, but have been foxing a good while . When ye 're talking of shooting foxes at 300 + meters at night ,I would be concerned as it next to impossable to see a safe bullet stop beyond that. Just calling it the way I see it. For me 200 is plenty a night . In daylight hours 400 meters is a max I would recomend , bare in mind the U.S. military developed the .223 from the .222 that target shooters were using at the time. The .223 stays supersonic at 400 meters, the .222 does not .

johngalway

fish slapped wrote: »

I would be concerned as it next to impossable to see a safe bullet stop beyond that. Just calling it the way I see it.

Depends entirely on the shooters particular ground. Each of us has to choose the best option for our particular ground. I've no problem with backstops where I live, for the same reason as we'll never get flooded out here, you're either going uphill or downhill, sod all flat land like on other parts.

clivej

freekhead wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJWLP81qCAE

ive recently got a Savage .223 and have ta say its a brillant foxing gun, bullets are cheaper than my last gun (.17 Rem) and i find its drops them alot better, sometimes when i shot with the .17Rem they wouldnt stay down as the bullets volciety was so fast it would pass right through them, but the .223 with UMC bullets does a brillant humane job

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B9NkQldeu0&feature=related
Long Range Shooting .223 -- 860yd Shots

fish slapped

John I would agree with you, If target ID. is not a problem and there is a safe bullet stop. But being from Kildare and living on kildare , Offaly border theres not to many hills so in this area we have to be extra carefull. Went after deer in scotland a while ago and the so called hills (F***ing MOUNTIANS) nearly killed me!!

johngalway

fish slapped wrote: »

John I would agree with you, If target ID. is not a problem and there is a safe bullet stop. But being from Kildare and living on kildare , Offaly border theres not to many hills so in this area we have to be extra carefull. Went after deer in scotland a while ago and the so called hills (F***ing MOUNTIANS) nearly killed me!!

Lol FS, I know whenever I'm passing through east Galway I'm thinking, as a farmer, nice land, as a shooter, f*cking NIGHTMARE! Much better for shooting where I am, all hillocks, mountains and such.