Calibre for roe and fox

[tom1cameron 1]

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

I am looking to obtain a FAC and rifle next year. I have experience with rifles, air and rimfire, but not the larger rifles so I do intend to get some more experience and join a club etc etc.

 

However. The quarry I will be hunting will be roe and foxes. The roe ground I have presently is thick cover and I know that the shots that will be taken will be shorter distance of 50-100yds. On so many occasions I could have taken them at 15yds with my 12g but I have been very well disciplined!

 

I want the rifle to be dual purpose, and to also be a good foxing calibre, as I want to be able to help local shoots and farmers with fox problems.

 

I have an urge towards .22-250, but I could not tell you how it developed. But....I was thinking that a .223 may be more appropriate if it has a bit more oomph!

 

So can you please help.

The shooting will be in Scotland and I am not interested in bringing the outlying possibility that I might get a chance to shoot red deer at some point.

Roe and Foxes only.

 

Versatility, cost of ammo, suitabilities with moderators, ability to bring down large roe in thick cover

Ability to use one bullet type for both to save re-zeroing?

 

All advice appreciated

 

Best wishes

 

T

[riohog 5,904]

.243 WILL DO THE JOB VERY NICELY

[IanB 0]

Yes I'd go with a .243 awesome calibre.. Other people prefer smaller/bigger this will do everything... the 58grain are deadly flat just like the .22-250's but you have more options for larger bullets... Just my opinion, others will differ... check out david/foxhunters posts they use the same setup .243 and 58gr hornadays...

[woz 260]

223 isnt a bad round at all really,iv just sold mine to get a 22-250 but to be honest for what you are saying 223 will do the job well....as said above 243 is also a great round...all three calibre's will do the job well for you.....cost of reloading wont be much differant between the calibre's..22-250 and 243 use a little more powder i guess....moderator's are all much of a muchness too....if i were you id find a rifle you really like and get it in the calibre that the rifle for sale is in........

[IanB 0]

Yes I'd go with a .243 awesome calibre.. Other people prefer smaller/bigger this will do everything... the 58grain are deadly flat just like the .22-250's but you have more options for larger bullets... Just my opinion, others will differ... check out david/foxhunters posts they use the same setup .243 and 58gr hornadays...

i think this is the best calibre and lots more fun hahahahaha

 

Yes I agree spiderpig.... a bullet is less fun, but far more deadly than any dog... horses for courses..

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Yes I'd go with a .243 awesome calibre.. Other people prefer smaller/bigger this will do everything... the 58grain are deadly flat just like the .22-250's but you have more options for larger bullets... Just my opinion, others will differ... check out david/foxhunters posts they use the same setup .243 and 58gr hornadays...

i think this is the best calibre and lots more fun hahahahaha

 

Yes I agree spiderpig.... a bullet is less fun, but far more deadly than any dog... horses for courses..

Nice dog there spiderpig!

 

I love shooting with the mentioned rounds (222, 223, 22-250), however I have the same opinion as IanB, and would recomend .243, as it will do the job, and do it well, as like he says, you have much more on the list with this calibre!

[Deker 3,478]

Roe and Fox ONLY in Scotland......223 all the way...loads of ammo choice, easy to get and cheap.

 

I have always favoured shot placement over using a cannon!!!

 

Anyway...others will say how flat and fast the 22-250 is..correct!!

 

Others will say the .243 is the way to go

 

I only have a .243 because the law says I must for some deer!

 

I say .223

Edited October 18, 2008 by Deker

[Guest remmy]

go for the 243 tom, been shooting them for twenty years mate , its an awsome round on everything some will disagree, but thats just my pennys worth i shoot everything with an 87g bullet and they go down , good for long range stuff to, dont let the bullet police tell you any difference its proof in the pudding mate , it does what it says on the tin , if your in any doubt get in touch and try mine you wont be disappointed . rgds remmy. have a look at my post or have a look at fox hunters they should make your mind up.

[longrange 0]

GOT TO AGREE with remmy on this one, what the bullet police, i like that, have to remember is that all the .22 wildcat centrefires,i,e 222 222mag 223,

22\250 etc were not developed for deer hunting, but for varmint hunting!, will they kill a deer if hit properly,? yes they will.

but once again, its a personal choice,

i in a professional capacity shot just about all of them! after nearly 40 years at this job i decided that for me, the 243 was the best allrounder,

of course many will dispute this, but i remember being at a deer society meeting, 25 years ago, and discussing calibres and shot placement

and effects, and that i had killed more deer in one day, than they had in their lives?

 

its a wee bit like the comments my son gets about his 700bhp skyline by guys that drive corsa"s?

iv" got a 520 brake evo ex track car, still get him on the corners though,

[Guest remmy]

bds badge collecting twats end of story, they kill six deer a year and know it all as you say killed more deer in a day then they have in a life time. well said that man, couldnt agree more. Edited October 18, 2008 by remmy

[longrange 0]

bds badge collecting twats end of story, they kill six deer a year and know it all as you say killed more deer in a day then they have in a life time. well said that man, couldnt agree more.

 

THINK IM" TALKING TO A MAN THAT KNOW"S HIS STUFF ?

cheers

[Squirrel_Basher 17,102]

Used both the .222 and .243 for deer but must say the .243 will put them down on the spot and in cover that is a big bonus .Wouldnt think of using the .222 now on a deer .

[sauer 2]

like others have said all three good choies

 

but .243 would have to stand out from what you say bout your permission....

more chance of dropping it altho deer will run and if you have "heavy" cover you,d be amazed how easy it is to lose em even if only went few yards.

 

 

get the .243 mate

 

i know your saying you aint interested in reds but you never know if you get bitten by the"deer" bug !!!

you might even come across someone if yer lucky who will give you an invite for nowt and at least yer legal

 

.243 good all rounder

 

 

sauer

[Capreolus 0]

I shoot a lot of .223 at foxes, and targets out to 600 yards. There is a guy called Mark Bradley who can make the thing sing and dance at 1000 (Just look at his scores at Bisley).

So I have a huge respect for the round and its capabilities but it would not be my first choce for deer.

Here are two stories about the .223 and deer

 

I once took a 40 yard shot at a Muntjac buck head on towards me, the shot was slightly off to one side. The lightwieght bullet dintegrated into pieces that slid down the right hand side of the rib cage without penetrating the chest cavity, almost removing the leg. I was unable to find the deer and eventually gave up feeling really guilty.

The story gets worse because the deer lost its leg but survived and was seen around the shoot for another two years, providing me with a constant reminder of my supidity and incompetence.

 

The second shot was perfectly placed on a Roebuck at yards with a 62gr Privi Partisan softpoint. The bullet went throught the shoulder,passed through both lungs, ripped apart the main arteries at the top of the heart and lodged in the far shoulder. The deer ran 50 yards into deep cover and fell over stone dead. The guy who shot the deer could only tell us where the deer had entered the cover.

The challenge was that there was no blood trail to follow at all. There was no exit wound and the movement of the muscles over the shoulder had completely sealed the entry wound.

I went back to check where the deer had been shot and found the marks in the soil where he had leapt forward but there were no pins and not a single drop of blood between there and the carcasse.

 

I suppose this is a really long winded way of saying go for the .243, the 55gr Ballistic Tip will descend like the hammer of Thor on foxes out to 300 yards, properly placed 87gr bullets will despatch anything in this country and the 107gr target bullets remain supersonic to 1000 yards what more could you ask?

 

If you decide to go for the .223 make sure you get yourself a really good dog!!!!

[tom1cameron 1]

Thankyou everyone, I was planning on a .243, but then I got "bitten" by the fox bug and though about downsizing

 

Will the .243 not be a bit "loud" for foxing?

 

And what about the bullet switch, 87g for everything? Is that pricey?