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If you could choose one caliber for foxes, what would it be?


Aussie Foxer

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I'd say the .204 Ruger would be perfect up to fox size. Nice and flat between 100 and 200 yards. But if you're buying ready made ammo, I'd go for .223 Rem. Probably one of the top most versatile rounds, and most, if not all shops will have them in stock.

If reloading and can get the brass, bullet heads, and the like, it would be .204 Ruger without a doubt.

Chaz.

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Well if it were me I'd go for the trusty .243 with a 58 grain vmax I've handloaded mine and I easily get 3800 fps out of it so it will happily as flat as a 22-250 in real world terms. I was recently out foxing in what I didn't think was a very strong wind, shooting across a valley(around 250 yards) the bullet was blown 16". With the .204 and the 22-250 the wind drift would have been even worse so I'd stick the .243, especially as ammo is so readily avavible!

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I am a great fan of the 22-250 when it comes to a factory chambering and ammo.

The .204 / .223/ 22-250 and 243 are all great foxing rounds. Buy a rifle that you can find a reliable source of your chosen round.

No point buying a rifle you can 140 rounds and then you are stuck!

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If you want an all rounder with a tone of factory ammo available I'd say .243 great on Foxes and if you later on want to shoot deer it would save the expense of bying another calibre if you want an out and out fox Rifle I'd go .22 250 that's what I shoot and Tuch wood I've never had a runner yet!!

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223 for me. Shot 22-250 for a good few years and just thought that it was too much for foxes. Also the 22-250 I had (tikka m595) hadn't a patch on my 223 (blaser lrs2) for accuracy. The blaser has served me well on crows magpies pigeons and rabbits out to about 670 yards and is cheap as chips to load for.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Another vote for the 223. I tried 204 for around five years and a lovely round for calm days. Iffy in the wind despite what some claim. No-one shoots 50gn bullets out of the 204 and the 40gn and less, wander about. For me trajectory is a given, the wind is the killer at range. I went back to the 223 fast twist for heavy bullets, and never looked back.

 

IMHO the 243 is a bit much for fox, 40+gn powder burned and only a dead fox to show. However any current 6mm will soundly beat the 22's at range in wind.

 

I'd be happy with a 22-250, probably the best of all worlds TBH

 

Atb

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SAAMI ammo: 200y zero,drift at 200y (at 100 it's about 1-1.4 " high,and 1" drift for all,to a decimal):

 

204 32 vmax 4.1

40 vmax 3.3

 

223 40vmax 5.0

50vmax 4.7

55vmax 4.6

60vmax 4.6

69SMK 4.0

77SMK 3.6

 

22250 40vmax 4.4

50vmax 4.0

55vmax 3.9

 

243 58vmax 3.9

 

 

All the energies are above 650ftlb at 200y,some considerably-seems adequate on field results.

 

It's unlikely there is any consistent/effective field accuracy differences on fox between these cartridges.

 

(and of course,any could be hot loaded...without significant ballistic changes for purpose,and to 200y).

 

At 400y,still 200 zero,the drop/drift is(MV and remaining energy added-same loads as above):

 

204 40vmax@3900 13/15 526ftlb

 

223 40vmax@3800 18/23 330

50vmax@3300 21/22 380

69SMK @2850 25/18 531

 

22250 40vmax@4150 14/20 410

55vmax@3680 16/17 536

 

243 58vmax @3750 15/17 627

 

Actual field accuracy is not always found to be the same as ballistics,but they are a guide...:-)

Go choose !

 

gbal

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Interesting gbal. But unfortunatley reality sometimes goes astray from the sales pitch.

 

I never saw the claimed velocity from factory ammunition in the 204. I couldn't achieve the book figures from Hornady either. The best I could do was 3600fps (25inch barrel) with a 40gn pill. This load was cratering primers and I tried all the powders on offer, nothing worked. Any faster was sticky case time and hammering the bolt open. It was however laserlike out to 250yds.

 

The other interesting thing is my 223 tight neck, long throat and bushed firing pin seems to be better than your quoted figures. A 70gn VLD 200yds 10mph wind. = 2488fps 963ft lbs 3.1 inches drift

400yds 10mph wind. = 2065fps 663ft lbs 13.65 inches drift

 

The wind from 9 o clock pushed the bullet a bit further to 3.3, I suspect due spin drift but generally those figures seem to work in the field for me. Of course non of that really matters if you miss, if you connect it just needs enough to do the job. 600ft lbs or 900ft lbs, Charlie won't care either way.

 

I suppose the one thing I have learned over the years, it's all down to what you can get hold of ammo wise in the end. Wizzbang uber booming cannons are all very well, but not much cop without a ready supply of ammo wherever you happen to be.

 

Atb

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