Bobbo Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hi all, A friend of mine is looking for a dedicated foxing rifle but can't make his mind up between, .204/.222/.223 any suggestions welcome. ATB Bobbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gun nut Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hi Bobbo, i've shot over 400 fox's in the last 3 years, the first 150 or so with a .222 and then had it re-barrelled to a 20tac. Take my word for it, the 20cal is the pups plums! The .222 is a great wee round but starts to drop too quickly after 170 odd yds. The 40vmax pushed along by 23grns of RL7 is doing about 3700fps. Zeroed at .5" high at a 100yds its spot on at 200yds and still in the kill zone of a fox at 230yds. 99% of lamped fox's are going to be in that zone with no twiddling of scope required, just hold dead centre and squeeze. If they are hung up further out 2moa puts you on at 300. That's as far as we shoot in the dark cause our lamp doesn't illuminate them past that for 100% positive identification.(we use a red filter) Happy foxing! PS If your mate's not a home loader that changes things and could put the .223 in the frame for ease of getting ammo and wider choice of factory loads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbo Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hi Bobbo, i've shot over 400 fox's in the last 3 years, the first 150 or so with a .222 and then had it re-barrelled to a 20tac. Take my word for it, the 20cal is the pups plums! The .222 is a great wee round but starts to drop too quickly after 170 odd yds. The 40vmax pushed along by 23grns of RL7 is doing about 3700fps. Zeroed at .5" high at a 100yds its spot on at 200yds and still in the kill zone of a fox at 230yds. 99% of lamped fox's are going to be in that zone with no twiddling of scope required, just hold dead centre and squeeze. If they are hung up further out 2moa puts you on at 300. That's as far as we shoot in the dark cause our lamp doesn't illuminate them past that for 100% positive identification.(we use a red filter) Happy foxing! PS If your mate's not a home loader that changes things and could put the .223 in the frame for ease of getting ammo and wider choice of factory loads. Thanks GN, Sounds like a very worthy calibre, it will be home loads. ATB Bobbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
22/250 foxer Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 look no further then the 20 tac in the sales section. proven accuracy, all the load data. all you have to do is put a mod on the end of it. scope it and get out at the foxes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyw Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Get a .17rem and learn how to call foxes in and shoot them out to 200yds i also use-17fb-22br 6ppc but the 17rem remains my favourite in the right conditions, iv shot a lot of foxes with this rifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 If you had a .223 or 222 you would also be legal for small deer, you could also shoot the higher BC bullets which will outperform the 20 cal in the wind at range. Never had a 20cal, heard a lot of good feedback about them on here and very little bad. Any of them will stop foxes on the spot at 200yds. Agreed on the legality for deer but a 40 grain bullet from a 20 will drop less and drift less than a 40 grain from either 222 or 223. I have seen a 223AI that throws 75gr bullets with a remarkable degree of accuracy at long ranges but this rifle is heavy and has a barrel designed around using big bullets. I would not want to carry much further than to my Landrover!!. Try and launch 75s from a typical 222/223 barrel with a 1 in 14 or so twist and accuracy will not be good. In the last few weeks I have had several foxes at well over 200 yards at night with my 20BR using 39gr Sierra Blitzkings, this is downloaded to typical TAC20 velocities of around 3500. All were instant kills with some bullets not exiting on lengthways chest shots, all exited on side on shots. Most foxes are shot at below 200 yards, or should be anyway to avoid educated foxes, for that TAC20 is ideal, 204 is pretty close behind if you want a factory caliber. As a fox caliber for everyday use then IMHO a light or medium weight 20 is a far superior tool to a 222/223 as its just so much easier to shoot accurately. Dont be tempted into a heavy beast, remember you have to carry it plus mounts, plus scope, plus maybe moderator plus maybe a lamp clipped to it. A heavy rifle is not pleasant to carry far, if I walk the 20BR stays home, just to heavy. Almost all the time in the field you will be shooting using a cold barrel so there is no benefit at all in a big thick barrel. If it is to double duty as a target rifle then there are benefits in a heavy barrel. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Get a .17rem and learn how to call foxes in and shoot them out to 200yds i also use-17fb-22br 6ppc but the 17rem remains my favourite in the right conditions, iv shot a lot of foxes with this rifle. Bit iffy when the wind blows though. Dont think many makers are now offering 17Rem as a factory caliber anymore, 17FB has eclipsed it. I have started using a 17AH earlier this summer, it does foxes to 150 yards ok, that far enough for it against them but in any wind I leave it in the box and take something a bit bigger. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyw Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Bit iffy when the wind blows though. Dont think many makers are now offering 17Rem as a factory caliber anymore, 17FB has eclipsed it. I have started using a 17AH earlier this summer, it does foxes to 150 yards ok, that far enough for it against them but in any wind I leave it in the box and take something a bit bigger. A A hows the AH doing? your right about the wind only use the 20vmax so the conditions have to be ok a little wind doesnt do any harm as long as the range is kept sensible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeroy Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 I have had a 222 /223 / and now use a 22-250 and what a round. Shoots very flat way way out take a lot of beating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 If it's a Nv gun .204 so fast, flat and without recoil out to best part of 300yrds wihout thinking, if it's a lamp out 400yrds it's gotta be a .22-250. I've got both and wouldn't be without either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyH Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Hi all, A friend of mine is looking for a dedicated foxing rifle but can't make his mind up between, .204/.222/.223 any suggestions welcome. ATB Bobbo. Doesn't matter IMHO. Foxing does not take place, typically, at very long range (and lamping is pretty much restricted to sub-250 yards through practicality & safety factors) and foxes are not the sort of small-varmint targets that necessitate very fine tuning of carefully set-up varmint rifles. Any of those three calibres will propel 40-50gr polymer-tipped bullets at plenty of velocity to drop Charlie. Your friend will find it far easier to locate the right rifle if he's not fussy about which particular calibre. The only caveat is that especially in the sticks, and especially with the more conservative, cautious dealers, 20-cal bullets and kit are harder to find in stock than than equivalent stuff for .224". I shoot a 20Tac now, but that is for varminting, and I'm happy to buy my components & tools mail order or abroad; if I was after something specifically for foxing and I wanted to make life easy and as cheap as possible, I'd have stuck with .222 or .223, with both of which I've shot lots of foxes. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir-slots-alot Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Doesn't matter IMHO. Foxing does not take place, typically, at very long range (and lamping is pretty much restricted to sub-250 yards through practicality & safety factors) and foxes are not the sort of small-varmint targets that necessitate very fine tuning of carefully set-up varmint rifles. Any of those three calibres will propel 40-50gr polymer-tipped bullets at plenty of velocity to drop Charlie. foxes. Tony Well said Tony. I was about to post a very similar reply - but not as well worded. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbo Posted September 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 Great answers lads, I'll pass them on. ATB Bobbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted September 26, 2011 Report Share Posted September 26, 2011 A hows the AH doing? your right about the wind only use the 20vmax so the conditions have to be ok a little wind doesnt do any harm as long as the range is kept sensible. Not used it for a couple of months. Tend to take 6PPC if I am going armed once the crops come off as charlie at 250 yards is a distinct possibility and one I would probably pass on at that distance if I had 17AH in my hands. Almost all crows and magpies have now been trapped or shot. My beat has produced 72 magpies since March, got 3 or 4 about at present that wont go in the traps so am looking to pull stumps on the Larsens. The rest of the shoot about the same so that has put a really good dent in them locally. Still got 2 or 3 crows about but got Vermincinerator on them when he is able. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted September 26, 2011 Report Share Posted September 26, 2011 I have had a 222 /223 / and now use a 22-250 and what a round. Shoots very flat way way out take a lot of beating. Good killer agreed but how many impacts do you see?. If a normal weight rifle not many I bet. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZ Varminter Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 22-250 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZ Varminter Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 Alycidon .... plenty. Stick a moderator on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c18rch Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 .223, Cheap as chips for reloading components/ammo. Deer legal. Great target round. Can be shot accurately out to 1000yds with the right set up if you want. Not a barrel burner. What more could you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr moley Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Browning A bolt .223 - hits the spot all the time - 55grn super round Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
22-250jock Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 22-250 gets my vote use my 17 fireball when cubbing and the weather conditions are calm, but my 22-250 is the usual choice, zero at 200yrds takes away any guess work, have had a couple with the 243 when sitting in high seat but tend to use that only for deer rgds jock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 I use a .223 and currently shoot 40 grain bullets. Find it good out to 300 yards at night, past that I have not yet bothered. Pretty flat out to 230-240 yards, 300 get's about +5" if I remember rightly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbo Posted December 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2011 Thanks all for your informative replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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