What caliber do you like for fox shooting?

[Mr_Logic 5]

FAC air rifle that close in the head will be humane, no worries there...

 

Bert - do you have an open ticket? If so, you could perfectly legally have used the .243...

[bert69 5]

I don't have open ticket unfortunately. I didnt use the shotgun also because of noise and footpath

[njc110381 0]

If it's FAC air than that's a little different. That makes it still not ideal but better.

 

At the end of the day you killed the Fox. It died a lot more quickly than it would have if you'd left it and it sounds like it was really sufferring. You did the right thing to try to take it. Sadly in that state it sounds like it wouldn't have been in much more pain if it had got away so it was worth a try if you were confident.

 

EDIT... I think I would have used the shotgun. The chances are slim that it would have bothered anyone and in the circumstances I think it would be considered reasonable. There's no law against shooting close to a footpath as long as you don't disturb someone who is using it at the time.

Edited January 14, 2010 by njc110381

[Urban Fox Control London 8]

I was called into another school in North London today where foxes have set up camp underneath one of the semi-permanant mobile classrooms. The stink they are creating is unbelievable and some of the pupils have already reported finding fleas. The classroom has now been abandoned until the problem has been resolved. All floor areas will be treated with a residual insecticide. The foxes have dug two tunnels underneath the skirting. Traps are going down tommorow which will be pre-baited over the weekend with cat food and set to trap on Monday AM. On this occasion, trapping will be the safest method as they can be placed near the classroom, but hidden from eye's view. After the trapping cycle, I will open up the skirting, remove any debris and deodourise with an anti-bacterial deodoriser that smells of bubble gum !!

Edited January 14, 2010 by Urban Fox Control London

[whippeter69 88]

I did shoot a fox in the back garden that was extremely mange infested with my air rifle (air arms s410 .22) It was from an upstairs window and the range was less than 15 yards, at that distance i put the pellet straight through its eye ball and it dropped like a stone.

Mate read the rules

 

Enough said.

 

Lets get a few things straight here, and let me make the point up front that I do not advocate using air rifles on fox nor am I defending anyone for doing so.

 

You guys are far too blinkered here, there "may" be a situation where this is appropriate, this is not a black and white issue, although on the whole it is probably nearer black than white!

 

What are these rules??? Perhaps you would be kind enough to point them out at it is news to me! Rules can only be based on Legislation, otherwise it is guidance and suggestion, there is NO legislation that I am aware of that says you cannot shoot a fox with an Air Rifle!

 

Please don't start quoting all sorts of "CRUELTY" Legislation, NOWHERE in any of this is shooting fox with an air rifle ILLEGAL, it may well be suggested it is not recommended or not up to the job, but that does NOT make it illegal, any case would have to be proved!

 

So, whilst we may all have an opinion, legally that remains all it is, an opinion!

 

 

PS

Perhaps this would be better as a seperate thread, I don't see anyone advocating an air rifle as an Ideal fox tool!!

 

PPS

Please read carefully particularly bearing in mind the bit in red!!

Fair point buddy, but there is a good chance that a shot from an air gun will not kill a fox stone dead every-time. Trying to kill the fox might have caused more pain than it was in the first place, i hope you see my point. A standard powered air-gun should not be used to kill a fox, even if it is in a bad state, you could make it worse that its already in. For future reasons if anyone has shot a fox with an air gun, I suggest they don't brag about it on here, too many ANTI'S that will use this info to get air-guns banned

Edited January 14, 2010 by whippeter69

[adamthomas64 1]

i totally agree however it was not a standard airgun he used it was fac rated, that does make a big difference, i think there is really no right or wrong answer here, if he left it to suffer that is inhumane, however using an airgun is also jugded as inhumane, but using an fac rated airgun at 15 yards aimed in the right place would do the trick imho although using any kind of airgun on a perfectly healthy fox at any kind of distance is unacceptable

Edited January 14, 2010 by adamthomas64

[bert69 5]

I couldnt agree more, it was a sensible thing to do i thought in that very uncommon situation so that is why i chose to do it, with hindsight i could have shot gunned it no problem really but the air rifle did the job and no neighbours were any the wiser, not that they would have minded i suppose. i'd sooner have them at 100 yards with my .243 any day of the week.

[andyf 144]

Good choice!

22.250 is my favourite, I have owned most of the the 'others' at some time (i.e. .222 .223 22 hornet etc etc, but not a 220 Swift).

Really the quality of the rifle is the key, all of the above will kill Fox out to 300 yards with ease, I've had all sorts of rifles and scopes, these days my fox rifle is a 22.250 Ruger No1 with a Leupold VX3 6,5>20 x 50 LRT on the top, with handloaded 55gr Nosler ballistics on 34gr of R15 you can't miss if the 'x' marks the spot when you squeeze it off.

The 22.250 is a mild recoiling relatively low noise round (without moderation), it's my choice.

Keep at it!

AndyF.

[andyf 144]

Good choice!

22.250 is my favourite, I have owned most of the the 'others' at some time (i.e. .222 .223 22 hornet etc etc, but not a 220 Swift).

Really the quality of the rifle is the key, all of the above will kill Fox out to 300 yards with ease, I've had all sorts of rifles and scopes, these days my fox rifle is a 22.250 Ruger No1 with a Leupold VX3 6,5>20 x 50 LRT on the top, with handloaded 55gr Nosler ballistics on 34gr of R15 you can't miss if the 'x' marks the spot when you squeeze it off.

The 22.250 is a mild recoiling relatively low noise round (without moderation), it's my choice.

Keep at it!

AndyF.