.17 HMR for fox????

[Toka 10]

hi, only a short one here for all the folk who's force area dont allow .17 HMR for fox. i am aware that my force wouldnt allow it for fox, but i have heard stories when people have argued their case after a while of owning one [or another caliber].

one of my permissions, not a lot of land but passed up to .243 anyway, farmer has started to see more foxes. i only have my .22lr or .17hmr, would i be able to convince the firearms dept here that as long as i am responsible, short range etc having gone out after rabbits but come across a fox could they allow my .17HMR as an exception.

i have heard it done where the ground was only passed to .22lr but someone was able to convince the firearms team that a more powerful round would pose more danger etc, or if that is the normal weapon you are out with and the farmer really wants rid due to stock loss etc...

just wondering if anyone has heard, some forces ok the caliber for fox but they are few and far between!!

 

ATB

[waidmann 105]

in west mercia its allowed for fox.

if the need is there why not speak to the firearms officer about "opportunistic foxes" as they are causing a problem.

its either pass the caliber for the job or allow you another rifle of suitable caliber for fox.

let us know how it goes,

waidmann

[Dan Newcombe 58]

.17 is rubbish for fox.

 

Goes too fast and blows up too quickly! (not saying it cant be done but reliability is important)

 

Think what it does to a rabbit then think if it would penetrate a larger animal reliably!

 

If why not get rid of one of your rifles and get a .22 hornet. .17 rem or a .222/.223

 

Dan

[Treacle Trackpad 6]

.17 is rubbish for fox.

 

Goes too fast and blows up too quickly! (not saying it cant be done but reliability is important)

 

Think what it does to a rabbit then think if it would penetrate a larger animal reliably!

 

If why not get rid of one of your rifles and get a .22 hornet. .17 rem or a .222/.223

 

Dan

 

I agree with Dan. Although people do use it, .17HMR is not a fox round. If the farmer is seeing more foxes and asking you to sort them out it is not opportunistic is it

[Toka 10]

there are a lot of different views on it....if it becomes a regular thing then i will look into moving up a caliber, but i have only just got the .17 and didnt think i would be changing for a couple of years...

 

a couple of friends do use it for fox, as waidmann has said - ok'd by their force. and they regularly shoot them under yards, cleanly and humanely, even they would agree and further and they wouldn't risk it.

 

as i said it is only for the odd chance of coming across the fox while i am out with for the rabbits. if it happens more often i will think about upgrading....i wish, as would most others that they would sort out all the discrepancies with regards to firearms licensing, conditions and regulations..

 

 

thanks for the comments!

 

ATB

[bigears 205]

i have 22rf 17mach2 & 223 all for vermin including fox, although i would not use the 22rf or the 17mach2 for fox, police force is northumbria

[waidmann 105]

we use the .17hmr for foxes at 100m or so and it drops them reliably untill now.

if the .17 is not suitable for fox then why is it passed for it in west mercia?

i know of foxes shot with .22lr(subs)at 60-70 meters which have dropped on the spot(and a few which have run on to be found later,dead).i would have no problems taking a sitting fox on at 100m with 40gr(supersonic) ammo.

 

the question was "has anybody had the .17hmr passed for fox" my answear is yes, and is he doesn't want to pass your rifle(for opportunistic fox) then he should let you have another more suitable caliber.

 

waidmann

[Deker 3,477]

 

Interesting bit of a rambling opening question....

 

This goes round and round, my .22lr, HMR and WMR are all conditioned for fox, as well as all my centrefires.

 

..and in the right conditions a .22lr with a 40g Sub with a BIG HP can be an excellent fox round.

 

I run into more situations than many I suspect, hence why I tend to get what I need from the Police!

[Toka 10]

cheers all!!! i know it can be a contentious issue of what caliber is 'right' for what animal...but as i said it will be for the odd fox, if and when i come across it. mainly removal of pests from here but for my permission to continue the farmer doesnt want to hear about the nice fox i saw as i was out after rabbits he wants to know that its dead.... [as long as the distance/conditions will allow for a humane kill]

 

i had heard some 3rd hand reports of people who had managed to convince their local feo to let them have fox on their ticket for the .17 for those instances, but wanted to see if anyone one here is one of those lucky enough to have had it done.

 

thanks for the interest and advice...

 

ATB

[Deker 3,477]

cheers all!!! i know it can be a contentious issue of what caliber is 'right' for what animal...but as i said it will be for the odd fox, if and when i come across it. mainly removal of pests from here but for my permission to continue the farmer doesnt want to hear about the nice fox i saw as i was out after rabbits he wants to know that its dead.... [as long as the distance/conditions will allow for a humane kill]

 

i had heard some 3rd hand reports of people who had managed to convince their local feo to let them have fox on their ticket for the .17 for those instances, but wanted to see if anyone one here is one of those lucky enough to have had it done.

 

thanks for the interest and advice...

 

ATB

 

 

You are looking at this in a much to simplistic way, it is not necessarily a matter of what calibre is right for what animal, circumstances and situation are very important as well, (many calibres can be right)...and your police region of course

Edited March 25, 2010 by Deker

[Toka 10]

cheers Decker...yup more so in this case as it is on the lower power scale so circumstances are even more important for me to get a humane kill!! My FEO is off with a broken leg at the moment but i think he is the type to listen to circumstances my only contact at the moment is with the firearms admin staff who just give the 'our force doesnt recommend it for fox!....given the circs i think i may be able to convince my FEO when he's next around. will try and post up what his decision is, he was one who would rather you own less firearms to cover your circumstances rather than just tell you to get another rifle etc...

 

anyway will post up once i have had a word...

 

ATB

[comanche 2,858]

My SILaw recently bought a 17 and the Fao had no worries about allowing fox.

I'd heard that the round was "no good" for them ,that it "broke-up without doing any real damage" etc . Having seen what it did to rabbits this made no sense at all

As I suspected the fact that it does a lot of damage is a real killing point when it goes into a fox's brain or chest .

SILaw has shot about a dozen so far with no problem .

 

If you back-end any quarry whether it be a fox with rimfire or a roe with a 243 the result will not be satisfactory.

Rifles in this crowded island have to be matched to the circumstances not just the intended quarry .

[Airborne9 4]

Warwickshire - Cleared for Fox 17 HMR.

[Hmr Hunter 2]

Gwent pass both 22 and 17HMR as suitable for "Short range occasional fox" They don't state fox on the ticket BUT after having long conversations with both FEO's they recognise fox as vermin and both calibres suitable DAVE

[sureshot11 1]

I`v just had mine passed for close range fox /rabbit no problem but cant make my mine up what to buy?.