Advice Please Guys .17Hmr For Fox?

[Deker 3,478]

The HMR is a Superb Fox calibre, as is a .22lr, WMR, Hornet, .223, etc etc if you use it as required and within your capabilities. NONE is better than the other, some are better in different situations that's all.

 

As for not being up to it if you make a poor shot, the same could be said for any calibre. You shoot any calibre within its capabilities, that means bigger calibres can shoot further making the odds of a bad shot as much, if not more likely, than lower power at closer ranges.

 

No calibre is better than any other calibre on foxes, they are just better/worse in some circumstances.

 

4 shots, 4 fox, all prone off Bipod with Nightvision, HMR 17g V-Max, distance from close to over 100 yards.

 

Edited November 28, 2013 by Deker

[Deker 3,478]

 

Thats weird. I applied for .17 as it was the preferred calibre, but put .22 as I thought my FLO would say yes to the .22 and no to the .17 as it was also my first FAC. He granted both without a mentor status, which I have heard is a common condition. Strange how different constituancies work.

 

 

Yeah as CC said, some counties won't grant any rimfire for Fox.

 

Personally I see that as an advantage.

 

 

Each to their own, but you would probably change your mind if I was stood next to you totally legally removing foxes with my .22lr and your region flatly refused to grant rimfires for fox, as is the situation when I visit a pal of mine in the Midlands.

 

Absolutely crazy...especially now, as the Home Office suggest HMR is a Fox calibre!?!

[charlie caller 3,654]

I think what Alsone means, (although I could be wrong) is it is an advantage in so much as you are more likely to be granted a cf if you need to shoot foxes, as pushing people down the rimfire route is not an option in our area, a .22 hornet for instance is a superior calibre with which to shoot foxes, by dint of the fact it produces 3 times the power of an hmr, so the margin for error with a slightly misplaced shot is less, but I fully accept an hmr will work well, so long as it is used at sensible ranges, not by some idiot who thinks he has a .220 swift in his hands.

[Deker 3,478]

I think what Alsone means, (although I could be wrong) is it is an advantage in so much as you are more likely to be granted a cf if you need to shoot foxes, as pushing people down the rimfire route is not an option in our area, a .22 hornet for instance is a superior calibre with which to shoot foxes, by dint of the fact it produces 3 times the power of an hmr, so the margin for error with a slightly misplaced shot is less, but I fully accept an hmr will work well, so long as it is used at sensible ranges, not by some idiot who thinks he has a .220 swift in his hands.

 

I see where you are coming from..... so in theory that makes the CF grant more likely!

 

Flippen daft game just the same!

 

Edit

I'll be off in about 45mins to a Free Range Chicken Geese and Duck farm where Charlie tries to get dinner, its a regular gig, I keep shooting them but they keep coming year after year. The fox adapts to their locking up time throughout the year and turns up just before they head in for the night, and I know their routes, .22lr is the tool of choice for many reasons, not least because most are shot about 20 yards away! I'll be taking a scan round the whole farm later to see if I can find any wondering around looking for lost birds, .223 will be on my shoulder for that!

Edited November 28, 2013 by Deker

[Alsone 789]

Yeah CC got it correct.

 

The advantage I see is that many people who have long range shoots get pushed onto rimfire because they're new holders (even though they're not always inexperienced) leading to the shooter being forced to restrict their range and thus adversely affecting pest control on some shoots. The flip side is it may also encourage reckless shots in some where the shooter may become tempted to try a shot beyond the weapons capabilities and fail to kill cleanly as a result.

 

Whereas if your county has a policy of no rimfire for foxes, they're forced to grant CF if you list fox as intended prey which removes the range restrictions, reduces the likely hood of wounding and saves money in that eg if you only shoot the odd rabbit, you may be better off with a single CF for all pruposes, than having to buy a RF and then a CF once you've proved yourself. So to my mind, a CF only policy for foxes may be an advantage unless you intend to do wholesale rabbit shooting.

Edited November 28, 2013 by Alsone

[Elliott 436]

 

 

 

 

I have my .17HMR conditioned for 'Close Range Fox' on my Golf Course Permission. Sub 100 yards and it does the business

 

 

Are you seriously saying the wording for your HMR condition on your FAC says CLOSE RANGE FOX? And what distance does your FAC go on to say is close range or is that simply left to you??

I wondered that as well, I wonder if you are required to lazer range find for every shot then incase it oversteps the mark by a foot or two, bloody ludicrous.

Yup

 

[charlie caller 3,654]

Hahahahahahahah, what will they come up with next

[Deker 3,478]

 

 

 

I have my .17HMR conditioned for 'Close Range Fox' on my Golf Course Permission. Sub 100 yards and it does the business

 

 

Are you seriously saying the wording for your HMR condition on your FAC says CLOSE RANGE FOX? And what distance does your FAC go on to say is close range or is that simply left to you??

I wondered that as well, I wonder if you are required to lazer range find for every shot then incase it oversteps the mark by a foot or two, bloody ludicrous.

Yup

 

 

 

Never seen that before, is there actually a definition of close on your FAC?

 

To be honest that is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever seen on a FAC, just what does it mean, my close, your close, police close, RSPCA Close???? How about a .243 with, "Close Range Deer control", or a .308 saying "a bit further out deer control"!

Edited November 28, 2013 by Deker

[ZacB 114]

 

 

 

 

I have my .17HMR conditioned for 'Close Range Fox' on my Golf Course Permission. Sub 100 yards and it does the business

 

 

Are you seriously saying the wording for your HMR condition on your FAC says CLOSE RANGE FOX? And what distance does your FAC go on to say is close range or is that simply left to you??

I wondered that as well, I wonder if you are required to lazer range find for every shot then incase it oversteps the mark by a foot or two, bloody ludicrous.

Yup

 

 

 

Never seen that before, is there actually a definition of close on your FAC?

 

To be honest that is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever seen on a FAC, just what does it mean, my close, your close, police close, RSPCA Close???? How about a .243 with, "Close Range Deer control", or a .308 saying "a bit further out deer control"!

 

Superb

 

Interesting thread. Being a recently new ticket holder interesting reading. .22lr was granted for vermin and ground game, .17hmr for vermin and fox, pleased to say no mentoring or range stipulation added. Bit of a farce that one. Surely by granting the license in the first place, the recipient has been deemed a competent person to make sensible decisions seeing as a firearm has just been authorised. What a load of balony

[dadioles 68]

Isn't it back to the same old thing.....

 

A .17hmr is not suitable for fox if that is the stated reason for wanting a .17hmr (other than in exceptional circumstances).

 

The "reason" for justifying an hmr will be, basically, for rabbits.

 

Obviously it is an excellent weapon against foxes in the right circumstances but that is not generally acceptable as the primary "reason" for having it.

 

Just get the "any other lawful quarry" condition added and you are set for anything legal and humane.

[Elliott 436]

 

 

 

 

 

I have my .17HMR conditioned for 'Close Range Fox' on my Golf Course Permission. Sub 100 yards and it does the business

 

 

Are you seriously saying the wording for your HMR condition on your FAC says CLOSE RANGE FOX? And what distance does your FAC go on to say is close range or is that simply left to you??

I wondered that as well, I wonder if you are required to lazer range find for every shot then incase it oversteps the mark by a foot or two, bloody ludicrous.

Yup

 

Never seen that before, is there actually a definition of close on your FAC?

 

To be honest that is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever seen on a FAC, just what does it mean, my close, your close, police close, RSPCA Close???? How about a .243 with, "Close Range Deer control", or a .308 saying "a bit further out deer control"!

And I can only shoot fox whilst in persuit of rabbit

[SportingShooter 0]

I think I might apply to Lancashire police for a .458 Winchester for long range Rabbits and close range Wildebeest

[Alsone 789]

Obviously it is an excellent weapon against foxes in the right circumstances but that is not generally acceptable as the primary "reason" for having it.

 

 

Except in the eyes of the Home Office where that is Good Reason.

 

Elliot you really should show that to BASC Firearms Dept as I'm sure they'd be interested not least because the new Head of Firearms for the Police nationwide was wanting to standardise conditions etc.

 

The condition is absolutely ridiculous, nigh dangerous.

 

As others have pointed out, what constitutes "close range"?

 

You could shoot at eg 60yds and your local force prosecute you for breaching the condition as they see close range as 30 yds or less. Its totally meaningless and dangerous as a condition because of it.

 

If they wanted to stipulate a range condition then it should say eg 60 yds or less. But even that is dangerous as it then requires you to purchase a Laser range finder and lase the distance to every target and what happens if the distance is wrong or the police are called to your shoot for some reason and you've just walked away from the shot quarry maybe towards the police who you saw coming through the gate and so the distance between you and the shot quarry is further than the stipulation when you're found even though it was shot within the stipulated range. Stupid.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Alsone

[charlie caller 3,654]

Its absolutely ridiculous, who is to say what is short range compared with long, I consider a 150 yard shot at fox with my .243 a relatively short range shot, but with an hmr I would consider it downright cruel, so who sets the parameters and goalposts? it really is time these stupid conditions were scrapped, they serve no purpose at all, except as far as I can see to help justify some feos position, because he or she is seen to be acting proactively, crazy.

[OzTerrier 21]

Mate the little HMR is plenty enough for foxes. I have one and so do thousands of other Aussies over here, as long as you can shoot straight and put the little pill into the vitals the fox will be dead before it hits the ground. Keep shots within 100 150 max and it does the job just fine. My best with the HMR is 220 yards, it was a flukey shot but not that I tell that to people when I tell them hahahah.

 

The HMR was designed for thin skinned critters within 150 yards.