Newbie

[prohunter 0]

I am totally new to this rifle situation so abit of advice and help would be great. ? I am looking at getting my self my first rifle for shooting rabbits and the occasional fox. I have been looking at a browning .17HMR T bolt what are your opinions of this, and if you think there would be something better to get please don't hesitate and let me know.

Many thanks

Scott

[shropshire dan 467]

Here we go lol. You haven't realised but you've just opened a can of worms lol.

 

 

http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/340816-same-old-question-maybe/

 

Have a read through this buddy.

oh and welcome to the club

[Cedric 132]

Hi Scott, I would advise you to forget about fox for a while,start out with rabbits but only after you have had considerable practice shooting targets.

 

A .22lr is a good beginners rifle but not really suitable for fox. The .17hmr is used by many on foxes but most would agree that you need to be experienced, have excellent shot placement skills and the self control not to attempt shots that are not ideal. The hmr is an excellent rabbit rifle, less prone to ricochets than the .22lr but is noisier and more expensive to run than a .22 if you are doing a lot of practicing.

[maktayla 50]

Hi Scott & welcome

I agree with the posts above, especially Cedric's

I don't think you would go wrong with the Browning T-Bolt as your choice of rifle if you choose the .17HMR. I have to say though, I have been using my CZ452 for a few years now and its truly a rifle that's lived up to its name. Its accurate and very reliable.

As for your question(s), where do you start? You will definately find loads of advice here. Eventually, it's all going to come down to you.

Cedric is right. If you're going to consider the .17HMR for the occasional fox but mainly for rabbits, you really have to consider that shot placement is paramount. I have experience of foxes with a HMR, but to be honest, a centrefire is so much more the tool for the job. My profile photo shows me with my first .17HMR fox. It took me a while to get this fox into a comfortable distance to take the head shot and then the thought went through my mind, "I hope this shot is smack on". If i had my .22-250 with me that day, I could have dropped the fox a lot sooner, and I would have been presented with a far bigger target area. Once again, as Cedric mentioned, self control is important. I have seen quite a few foxes I could have shot with my centrefire but only had my HMR with me. They lived to fight another day because the shot wasn't on and I could not get them to come in close enough.

If it is the occasional fox, then yes, a .17HMR will drop it, but it has to be placed in the head. As for rabbits with the HMR, it will definately do the job but as Cedric said there is a noise issue. Saying that though, I have been out in the field with my HMR and dropped a rabbit to find its neighbours have remained where they were, allowing me to take another shot and then another. Another field, and another permission, has seen the rabbits dive for cover after the first shot. You also have to consider if you are going to eat the rabbits you shoot. If so, every shot will need to be a head shot or you will find a lot of meat damage with .17 round. If it is just for thinning out the numbers then you have a bigger target area and the HMR will definately do the job. Its fast, pinpoint accurate in the right hands and flat out to 100yds. The wind can have an affect on the tiny little round though. So that is worth considering as well.

 

Have you applied for your FAC yet Scott? I have seen some posts on Hunting Life where members have stated their Firearms Officer would not allow a .17HMR for fox?? Sorry if you have done your homework first and this is not the case. I have also known people get a first grant for a centrefire, (.308 for example), providing they have a mentoring condition. I am not saying to go and apply for a .308, that was just an example from a mate of mine He got a first grant on a .308 provided he was mentored.

I am not sure this would be possible though for ocassional fox. Speak to your FEO and see what he/she says. When I first applied for my Certificate, my Firearms Officer asked me if I wanted centrefire on my certificate because some of the land over which I had permission also had deer on it. So, you never know, maybe a rifle for the bunnies and a centrefire for the foxes. Just some suggestions Scott or something worth considering.

 

You can't rule out the .22LR though if its just rabbits Scott. The ammo is cheaper than the .17HMR, it's quieter and it certainly does the job on bunnies. Is not so easily affected by the wind because of the bullet weight.

 

I hope I have helped Scott. Once again, welcome and I hope you get what your looking for. Happy shooting.