Teaming up on the foxes in 2024

[branxhunter]

So our daughter now has the shooting bug    She looks forward to coming out spotlighting or fox whistling, and so far this year we have made a bit of a dent in the local population- I've shot 63 YTD, and she has shot 24.

She has claimed the Sako L461 HB chambered in .17-222, and I've mostly been using the Sako L461 chambered in .20-222, but the Rem700 in .22-250 annd the Brno 601 in .250 Myra have also been in on the act. Here are some pics.

Marcus

[Jamie.270]

Great stuff Marcus.

Thanks for taking us along!


Jamie

[Gabe]

That's so cool! Your rifle looks really not bad. Could you tell me if it can match my LPVO scope? And this is the details of my scope. https://www.cvlife.com/products/cvlife-1-6x24-lpvo-scope-with-cantilever-mount

[branxhunter]

Hello Gabe.

While I am sure the scope could be made to fit I'm not sure whether the cantilever mount would Sakos have a tapered dovetail on top of the receiver.

Marcus

[branxhunter]

Daughter and I headed out with my mate Troy in late Dec 2024 for the first time in months. She's heading off to uni in early Feb and is keen to do as much fox shooting as she can before then. The .17-222 and .22-250 accounted for 12. The first one came roaring in to the called then stopped and dropped its head and fossicked around in the grass. When we picked it up it we found it had just caught a young hare.

A couple of nights later Troy and I ventured out and got another 10. That means my total tally for 2024 was 146, while daughter's tally was 38.

Marcus

[SmokeyJoe]

That's some tally! Nice going.
I think I just bagged my first of, oops i was about to say 2024! 
What range do you tend to shoot them at and which of those cartridges do you prefer for foxes? I have .223 for foxes but always seem to grab my Sako Quad .17HMR, mostly to avoid annoying the neighbours so much. Haven't seen a fox for a long while but two sniffing aroud the chicken house this evening so got the Sako out and spotted one other end of field. Thankfully found the red light on the rifle still had some charge in it! Thick fog, could hardly see anything but a pair of eyes on and off. Settled on a gate post, waited for eyes to show up again, aimed for them, up and inch or so and fired. Dropped on the spot at around 120-140 yards which I was quite pleased with after not holding a gun for a year or so! Hope to spot his buddy tomorrow, before we have a few less chickens one morning. 

[branxhunter]

The .17-222, .20-222 and .22-250 are all dedicated spotlighting (lamping in the UK) rifles - heavy barrels, lightened triggers and good quality Euro glass.

The .17-222 is a beat up old Sako L461 action, Timney trigger with a spring swap, 22" Shilen barrel, Kahles 4.5-18x50 scope all in a factory varmint stock.

The .20-222 is a Sako L461 action, Aussie-made Maddco 3 lever trigger, Pac-Nor 26" barrel, Swarovski 5-15x56 all's in a custom walnut varmint stock

The .22-250 is a bog standard Rem700 BDL varmint, Rifle Basix trigger in a modified factory stock.

Honestly I enjoying using all three, and tend to rotate through them. That being said, I have noticed that I get a few more runners with body shots on adult foxes using the .17-222 during the cooler late Autumn/winter months when there is long grass around. The little .17 is dynamite on the younger foxes at this time of year though.

On the other hand the .22-250 takes no prisoners and hits a lot harder. If there is long grass or a bit of wind around it's always a good choice.

In terms of the ranges, most foxes would be shot between 100 and 200m. Occasionally if the conditions are still, the foxes are sitting nicely, we can stretch out to 250m. Anything over 200m is a long way under a spotlight, but the scopes we use make a big difference.

Marcus

[SmokeyJoe]

Interesting stuff thanks. I do like myself a bit of Kahles glass! Amazing what a difference good optics make at those ranges.
Forgive my ignorance, the .17-222 - is that a centrefire cartridge? If so, it's not the .17 Rem is it? (I should have PM'd this question before 'someone' laughs at me :D 

[branxhunter]

It's what it sounds like - a .222 Rem case necked down to .17 calibre with no other changes.

It's a wildcat that sits between the .17 Rem and the .17 Rem Fireball/.17 Mach IV.

http://www.saubier.com/smallcaliber/which17.html

I have rifles in four chamberings based on the .222 Rem case:

*17-222
*20-222
*222 Rem
*250 Myra (25-222)

Marcus

[SmokeyJoe]

It didn't sound like that to me. But it does now that I've learned that "-222" refers to the case it's using.
Every day's a school day, thanks!