.223 ammo hitting a fox

jjmcnulty

Hi all,

Was out last night lamping and got one fox but the thing is it took two hits. the little red fellow was in the middle of the field sitting up on the ditch about 3feet high about 70yrd out. After i fired i thought i had pulled the shoot as the fox ran. I called out and he stopped i hit him again and he went down. he was still alive when i got up to him. I had left the gun behind so use the knife. when i looked at him his hind leg looked to be broken and there was and entry hole in his chest from the second shoot. i thought this was strange as i was only about 70yrd out and using hollow points.
The ammo i was using was American Eagle .223 rem 50 gr. Flat base hollow points.
I would have expected the hollow point to stop the fox dead on the spot! especially at 70yrd!
Any advice!

Cheers, J.

bunny shooter

At 70 yards :eek: and it looks like your first shot hit him in the hind leg :eek:

Shooting at a fox on a ditch :eek:

Not to mention finishing him/her off with a knife :eek:

Should you be out shooting at all? :mad:

Oh ya buy better ammo ! obviously you bought a 223 as you can buy "cheap" ammo

jjmcnulty

the ditch ran down the middle if a large field with a hill as a back drop! it was a safe shot. I also think the first shoot hit his hind leg.
As for the ammo it was cheep €13 for 20. was using remington UMC 45 gr. think ill go back to those!

As for the knife i wanted to kill him quickly and i took me almost 10min to walk the 70yrd as the field was more like a pond! so to go back to get the gun and return would have taken to long!

clivej

You might try zeroing your gun if @70y you MISSED where you should be aiming.

On a ditch???????
What was your backstop should you have missed the hind leg as well?????????????? Could you in fact see the backstop at night?????

Whats with the knife -- the Rambo touch, not a good idea.

Pay a little more for your ammo and get the balistic tips or soft points from Federal, Sako or Hornaday you could then well find that you will hit what your aiming for!!!!!!!


I have my 223 varmint for a good while now but I STILL have to go out hunting with it and I won't until I'm happy with the ammo that shoots well in it and I have had plenty of time at the range first.

Just read your reply as I was typing the post -- so the backstop was OK then.

Just my opion so please don't take offence but take it in.

bunny shooter

jjmcnulty wrote: »

the ditch ran down the middle if a large field with a hill as a back drop! it was a safe shot...........

STILL don't sound safe :eek:

70 yards and you hit his hind leg, ffs get the hint you shouldn't be out shooting AT live quarry !

And as for the rest Clive said what I wanted to

jjmcnulty

I zeored it at 130 yards. and as i said i pulled my shoot i didnt take my time! The second time i did take my time. It is only a small buck knife that i had for years and i use it on the neck like you would a deer. If i had the rifle with me, i would have used that but i had left it back in the spot in the corner of the field where i had set up with the lamp (and it was not left unattended before any one says anything)! It is a field i know and lamped several times in fact i have used it for target practice cause of the hill.
As for buying better ammo i think that is the morel of the story!

Sparks

edit:never mind

ejg

I've shot many fox out to 300yds with the 50gr eagle HP and was very happy with accuracy and bullet performance. If you hit somewhere center chest you'll be ok. No ammo works on leg shots. If you shoot a lot a bullet can also fail once in a while, like bouncing off a shoulder bone. Seen that with a 6.5 and 308 on deer.
Try to learn from your mistakes and with that cheap ammo practice, practice.

edi

jjmcnulty

Cheers, I just thought that the hollow point would have expanded or something to do a lot of damage. I was not aiming for the leg i just rushed the shoot and pulled it. The second shoot was on the money. accuracy was fine just not happy with what the built done on impact. thought it would have been better!!!
But you know what thought did!!

jjmcnulty

bunny shooter wrote: »

STILL don't sound safe :eek:

A hill as the back stop dont think i could have had a safer shoot. The field is on a slope with a stream at the bottom and then the hill. even though the ditch was about 3feet high i was alway shooting down. I was in the top corner of the field!

bunny shooter

All I am doing is giving my opinion and advice. Don't take it personaly as it isn't meant that way . You reckon the shot was safe and that you pulled first one. Without seeing ground and seeing you shoot I persoanlly will take your word for it. Your OP doesn't paint a good picture tbh

As was said learn from your mistakes. We all make them from time to time.

Reckon the fact you were shooting down a slope comes in to to play too as in shooting up or down a slope always aim low. Not going into theory here too bloody lazy at moment. Some of the lads with time on their hands will find link or post explanation

endasmail

IMO there nothing wrong with that american eagle ammo ,just your first shot was off ,i be worried about that remington stuff especially the 45 grani stuff i find it very erratic and so do several other people ive talked to ,if ya can go ballistic tip try the federal or the hornady

jwshooter

some interesting post hear folks ,guess ya had to be there, but the post did not read well at all.
i have shot my share of foxes with .22 to 270 i have yet to see any animal fox rabbit or deer that is clipped stopping to a shout or a ditch in the middle of a field

but i would be telling lies to say this has never happened to me

fish slapped

I have accounted for a number of foxes with the AE 50gr Hp and don't think it's down to the bullet. Please remember when shooting at live quarry to pick your point of aim and not just shoot AT the animal as they deserve more respect than that.
I would have to agree with JW I've never seen an animal that has been shot at and missed let alone clipped stop for a shout or call.

riflehunter77

Iv had no problems with american eagle HP 50 gr on the few foxes iv taken. With correct shot placement you should make a humane kill with one shot. Would not be leaving my rifle in the far corner of a field unattended either. You never know who is a round, I would not like to be explaining that to the guards..

cavan shooter

I dont know all I hear about 223 and this happens, I'll stick to my 22 hornet

safer and more stopping power by the looks of it:D:D;)

paddy2008

for a man to pull one shot ur all ready to (tear him to pieces?) and he only asked about his ammo.

touchyie

paddy2008 wrote: »

for a man to pull one shot ur all ready to (tear him to pieces?) and he only asked about his ammo.

I agree Paddy, while some of the comments I would take as constructive critisim, others are just having a go. this isnt the only post it has happened in. I think were are in the presence of perfection! I think if people have advice or opions they should express them but not shove them down peoples throats.

Trojan911

jjmcnulty wrote: »

Any advice!Cheers, J.

It sounds like you may have moved the rifle slightly as you took the shot. I used to have a .223 before upgrading to a bigger caliber & used 45grn HP and it was very rare a fox stood after being hit with one.

Were you under a bit of pressure at the time, i.e. was it an off the shoulder shot? This can throw the shot sometimes.

If this was the case then it is best to shoot only when you are comfortable even if it means loosing your intended target. If it wasn't that then these things happen sometimes.

I wouldn't blame it on the round you were using. Another tip for you. Try not to use a knife to finish a job it can be very messy & slow. Carry a small hammer on the car/van. It is a lot easier and quicker. If your placement is good then it is rare you will need the use of a hammer.

milkerman

Ok, this man pulled a shot that resulted in a wound rather than a kill. To be avoided all right but it can happen (how fast can a wounded pheasant run? - too bloody fast!).
You have been given a lot of good advice here and should heed it.
My point is this. There is a sentiment floated by some that a fox only has to 'sniff' a .223 and he will fall over dead- Its just not true. In the same way most people admit that .22lr is 'the' rabbit round, you still have to consider bullet placement or the rabbit gets back to the burrow minus its entrails. Some of you might remember my experiment with roadkill fox. I learned even an ordinary .22lr produces a mortal wound at 100yds IF YOU HIT THE RIGHT SPOT. The lethal spot for a .223 is bigger BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO HIT IT (and it isnt easy).

lordarpad

let's not forget that the .22 LR is a favourite weapon used by pros on humans ...

Sparks

It really isn't lordarpad, and I think that even that much is far enough down that avenue for us to go.