I have absolutely no doubt that these two larger calibres are the best for the job of serious fox work, but as we know, shooters have their own favourites and there seems to be a trend towards smaller, faster calibres today. I don’t see any problem with this from an ethical shooting point of view provided that users of these smaller calibres realise their limitations. I can only speak from my own experiences of shooting with a wide variety of calibres and I have no doubt that as is very often the case in life, a good big’un will generally beat a good little’un!

From .17 to .243, Mike Powell lines up the options to find out which best suits different foxing situations L-R: .22 airgun, .17 HMR, .17 Hornet, .223 Rem, .243 Win Two questions I see crop up time and time again in shooting magazines or on the internet are what is the best calibre for foxes, and the distance at which you can shoot them.I have various people for whom I have been doing fox control for many years, and because I know both the land and the distances involved, I know the rifle that will be best suited for the job. The .223 is the most popular of the fox calibres in the UK, with most rifles chambered for it. There’s a wide selection of ammunition available at a reasonable price when compared with larger centrefire options. Mark’s foxing kit Rifles This will minimise the muzzle blast and recoil in one fell swoop. Admittedly they do nothing for the look or handling of the rifle, but they do diminish recoil and muzzle blast. A reflex type of moderator doesn’t make the rifle too unwieldy to handle as it only increases the barrel’s length by about four inches.

I have said before that any rifle from an airgun up to a .243 centrefire, which could be classed as the biggest calibre normally used specifically for shooting foxes, is capable of killing a fox. I’ve heard of someone who has shot foxes into double figures using a 12ft/lb rated Air Arms S410. These folk had come down from London to retire and immediately started feeding the local foxes and badgers! He wasn’t over pleased at having nightly visits from foxes, who came into the next-door garden for appetisers before looking for the main course in his!I rolled up just before dark and smuggled my Daystate Huntsman FAC air rifle, complete with PARD night vision, into his house. Later we went upstairs, where the spare bedroom window overlooked the garden, giving a perfect view of not only his lawn but next door’s as well. I like the Norma 40-gr V-Max factory load at 3,051fps and 1,137ft/lb is an accurate round with reloads such as the 55-gr Sierra soft nose bullet on top of 25-gr of Varget powder for 3,095fps and 1,170 ft/lb. If you want a tad more range or want to use a heavier bullet then the .223 Rem is an excellent choice. Slightly bigger than the .222, the .223 is great for small game or foxes. You can load with bullets as light as 30-gr up to 90-gr if necessary. But you will need a rifle with fast-twist rifling, 1-in- 9in or 1-in-7in to stabilise bullets above 70-gr as the standard 1-in-12in is only good for the lighter bullets. Regardless, the .223 Rem does everything the .222 Rem does but just that little bit better. A good load is 40-gr V-Max and 25-gr of RL10X for 3,750fps for smaller game giving accurate longer-range shots if necessary and safer more frangible bullets, while a load of 23.5 grains of Vit N133 and a 50-gr Berger Varmint gives 3,400fps plus and is ideal for foxes. I’ve been using .223 GECO 56- gr Express factory ammo with excellent results on small game and on foxes.

A good .22LR will sort you for all your small game issues, a .17 HMR bridges the gap between small game and foxes (with the right ammo and at shorter ranges) while a good centrefire is really the best for foxes. Plus a .22 centrefire can double as a small species deer rifle with the right ammunition. Much less velocity and we have to start judging range more accurately and allowing for the correct bullet drop. And if we zero higher at 100 yards there’s more risk of shooting over the top of a small target at short range. What we’re on the look out for Similarly the big .220 Swift is an old one but still a good one, delivering a 50-gr bullet at 3,950fps for 1,732ft/lb. Whilst I like it, I have to say that a .22- 250 is more practical as more rifles are chambered in it. Foxing question Q: I’ve recently bought a .223 for foxes. I was wondering what would be the best distance to zero it at and what the best weight of ammunition is? Of course, these are the extremes and nearly all foxes are shot somewhere in between – and it’s here that the controversy starts!Both of these queries have multiple answers and are further complicated by the circumstances in which the actual shooting takes place. Personally, what colours my choices is not the distance I am likely to shoot most foxes at, but where I am doing it. For instance, in the last week we have removed a lamb-killing fox with the .223 at around 130 yards and another with the same rifle at about 150 yards. My shooting partner had one with his .243 at 225 yards and I had two more with the .17 Hornet at 55 and 110 yards. Those two were close to habitation in ‘sensitive’ areas. Eventually the fox was joined by a badger, and at that stage it decided to see what was on offer next door. Squeezing its way through the hedge, it immediately started sniffing the washing line pole, at which point an Air Arms Diabolo Field Heavy .22 pellet entered the rear of its skull, killing it instantly. The pellet went right though and out the other side, at a range of less than 20 metres.

Mark Ripley answers) A: I’m a big fan of the .223 as a foxing round as it’s pretty flat-shooting with lighter ammunition. In fact, using 35-gr ammunition, it performs much like the .204. Minimum life based on 'use-by' date of product. Average life based on last week's deliveries. Life guarantee shown based on delivery tomorrow with the Life guarantee starting the following day.Bullet placement is crucial when foxing with a .22 LR and distances need to be kept short. The perfect shot for an instant kill is either through the top of the head or between the ear and the eye. With the fox’s angle, the latter was the only option.