Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The ultimate fox round is probably the .17 Hornet, but for a .223 bolt face action I’d chose .17 Fireball. A fox is barely bigger than a large house cat and even .17 HMR puts them down cleanly.
I used 17 mach2 or 22 mag and 10ga with 2.25 oz #4 birdshot when i hunted foxes. Now i let them live. Not against their hunting just a personal choice.
The 17mach2 at 90 yards lays them down quickly and didnt give an exit. At 40 yards id get exits on broadside shots. With the 22mag i used the lighter 30 to 33gr poly tipped bullets. The 10 ga was used in spring and summer when the tickets were dense and only glimpes of them on creek bottoms were present
You need to remember that a fox leather is 1/2 as thin as coyote leather.
I dont think many of you guys do much skinning and work on foxes...A 17HMR or 17 Hornet is plenty. Their hides are as thin as rice paper and are actually not much bigger then a big tomcat.
I've skinned well over a hundred foxes (I could not even hazard a guess at an approximate number), both trapped and shot. The problem is the range suggested, not the energy needed to kill the fox. Personally think the .222 is newer perfect for 250 yards, and under 200 yards the Hornet does well. Almost all of the foxes I have shot were with a rather soft load and a 50 SP and were well under 100 yards.




























