Recommend me a rifle for Deer/Fox

[Primer]

Which club are you with Primer?

Currently just Shield in Dorset as my mainstay is practical shooting, although I've not done any of that this year due to ill health in January and finally had an operation last week to sort the problems, so hoping to get back into it next year.

[JS569]

I suspect a .243 will be your first port of call.

Having been a stalker for some time and having ditched my .243 in favour of a 7mm-08 which I would consider more than adequate for all but the largest red deer stags and wild boar where my choice is a 7mm Rem mag.
I don't like the .308 for stalking but recognise it is well used for that purpose.

Out of interest why don't you like the 308? I don't shoot deer with it, just always thought it would be a good versatile round, whilst not specialist it would do most types of game?

[dodgyrog]

I just prefer the flatter shooting 7mm. I used a .308 for while but the 7mm08 is the one for me.
BTW I used a .270 for a long time but it really is too much gun for the smaller deer - too much meat damage.

[M99]

Not tried the yukon NV, but this is an image from the Pulsar.



It really needs some additional IR, which I should have in the post tomorrow!

[Countryman]

Shield in Dorset is a good club. Lot of my mates are in it and I'm tempted myself. I go down for 2-3 comps a year there.

I'm guessing then you are not my neck of the woods Somerset (Wincanton-ish)?

[JS569]

I just prefer the flatter shooting 7mm. I used a .308 for while but the 7mm08 is the one for me.
BTW I used a .270 for a long time but it really is too much gun for the smaller deer - too much meat damage.

thanks for the info, it's always interesting hearing different opinions and experiences

[meles meles]

Seeing as you are shooting in DorSETT and SomerSETT, you'll need to budget for a chitty from us. What exactly is your definition of 'vermin' ?

[snayperskaya]

Not tried the yukon NV, but this is an image from the Pulsar.



It really needs some additional IR, which I should have in the post tomorrow!

What range was that at Mike?, the image doesnt look that much clearer than my old Gen1 Russian 1pn58

[kennyc]

I just prefer the flatter shooting 7mm. I used a .308 for while but the 7mm08 is the one for me.
BTW I used a .270 for a long time but it really is too much gun for the smaller deer - too much meat damage.

unless you going to be shooting on the hill, theres little to chose practicaly between any of the main calibres, more important should be whether the OP wishs to reload or not, if not then the best calibre is the one he can get factory ammo for with the least expense and hassle.
Personally I use a .308 for deer and for target, this weekend it accounted for a munty at 60 yrds and a roe at 18 yrds,little meat damage on the Roe and almost zero meat lost on the 5kg munty, I have used the same load on Sika and Fallow and would have no problem using it on a fox, another day the same set up works at 300 yrds on a McQueens target.
The round is cheap to buy, and easy to load for, why try and reinvent the wheel ?
for hill shooting the .270 has a long history behind it and would be hard to beat, and ammo is likely to be available from every gunshop.
For night vision IMHO the .223 would take a lot of beating.
however each to his own

[M99]

Not tried the yukon NV, but this is an image from the Pulsar.



It really needs some additional IR, which I should have in the post tomorrow!

What range was that at Mike?, the image doesnt look that much clearer than my old Gen1 Russian 1pn58

Only about 100yds. The actual image is crystal clear, but trying to hold a mobile phone to the lens whilst tracking a fox was not as easy!
The photo was taken using the phone!
It does have the video out capability on the NV, but that just add to the stuff I would be carting around.