the old grind
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2012
- Messages
- 4,412
- Location
- Mid-Michigan
- Tractor
- NH T-1520 HST, NH TC33DA HST, Case DX26 HST, .Terramite T5C, . NH L785
Fox? Cats & groundhogs are tougher petty much regardless of where hit. We find 'em dead of ??? in leg-hold traps with minimal disruption of the set or leg damage, as if there had been no struggle once caught & they died of fright. 
Coyotes are waaay different, much tougher & typically 2-3 times the size/weight. A .22 RF within say 100yd may be ok for fox & shot placement no too critical.... but even the .22 Mag I prefer for critters within that range doesn't leave much room for error on others. Coyotes, cats, & groundhogs are no prob with the Mag, but can still be iffy much beyond 100 yd so I'd step up a bit more too.
As accurate as .17 HMR can be, typical HPs or V-Max don't penetrate thick fur well, esp on angling shots. Also, unlike other RFs you'd have to clean up copper fouling to maintain accuracy, & that tiny bore isn't always easy to clean without scratching it up or bending a cleaning rod. IMO, .17s aren't as user friendly as they are popular. Sure to get that head shot no matter what? YMMV, but you'd better be a durn good shot in all shooting positions and circumstances. That one may not be for everyone despite the ongoing fanfare.
If noise won't be a problem I agree that .223 will cover all bases, species, distances. Might do some tracking after a 'bad' hit, but your chance of a blood trail is much better than with any RF. I bought Stevens 200s in .223 & .243 but have since leaned that Timney triggers for them fall short of the AccuTrigger despite lovin' 'em for old-mil '96s, '98s, '03s and others, so I'd look to Savage for a do-over.
Mossy MVP's are likely to be less ammo-fussy than Mini 14s of either caliber (.223, 7.62x39), less $$ to buy into, and a .223 magazine doesn't have to be so long that it hangs down enough to get in the way of setting up for a rushed shot afield. Pelt damage? Stick to FMJs for what you show to fur buyers. They can sew up a small exit wound, and you'd be surprised how little of the pelt is actually used by their end customers.
Bolt guns may earn much of their accuracy rep for being easily cleaned from the breech and minimizing damage to the barrel's crown, esp in the smaller calibers where action rigidity is less critical than with say deer or comp guns. Don't expect many follow-up shot once you've set a targeted critter to scampering, so not much lost by having to 'rack' a bolt between rounds.
Reasons that .223 has remained the top varmint caliber for decades would fill pages, and reasons to even consider others are typically very personal. I'd choose barrel length & diameter for ease of carrying/handling. Toughest thing to decide on may be stock type/color or metal finish.
btw: You guys talk shooting here & I'll be lurking like a hovering soccer Mom. Keep it going!
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Wow! Four more posts while "ol' molasses" here types & edits .... :laughing:
Coyotes are waaay different, much tougher & typically 2-3 times the size/weight. A .22 RF within say 100yd may be ok for fox & shot placement no too critical.... but even the .22 Mag I prefer for critters within that range doesn't leave much room for error on others. Coyotes, cats, & groundhogs are no prob with the Mag, but can still be iffy much beyond 100 yd so I'd step up a bit more too.As accurate as .17 HMR can be, typical HPs or V-Max don't penetrate thick fur well, esp on angling shots. Also, unlike other RFs you'd have to clean up copper fouling to maintain accuracy, & that tiny bore isn't always easy to clean without scratching it up or bending a cleaning rod. IMO, .17s aren't as user friendly as they are popular. Sure to get that head shot no matter what? YMMV, but you'd better be a durn good shot in all shooting positions and circumstances. That one may not be for everyone despite the ongoing fanfare.
If noise won't be a problem I agree that .223 will cover all bases, species, distances. Might do some tracking after a 'bad' hit, but your chance of a blood trail is much better than with any RF. I bought Stevens 200s in .223 & .243 but have since leaned that Timney triggers for them fall short of the AccuTrigger despite lovin' 'em for old-mil '96s, '98s, '03s and others, so I'd look to Savage for a do-over.
Mossy MVP's are likely to be less ammo-fussy than Mini 14s of either caliber (.223, 7.62x39), less $$ to buy into, and a .223 magazine doesn't have to be so long that it hangs down enough to get in the way of setting up for a rushed shot afield. Pelt damage? Stick to FMJs for what you show to fur buyers. They can sew up a small exit wound, and you'd be surprised how little of the pelt is actually used by their end customers.
Bolt guns may earn much of their accuracy rep for being easily cleaned from the breech and minimizing damage to the barrel's crown, esp in the smaller calibers where action rigidity is less critical than with say deer or comp guns. Don't expect many follow-up shot once you've set a targeted critter to scampering, so not much lost by having to 'rack' a bolt between rounds.
Reasons that .223 has remained the top varmint caliber for decades would fill pages, and reasons to even consider others are typically very personal. I'd choose barrel length & diameter for ease of carrying/handling. Toughest thing to decide on may be stock type/color or metal finish.
btw: You guys talk shooting here & I'll be lurking like a hovering soccer Mom. Keep it going!
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Wow! Four more posts while "ol' molasses" here types & edits .... :laughing:
Last edited:
