Zeroing For .223 Fox Shooting

[MG5150]

Hi All

Up until this point I've done all of my fox shooting with my Lithgow 223 zeroed at 100m (bullet of choice are the ADI Blitzkings 55gr).

Most of the foxes are taken on the 100m mark with a few stretching out to 140m or so.

Recently I've gotten access to a few more blocks which are much larger and I've got visibility for up to a kilometer or so in any direction without crossing any boundaries.

Is there any advantage to choosing a 200m zero? It would be good to take some of those longer shots as I see plenty of foxes out to 200m-300m away when I'm the field.

I'd love to know what your experience is and recomendations are. I'll be shooting off a bipod or tripod.

[Wapiti]

There is an advantage, in my opinion, for what you are after to zero for a 200m dead-on POI.
But you should also know your impact points at 25, 50, 100 as well.
Then you can do a lightning quick guestimate of the range of the fox you've caught up with, and get a good hit.

There's no time when fox shooting in real life as far as I'm concerned and in my own farm-only experience, for screwing around and fumbling with range finders, foxes that know they are guilty don't stuff around giving you a 2nd chance.
Also forget turning on video recording on some thermal to post up online to prove you can dress yourself, or shooting sticks, tripods and all that other unnecessary stuff, because there just isn't time. Sure if you are on a stakeout, no dramas with the gunshop full of goodies spread around you. Go for it.
But you need to know where your rifle puts it's holes at all ranges out to 200 for sure, and in that case 200 should be your centre hit.

Me, I zero all my open country rifles 25mm high at 100m, and use something that shoots flat enough and powerful enough. That way when close, I don't have to freak out about the bore-height differences/trajectory quirks at any range I'll shoot. That includes small animals with the 223, which the code of practice says I have to use a brain shot.

[GQshayne]

Many years ago, I was shooting foxes with a .222 Rem, so a bit slower and not as flat shootingas the .223.Rifle was sighted in to be slightly high at 100m, so that means it was a bit low at 200m, as I recall. But I had notrouble head shooting foxes at ranges up to 200 or a bit over. So that, or perhaps a 150 zero etc is worth looking at.

But as wapiti says, a 200 zero may have you compromised at the closer shots. And without question, as soon as you change your zero, all foxes will be 50m away. So I would have a look at some ballstic tables to see how the average works out for your rifle.

[MG5150]

Thanks for your feedback mate

There's no time when fox shooting in real life... Also forget turning on video recording on some thermal to post up online to prove you can dress yourself, or shooting sticks, tripods and all that other unnecessary stuff, because there just isn't time. Sure if you are on a stakeout, no dramas with the gunshop full of goodies spread around you.

I've taken to just letting the recording run for the entirety of the time i'm out there. One less button to press and I can just chop up the footage after.

Are you doing all your shooting freehand/from a vehicle? What do you use for support?

[Wapiti]

I use a door rest, from a ute usually.
But that's just for specifically going out spotlighting.
Actually, gunshops sell them, I think that there are a few types.
DON'T buy the ones that include a mount for a spotlight or (shudder) thermal, because these will take up most of the useable window opening. Many skittish animals prop, then move again, then prop, so you need a bit of movement horizontally without having to keep driving and repositioning. Makes more noise, takes more time. Then the predators do a runner whilst we muck around.
These are relatively cheap, around $100. They will last forever if you don't sideswipe a tree.

I've found that the sound of a quad or UTV has a particular sound that these animals just run from. Or maybe it's just that that sound generally means bad news is coming.
I run a roof bar (Landcruiser utes still have gutters) that clamps on and that's what the remote for the light is mounted on. It's basically just a single bar from a 2-piece roof bar set.
I will not cut a big hole in any vehicles roof, even though this vehicle doesn't leave the property very often.

I have used a thermal for vehicle shooting, but stopped pretty quickly. They just take more time IMHO.
The thermals are at their best when sitting in wait at night, or on foot.
I ditched the thermals for vehicle use. The usual excuse that "there's no light to alert or scare the animals" doesn't apply because they have already heard your vehicle.
I left the thermal at home, and also ditched the QH spotty, for a HID 50W for the ute, and a permanently mounted 35W on the UTV (doesn't sap the relatively low-power output of the machine's generator).
I find the Lightforce HID's light spectrum doesn't hurt the eyes of foxes or roos or pigs etc, or scare them any more than QH. But beware, the Chink ones are 6000K or whatever, and nothing will look at that ridiculous white/blue fake kind of light.
Dogs won't stop for anything if they've heard you coming - thermal is the best for quiet stakeouts and ambushes.
The HID or QH is much faster to bring up a real image through a real scope, than thermal - when constantly moving. But that's just me, because for me if something takes a few more seconds to get a confirmation, I'm going to lose a chance and probably lose stock because of it.

But you will find out what works best for you after you've given a few things a go.
Spotlights in relatively settled areas will alert everyone else you are out though. Not a problem here, so I use what gives me the quickest results, from trying every new gizmo.

[bladeracer]

I zero the .223 at 250m. Hold a little low in the 100m to 200m region and a little high out to 300m.

[tuknal]

Hi All

Up until this point I've done all of my fox shooting with my Lithgow 223 zeroed at 100m (bullet of choice are the ADI Blitzkings 55gr).

Most of the foxes are taken on the 100m mark with a few stretching out to 140m or so.

Recently I've gotten access to a few more blocks which are much larger and I've got visibility for up to a kilometer or so in any direction without crossing any boundaries.

Is there any advantage to choosing a 200m zero? It would be good to take some of those longer shots as I see plenty of foxes out to 200m-300m away when I'm the field.

I'd love to know what your experience is and recomendations are. I'll be shooting off a bipod or tripod.

can you hit a tennis ball size object at 200/300mtrs???
if not dont bother keep closer
25mm high at 100 should be fine ,,better off learning how far bullet drops with what YOUR using ,go and set targets up at the ranges your wanting then youll know how high to hold if needed for longer shots,,
mines around 30mm low at 200 with that

[MG5150]

I zero the .223 at 250m. Hold a little low in the 100m to 200m region and a little high out to 300m.

Thanks. What sort of magnification are you running on your scope?

[MG5150]

can you hit a tennis ball size object at 200/300mtrs???

I'm sure it's a matter of practice

[bladeracer]

I zero the .223 at 250m. Hold a little low in the 100m to 200m region and a little high out to 300m.

Thanks. What sort of magnification are you running on your scope?

4.5-18x40.

[Blr243]

40 mm high at 100 and spot on at 200 is what most blokes probably do. About 5-10 yrs back I started doing 20 mm high at 100 and 20 mm low at 200. This means I’m only 20 mm out from my true trajectory if I’m holding dead on my target , instead of 40 mm out My theory is to stop me shooting over the top of the foxes back at 100

[Wapiti]

Hi All

Up until this point I've done all of my fox shooting with my Lithgow 223 zeroed at 100m (bullet of choice are the ADI Blitzkings 55gr).

Most of the foxes are taken on the 100m mark with a few stretching out to 140m or so.

Recently I've gotten access to a few more blocks which are much larger and I've got visibility for up to a kilometer or so in any direction without crossing any boundaries.

Is there any advantage to choosing a 200m zero? It would be good to take some of those longer shots as I see plenty of foxes out to 200m-300m away when I'm the field.

I'd love to know what your experience is and recomendations are. I'll be shooting off a bipod or tripod.

can you hit a tennis ball size object at 200/300mtrs???
if not dont bother keep closer
25mm high at 100 should be fine ,,better off learning how far bullet drops with what YOUR using ,go and set targets up at the ranges your wanting then youll know how high to hold if needed for longer shots,,
mines around 30mm low at 200 with that

Finally, its great to see someone who's talking from experience.

There's a big difference to go with the armchair "Max PB zero" stuff. I've seen ridiculous stuff of people zeroing 75mm or more high at 100 to get on point at 300m or more garbage zeros, when their rifle with them behind it on their hind legs leaning on a tree or even a bipod, which isnt stable like their rifle-range sandbags and windflags, is then only capable of 3" plus groups at 100m, them thinking they are crack 300m shots where it's 9-12" groups or more. Just fantasy.

But we try to be truthful and help if we can, from the best intentions.