A little too much power.

[shazz]

I'm swimming around the net today on my break just reading random stuff, found my way to an article on the .30-06 mostly talking about 180gr loads as the do it all.

It sums up at the end with game sizes, I laughed a bit to read it's "a little heavy" for fox hunting.

I wonder what it takes the guy to think is overkill for foxes, .50 cal maybe

[juststarting]

Why do you think it's too much power?

[Oldbloke]

Worked just fine for me.

[AusTac]

A caliber is never to big just depends how much you want left

[Stix]

For what its worth i think its too much all round...
Because...
Too loud...
Too much grunt for a lot of farms in close-ish proximity to cities...(smaller 400acre farms n the like-close neighbours shouldnt be backstops)...
& its too loud...
Having to worry about thru-n-thru's as id imagine the average 180 grn'r wouldnt expand terribly much on such a light body... (i shoot plenty of foxes around dairies/farm structure's etc.-its nice to know my .22 sub hp or .22 cal 50gr zmax aint goin any further after the 'pop'...)
Did i mention its too loud...

Call me a grumpy old stick in the mud, but i wouldnt let a 30-ought-6 in my vehicle on a dedicated foxing night...
Its smaller brother (-.05") sets of my magneto at the range so its definately too loud for foxes...!

And back to expansion--if you are a ways off with a shot the poor fox may run off for a painful death with a thru-n -thru in non-vitals--i rather see them do the Houdini dissapearing act (looks like they just dissapear in the scope when they fall over) when decisively blitzed by a .22-.24 cal frangible bullet.

[juststarting]

You're a grumpy old stick in the mud.

[Stix]

...ah...but i would let oldbloke in my car with his 30-06 on a foxing night...but he is the only only one...!!

(I just wouldnt let him shoot it till the last 2 foxes... )

[Stix]

You're a grumpy old stick in the mud.

I actually knew you would say that...i have a witness who is laughing...!!!

[Bigjobss]

Walking into camp one evening a big old nasty hare crossed my path with my 300wm in hand, I did what I had to do, the back legs were salvagable.

[juststarting]

You're a grumpy old stick in the mud.

I actually knew you would say that...i have a witness who is laughing...!!!

Well, you did ask to be called that

[AusTac]

I'd bring my .308 and when i get it my .500 s&w mag just because i can

[Bourt]

Why do you think it's too much power?

You're asking why is a round that will drop a 400kg deer too much for a 10kg fox?

[juststarting]

Yea

[Norton]

I don't get your argument here JS, why be deliberately dense?

You've been shooting long enough to know a bit about what's what.

You know full well a 30-06 is packing enough to kill a fox 20x over, and in the mean time you're shooting expensive ammo, banging yourself with extra recoil, and battering your ears.

Why did I have to spell that out... I don't get what the game is here....

[juststarting]

I'm not disagreeing with you, Norton. All are valid points, but there's always the other point of view.

"KABOOM, ooooo that was fun" <-- also a very valid and correct point of view. So yeah, why not.

[Norton]

If you're into lots of recoil and loud noise then you do you, mate

[juststarting]

Bwahahahahha I am into recoil and loud noise

[Archie]

http://www.foxbullets.eu/bullets/85-mm-338-185-gr/

Should do the job...

[juststarting]

Coincidentally, own an 8mm (.329) that eats 240gr bullets

[SCJ429]

I have used a 416 Rigby on foxes and every time the bullet has exited, through and through. Not once has the fox run off, believe it or not. Why, because I like shooting the Rigby. It sounds reasonable to me that if you saw a fox while holding a 30.06, that you would use it. A 243 is more than you need for a fox but plenty have been used to knock them over.

[deye243]

well as someone that has been shooting on big property's for a long time I will say this , if you think you will get on any property
I shoot on think again . you think a 30 cal pill don't bounce like a rubber ball then you are an idiot no matter if it is a 110 or a 180
they bounce like a super ball . in fact anything over 6mm under 300 yards is a problem .

OK don't believe me ...... then get off ya butt and go and test like I did 20 years ago

[marksman]

I've been guilty of shooting foxes with my 30-06
guts them for you at the same time
its when a farmer has asked me to go through a bluegum forest he has looking for pigs he has seen in the area
it is not something I would normally use for foxes

[tom604]

well as someone that has been shooting on big property's for a long time I will say this , if you think you will get on any property
I shoot on think again . you think a 30 cal pill don't bounce like a rubber ball then you are an idiot no matter if it is a 110 or a 180
they bounce like a super ball . in fact anything under 6mm under 300 yards is a problem .

OK don't believe me ...... then get off ya butt and go and test like I did 20 years ago

what test shoot at rocks? water? every now and then you will get that old Irishman (rick o shea) but bounce like a rubber ball?

it's shed most of its energy when it hit (whatever it was,fox, rock) deformed and not flying straight, its not traveling that far (not sure how far but it would not be much more than two hundred meters) water is another matter but it skips not bounce's

[Rod_outbak]

For me; I've never understood the worry people have about being "over-gunned".
[I dont shoot in close to other people, so worrying about neighbours doesnt come up much.]
Also; the type of projectile used will have a huge effect on how far it goes after impact.
Not many varmint projectiles (which I use for 90% of my shooting these days) will fly very far after even a slight impact.
Likely a very different story for FMJ..

For most of my shooting, I dont walk out of the house with the intention of hunting one particular type of animal. As a result, I am inclined to take a firearm that will nail anything I am likely to encounter.
If I could only take one firearm, and had to choose between the .223 and a 30-06, and I thought I might see goats or pigs, I'd be taking the '06 with some 130-150gn projectiles. If I knew for certain I'm only going to see cats, rabbits and maybe a fox, I might take the .223, but the possibility is always there that I might see a pig or goat, so I'd prefer some a little heavier, with slightly longer legs on it.
(And YES; we do shoot a LOT of pigs with a .223, but I'd prefer a .243 or larger if I have the choice)

As an owner/manager of a large grazing property, I can say I dont vet what calibre firearm people bring onto the place for hunting.
As long as they arent leaving animals injured and suffering needlessly, I'm fine with it.

Most of the roos we've shot on this place have been nailed with either a .260 or a .308, even though we have a .223 and use it most days.
I'm more concerned about people embarking on a pig/fox/cat/goat/dingo hunt with a .22LR, than I am if they have a .416 Taylor.

ANY projectile can travel further than the intended target; safe practices require that shooters dont shoot in directions that have a high likelihood of a). hitting valuable infastructure (tanks, sheds, machinery etc), or b). shooting in the direction of occupied dwellings, or c). in a direction where there is likely to be people or livestock within effective range of the weapon.

Something of an irony, that under normal shooting conditions, gravity dictates that a .416 will likely come to a stop long before a .223...

Elder brother shot a cane toad with a .303 Brit running 180Hp projectiles one night; certainly did the job as far as nailing a feral! Front end of the toad made it about 60 feet into the air, before landing!

[Member-Deleted]

G'day deye243
I was wondering what you meant by bullet bounce I've heard of redirection of projectiles, skip, deflection, and as old mate said
the old Irishman ( rick o shea ) but bounce , no
To bounce, it would have to recoil on itself as in bouncing a ball and at only 100yds it would not be a bounce it would be a
rick o shea , deflection or skip

[Daddybang]

Elder brother shot a cane toad with a .303 Brit running 180Hp projectiles one night; certainly did the job as far as nailing a feral! Front end of the toad made it about 60 feet into the air, before landing!

Love it!!!!

[bigrich]

Well I feel better about using 156gr 6.5x55 on goats now

[Member-Deleted]

Out the other day sitting near a creek just off a scrub line waiting for scrubbers to come down the spur of a hill
not far about 30m from me a rat was running from the creek to a pumpkin vine about 8mtrs of clean ground between vine and creek
he would stop on the creek bank until he got game and he'd stop half way and roll in the dirt for a few minutes then into the vine
then run back to the creek with something he was probably getting stores for winter namely pumpkin
This went on up til near dusk so I was ready to leave and go home when he sat there looking at me so I levelled the 7mm mag
And yes you guessed it I broadsided him with a 168gr vld didn't look for bits
I think the A little bit too much power is catching

[pedro4977]

I once saw a bloke shoot a very nasty rabid and obviously psychopathic hare with a .375 h&h. Very humane kill and quite spectacular.
He was quite wealthy I might add

[Rod_outbak]

About 2 months back, there was a nasty incident here, where a member of the Genus 'Corvus' forgot to keeping one eye on the house, whilst pecking on an old roo carcass.
My mate Corbey was barely 80 metres distant, but the arrogant prick thought he was something special...

Score one for the Ruger Precision Rifle(.308); running 130Gn Federal Vital-Shoks...
[Not that it was a very hard shot, but it WAS very satisfying...]

I have NEVER seen a Corbey come apart like that! He was chopped into 8 distinct pieces, like a mad butcher had upped him with a chopper to prep him for stir-fry.
Very high Giggle-factor...
And a puff of black feathers thrown into the morning breeze? Very picture-worthy.
[The rest of the Corbeys held an emergency Stop-Work meeting in a tree ~2 kms from the house, after departing the scene of the 'accident' at near-supersonic speeds. Quite a lot of discussion, and no-one was prepared to return to work that day...]

They are a bloody cruel animal; very happy to nail them whenever I get the chance.