This means that, realistically, you should be able to point and shoot at a fox out to around 250 yards. This makes for a very forgiving range, especially if shooting at night when judging range can be difficult. This will minimise the muzzle blast and recoil in one fell swoop. Admittedly they do nothing for the look or handling of the rifle, but they do diminish recoil and muzzle blast. A reflex type of moderator doesn’t make the rifle too unwieldy to handle as it only increases the barrel’s length by about four inches. Two questions I see crop up time and time again in shooting magazines or on the internet are what is the best calibre for foxes, and the distance at which you can shoot them.

I rolled up just before dark and smuggled my Daystate Huntsman FAC air rifle, complete with PARD night vision, into his house. Later we went upstairs, where the spare bedroom window overlooked the garden, giving a perfect view of not only his lawn but next door’s as well. To explain this in more detail, the starting point has to be the wide variation of countryside this island has to offer. For example, my good friend and colleague Mark Ripley shoots a lot of his foxes at distances I would be unlikely to even think about taking a shot at, because the land over which I shoot is totally different from the wide open downland Mark shoots over. I have various people for whom I have been doing fox control for many years, and because I know both the land and the distances involved, I know the rifle that will be best suited for the job.Much less velocity and we have to start judging range more accurately and allowing for the correct bullet drop. And if we zero higher at 100 yards there’s more risk of shooting over the top of a small target at short range. What we’re on the look out for Hatching a plan, I suggested that for a few nights he put out a small quantity of dog biscuits mixed with some cat food. I also put down a small quantity of fox-attracting scent (from Best Fox Call) on the pole of rotary washing line. A few nights later the chap rang me to say he had seen a fox eating the food in his garden, so I said I’d be over the following evening.

Both of these queries have multiple answers and are further complicated by the circumstances in which the actual shooting takes place. Personally, what colours my choices is not the distance I am likely to shoot most foxes at, but where I am doing it. Q: I’ve recently bought a .223 for foxes. I was wondering what would be the best distance to zero it at and what the best weight of ammunition is? Not wishing to have a major fall out, he rang me up to ask if I could help. Neighbourly relationships wouldn’t be helped by having a .243 let off within 20 yards of their living-room window so other tools had to be used. First, bullet weight will depend on the barrel twist. As a rule, the .223 should shoot well with 50-gr to 55-gr ammo. This is a good bullet weight for foxes. If you zero an inch high at 100 yards then, give or take, you will be bang on at 50 yards and at 200 yards. Milk Chocolate (32%) (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Dried Skimmed Milk, Cocoa Mass, Dried Whey (Milk), Vegetable Fats

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After choosing the appropriate ammunition, ensure your ranges are realistic, you have the right rifle for the quarry and your shot placement is accurate.

Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Flavourings, Colours: Plain Caramel, Milk Chocolate contains Vegetable Fats inUnder the cover of darkness, it’s much easier to close distances on even the most cautious foxes to under 300 yards. With ranges more difficult to judge at night, I prefer to use a .223. Like the .222 and .204, it’s an ideal foxing round – they are all good fox calibres. Travelling fast and fairly flat makes for a very forgiving round. Typically firing a 50-gr or 55-gr bullet, it tends to fragment well on impact, which means it’s more humane and less prone to ricochet. It can suffer the effects of a crosswind a little more than heavier bullets, yet this is less of concern below 300 yards — with foxes typically shot around 100 yards at night.