In article ,
Jaques d'Altrades wrote:

My information says that it is not effective. The best deterrent is a
·243" rifle. Or a pet mongoose.

Er, that is a red FOX, not a red DEER, which is being discussed.
A .22 long cartridge (not even a magnum) is the appropriate load.

Needs an accurate head shot with ·22RF to be sure. A ·243 OTOH.......

Sorry, but that is the converse of the truth. A long cartridge
will make a hole 3" deep and 1" wide, which would kill cleanly even
with a thorax shot. I have killed goats with a .22 magnum (a head
shot), which punched a large hole in the skull (when I missed their
eye) - and they are considerably larger than foxes!

However, please note that I am talking about garden distances, which
is relevant here. At longer ranges (even 100x), I agree that a .243
would be a better weapon for a fox. At short range, it would probably
go straght through.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.