Fox Shooting for Pelts with a .204 Ruger - Minimal Damage

[Mega]

This may sound strange to you guys n gals but "Down Under" here in Aussie Land some of us actually shoot Rabbits and Fox's for Pelts.... no Bounty just personal collection and satisfaction. Plus the Rabbits for meat on the dinner table.

I have seen, read and admire people like "Rick in Oregeon" with his skills both shooting and photography of "Prairie Dogs" ...hope I got the spelling correct.... and can see the destruction even at long distance with the likes of 32gr Sierra BlitzKings. I have both 32gr & 39gr Sierras as well as Berger and Barnes bullets of a few weights....34gr Nosler Shots we call them but ...hmmm, not real accurate....I think you might call the "Dog Town" or something else....

Unfortunately we don't have anything like that here to destroy in that way but rather the opposite....

My question is to anyone that uses this magic, very accurate calibre .204 Ruger to hunt for meat and skins and what you use to cause minimal damage. Distances from 250 - 400 Yards perhaps closer.

I have been experimenting for a short time and the latest I have come up with is using 35gr Berger Hollow Point's. I am of the belief that a hollow point will not explode on a varmint as much as say a Sierra BlitzKing with it's Ballistic Tip.

I have used 26gr Barnes Varmint Grenades through to 40gr Bergers Varmint BT's looking for something that's not only accurate at long range but not explosive......

Now, I know I'm not chasing my tail as the latest experiment was with 35gr Berger Varmint and shot a Rabbit just behind the shoulder from 250 yards and it left a 1" hole on exit but did not cause massive damage to the shoulder meat nor the area around it so the whole cacus is edible and pelt usable.

The load by the way was 27.5gr of ADI AR2206H (Hodgdon H4895) as you may know Aussie ADI Powders are supplied to Hodgdon.....this was in my mate's CZ527 Varmint, 25.5" Barrel.

I'm asking for ideas, suggestions or whatever you wish to contribute.

I do some Benchrest Target shooting and I'm not a novice where it comes to reloading and experimenting but I'm just hoping to save some time to help out my mate and I hunting/varminting.

BTW...I'm distracted at present getting prepared for a 500m Fly Shoot using a just delivered 6.5x47 Lapua Barrel'd Tikka T3..... what fun with yet another very accurate calibre...

Thanks all for at least reading my post.

[GTOHunter]

In the past Month I've shot 5 Coyotes with my new CZ-USA Model 527 .204 "Varmint" Rifle using Winchester 32 grain Ballistic Silver Tips and out of all the Coyotes only one was seriously damaged on its Fur/Pelt.She was broad side and when I shot I think she moved a little and it hit low and blew up with a bad gut shot that damaged the fur...all the other Coyotes went down on the spot where they were shot,I honestly don't think they even had an exit wound area?


I had sighted my Rifle in using the Hornady 40 grain bullets...maybe my first Coyote was taken down with that grain and brand of bullet...but I know I switched over and tried the Winchester 32 grain bullets after that on the remaining 4 Coyotes.....tried like Crazy to get the Sierra Blitz King 39 grain bullets because I heard they shot better and more accurate....maybe they finally located me a few boxes of them so I can try those at the Shooting Range?

[broper]

Maybe the 45gr. Hornady soft points?

[Sth Oz Dan]

I shot a fox with a 39gn Sierra BK and couldn't see an entry point. It didn't come out. Caused massive internal damage and he died instantly. Not sure how it would've gone with a side on shot - this one was looking straight at me.
Bullet choice would surely play a part in pelt damage, but I'm guessing it's got more to do with placement.
Crops are coming off here at the moment so I should get more opportunities to whack a few foxes.
I'll let ya know how it goes later

[Silverfox]

Mega--This is just a personal guess, but I think if you loaded the 35 gr. FBHP Bergers down in velocity, they would probably perform quite well on your thin skinned targets.

I do know for sure that you shouldn't shoot them with a 30-06 if you want to preseve the meat and pelts. I shot a red fox with my 30-06 many years ago. The fox was standing broadside to me and I placed a 150 gr. soft tip bullet right behind the left front shoulder. It made a pretty small hole going in, but just about the whole offside was missing--EXPLOSION for sure!!!

[Mega]

Thanks all for the input.

Can't go over 40gr in these 1:12 Twist Barrels, even one of the 40gr tried awhile back looked like it was on the edge of stability and had very poor groups.

I think loading down might be the best bet and from the Rabbits shot with the 35gr Berger FBHP's look to be the least explosive. Will do up some batches
from minimum weight again and see if I can find the lower accuracy node.

[Gube]

Thanks all for the input.

Can't go over 40gr in these 1:12 Twist Barrels, even one of the 40gr tried awhile back looked like it was on the edge of stability and had very poor groups.

I think loading down might be the best bet and from the Rabbits shot with the 35gr Berger FBHP's look to be the least explosive. Will do up some batches
from minimum weight again and see if I can find the lower accuracy node.

Actually, you would probably be very pleasantly surprised to find that the 45 gr hornady stabilizes better than the 40 gr ballistic tip offerings. This is due to the 45 gr having a shorter overall length than the 40 gr offerings.
Here are some photos comparing their lengths.

http://predatorhuntcanada.ca/forum/show ... uger/page3

[Sth Oz Dan]

Another 39gn BK makes it's mark!!

Entry barely visible (went in his right shoulder/neck area). I only found about 1/10 of the green tip. Dug around for ages and no sign of the rest of the bullet.
No pelt damage either.

[Mega]

Sth Oz Dan, at what distance ... ????

The Fox looks in good nick too. The country around there looks similar to the terrain here in the better parts.

[Sth Oz Dan]

Mega
He was sitting behind a bush about 150 yds away. Looked quite relaxed, just waiting to hear the next distress call.
Whistle - $2.50, Ammo - $2.00 (bloody expensive factory loads), Finding him exactly where he was when I pulled the trigger - priceless

I'm in the middle of broadacre cropping/grazing land. Ideal fox country!!
I have to head out fishing soon (for nearly 2 weeks) and couldn't wait til the crops are off, so I gave the whistle a go and he was there in less than 5 minutes.

I took the pelt off. Started at the pointy end - nose, ears, and the rest come off fairly easy for my 2nd attempt. Almost had a perfect skin, but when I got 1/3 up the tail I ripped it
Good enough excuse to look for another!

[Mega]

Thanks Dan, just wondered on the distance. Might try a few 39gr SBK's again.

The one's I find here are generally 150-200 yds and shy. In fact there was one outside about 10 minutes ago, just got itself a wood duck....could hear the noise
and saw it run off in the spotlight. No firearm handy. Just went out to the shed and grabbed the light to have a look around and there it was. Funny how many
times here I'm mustering, spraying weeds or whatever and they pop up when you aren't prepared or don't have a firearm.

Did you use a couple of sticks on the tail to pull it with, never had one rip that way.

[Sth Oz Dan]

My brother was just telling me about the stick method a couple of days ago. Wish I'd listened to him I usually need to see these things for it to sink in. I'd better do some research before the next fox makes the mistake of letting me see him.

I used to see a lot at the 150-200 range too. Got a nice view near the house and a place to rest on the bipod. But the wheat crops are so tall at the moment I could only see the shoulders and head of a large roo standing up. He disappeared when he bent over. Harvest is in full swing though. I'll get my vantage point back, and hopefully a few more skins