If I was to shoot a gray fox with a .204, where would I aim? (for mounting)

M

MB2

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Here's the deal, grays are getting hard to come by around here, and the local fur buyer says don't skin grays ever, because they want them on the carcass and all of them go straight to the taxidermist. And they get a good buck for them. (up to $100 the rumor mill says!) So if I was shooting a .204 with 40 gr. Bergers, where do I want to hit it in order to keep it usable for the taxidermist? I'm guessing a head shot is not the best option?
Now how about if I was shooting 45 gr. Hornady SP's?
 
See I was thinking that either cartridge would blow right through a 15 lb gray fox no problem. So you're saying a pass through isn't guranteed? I'm talking moderate distances here.
 
I shot a gray late last winter, dead center in the chest, with a 40 Berger. There was no exit, and the entrance wound took several minutes to find!
That being said, every other fox that I've shot with that bullet, has had a big hole in it!! I've shot them through the lungs, behind the shoulder, and still had fist size holes on exit.
You might try the 35's, for fewer exits, but foxes are fragile critters!
Good luck!
F1
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This is typical of what the 40 Bergers do:

image6.jpg
 
A couple of factors come to mind......

First off, what ranges are you dealing with? If the rascals are inside 50 yards, there's a good chance that you're going to do a lot of damage. FWIW, a 22LR might be a better choice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif I haven't looked because it never dawned on me to do so, but does anyone make a FMJ bullet in .20 caliber? While dangerous for anything downrange, you'd be more likely to just get two .20 holes instead of a great deal of damage. JMO. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

I've only shot 2 foxes in my life, both last winter, but the damage that my .204 did wasn't very pretty at all. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
a 17 would be perfect for this. ive only shot 3 fox with mine, but ive never had an exit and all three dropped immidiately. i never could even find the entrance on 2 of em either!
 
Quote:
See I was thinking that either cartridge would blow right through a 15 lb gray fox no problem.



Do me a favor, weigh your next Gray Fox. Especially if he is a big one. I think you're in for a surprise. They are very small and fragile. Their hide is like toilet paper and they are about as dense as a young house cat. Take Flyrod's advice, shoot em straight on trying to do the ole end to end approach. You might keep it inside of him that way. I'd find a different,slower, less traumatic caliber/bullet to do it. If the 204 is your only option, get the needle and thread out.
 
Well here's a fine example of a case where the 17hmr would be perfect. I've shot a bunch of foxes over the past 30 years with a 17 rem, and all would have been usable for taxidermy. Conversly, the foxes I've seen shot with the 204 over the past few years would have taken a great deal of work by an experienced taxidermist to be much more than a shoulder mount. That should be read, that you're unlikely to find a steady stream of experienced taxidermists willing to pay $100 for a fox, unless in a bind and needing one in a hurry. While there are beginners in taxidermy, who may be willing to pay prices 2 or 3 times the fur value, most guys who have been at it a few years are pretty tuned into what the fur market is. While there are a few of us that have developed a sideline business of selling completed mounts, in addition to the mainstay of mounting for sportsmen, thats generally a limited market at best.While you might expect a few bucks more than market value for premium quality unskinned specimens, this wouldn't include those with large holes blown through them. Your best bet, if you have a taxidermist or two, that you bring work to occassionally, you're much more likely to find a market, than walking in to studios blind. I could relate dozens and dozens of times over my past 15 years with my full time studio that guys would walk in with all manners of shot, trapped or roadkilled game, with $ signs in their eyes, and feeling they'd hit the lottery,lol. Virtually all were surprised and dissappointed when told I wasn't interested.
I don't mean to sound like I'm raining on your parade, just trying to inject a bit of realism into what this "buyer" told you. If there ever were a viable market for $100 foxes in the taxidermy industry, it would be filled up quickly, as every trapper in the country would be catching them in cages and soft-catch traps which provide a much better taxidermy quality specimen. IMO, your much better off skinning and putting up your furs for the fur market, unless it's something really special and unique. The demand for fox in the fur trade, while not at the levels of '78-'80 when I was selling reds for $80 and grays about 20 bucks less, is still stronger than it's been in quite some time, and you won't have any trouble getting rid of your hides at a decent price.
 
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