I started shooting foxes with a .22 LR, back in 1963, in Ontario, but moved up to a 6.5Rem Mag on a Remington 660. Fox were shot for bounty there, with no care for their hides, so the huge holes and 2piece foxes were not a concern. I tried an Ackley Custom Mauser .22-250 and a .22 Hornet BRNO Fox in around 1968 through 1972 & these worked as well, but didn't blow them up as badly as the 6.5. A hit about anywhere with the .22Hornet worked very well but didn't blow them up. It was a rare fox shot past 100 yards, with the odd one out to 150.

My recommendation for long range fox would be the .22-250 in a varmint rifle, or better yet, a .204 Ruger. The .204 will shoot like a laser beam to 300yards and easily take fox with 38gr. or even the 32gr. bullets out to 450yards. The barrel will also last longer than a .22-250. The only advantage of the .22-250 over the .204 would be the use of the solid copper HP's or 60gr. Partition for deer.

Over the last 17 years, I've been using .17Rem, .17 Ackley Hornet, .17 HMR for shooting ground squirrels. The most fun is with the .17Hornet and the HMR.

The new .17HH would also be a good one for shooting rats (20gr. Vmax., as well as fox and coyotes with 25gr. HP's only. The Vmaxs tend to splash-wound badly, especially on coyotes.

A .223 would be a good rifle as well, deer capable with the right bullets, as well as being quite easy on barrels. Brass is the most plentiful of all - here, it's straight ground pick-up for once fired Fed cases (mostly).

Now, for me, it's a tossup, an old Sako A1 in .222 gets the nod for 'plinking' as it's still a 1/4 moa rifle with both 40gr HP's at 3,550fps and 52gr. Match at 3,200fps.

There are lots to choose from, for this type of shooting, today.

Were I going specifically for coyotes, wolves and/or deer, I have both a varmint .22-250 Rem, and a WTBY Van. .243 which are good shooters with most all of the suitable bullets.