What is the best calibre for foxes? Which calibre should I choose if I also want to shoot UK deer species? Dean Harrison offers expert advice

Q: What is the best calibre for fox shooting? I keep hearing conflicting advice.

DEAN HARRISON replies: All .22 centrefires are perfect for the job. To name a few popular ones, there’s .222 , .223 and .22-250 if you are only going to shoot foxes.

But if you are looking for a calibre that will be a good all-rounder, I would always go for the .243. When shooting foxes, I go for the light 58gr bullets because they give me a closer performance of the lighter calibres, staying flatter and giving me extra distance on my shots if needed.

One benefit of the .243 is it is also a legal calibre to shoot deer as well – just beef up to a heavier grain bullet. This means you only need to own one rifle.