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Tag Archives: Fox

Are they fox eyes in my spotlight?

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The colour of fox eyes can vary depending on many things.

A. The colour of the spotlight being used; HID, halogen or coloured filters will have an effect on the retinal reflection colour you see.
B. The age of the fox may have an effect.
C. How directly the fox looks at the light.
D. The distance between your eyes and the light source (reflective angle) can affect the colour.

What colour am I looking for?

Usually greenish yellow. However white, orange and even red eyes can be a fox.
Cats, sheep, cattle and dogs can share the same colour as foxes. The space between the eyes can sometimes determine whether or not it’s a fox.
The movement of the eyes is the next thing to look for. You may see a fox or a cat blink. A fox’s eye may move quickly whereas most other animals don’t move so quickly. A fox may only give a quick glance compared to a sheep for example.
A fox may be seen apart from a mob of sheep, but sometimes within the mob but moving differently to the sheep’s eyes.
Because other creature’s eye reflections are similar to fox, you must identify the animal before shooting.
Cats, sheep, cattle, wolf spider and fox eyes can look similar in colour.

Deer have particularly bright eyes.  They group together quickly and move quickly when startled.
Animals with a more red appearance are kangaroo, possum and rabbit.

More eye colour information.

Always positively identify the animal before shooting.

Rifle Accuracy Part 3

1

NEW BARREL RUN IN

When you purchase a new rifle or have your rifle re barreled, like many many machines, there is an important run in or break in period. After mounting your scope you need to sight in the rifle.  Use this opportunity to run in the barrel.  It is a little extra trouble but it pays dividends later on.  Regardless of how smooth your new barrel looks, there is microscopic roughness that needs to be worked smooth.  This roughness will collect copper or lead fouling every time the rifle is fired.  Removing this will ensure the best chance of getting the best accuracy potential from that barrel.

RUNNING IN PROCEDURE

  1. For the first 10 shots, clean the barrel after each shot. (See Rifle Accuracy Part 2)
  2. For the next dozen shots clean after every 3 shots.
  3. Thereafter, clean after every 10 shots until the rifle has fired more than 60 shots. The barrel should be run in by now.  Clean regularly from then on.

Regular cleaning is more crucial with the smaller calibers to keep them accurate.

The running in procedure was used on my new .243Win Sako A7.   This is a picture of a group fired from a sandbag rest on a calm day.

3 shot group, 200 meters Federal 80gn factory loads.
Group size 17mm. (.3 MOA)

I have since taken a fox at the range of 380 meters on a calm night with this rifle.

See Also

Rifle Accuracy Part 1

Rifle Accuracy Part 2