I learn every day.
Why don't you shoot lion/leop/buff etc.. in the head?
I've taken Cape buffalo with a frontal brain shot, but it's not a big target - between the eyes and under the boss. It worked for me once, but once was enough. Botch that and you have 1600+ pounds of trouble after you.
As for cats, braining them is a bit more tricky. A frontal shot has been known to fail because of the flat slope of the skull has been known to deflect a bullet without penetration. Cats, especially leopards on bait, move around and don't stay still for you to concentrate - often in failing light - on a plum sized target. Add to the equation that a head shot jacks up your trophy.
I took my elephant with the classic heart shot. He presented broadside, and I was confident in the shot. A right and left from my double, and he was down in 50 yards.
I've been a fan of the high shoulder shot. It takes out the lungs and stuns the central nervous system for down on the spot results. If you shoot high, you severe the spine, go low and get the heart.
Truth is Grandad was probably right when he told me to shoot everything slightly behind the shoulder braodside or center of the chest looking at you. Can't really go wrong there.
