Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why big magnums for African leopard?

It has always confused me that African leopards are part of the Big Five although this animal is certainly not large at all. Seems to me that any 30-06 class cartridge featuring a round nose bullet for rapid energy transfer would be just fine. Why do many experts recommend the 375 H & H MAG for hunting this amazing animal? - Sherwood

Likely because it is classed as DG.

Have you seen pics of what kitty can do when annoyed? That's why.

And yes, .30-06 will do.

Some countries don't require that sort of minimum on leopards.

Will also note that John Kingsley-Heath, a long-time, well-known PH who worked in several countries, thought the .243 Winchester was the perfect leopard cartridge. He was a noted leopard specialist, taking them himself in several countries, and guiding others to a bunch.

He firmly believed the .243 had plenty of power, and clients who used it didn't flinch as they often did when using more powerful cartridges. The 100-grain bullets also didn't tear up hides like bigger bullets.

Harry Selby thought a 243 was just fine too. Probably more of a statement of the clients shooting ability than anything else in his case too.

Also, too often, the 375 is scoped while the bigger gun, either double or big bolt gun may be open sighted.

The reason I use a 375 is threefold. First, a 375 works wonderfully on anything I might shoot for leopard bait. Hippo, buff, any of the large plains game, on down to impala. The 375 just flat works.
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Secondly, going into the blind in the morning or leaving in the evening the 375 is quite comforting. Elephants feeding around the blind or lions in the road to the blind has happened to me more than once. We even got chased by a rhino cow and her ugly little calf one night and one morning after leaving the blind and heading back to camp for breakfast I took a buff with the 375.

And thirdly, if there is a follow-up on the leopard, I want as big of a gun as I can find. A 375 is a step in the right direction.

Because that’s what people take to Africa.
A baited leopard is usually a chip shot, client seated, gun on a pod, under 100 yards. You can kill it easily with a 243 no doubt but a 338/375 with an illuminated scope isn’t a disadvantage. Plus you can shoot zebra sized bait with it.

Seems like from reading here.

It'd be like hunting deer in bear country with a bear rifle.
Just in case.....

A wounded cat will come for you and can hurt you. They are fast and powerful with claws and teeth.

My Zimbabwe PH has been hunting leopards for 40 years and told me the quickest he’s seen one drop stone dead was with a 270 shooting 150G Partitions.

The 168 gr Barnes TSX via my FN Mauser 30-06 worked on this smaller cat. I would be happy to use it on leopard.

Two other factors:

Usually leopards are shot from blinds. There's no reason not to have another rifle chambered in a much larger cartridge along, just in case somebody gets bothered by larger game, either walking to the blind or back to the safari vehicle. The PH will also usually have such a rifle along.

The rule of thumb when a leopard is on you is 100 stitches for each second. Gimme that big magnum with a soft nose bullet. Lots of shock. MTG

My PH carried a SP-10 with buckshot and a big flashlight attached for night time retrieval. The tracker was carrying a big spot light too. I was somewhere behind them as my job here was done.

I knew a Dr who was a leopard guy. He’d shot a bunch of them and was going after another one all the time it seemed like. His preferred rifle was a 300wby shooting 180gr TBBCs. Said nothing he’d ever tried worked better.

I used a 375 H&H on my one and only leopard because i was hunting buffalo too. Much easier to use 1 gun for everything. Worked perfectly on my cat.

I have a number of friends that make regular trips to Africa and many have taken, buff and elephant, along with all the antelope, Zebra, Wildebeast etc
One of these is quite a good friend and a serious houndsman, and outfits for this- our local Mountain Lion are usually dispatched with a 30/30.
I have not been there but it sounds like a P.H takes a bead on the DG in case you mess up, He will probably will send a large heavy ball.
Myself, I have no calling for Africa....my hope is to see the lofty mountains( of the world) following( hunting) the Arc of the Wild Sheep

I'd love to try a 45-70 on one

338 Win Mag Zimbabwe

Oh wow! That sounds intense for them.

Why so much gun???

Attitude!!!!