Would anyone happen to know whether 180 Accubonds at around 2700 fps muzzle velocity from a .308 (with a 3" box) would be suitable for leopard? I think they would be fine for the antelope used as bait, but not sure about on leopard itself. Thanks.
I've never shot a leopard, but have seen them in Africa, and based on what I've read from various sources including Craig Boddington, a 180 grain Accubond should work fine. In his book on leopard hunting, Boddington says more velocity is a good thing, so a 165 grain Accubond might be a little better than a 180.
I've thought about doing a leopard hunt, and the 165 Accubond out of a .30-06 was what I had planned to use.
I've not hunted Africa or any cats larger than feral ditch tigers
If I wanted to kill something the size of a leopard quickly, I think I'd prefer a 100 gr 6mm or 115 .257 pushed hard. But that's just me, and if I ever see a leopard through a rifle scope things haven't gone at all as planned...
I currently use the 180 Accubonds at just over 2700 fps, and unless they are not suitable, such as being too hard, I would rather stick to my current load.
I have killed elk, hogs and deer with that bullet.
It’s pretty tough and has not been a real quick killer on deer.
I’d use the 165 trophy bonded tip, which was a quick killer in Africa for me, and it exits on broadside shots.
I've also used the 180 Accubond on elk, deer and pigs and I agree that it's a fairly tough bullet, although it's always worked well for me. That's one reason I suggested a 165 Accubond.
Probably any decent 165 including Hornady Interlocks would work well on Leopard. And that basically lines up with what Boddington says. He has a great deal of African experience so I listen to what he says about African hunting.
John Kingsley-Heath was a long time African PH who among other things specialized in both hunting leopards himself and guiding leopard hunters thought the .243 Winchester was the perfect leopard round. He had experience on hundreds of 'em in at least five different countries. It not only knocked the snot out of them with 100-grain bullets put in the right place, but did less damage to the hide (the "trophy" with leopards).
Have mentioned this before on the Campfire, but of course a bunch of other members (many of whom had never seen a wild leopard) objected to his opinion, saying the .243 was too light.
Have never had any desire to kill a leopard, but was along when a companion shot one out of the typical baited tree with a .300 Winchester Magnum. It dropped with a thud, but after landing took off and we never found it--apparently because he shot it in the shoulder, which was stretched forward to reach the bait, and the vitals on leopards (and other cats) are farther back than on much other big game. (I was asked by the PH help follow it up in the dark, which was interesting. The PH said he would rather follow one in the dark than during daylight, because you can see the eyes in a powerful flashlight in the dark, and during daylight you usually can't see a leopard until it charges at close range.)
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
I was talking to my last PH over sundowners in October, and he told me the quickest he saw the lights turned out on a leopard was a 270 Win w/ a 150 grain Partition. Leopards are thin skinned and not to hard to kill if you hit them in the right spot.
Though a bit smaller I used the 168 GR TSX on this cheetah. A great spot and stalk hunt that ended in a 30 yard shot as it sunned laying under a tree facing away. A back side shot just below the head. I would have zero issues using it on leopard.
Having only shot ONE leopard, I'm far from an expert but I used a 150g Hornady Interlock on my Tom. Muzzle Velocity was 2,787 fps. Shot was only 62 yards. Leopard was facing away and standing at the base of the bait tree. The bullet went entered through the shoulders and exited the right armpit.
BangFlop.
I suspect your accubond load would work just fine. As others have stated. They aren't hard to kill. It's just a shot you really don't want to mess up. That's more important than your bullet choice. Any good deer bullet ought to work fine.
I also use the 180 grain Speer Spitzer flat-base Hotcores which have the exact same point of impact at 100 yds. Sounds like that might be a better option. The only thing is, the lead tips get flattened in the magazine with the recoil. My third load is the 150 grain E-tips at just over 2900 fps...I'm thinking they might be a bit too hard.
I'm no expert, but I would use that without a second thought. The one I shot was with a 165 TSX pushed a little bit faster than that. The hunt was unplanned and took place on a couple of hours notice, but the cat died plenty quick with no drama despite my not having to figure out the perfect rifle and load.
I would guess (and it's just that) that a .308 or .270 or as Mule Deer suggested, a .243, would've worked just fine also.
The diciest part of the experience with mine was the elderly Afrikaans woman who was giving me hugs and kisses and repeatedly asking me to buy a donkey. I shot it about 200 yards from the back door of her house. Her and her son had lost a bunch of yearlings to that cat.
Your load is a full 300 fps faster than mine, in Tanzania 2020 i took a 400 H&H with 400gr Swift A Frames as my light plains game rifle, the 577 double done the heavy lifting on Hippo and Cape Buffalo bulls on the ground at 18 and 26 yards, knew going in i would be Leopard hunting with the 400, also knew it was slow and the A frame was tough.
Took a flat file and removed the small lead tip, hit the now small flat meplat with a center punch, drilled 1/4" deep holes with an eighth inch drill bit making some homemade hollow point Leopard bullets, they landed three inches high at 100 yards with the originals, picked out a black spot at the rear edge of my cats shoulder dead broadside 77 yards from the blind, he landed with a dead thug, my young 28 year old PH was so happy he hollered " i love you Sir" lol, you see one of the trackers on this trip had already left camp and returned from getting antibiotic shots from a Leopard bite right before Wife and i got there.
Last hunter before us wounded a cat, the PH had to place the barrel of his 450 Rigby against the cat and blast him off the tracker, what a damn dangerous mess poor shooting can be, my slow rifle and load accounted for plains game from 77 to 287 yards, it's all very easy shooting from sticks or blind if you practice and know your drops.
I think your setup will be perfect for Leopard and any other plains game you may encounter, have fun, shoot straight and let those lifetime memories that will never leave you march right in and settle in your head.
John Kingsley-Heath was a long time African PH who among other things specialized in both hunting leopards himself and guiding leopard hunters thought the .243 Winchester was the perfect leopard round. He had experience on hundreds of 'em in at least five different countries. It not only knocked the snot out of them with 100-grain bullets put in the right place, but did less damage to the hide (the "trophy" with leopards).
Have mentioned this before on the Campfire, but of course a bunch of other members (many of whom had never seen a wild leopard) objected to his opinion, saying the .243 was too light.
Have never had any desire to kill a leopard, but was along when a companion shot one out of the typical baited tree with a .300 Winchester Magnum. It dropped with a thud, but after landing took off and we never found it--apparently because he shot it in the shoulder, which was stretched forward to reach the bait, and the vitals on leopards (and other cats) are farther back than on much other big game. (I was asked by the PH help follow it up in the dark, which was interesting. The PH said he would rather follow one in the dark than during daylight, because you can see the eyes in a powerful flashlight in the dark, and during daylight you usually can't see a leopard until it charges at close range.)
i've never shot a leopard, but count me in on the 'I object" crowd. No doubt (obviously) a leopard will die with a 243 (all cats are affected by high velocity) but a 30 cal will hit with even more authority plus you can use it on larger plains game. As to the AB in a 308, of course it will work and work well. Leopards are shot at close ranges, usually less than sixty yards and that 308 will hammer him well and open up. Now what would I use in a 308 for leopard? Hornady Interlock
Last edited by jorgeI; 03/21/24.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
Rifle hunter, a 180 grain Accubond at 2,700 fps is a perfect bullet & load for any leopard. You’ll have no problems at all as long as you put the bullet where it should go. I’ve shot 3 leopards and one was shot with a 180 grain Partition going just a bit faster (300 win mag) than you mention. The big Tom was stone dead as he fell off the limb.
You’ve got a great load, don’t over-think it. Just practice shooting sitting down off a rest at 50 yards and hitting a small target consistently. Shooting a leopard is actually easy, but you have to be patient and wait for a broadside shot. The last Leopard I shot, I had to wait over 4 minutes for him to present a good broadside angle to shoot. He was feeding on the limb, but facing me, in broad daylight and while I could have killed him it was wise to wait for the right angle before shooting. By waiting for the right angle, we had a dead Tom laying in the open near the tree.
Rifle hunter, a 180 grain Accubond at 2,700 fps is a perfect bullet & load for any leopard. You’ll have no problems at all as long as you put the bullet where it should go. I’ve shot 3 leopards and one was shot with a 180 grain Partition going just a bit faster (300 win mag) than you mention. The big Tom was stone dead as he fell off the limb.
You’ve got a great load, don’t over-think it. Just practice shooting sitting down off a rest at 50 yards and hitting a small target consistently. Shooting a leopard is actually easy, but you have to be patient and wait for a broadside shot. The last Leopard I shot, I had to wait over 4 minutes for him to present a good broadside angle to shoot. He was feeding on the limb, but facing me, in broad daylight and while I could have killed him it was wise to wait for the right angle before shooting. By waiting for the right angle, we had a dead Tom laying in the open near the tree.
Never hunted leopard, but i've been loading 150g partitions in my 270 win to 3000 fps for 40 years. Great killer of deer, elk, and black bears. Never lost an animal.
Regards,
Chuck
"There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit"
I suspect the 243 would work as well as anything. Only thing that would keep me from it is the animals I might run into looking for that cat. 308 with a 180 should work vey well in fact even with a 165gr. But dangerous game country is not the place to experiment with smaller cartridges and what might be actually possible! If I was to go there looking to shoot a leopard I'd take my largest cartridge rifle with a heavy for caliber bullet! That would be my 30-06 with a min 180 gr bullet. That is assuming I'm shooting it very well. A miss placed shot from any rifle with any bullet would not be something I'd look forward to. I think the real answer depends on the bullet's available in the cartridge you take. Take that 243 even with a 100gr bullet and you are looking for trouble and just might find it! If I handled magnums well I'd look at something like a 338 magnum and 250gr bullet's. Better to over react in a bad situation than under react!
I've only shot one leopard, he was baited on the ground, so the 168 gr TTSX bullet from my .300 Weatherby expended most of it's energy in ground behind him. He was dead 19 paces from where I shot him.
The same year that I shot my leopard, I shot a mountain lion that size wise was a twin to my leopard. A 130 gr Sierra FP bullet from my .30-30 killed him instantly.
I've made one shot kills on elk, a red hartebeest, and a blue wildebeest with 160 gr Accubonds from my 7 mm Rem mag.
I would not hesitate to shoot a leopard with my .308 Win and 168 or 180 gr Accubond bullets.
I've used a 270Win,a 7mm Rem Mag,and a 300Win Mag on many caribou.The 300WM with a 180gr TSX resulted in all bang flops but not the others. I used the 300WM with the 180gr TSX on my leopard at 80yds and he dropped from a high tree like a rock.He was crouching along the branch and the bullet passed just above the heart.
Thanks everyone for the feedback on projectiles and cartridges. The other thing I think I should do is swap over the 3-9 x 36 Swarovski which is currently on it, to a 3-9 x 42 Kahles from another rifle. The increase in objective lense might be slightly better in the dark. I can just leave it on 3 power, twist it up if necessary.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I will suggest that John Kingsley-Heath recommended the.243 because most of his clients could better put a .243 bullet in the right place than could be done with a hard-kicking magnum.
Not sure if I’ll ever do a leopard hunt but if I do I’ve often thought about my favorite 308 ( that’s been to Africa a couple of times) and loading it with the lowly 150 hornady interlock. I would of course ask my ph his opinion but he too has killed many with a 243. I do know that despite his very strong fondness for TSX bullets for most hunting in Africa he strongly dislikes them for leopards. He and his father have been baiting leopards very successful for probably 50 years or more so I tend to listen to him on that subject. Personally I can’t imagine your 180AB not being absolutely suitable but as others have said I might consider a lighter bullet at a bit higher velocity. I’d rather have a bigger hole in the hide to contend with v a leopard I never found!good luck on your hunt and post pics of your cat!
Not sure if I’ll ever do a leopard hunt but if I do I’ve often thought about my favorite 308 ( that’s been to Africa a couple of times) and loading it with the lowly 150 hornady interlock. I would of course ask my ph his opinion but he too has killed many with a 243. I do know that despite his very strong fondness for TSX bullets for most hunting in Africa he strongly dislikes them for leopards. He and his father have been baiting leopards very successful for probably 50 years or more so I tend to listen to him on that subject. Personally I can’t imagine your 180AB not being absolutely suitable but as others have said I might consider a lighter bullet at a bit higher velocity. I’d rather have a bigger hole in the hide to contend with v a leopard I never found!good luck on your hunt and post pics of your cat!
Well what your PH says implies that the TSX might be too hard, in which case the 150 E-Tip would possibly be too hard and the 180 Accubond might be too hard. Which was my concern all along. Perhaps the Nosler Partition 180 grain might be better (spitzer or flat nose?). I'm reluctant to go less than .308 bore on the basis that if there is no expansion for some reason, at least there would be a .308 size hole.
You mention maybe switching scopes? I think I would go out at dawn and dusk with each, actually look through each of them in low light conditions, try to discern fine details, before I made the switch. Your eyes may not be able to tell the difference and you would be switching and re-sighting in, all for nothing.
Shot my leopard with 300 Win Mag shooting factory Barnes ammo...180 gr TTSX. Dead as a rock but he did go 30-40 yds. Double lung at 39 yds.
Had a bigger cat in tree earlier in the night, right at sundown. Using a camp rifle, which is a whole different story and I wouldn't normally do. Travel during COVID with time constraints on the PCR test to get in country and concern for having to adjust travel plans necessitated the use of PH's rifle. I was planning on using my 300 Win Mag with 200 gr Accubonds for this hunt. Bought a new illuminated Swaro with 50mm Obj for the hunt. I firmly believe that not bringing my set up cost me the bigger cat. My scope was far and away superior to the one on borrowed rifle. Cat came at last light, before the moon rise (full moon). It took a few minutes to decide it was the one we wanted and by then I couldn't see well enough to shoot without the light (which was legal where I was). I was starting to squeeze trigger, but really didn't want to screw up the shot...I maybe could have killed cat but he was more of a shadow and couldn't pick out a spot. I didn't want anyone to get chewed on if I messed up the shot so I backed off. Whispered to my PH that I needed the light and he says as soon as he stands he will hit the light. The cat had laid down on the branch. So cat lays there for what seemed like a long time as I am set up and ready to shoot, then he just vanished. Jumped out of tree and was gone. Not spooked...just decided he was going to leave. I am convinced with my set up the cat would have been seen well enough to kill...that's how close things can get.
Ended up shooting a nice Tom later the same night without aid of light. Shot him by moonlight about 5 hours after the other cat left.
Soooo, all that to say that a good scope is essential. My PH insisted on 50mm obj and illuminated reticle. My thinking was I wanted to use a little bit harder bullet so as not to ruin any more hide than necessary. I think the Accubond is a great choice.
Haven't seen mention but in some countries there is minimum caliber or energy requirements....which disqualifies a 243. Not that I think a 243 isn't up to the task. I hunted Zim and you needed a minimum of 7mm caliber.
Bottom line is Leopard hunts are expensive. Hedge your bets and get the best scope you can afford and hunt with a good PH who is experienced with Leopard and listen to his advice.
Good luck!!
Swiftshot: That is a beautiful cat and gorgeous mount!!! Big contrats!
Riflehunter, I would have no qualms using that setup at all. Swiftshot, beautiful cat! Thanks for posting.
The only cat I am interested in hunting, is a leopard. This thread got me thinking about what combination I would use from what I currently have.
1. Would be a 338-06 loaded with 200gr ballistic silvertips. Second bullet choice would be a 200gr SST. 2. Would be a 270 WCF with 150gr ballistic silvertip. Second would be 150gr Interlock.
Either gun would be mounted with a proven Leupold VX5 2-10x42 or a Mark4 HD 2.5-10x42 (not proven yet).
Magnificent cat Swiftshot. I'd be very happy with one like that. I do have a fixed-power 8 x 56 Kahles scope that I could put on. I have tested it as it gets dark and it is slightly better than my other scopes. But I only got an extra 5-10 minutes of shooting as it got dark. I just thought I'd be handicapped with such a high magnification on any follow up shot if needed (and if I were to get the chance). I could take .243, .270, .308 and .338 all of which I can shoot well and have done so frequently. I just think that with .308, if the bullet doesn't hit anything hard, at least I have a .308 size hole. Also, the rifle is blued with a black stock which will give great camouflage at night, and with a short-action and 22" barrel easy to handle in a blind.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I will suggest that John Kingsley-Heath recommended the.243 because most of his clients could better put a .243 bullet in the right place than could be done with a hard-kicking magnum.
Likely, but also a lesson on what is enough for the task. Don't forget that the tradition built around a 7x57 is based on being enough for the task and its shootability. Same with a .243 or .270 as recommended by Aagaard, whether its trendy on here to like one or not.
"Enough for the task" is never an interesting topic compared to the ever mythical "best for the task" after all, what else would we talk about around the campfire?
When truth is ignored, it does not change an untruth from remaining a lie.
going on my 1st trip to Africa in May 2024 ,i have killed a mountain lion i called in with my bow and arrow years ago with a single arrow when i was alone in the mountains . 243 Winchester would be a good choice on a Leopard , i will never have the money for a Leopard hunt but if i did i would use my 257 Weatherby mag . another small bullet .
I shot mine with a 168 grain TSX at around 3200 fps. Never moved after the shot, but took a couple of minutes to die. When I shot my lion, he ate a 270 grain TSX at 2850 longitudinally through the heart. Took one leap, went down, and then died a couple of minutes later. He had a two inch hole through the heart and the bullet ended up in his hind leg.
What I learned from those two experiences is that cats are very susceptible to hydrostatic shock, and Barnes TSX's are probably too hard of a bullet to be ideal.
If I were to hunt leopard with a .308, would probably go with a 150 grain Ballistic Tip or SST pushed as fast as possible. That combo should help insure that your cat is laying dead at the bottom of the tree.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I will suggest that John Kingsley-Heath recommended the.243 because most of his clients could better put a .243 bullet in the right place than could be done with a hard-kicking magnum.
Likely, but also a lesson on what is enough for the task. Don't forget that the tradition built around a 7x57 is based on being enough for the task and its shootability. Same with a .243 or .270 as recommended by Aagaard, whether its trendy on here to like one or not.
"Enough for the task" is never an interesting topic compared to the ever mythical "best for the task" after all, what else would we talk about around the campfire?
I gotta confine my remarks to what I've done or seen, and my "large game" at it's largest was a black bear that weighed about 350. I killed it with a 30-06 200NP. My brother, same trip killed an almost identical bear with a .243 100 Hornady. My brothers bear died almost where he shot it. Mine traveled maybe 75 yards Both our shots were placed very similarly, with mine maybe an inch or so back from where I'd intended. I was shaky from a bad dismount and getting my 16EE stuck in a stirrup. Hard to shoot when you're laughing...
But... the fact remains, at least firmly in my mind, that the .243 with a good bullet (or fast .25) is a faster light switch than just about any standard .30 rifle, for game under about maybe 500 lbs. Granted that there may be .308 bullets made to offset that, but I doubt that any of those are 180s or heavier.
Do I think that a .30 (or .32, .33. .35) is suitable? Yeah, no problem. I'd do it with what I had, and a .308 Winchester is one of the easy buttons in life. Go with any good load. I loaded 50 of those .30/200 noslers for that bear hunt and used 1 on that hunt. Shot the rest at coyotes, a couple of deer and one antelope over the next couple of seasons. They worked perfectly.
And I get that some want a rifle just for African game and the "African" experience. I get it that the .243 Winchester doesn't work to that end. And there is some merit in carrying more rifle and bullet when in some locales. I didn't load the .30/200s in my 30-06 because I felt they were necessary for a black bear. We were hunting in an area known to harbor a grizzly population, and I didn't want to be unprepared. I actually felt a bit cheated that no grizzlies were seen on the trip.
Don't know or communicate with any African PHs. If one of them recommends a rifle/cartridge combo I'd guess it's because, in his experience, it works.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I will suggest that John Kingsley-Heath recommended the.243 because most of his clients could better put a .243 bullet in the right place than could be done with a hard-kicking magnum.
That's definitely part of his recommendation--but JKH also preferred the .243 for his own leopard hunting. Since he didn't handload (it was illegal in several African countries back then) he was using Winchester's 100-grain Power Point load--which was the most commonly available factory ammo in Africa in those days.
If I recall correctly, he also used his .243 and that factory load when he hunted Ethiopia extensively when looking for a black "panther," the melanistic version of leopards, which was apparently more common in Ethiopia. (The spots are still barely there, but the angle of the light has to be just right to see them.) So while the light recoil was part of his recommendation, he also believed in the .243 for the other reason stated in my post: less damage to the hide than bigger cartridges. His pre-'64 Model 70 was one of his favorite rifles, and many of his clients used it as well.
Again, it's always interesting to read so many firm opinions on appropriate rounds for animals the poster has never even seen, much less hunted. Have hunted with a bunch of African PHs over the decades, and they'll frequently disagree--but often the most experienced have different opinions even on rounds for much larger game.
One example is the PH I've hunted with most, the now-retired Kevin Thomas, who was born and raised in what was then Rhodesia. He killed his first charging Cape buffalo at 17, on his first job out of high school, when working as a "game scout" for the Rhodesian game department. This mostly involved guiding sight-seeing clients in various parks, while carrying a .375 H&H just in case some animal objected to being looked at.
One of his jobs a few years later was as the wildlife "manager" on a huge Rhodesian cattle ranch--which basically meant culling wild game to leave more forage for cattle, since there was basically no safari industry in Rhodesia then, as beef cattle were more valuable. He used various cartridges and bullets--but one night while we were sitting around the campfire I asked him what he considered the absolute minimum cartridge for hunting buffalo.
He thought about it silently for a couple of minutes before answering, when he said, "The .30-06." I raised my eyebrows and asked why. It turned out he'd used a .30-06 with handloads featuring the original lathe-turned 180-grained Nosler Partition, to cull over 500 buffalo. This was not at night with head shots, but during daylight with the native ranch workers pushed herds past him. He shot every buffalo that offered a decent shot--calves, cows, bulls of all sizes--and said he never had a problem, even with frontal shots on mature bulls. He also preferred the .375 H&H as his back-up rifle on buffalo when he became a PH a few years later, mentioning that he often had to follow-up and finish bulls that his clients wounded with much larger cartridges.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Yea or nay to a Kahles fixed power 8 x 56 with thick duplex crosshairs for leopard?
I wouldn’t go with a fixed 8 power scope. That’s too much magnification for most situations and distances you’ll shoot a leopard. The Tom in the video above was 47 yards. They’re often shot closer than that.
i would get a scope that will illuminate in darker situations , maybe even a Nightforce scope that illuminates ,i sure like these Nightforce scopes . good luck,Pete53
Here's what I think so far after reading everyone's posts and also what I could find Craig Boddington wrote (he tends to favor slightly larger bores for leopard than the .243 suggested) and also why some choose .243. The .243 is apparently good if using dogs with leopard as with frontal shots there's less chance of the bullet exiting and wounding the dog. I don't hunt with dogs. It's also better in that there is less hide destruction. This isn't of prime importance to me, but killing a leopard on the spot (pun not intended!) is. A lot of people can shoot a .243 more accurately. I can shoot a slightly larger bore just as accurately if the rest is good. With the .308, I 'm now thinking the 150 E-tips might be a bit hard and possibly the 180 Accubonds on some shots such as behind the shoulder. So I'm starting to favor the Nosler Partition. My rifle likes 180's and usually does well with them and drives them at roughly the same speed as the 165's. I could get the flat nose version of the 180 Partitions and avoid the deformation under recoil problem in the magazine or experiment with plastic inserts in the magazine which block the shoulder and use the spitzers. With the scope, I know the 8 x 56 fixed power will give me slightly better night vision and be excellent from a good rest. But as I have found when using it on varmints, on off-hand shots and if they start to run, I'm at a disadvantage with the high magnification. So I'm leaning towards the 3-9 x 42 for its versatility. I'm not buying a new scope for a hunt that I'll only do once, although I really would be over the moon getting a black panther on a subsequent hunt in the north of the continent (but that is highly unlikely to happen and the $$$). Anyway, I will chew all these things over a bit more and do some more testing of the scopes at night and even buy and load up some 180 Partitions and try them out to see how expansion is on light game. Thanks everyone for the input, especially those who have hunted leopard or those who have seen others hunting leopard.
If you were ever to hunt leopard. I know you said you have no desire, please humor me.
1. What would you use?
Probably whatever "light" rifle I'd brought--if I took more than one, which I generally do. (Though will also mention that I've used the .375 H&H as both my "light" and "heavy" rifle on safaris.)
The smallest chambering I've personally taken to Africa is the 7x57, which I used with a variety of bullets in the 160-grain range--mostly because the 7x57 I hunted with for years would put handloads using the same powder charge and bullets from 156 to 160 grains in the same group at 100 yards, which it wouldn't do with any other bullet weight, and I was always "field-testing" different bullets. It worked fine on plains game up to around 700 pounds, and would certainly kill a leopard cleanly.
But I would also happily use the .243 Winchester, and will tell a short story about its use in Africa. One of my fellow writers, Richard Mann, has also spent considerable time in Africa. Several years ago his wife Drema decided she wanted to start hunting, so Richard got her a .243, which would work well on the whitetails in their native West Virginia. She practiced a lot, but before deer season that year Richard ended up going to South Africa for plains-game hunt. He asked Drema if she'd like to go to Africa, and she said sure! The load he'd worked up used the 85-grain Nosler Partition, and she used it to take several animals, all with one shot. One was an impala, but the others included trophy gemsbok and blue wildebeest bulls.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Hope so, I do satisfy the criteria of being curious. Probably best to sight in zero at 100 yards rather than the usual 3 inches high at 100 yards, unless anyone thinks this is not a good idea.
My northern transvaal guides all preferred a 100 yard sight in. They said the biggest problem they had with American hunters was high shots usually at around 150 yards or so. One even suggested I resist in but I assured him I knew my hold unders as well as overs.
If I went for a cat with a 308 I'd probably use a 150 partition at around 2900 fps. I usually shoot the 155 scenar but have had reports that it can be a bit hard. I've always liked the way the partition comes unglued a bit in the front quickly but still pushes deep.
Hope so, I do satisfy the criteria of being curious. Probably best to sight in zero at 100 yards rather than the usual 3 inches high at 100 yards, unless anyone thinks this is not a good idea.
In my experience, on baited leopard hunts the PH advises sighting-in at whatever range it is from the blind to the bait, which is usually 50 yards maximum. A sight-in 2" high at 100 yards will usually be dead-on around 35 yards, but it also depends on the specific ammunition and scope-height above the bore.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Using the 180 Accubond at 2700 fps with 1.5 inches scope bore above rifle bore axis, I get with the figures I input, zero at 60 yards if also zeroed at 100 yards.
Hope so, I do satisfy the criteria of being curious. Probably best to sight in zero at 100 yards rather than the usual 3 inches high at 100 yards, unless anyone thinks this is not a good idea.
In my experience, on baited leopard hunts the PH advises sighting-in at whatever range it is from the blind to the bait, which is usually 50 yards maximum. A sight-in 2" high at 100 yards will usually be dead-on around 35 yards, but it also depends on the specific ammunition and scope-height above the bore.
The vast majority of all African game is shot at 150 yards or less, probably 90%+ of all game. With that in mind any zero from dead-on at 100 to 2” high at 100 will work great for leopard and also anything else you might hunt. Just know exactly where your rifle hits at 50 yards and you’ll be fine. The 3 leopards I’ve shot were at 40, 25 & 47 yards and my rifle was zeroed at 2” high on the first two, but zeroed dead-on at 100 on the last one. I think an illuminated reticle like Leupold’s Firedot is more important than the distance your scope is zeroed. That bright red dot makes precise shooting easy, especially in low light.
Hope so, I do satisfy the criteria of being curious. Probably best to sight in zero at 100 yards rather than the usual 3 inches high at 100 yards, unless anyone thinks this is not a good idea.
In my experience, on baited leopard hunts the PH advises sighting-in at whatever range it is from the blind to the bait, which is usually 50 yards maximum. A sight-in 2" high at 100 yards will usually be dead-on around 35 yards, but it also depends on the specific ammunition and scope-height above the bore.
The vast majority of all African game is shot at 150 yards or less, probably 90%+ of all game. With that in mind any zero from dead-on at 100 to 2” high at 100 will work great for leopard and also anything else you might hunt. Just know exactly where your rifle hits at 50 yards and you’ll be fine. The 3 leopards I’ve shot were at 40, 25 & 47 yards and my rifle was zeroed at 2” high on the first two, but zeroed dead-on at 100 on the last one. I think an illuminated reticle like Leupold’s Firedot is more important than the distance your scope is zeroed. That bright red dot makes precise shooting easy, especially in low light.
I'll sight in 1" high at 100 yards, taking into account what you and MD say. That will be better for any medium range shots at antelope beforehand than zero at 100 yards.
I sight in all my rifles at 200 yards. I will then verify at 100, 200, 400, 500 for sure. Sometimes all the way to 800. I am not a big LR hunter, but shooting LR makes the shorter shots much easier.
Except big bores, like 404 Jeffery, 416 Rem Mag, 45-70. Then it is 100 yards.
For leopard, I would probable zero at 100, or closer if PH desires.
On my first post I mentioned that my friend dislikes TSX bullets on cats… cats in general. He mentioned lion as well. He said they didn’t kill as quickly as lead core soft points. So as others have stated cats being susceptible to “shock” I too would assume the TSX bullets perhaps aren’t transferring or “dumping” as much energy in the cats. I’ve shot a lot of game with tsx and TTSX…. personally I wouldn’t be afraid to use them. I can’t imagine a 130TTSX at 3100fps wouldn’t turn a 150lb cats lights out very quickly. But again I have zero experience with leopards so take that for what it’s worth. One thing I thought about commenting on earlier was that the choice of scope would probably be at least as important as the choice of bullet. There have been many times I’ve turned the magnification DOWN on my scopes to improve my eye’s ability to see the intended target. I would be reluctant to use a Set power 8x scope. Essentially on a very short range shot. I’m pretty sure MD wrote a very good article on scope magnification/ objective diameter/ exit pupil and how they all translate into the best/brightest image as viewed through a rifle scope. Hopefully he will again share his knowledge and opinions on that topic as well.
Benbo, while TSX & TTSX bullets are excellent for most game and have certainly killed many lions & leopards, There are better bullet choices available. Personally, I think a Nosler Partition or Trophy Bonded Bearclaw are about as good as you can use. I also think a Sierra Game King or Remington Core Lokt would be very good on a leopard. Here’s a picture of the exit wound on my last leopard. The bullet was a 225 grain Bearclaw from my 338. This cat (the same one in the video I posted) went about 20 yards from the tree The picture says it all…
I would not be afraid to use a 130gr TTSX at 3100fps either. But we are discussing absolute perfect for leopards.
Following that line of thinking. A 270 pushes an 85gr TSX to 3800fps, and a 95gr TTSX to 3600 fps. There would be a some "shock" there just due to impact velocity.
From what I have seen the Accubonds and the Partitions don't seem to be much different in their performance on game.
Well, my sister has killed quite a few moose and caribou and also 3 or 4 brown bears with her 308 loaded with 180 grain Partitions. All of her bears were 1 shot kills too.
So if my assumption that the 180 gr Accubonds and the 180 gr Partitions are pretty much equal to each other, I'd guess brown bears and moose are going to be harder to kill then Leopards. And they died just fine.
I imagine almost any expanding rifle bullet in the 150-180 grain range out of a .308 would kill a leopard very effectively if the shot is on target. After all, a good sized male leopard only weighs about 150 pounds. I mentioned Craig Boddington's comments on leopard bullets with reference to his suggestion that bullets that expand fairly easily may give a quicker kill than a tougher bullet. He specifically talks about the importance of this with .375 bullets and suggests that .375 bullets that are ideal for buffalo and other large game may not be ideal for leopard and that a lighter, softer bullet is better.
In cartridges that are commonly used for deer sized game, like the .308, the difference between tougher and softer bullets is probably not so important. But if you're looking for the ideal leopard bullet in a given cartridge, including the .308, it could be worth considering.
Obviously, all this nit picking about bullets is very secondary to shot placement, which is the key to a quick kill, on leopards or anything else.
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