Remember some years ago when a lion escaped from a zoo and killed a few people?
We had a leopard kill a woman and then escape from one of those "wildlife sanctuaries" here a some years ago. He didn't last long. If memory serves they shipped in a female leopard which was in heat and he soon came in to breed. I guess he hadn't gone far. Bad deal all the way around.
'Four legs good, two legs baaaad." ---------------------------------------------- "Jimmy, some of it's magic, Some of it's tragic, But I had a good life all the way." (Jimmy Buffett)
The Beretta Model 71 (Jaguar) immediately comes to mind, but it would not be my first choice.
Being that they are think skinned critters, I think your typical 124 grain Gold dot fired from whatever 9mm service auto you perform best with would more than likely be just fine.
Truth be told though, if I had the opportunity to be in on the hunt for a big kitty on the loose, I would likely take along a special handgun like a custom 1911, or my favorite 5" Model 29. More likely than not, it is going to be settled in one shot or two, and the "Trophy shot" will be hanging on your wall for a long time, and a Glock 17/19/34 just does not have the panache that a custom Les Baer or Colt 1911 .45 or a 2.5" M19.
Though it is very hard to be a 4" 29-2
The hard part is deciding which one!
THE CHAIR IS AGAINST THE WALL.
The Tikka T3 in .308 Winchester is the Glock 19 of the rifle world.
when i saw the open window, i figured that was coming...
obviously, few folks will ever encounter a jaguar or leopard in their daily routines.
far more likely it will be a pit bull, or other vicious, dangerous animal that can potentially maul.
while the 9mm is my favorite handgun cartridge, it is all of the dangerous dogs that caused me to re-evaluate this. i settled on the .45 auto about 17 years back, for every day concealed carry. and on occasion, the .40 S&W--as i'm more inclined to trust the heavier bullets in handguns when it comes to these aggressive urban animals.
all learning is like a funnel: however, contrary to popular thought, one begins with the the narrow end. the more you progress, the more it expands into greater discovery--and the less of an audience you will have...
WOW................could have been much worse, cats are incredibly quick.
A late friend of mine was a PH (you might have known him Hi_Vel, Ridge Taylor from Jackson) & got mauled by a wounded leopard, & he was one of the best.
Nearly killed him & they had to beat it to death to get the animal off...............lucky day for him he wasn't killed.
Big cats are never to be taken lightly.
Guy in the truck prolly would have been happy to have any handgun during that episode.
When I was stationed "way down yonder", we had numerous EL TIGRES around & my choice for Tigre medecine was a double-barreled sawed-off 12 gauge shotgun loaded with #1 buckshot.
IF I absolutely had to have a concealable handgun to defend my tender body from a jaguar, it would have been a Colt's 1911 loaded with Plus-P JHP.
yours, tex.
"VICTORY OR DEATH"
William Barrett Travis, Lt.Col., comdt. Fortress of The Alamo, Bejar F'by 24, 1836
The old 30-06 came in handy a month ago in Namibia with a cheetah. The shot was only 35 yards so a handgun, about any mid to large bore I own, would have worked fine.
Taxonomically, there's almost no difference between a leopard and a jaguar, both being in the tiny panthera category, to include only two other members, the tiger and lion. The cheetah, however, is most closely related to the mountain lion, both being members of the much larger category felidae, into which are included the domesticated house cat.
Taxonomically, there's almost no difference between a leopard and a jaguar, both being in the tiny panthera category, to include only two other members, the tiger and lion. The cheetah, however, is most closely related to the mountain lion, both being members of the much larger category felidae, into which are included the domesticated house cat.
Aren't Jaguars in the 300lb size range? A cougar is maybe half that.