Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Rifle/Cartridge/Bullet for leopard?

Just a fun thread, interested to see what everyone's choices would be. Doesn't matter if you have taken 5 leopards or never considered hunting them, what would you choose?

I have Zimbabwe booked for next August, which will be my first trip to Africa. Father in law is also going along and will be hunting plains game. I decided on a No. 1 300H&H and 180g Interlocks.

Either a 7x57 with 140 grain NBT's, a .270 Win with 130 grain NBT's or a .30/06 with 150 grain NBT's.

I am going next year to Namibia and I think I am going with my 300 Win Mag and 180 Swift A-Frames

I’d be in this camp. My 280 imp with 150 NBT’s close to 3K would be my go to. Anything between 6mm and 30 cal with a fairly stout C&C bullet around 2800-3K fps would be fine with me.

The following of a wounded cat may bring another choice on though!

" No. 1 300H&H and 180g Interlocks" - seem like a very good choice to me. And shoot that one shot in the right "spot"

But your scope is likely more important than your rifle or cartridge. Most leopards are hunted in poor light from a stable shooting position. The others, well then you need instinctive quick handling and reliability and power...
I'd probably choose my 9.3x74R O/U double Beretta Express, with S&B 1.5-8x42 Stratos scope with illuminated reticle. I'd load it with a 286 gr. round nose bullet with lots of lead exposed, like the Norma Alaskan. It's accurate and deadly on the first shot, in any light and from any position, and quick and deadly if a second shot is needed.

My .300 Weatherby with a Barnes 168 grain TTSX bullet worked perfectly on my Mozambique leopard.

Personal experience:

MY leopard taken with a .270, 150gr Nosler Partition. One shot, No follow up. My wife's leopard was taken with a .308 180gr Nosler Partition. One shot, ran twenty yards No follow up. I've witnessed the taking of two other leopard. One was shot/killed with a .30-06 150gr Remington CoreLoc. One shot No Follow up.. The other leopard I witnessed being taken was shot/killed with a .416 Rigby 400gr Swift A-Frame. The end result was the same. One shot, DRT.

Scopes used: Leupold 1.5x5 on my .270, and the same on my wife's .308. The -06 had an old Weaver 4x, and the Rigby had a Leupold 3x9. Nothing exotic or esoteric.

Have had the opportunity to discuss leopard hunting with several P/H's in Zimbabwe, and Zambia regarding which caliber they thought was "best" for leopard. There didn't seem to be any consensus for "Best." To the man, they emphasized the importance of shot placement, no matter the caliber.

Shoot straight, and you'll have your trophy.

Have been around when leopards were taken but have never shot one. Remember the range will likely be no more than 50 yards. The cat’s bones are not heavy. Most hunters want a nice cape. I would use a mono at no more than 3000 and believe 2700-2750 might be ideal. A big thirty with wide expanding bullets will create a big hole in the hide. Some sort of 7mm shooting a 140 TTSX or ETip at 2775 might be ideal.

Robert Ruark has content on youtube. I had read some about him and Harry Selby. So I gave one his old films a view. He said he carried a shotgun with buckshot for back up because the cats are too fast to use sights. I had never considered that, being completely lacking in experience.

I'm sure a scoped centerfire rifle of sufficient caliber is without rival for shot placement on unsuspecting cats at distance. Same as other game. I've also read that current thinking favors rifles for backup.

I have a Rem 700 Mnt gun 30-06 I had used for elk before switching to a muzzle loader. Im sure it would work fine. I'd likely want a better quality scope of fixed low magnification.

No 460? are you feeling OK?

I would take my 338-06 with 210 grain monometal. Probably a TSX, but maybe a TTSX. Already have a TSX load worked up. TTSX's on the shelf, just have not tried them yet..

I have used 200gr Ballistic silvertips on deer and black bear. IMO it would tear up a leopard pretty good.

I wouldn’t mind a big sewn up hole on my rug. I would hate to watch a leopard run off into the bush.
I think I’d go for the biggest nastiest hole I could punch through it. I’ve seen even a 243 with 95BT put a hurting on deer and exit. Doubt leopard are much thicker/heavier?

Obviously a lot of ways to get it done.

Leopards are not difficult to kill with proper shot placement and a decent bullet. That said, the two I’ve shot were with a 300 Winchester and 180 grain Nosler Partition and a 338 Winchester with 225 grain Trophy Bonded Bearclaw. Both died quickly. I’ll be leopard hunting later this year and shooting my 338, with a 225 grain bullet, either a Nosler Partition or Barnes TTSX. Either will do fine.

If I were hunting only leopard, I’d probably shoot either a 270 or 30-06 with a partition or accubond.

A .460 ummm......

I think you've got more than "enough gun". As mentioned by others above, shot distances from blinds are generally less than 100 yrds. Even a really big tom will actually only be 18"-20" wide through the shoulders and maybe 24" crouched on a limb feeding. Skin is relatively thin and again as mentioned, the bones are not heavy/thick. Your PH will most likely have the blind positioned so that a cat feeding on the bait will be as broadside as possible for several reasons: a) to give you the largest vital area presentation. b) so he can confirm "nuts" before you shoot. The penalties for mistakenly shooting a female are pretty sever and pretty much the same whatever county you're in. You'll still pay the full trophy fee and govt will keep it. PH may face fines or disciplinary actions.

Again as mentioned, Bullet choice is pretty important. Leopard are sensitive to high velocity impacts but, depending on bullet choice, that can also make BIG holes on the off-side exit. Maybe think about using a mono-metal like TSX or a TTSX. The TSX doesn't expand as quickly as the TTSX and is unlikely to blow a big exit hole even if you happen to hit a leg bone of a crouching/feeding cat. If you put pretty much any size hole thru the heart, even from a solid, he's not going to go far.

Be sure to spend time studying Shot Placement. Take special note of how low in the chest the heart is and ESPECIALLY when crouched - lays on the floor of the chest wall. Also, you'll likely be shooting at a slight upward angle, maybe 15-20ft above your seated position in the blind.

Your rifle is very likely to be a bit pre-positioned very stable, "supported" at the forestock and buttstock and generally pre-aimed where the PH thinks the cat is most likely to settle on the bait. All you'll have to do is quietly sit forward, shoulder, safety off, final aim point adjustment and squeeze.

Once there is a cat on bait and the blind is built, it would be a good idea to measure the distance from the bait to the blind and take a couple of shots at the PH's range to make sure you're dead nuts zeroed. You want as little guesswork as possible. Just put the crosshairs on and squeeze.

Optics - your hunt is likely to be under very low light evening/morning or even full night. If full night, it's not unusual for the PH to have lights set up. Usually red and on a rheostat. Like most predators, leopards can't really "see" red light. They will notice a general "brightening" of the area but if the rheostat is turned up slowly, after the cat as settled on the bait feeding, it may take him awhile to notice. It will be just to the point the PH can confirm "nuts" and the after he's settled on the bait and feeding, he may not notice the change. An illuminated reticle scope can come in real handy. Leopold's Custom Shop used to offer a "green dot" in their VX-R line. That is absolutely ideal if you'll be in a red light situation.

Didn't you come into a 404 Jeffery also? That would be big enough, and with a tough bullet would not tear up the hide. Big enough hole for plenty of leaking though.

Just guessing but if my FN 30-06 loaded with the 168 gr TSX worked on a cheetah the combo would likely work on a leopard.

Yes, I have a .404 Jeffery, the problem with it is that a scope does not work.

Never even think about them. Somehow I doubt one would function with a good 140gr 6.5 bullet properly placed in it! But if I was to go the Africa, ain't gonna happen in this life time, two rifles I might take Big gun would be my 30-06 with 200gr bullet's and second probably my 6.5x55 with 140gr bullet's. These days I'd go if all I could take was a camera! But a brother did it, three weeks he his son and son's wife. Not counting air fare it was over $60K! My choice of cartridge's would determine what I'd hunt. I don't shoot anything larger than 30 cal anymore, don't like recoil!

My philosophy has always been to carry a rifle capable of dealing with unexpected situations. I've only carried two rifles in Africa : "light rifle" - 375 H&H, Heavy Rifle - 458 Lott.

For a leopard hunt, a 375 H&H would be my pick. Ammo in camp is likely to be found if needed and the 375 H&H is adequate for bigger stuff if circumstances present themselves. While the 375 H&H is very effective, it does not cause extreme collateral tissue damage and recoil is not uncomfortable.

T.S.

Dunno how this could be improved upon.