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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 11,497
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2002
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Any rifle suitable for deer hunting will work just fine on leopard.
That said, I took a .375 H&H. Why? To have one rifle for everything, including elephant. Took two types of bullets--North Fork 300 grain flat point solids and North Fork 300 grain softs. I never got a shot at a leopard but the softs worked OK on Impala, Lion, Zebra, and Cape Buffalo.
Don't blame me. I voted for Trump.
Democrats would burn this country to the ground, if they could rule over the ashes.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,302
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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If you are shooting a .458 bore, I found the 300 grain Nosler Partition to be very effective. at a MV of 2200 fps. ![[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]](https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/53797_600x400.jpg)
CRS, NRA Benefactor Life Member, Whittington Center, TSRA, DWWC, DRSS Android Reloading Ballistics App at http://www.xplat.net/
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,923
Campfire Tracker
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I have a 300 H&H that shoots 180gr TTSX's into tiny groups, thinking that would work just fine. Of course, any my 270's shooting 130gr mono's or 6.5x55 with 129gr IL's would work.
I could also go big with my 375 H&H and 270gr TSX's or 416 Remington shooting 350gr TSX's.
Love having choices.....
Arcus Venator
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,098
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,098 |
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. 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. Elk saves those 460 loads for his NM jachwabbits. Leopards evidently not as hard to kill. I’d think a 210 NPT out of that 338-06 would pack a wallop. I have a .375 H&H NH Classic with a Victory 1.5-6x42 that would be great for those cats. A hunter who’s been there made that comment. I’ve read that the South Africans make a special load for cats. That could be interesting. DF
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,245
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,245 |
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.
Good to know the standard 400gr A Frame at roughly 2400 fps worked a DRT on the light cats, i made hollow points out of my A Frames for Leopard with my 400 H&H, it was also a 70 yard DRT, wanted to shoot buffalo and hippo with my 577 double, my bolt rifle had to do the rest, i can say 400gr A Frames leaving at 2400 fps work perfectly on: Warthog at 169 Waterbuck at 222 Hartebeest at 228 Zebra at 277 The heavy mediums can indeed get it all done this side of 300 yards, last Oct/Nov trip to Tanzania was a hell of an experience.
Trump Won!
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,102
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,102 |
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. John Kingsley-Heath was a famous PH, who ever before he started guiding hunted leopards avidly in several countries. (Among several famous hunters he guided was Jack O'Connor.) He and his clients killed hundreds of leopards, and Kingsley-Heath eventually decided the .243 was ideal. It killed them quite suddenly with a properly placed shot--which was easily accomplished with the light recoil, and didn't tear up hides as much as larger calibers.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,615
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I'll never have the opportunity, but I'd think the ideal leopard rifle would be a relatively fast medium bore throwing a fairly frangible pill. To that end, I'd go .325 WSM. I shot a buck last season with a 180gr Ballistic Tip in the .325 and have never seen such a blood trail in my life, looked like a crime scene. The 8mm Ballistic Tip, or possibly a Hawk 180 or 200gr soft round nose would blow kitty clockwork all over the tree he was perched in.
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Joined: Mar 2008
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Campfire Tracker
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I know a little about JKH’s 243. John is correct, it was his favorite leopard medicine. Among other reasons, he liked it because his clients predictably placed their shot precisely. Also it didn’t destroy the poor critter. The stress of leopard hunting increases because of waiting and boredom and desire not to F up. Many leopard hunters miss their cat at short range despite shooting off of a rest that was set up hours before kitty arrives. A big 30 or bigger is more hindrance than help.
JOC got a pre-64 Fwt M70 in 243 and had it gussied up and then stocked by Earl Milliron of Portland OR. If my memory is correct it had a 3x9 Leupold. I think he gave it to JKH. JOC also gave JKH a very nice pre-64 375 which accounted for many lions.
I have tried leopard hunting but I can’t sit still and I get bored and I miss the drinks around the evening campfire. And I like my sleep. If I ever see one walking around he will be in trouble but that is not how most leopards are hunted.
Last edited by RinB; 03/27/21.
“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Posted by Brad.
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 42,614
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 42,614 |
Cats' nervous system makes them really perceptible to velocity. Leopards aren't very big, but a pissed off one will get your attention. I've never taken one but lost of folks I know have and when I eventually go whatever I'll take it'll be at least a 30 cal with an MV above 2800. It's ok to have a caliber that works when everything goes right, I prefer to have one that works when everything goes wrong..
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…”
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 20,824
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 20,824 |
With exit wounds and destroyed capes, maybe a Berger VLD out of something like a .243 or 25-06 might be ideal?
Seems grenading inside the critter would have the nice affect of anchoring the critter in place also.
Originally Posted by Judman
PS, if you think Trump is “good” you’re way stupider than I thought! Haha
Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit.
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 8,883
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2017
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Never shot any big cats but I'd use whatever I hauled over there for plains game with the same scope and know exactly where it hits at all the ranges I'd use it at. Especially so on a blind to bait distance. I've shot more than a few feral cats in my time and on a cns shot anything works but failing a cns hit it's pretty damned amazing how far they can go. Listen to the ph and make it a 1 and done deal. Mb
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5,499
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2016
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I agree with many others above: Any good expanding deer bullet from a normal "deer-caliber" is fine. Shooting skills are what's important.
My only experience was with a 404 Jeffery, but that because it's what I had in hand. However I saw it done with standard 308 rounds 2 other times and it was no different then shooting a large American Mountain Lion. Bang, jump, pile up and thrash for about 2-3 seconds.........dead.
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 33,694
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 33,694 |
Cats' nervous system makes them really perceptible to velocity. Leopards aren't very big, but a pissed off one will get your attention. I've never taken one but lost of folks I know have and when I eventually go whatever I'll take it'll be at least a 30 cal with an MV above 2800. It's ok to have a caliber that works when everything goes right, I prefer to have one that works when everything goes wrong.. Hence my thoughts on the 168 Gr TSX via FN Mauser 30-06 on my cheetah. Smacked at 50 yards in the backside of the neck. A freebee by the way....
Conduct is the best proof of character.
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,885
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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I will never hunt them because of my bank account, but if I did from a blind I would like my Marlin 45-70 launching the hard to find 300 grain Nosler Partition as fast as possible and a 30mm illuminated reticle SWFA 1-6x24 scope. Would put a big hole through that spotted beast!
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,302
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,302 |
I will never hunt them because of my bank account, but if I did from a blind I would like my Marlin 45-70 launching the hard to find 300 grain Nosler Partition as fast as possible and a 30mm illuminated reticle SWFA 1-6x24 scope. Would put a big hole through that spotted beast! I could like that. Never thought of putting one of them on my 45-70... Love that 300 PT too!
Semper Fi
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,245
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 46,245 |
I will never hunt them because of my bank account, but if I did from a blind I would like my Marlin 45-70 launching the hard to find 300 grain Nosler Partition as fast as possible and a 30mm illuminated reticle SWFA 1-6x24 scope. Would put a big hole through that spotted beast! I could like that. Never thought of putting one of them on my 45-70... Love that 300 PT too! Old buddy Bill Bagwell spoke of using a cast lead 330 grain Gould hollow point in his 45-70 for Leopard if he ever made it back to Africa, after what he told me it did to deer and a laying hen killing feral dog i have no doubt about it working on Leopard. 
Trump Won!
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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my 375 H&H worked perfect
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 424
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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Posts: 424 |
I agree with Castnblast that the scope is more important than the rifle calibre. In five trips to Namibia I’ve never hunted Leopard due to lack of funds for the trophy fees, but I’ve hunted Spotted Hyenas, which is a quite similar hunt: close range bait, elevated blind, low light scenario. The only major difference is determining the gender of the quarry- either sex is good with the Spotted Hyena, while it’s males only with Leopards. My Winchester Model 70 in .300 WSM was plenty of gun, but my Leupold Vari-V III in 3.5X10X40 was totally inadequate in very low light/ no light scenarios. I simply couldn’t see the crosshairs. I ended up using the PH’s Rifle and scope combo.
Jesus saves, but Moses invests
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,302
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Posts: 15,302 |
I agree with Castnblast that the scope is more important than the rifle calibre. In five trips to Namibia I’ve never hunted Leopard due to lack of funds for the trophy fees, but I’ve hunted Spotted Hyenas, which is a quite similar hunt: close range bait, elevated blind, low light scenario. The only major difference is determining the gender of the quarry- either sex is good with the Spotted Hyena, while it’s males only with Leopards. My Winchester Model 70 in .300 WSM was plenty of gun, but my Leupold Vari-V III in 3.5X10X40 was totally inadequate in very low light/ no light scenarios. I simply couldn’t see the crosshairs. I ended up using the PH’s Rifle and scope combo. What glass was on the PH's rifle?
Semper Fi
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Joined: Dec 2012
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Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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The PH’s scope had a large 50 mm objective lens and an illuminated reticle. He ended up shooting a Hyena at 6 yards just before it attacked him.
Jesus saves, but Moses invests
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