Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Leopard. Cartridge and bullet choice.

My 2022 Zimbabwe leopard hunt is less than one year out and is approaching fast. I expected it to drag by, but the weeks are going by surprisingly quick. I wanted to get some opinions and thoughts on the rifle and bullet combination I have decided to use for this once in a lifetime hunt.

I'm taking two rifles. A No.1 in 300h&h. The bullet is a 180g Interlock. The other rifle is a 700 in 308 with a 150g interlock.
Originally I had planned on using the No.1. It shoots very well with the above mentioned handload. However, I grew up on a 700 and no matter how much I shoot the No.1; I feel more confident in my ability with the 700 platform.. It also has a much better trigger and a better optic. That's not to say that the no. 1 isn't a fine rifle, the trigger is somewhat heavy but clean, and sports a 6x36 Leupold which I have no trouble making hits with out to 400. (Not that I'll be shooting that far on leopard). I have total confidence in the 300h&h and the 180g interlock at 2950 but should I decide to use the 308 instead, would you shy away from the 150 Interlock? A leopard is roughly the same weight and size as a whitetail, and the interlock is one of my favorite deer bullets and I think it should work just fine, but I'd like to hear what those that have been there and done that have to say about it. Thanks in advance. All opinions welcome.

I've only killed one Leopard, it was a 50 yd shot with my .300 Weatherby and a 168 grain TTSX bullet. He was basically DRT, 18 paces from where I shot him.

I would think that at 50 yds your .308 would have no problems killing Mr Spots.

.458 Nosler 300 grain Protected Point @2200 fps from 1886 45-90. One shot kill- cat never moved after shot.

That seems a bit too fast for the interlock but I am sure it will kill if placed well.I used a 300WM and the 180gr TSX to shoot a leopard.I shot it at 80yds just above the heart and he dropped off the tree like a bag of potatoes.I really pushed the TSX with a hot load.When hunting medium to large game with medium bores, TSX is my choice.

An old Rusty-assed Taurus .38 special will work if you wait till theres hair on the end of the barrel.


Don't axe me how I know.......

ooohhh let me guess, your new Langdon buiklt flintlock misfired due to salt corrosion from the ship ride to Africa?

Have heard the story lol, and don't intend on that happening.....

See post above 😂😂

Flip a coin and use the winner.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Well, the way I heard it, the gun bearer was offended by some racist remark Tom had made when the slave…er…gun bearer…complained about the chains on his ankles being too tight. Anyway, the slave….er…gun bearer, pissed in the touch hole of the Langdon. Tom was able to sort out the cat with his sidearm. In retribution to the slave…er…gun bearer, Tom began exporting slaves…er…gun bearers to the Colonies!

Interesting choice:

A more powerful single shot rifle, or a less powerful bolt action repeater...

I know you really like that 300 H&H, but... I'd be real tempted to use the rifle I was most confident with.

BTW, in .308 Win, I've never used the 150 Interlock, but have had stellar results on game with the 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.

Regards, Guy

I wasn't aware Tom had expertise in Antique farm equipment

The 150 grain Interlock in the .308 should work fine. And it never hurts to have a additional shots available in the magazine.

The 150 gr Interlock from the .308 Win would be my vote. More important decision is scope. If I recall, you are in communal area? If that is the case, no lights allowed. The best brightest scope with at least 50 mm objective and illuminated reticle may give you the extra few minutes you need to make the shot.

I'm in CR's camp with medium velocity rounds on Leopard, only one so far, 400 H&H 400gr Swift A Frame at 2400 fps, filed the semi spitzer point flat, hit with a pilot center punch, ran an 1/8th" drill bit in a 1/4" deep, cat was dead on the limb from the homemade hollow point 70 yards out.

That story will remain forever young 'Gwe ; ]

Although, at the time, it was considered pretty cutting-edge…

Here I will point out, once again, that one of the most experienced leopard hunters ever, who also eventually became a well-know PH, eventually decided the .243 Winchester with 100-grain bullets was the best baited leopard round.

The guy was John Kingsley-Heath, who was obsessed with leopards, including killing black (melanistic) leopards. He killed a LOT of leopards himself in several countries (some of which haven't been open to hunting for decades) before becoming a PH.

He liked the .243 because it recoiled lightly, so hunters didn't tend to flinch, yet penetrated enough even on big leopards to drop them with a precisely placed shot. He also liked it because the light, fast bullet did a lot of damage inside, but didn't tear up the hide like larger cartridges, especially magnums.

During his hunting and guiding career JKH saw far more leopards killed than almost any of today's PHs, and FAR more than even the most experienced safari hunters. Yet many of today's hunters (and even some less-experienced PHs) are convinced he was wrong--despite never having seen a leopard shot with a .243.

Here is my opinion, and have never hunted leopard. So take it with a grain of salt.

I like the 300 H&H, but not Ruger No 1's.
I have zero experience with the 308, but prefer bolt actions, and have lots of 700 experience.

With that being said, I would use the 308. Comfort with the bolt action trumps IMO.

As far as the 150gr Interlock, I see no reason not to use it. My personal preference would be a 165gr, but I am sure I could kill a leopard with the the 150gr.

The reason why I chose the 300WM and the TSX is because of my experience with it while caribou hunting.I've shot a lot of caribou with a 270win,7mmRM and the 300WM- all tried with various bullets.I've also witnessed my hunting partners 30-06 take caribou.The only one that would drop and kill them instantly was the 300WM with the 180gr TSX.The rest did not measure up.In my hunting partners words"it looks like you found the right recipe".

But it bounces off deer so how could it possibly kill something with claws?! 😂😇

i've taken 1 leopard. I used my 375 H&H with 300 grain TSX. Leopard was 80 to 100 yards standing in a dry river bed under my bait tree when i fired. It went 40 yards n piled up.

I could see that being very effective

243s all the way to 458s. Neither of which would be my first choice or 101st choice; but interesting reading nonetheless. Leaning towards the 308 with the 150g interlock and using the 300h&h for some plains game.

KY221,
Did I not mention that the .458 2.4 also killed one elephant and several cape buffalo on the same outing?
Spots was just an opportunistic kill.

With the right weapon, thee is no need to be bothered with toting multiple weapons and ammo all round the country.

Of your two choices, I don't think it matters. See Mule Deer's post. I've read John Kingsley-Heath's book and he's right. Those who use heavier rifles on leopard are usually hunters who hunt other game on the same safari and don't want to bring more than one rifle.

I don't believe in hunting dangerous game with a single-shot rifle, though with a leopard you'll probably only get one shot anyway.

Which is one reason JKH kept a pre-'64 Featherweight .243 in camp. He often "suggested" his clients use the rifle on leopard, depending on how the client shot with larger cartridges.

I think you left that part out. 😉


I wouldn't consider a 300 or 308 a "heavier rifle. Always thought it seemed just about right for a leopard safari that involves some plains game. I was more interested in hearing about 30 cal bullet choice as I was about getting into a cartridge debate. But I do like hearing the varying opinions and thoughts on the subject.

Out of curiosity, what would a PH carry to back up a client hunting leopard? I'm assuming either a double or a 12 gauge? (I've seen the relatively recent clip of the wounded leopard mauling the guy after all the PHs miss with rifles and always wondered if a couple loads of 00 magnum buck would've saved the guy some stitches?)

Mule Deer,
JOC gave JKH a custom 243 as a thank you. It was a pre64 M70 Fwt which Mr O had restocked by Earl Milliron of Portland OR. I was lucky enough to see it when I was visiting Earl. That rifle was involved in many many leopard hunts.

I’ve only shot 2 leopards, so am far from an expert but know what has worked for me. My first leopard was shot with a 300 Winchester and 180 grain Nosler Partition. He was dead before he fell off the limb, and was directly under the tree limb when we walked up to him. Second leopard I shot with my 338 Winchester and 225 grain Trophy Bonded Bearclaws. This one was a Kalahari Desert cat, so on the ground. It crushed him, DRT.

You DO NOT NEED any magnum to cleanly and quickly kill even the biggest leopard, just a standard caliber rifle shooting a good standard bullet like a Sierra Game King, Remington Core Lokt or Nosler Ballistic tip. A 270 or 30-06 shooting one of these Bullets would be close to perfect as a leopard cartridge. With leopards, it really is all about making a good first shot, then you won’t need a 2nd shot. They’re not hard to kill if shot well with the first shot.

I’ve got a hunt coming up in 2 months and leopard (likely my last one) will again be one of the animals I’m hunting. I’ll be shooting it with my 338 and either a 225 grain Bearclaw or Barnes TTSX. The only reason I’m shooting it with this rifle is because it’s what I do the heavy majority of my hunting with, not because I need that much horsepower for any cat.

My leopard was DRT with a 225 grain Partition out of a .338 Winchester. No followup was needed, but my .470 was standing by just in case.

I have never hunted big cats, but I have seen a poorly shot bobcat charge and know of another that wounded a man badly. I vote for the bolt action 30 caliber over the falling block 30 caliber rifle. Shot cats that aren't dead are mean.

I’ve never shot one, but in sticky situations I’d want more then one shot.
I’d load up some 165 partitions for your 308 never look back

I’ve never killed a leopard but I have killed many animals with a 308 and the majority of those animals fell to a 150 hornady. I would have absolute faith in that combination. As someone else mentioned I would hang the best/brightest scope I could find on it. Good luck on your hunt.

Interesting comment about the best/brightest scope. I’m actually changing out the 4-14 Zeiss conquest I have on my .338 to a Leupold VX5HD 2-10 for that very reason. 30mm tube with the fire dot reticle should be a great scope for leopard hunting, as well as everything else. Nothing wrong with the Zeiss, I just wanted a 30mm tube and love the fire dot.

I shot my one leopard with my .338 Winchester mag and 250 grain nosier partition. One shot and he died under limb he had been standing on. This was the gun I used for everything other than Cape buffalo

I used 9.3 x 62 on my leopard, but I've always thought the .444 Marlin or .45-70 with hollow points would be some wicked cat medicine. It has been pointed out to me that those two cartridges would leave some nasty holes for the taxidermist.

Mule Deer - You might know this story about JK-H, but it remains harrowing. Met him at SCI years ago when he was with Safari South.


In August 1961, when Kingsley-Heath was leading a private safari along the Kisigo river in Tanganyika. From inside a blind (a shelter for hunters), he turned to see a huge, maned lion crouching behind him not 15ft away. As it gathered itself to spring, Kingsley-Heath shot it, and the lion fled. He and his gunbearers gave chase and found the wounded creature lying on its side, breathing heavily.

It was down, but not out. When Kingsley-Heath's client opened fire, the lion made a single bound of 22ft towards the two men. Kingsley-Heath dropped to the ground and smashed the barrel of his .470 rifle over the animal's head, breaking the stock at the pistol grip; the lion staggered. As his gunbearers and client ran for cover Kingsley-Heath struggled on to his elbows to get clear.

"Too late," he recalled, "the lion was upon me, I smelt his foul breath as, doubling my legs up to protect my stomach, I hit him in the mouth with my right fist as hard as I could. His mouth must have been partly open as my fist went straight in."

With a single jerk of its head, the lion broke Kingsley-Heath's right arm; as he punched it with his left fist, the lion bit clean through his left wrist, breaking the left arm and leaving the hand hanging by its sinews. Next it clamped his foot in its jaws, crushing the bones in it by twisting his ankle.

One of the gunbearers arrived, threw himself on the animal's back and stabbed it repeatedly with a hunting knife. With Kingsley-Heath's foot still locked in its mouth, the lion was finally shot dead. The client reappeared, and with his rifle blew the creature's jaws apart so that Kingsley-Heath's foot could be removed.

Tom has experience with antique anything, as he was around when it was introduced as "new".

Nice to see you posting again Carl.

But you're mean....

I have never killed a leopard or any other big cat,but I have taken dozens of deer and hogs with the 150 grain Hornady flat base interlock. It is one of my all time favorite fast killers out of 308,30-06,and 300 win mag.

I have used on it huge wild boars where it worked perfectly.

I can't imagine a better load for a close range leopard.

I am sorry, Tom, but you know the drill. Insulting the GP, preferably with an age related tone, as in "back when he started hunting, right around the time earths crust was done solidifying, he only had to wait eons..." would earn one the appropriate response for members of the merry band of turdlikes.

:-)

I have been around, keeping taps, staying in touch with a few guys. I miss my going to the states and meet you guys, but with the global epidemic...

USE the 300 H&H Mag.
Leopard's are TOUGH.

Harry