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Wife has indicated she would like to go to African and hunt Leopard. This may happen in 09. Here is the catch. She has one rifle and knows how to use it. It is a custom stocked and fitted Ruger #1 with a 20" barrel in 7x57.The entire rifle is just under 34" long. It needs a new scope and it must have plenty of eye relief and a little tube length to move it rearward to fit on her #1. I was thinking of putting a Zeiss Conquest 2.5x8 with a #4 reticle.The 1.8x5.5 Zeiss might be a better Leopard scope but seems a little heavy and large for this small rifle. Same for the 3x9. Anyone with an opinion or suggestion? Bullets? I was thinking Leopards are not very big and need lots of shock over lots of penetration. I was thinking one of the bonded bullet that is also known for expansion over penetration. Bullets like the 156gr Norma Oryx; 154gr Hornady Interbond; Federal Fusion (Recovered one from a finishing shot at 30 yards on a Red Hartebeast that was down.Bullet was 180grain from 300WSM and weighed 127 grains and was .85 inches). There are plenty of bullets that should kill Leopards but I also need to keep it simple and use one bullet for everything. I think the Barnes TSX or TTSX could be an all around good choice. How about some opinions? | ||
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I really like those new Barnes TTSXs, used them in our 300mags this year on mule deer and they worked very well. A gold old Nosler partition would also work well. For scopes, I like Leupolds and in particular the 2.5-8x has always been a favorite of mine for plains game rifles. Oh yes, they work for leopards too.  | |||
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army aviator First let me say congrats on having a wife that is into hunting. Sharing the Africa expereince with someone your close to is very special. Personally I thinnk any good quality scope that has at least 6X on the top end is perfect for leopards. My first choice would be the Leupold 1.75x6 or 2.5x8. They might require an extension ring on a No1 though. In my expereince folks way over think the leopard bullet issue. If you are hunting plains game in addition to leopard use one bullet for everything. My recommendation would be the TSX or Nosler Partition in 140-160 gr in your wife's 7x57 but any premium bullet will do. Please forget the more frangible Hornady's etc. Hit the leopard right and he will come out of the tree like a sack of flour. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Aviator, I think that the 2x8 would be perfect, along with her choice of the 7x57 Ruger#1...she will only get one shot anyway. For bullet selection,I would definetly NOT use the TSX bullets, or any hard bullet for that matter. I would go with the Nosler Ballistic Tip or Accubond, which I used last year to take my cat. A MONSTER sized leopard is still only 180lbs or so, so you don't want a hard bullet, rather a bullet that will do maximum amout of damage before exiting. Some people worry about damaging the hide, but who cares if your taxidermist has to put in a few extra sutures? Better the leopards hide than yours! By the way, since your shot will most likely be broadside, you only need 4 inches or so of penetration to reach the vitals...another reason for using a soft bullet. Believe me, when you start to walk up on your bait tree after the shot, the last thing on your mind will be pelt damage! By the way, do you have your hunt booked yet? If you want to book a great PH, PM me and I'll be happy to give you some info. Take Care | |||
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For leopard a scope with a large front belll to let in light at twilight...Also found this to be the best in my opinion...An illuminated German #4 configuration has a red dot in center when turned on...It really draws your eye to the dot when turned on..My scope from Leupold has a 360 degree switch... For late evening shooting it cannot be beaten... As for a bullet I would send it as fast as possible in 150gr area and put it thru his lungs... Dead cat... Mike | |||
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My favorite plains game rifle is a custom 7x57 on a 1909 built by a good friend. It was built specifically for Africa and was built to use the 175gr Nosler Partition. Less scope it weighs exactly 7 lbs with 22" barrel with Iron sights. The scope I use on it is a Leupold Vari-X II 3x9 in Talley mounts on custom bases. Deadly accurate with 1/2" 3 shot groups consistantly. Over 3 shots the thin barrel heats up pretty fast. While I have not used it on Leopard I can vouch for the effectiveness of the combination on everything up thru Kudu out to 300yds. There are new bullets and there maybe better bullets but in over 55+ years I have used Nosler Partitions almost exclusively and have yet to have one fail. The VariX 3x9 is an excellant and not very expensive scope. I use Leupold almost exclusively with only one Swarovski and one Zeiss biggy I have on my 257. The Zeiss is brighter but I more or less attribute that to the 56mm Objective it has. I really don't percieve much difference between the VariX II and the 8 other VariX III's I have. Adjustments are different but optically I find no real fault with it. I took my first leopard from a blind over lights using a Leupold VariX III 1.5x5 and the picture was excellant. I can also highly reccomend the Swarovski which is a 1.5x4.5. It's only drawback is it has an unusually large eyepiece and might impede the reloading of the No1 if mounted very low. I have several No1's and that would be the only thing I would keep in mind. SCI Life Member NRA Patron Life Member DRSS | |||
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My new plains game rifle is a Merkel 9.3x74R double fitted with a Trijicon Accupoint 1.25-4X illuminated reticle riflescope in QD mounts. I am planning on using this rifle for a leopard hunt in the next year, or so. I think that the Trijicon Accupoint would be an awesome leopard scope with the clear optics and the illuminated reticle that does not require batteries, has no on/off switch and is always ready to go. The 1.25-4x also has a very long eye relief and would fit onto a Ruger No1 very nicely. "White men with their ridiculous civilization lie far from me. No longer need I be a slave to money" (W.D.M Bell) www.cybersafaris.com.au | |||
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Thanks for the reply. I don't think that the 2.5x8 or 1.5x6 Leupold will work without changing to extension rings and the 2.5x8 does not come with a #4 reticle. Also have a 1.25x4 Euro Leupold but the adjustment housing prevents it from coming back far enough. Currently have an old Redfield LO-PRO 2x7 with the adjustment turret forward on the tube. Six inches of the scope is behind the rear ring. It looks awful but was one of the few scopes 20 years ago that would work on this rifle for my wife. She also wants a heavier crosshair. | |||
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Mark, I will say that on my first Safari one of the hunters had 6 one shot killed using a 300Winchester with 165grain Hornady SSTs including a mature Kudu and Gemsbok. I guess he did't know they would not work. Of course there was not much left of his recovered bullets. I used a 308 Winchester with 165gr TBBC and Barnes 165gr XLCs and they worked well. I had about 4 feet of penetration on a huge Kudu from front to rear with the TBBCs. I don't know what else she would want to hunt but she may need to shoot bait. I read that Craig Boddington loaded a 7-08 with Swift Scirocco's for his daughter and her friend on their first Safari and was very pleased. Very much the same weapon in performance. | |||
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Wolfgar, Those were my thoughts exactly. That is why I was thinking of a bonded bullet that opens quickly and wide and retains good weight for penetration if she shoots something larger like a Zebra. I know from experience it is better to use one type bullet on a hunt. | |||
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Zimbabwe, Thanks for the suggestions. Her rifle actually has high Ruger rings as I bought it used and did not realize they were high when we had the rifle fitted at Fajen's for her custom fancy Maple stock. | |||
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BwanaBob, Thanks for the suggestion of the Trijicon. I will try to look at one at the Dallas Show. I see them being used more and more on the African Shows on TV. Of course as one of the sponsors you can expect to see them in the shows. Also wish they had something between the 1.25x4 and the 3x9 as I was shooting at over 300yards on some of my animals on my last Safari. | |||
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army aviator, I have heard some rumours that new models may be announced at the Shot Show - so stay tuned! "White men with their ridiculous civilization lie far from me. No longer need I be a slave to money" (W.D.M Bell) www.cybersafaris.com.au | |||
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Does anyone have photos of what ballistic tips will do to a leopard skin? I only have experience with these on deer and I have seen some "explosive" results to say the least. A few extra stitches from your taxidermist is not a problem if the flap of skin on an exit wound is still there. You could end up loosing a chunk of hide, also the hair around the bullet wound is where you are most likely to have hair slippage. A dead leopard with two bullet sized holes in it sound perfect to me. That would be my goal- dead, with as little skin damage as possible. | |||
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My Leupold VXIII 1.75x6 seemed perfect for me, even in very low light, right at dusk on several animals. The larger objective over the 1.5x5 was the selling point for me. I find the illuminated scopes slightly distracting for my general usage. Grafton: Here is the exit of a 260 grain AccuBond from my 375 H&H. Fired at 80 yards, thru neck and shoulders, I would imagine the velocity was still upwards of 2500 fps. While not a true "Ballistic Tip", it is close enough. I think a smaller, faster caliber would be even more expansive. OOPS; better add the picture.   | |||
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I originally planned to hunt leopard in John Sharp's Malangani concession in Zim where you hunt at night. I did a lot of reading an talking to folks in the know. In Zim where cats are taken usually at night under red lights or extremely low light conditions, I selected a Leupold VXIII 3.5X10X50mm with a German#4 & illuminated reticle. I HATE the way that scope looks on my nice rifle, but I'm told it's the "cat's meow" for this application. jorge USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Nice looking cat Blank. That exit hole is not bad. | |||
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Aviator, I couldn't tell if your wife will be able to hunt at night or not. In either case, low light - really late afternoon or night - is almost a certainty. My wife's leopard rifle is a 338 win mag with the illuminated Leupold reticle. I think the 7x57 is also an excellent choice, and likely a better one! Best, brightest optics are the way to go, in line with yur pocketbook. I really like the Zeiss Conquest for clarity and brightness, but I don't know if it comes with an illuminated reticle. I do know there is some really expensive German glass with illuminated crosshairs, but we opted for the Leupold, given the price differential. We looked at LOTS of scopes last year in Reno and Dallas before we picked one, and I think you're spot on in proposing to do the same. Bullet in the 338 is the 210 Nosler partition. Great for leopard and very useful for other plains game as well. We had horrible experiences (note, plural) with the 225 grain accubond, by the way. In the 7x57, I would think the partition is a great choice, as would be the Barnes TSX. Heavy for caliber is still the way I would go. | |||
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jorge, just make sure your bore is clean, and he will drop at THE CRACK OF THE SHOT.  | |||
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Et, tu, Grafton!!! jorgeUSN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Grafton, I used a 120 grain ballistic tip at 3200 fps MV. No worry about an exit in that there wasn't one. Nothing but froth inside. The leopard didn't even hear the shot. Inyati | |||
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Regarding the scope, I understand your issues. I too hunt with a No.1RSI in 7x57. You want a scope that has lots of eye relief due to the forward position of the scope on the gun, you want something small enough that it doesn't look strange and ruin the balance of the nimble little gun, yet for leopards you want lots of brightness. For me that's a Zeiss Conquest 2.5x8. It has a full 4" of eye relief at all power settings. This combined with the longer tube make fitting it to the No.1 a much better combination than the Leupolds. Being a #1 fanatic, I have personally mounted and used a wide variety of scopes on No. 1's, including: Leupold 2x7, 1.5x5, 2.5x8, 3x9 and 3.5x10; B&L 1.5x6, 2.5x10; Redfield 3x9; and Zeiss Conquest 3x9 and 2.5x8. I think you would be most pleased with the Conquests on that little gun. Based on my experience, both the 3x9 and 2.5x8 are bright enough to shoot a leopard without lights at night as long as you have the benefit of a little moon light and the bait and blind are positioned correctly. Depending on where you hunt this may be important. As far a bullets go, I would stay away from the Barnes. I use them regularly but I don't think they are best for this situation. They are great for deep penetration (not a benefit on leopard) and expand best with higher velocities (not a 7x57 with a 20" barrel). I would use 140-160 grain Accubonds, or Partitions. They will also work great on a wide range of plains game. | |||
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No one would recomend a Leupold if they compared it side by side with a Schmidt and Bender, especially in the low light. I have two VXIII's and wont buy another, am saving for a S&B now. | |||
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Schmidt&Bender 1.5-6x42 Mag eye relief with Illuminated no4 reticle.  | |||
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I will have to say I was truly amazed at the quality of the Schmidt & Bender when I looked at it. It WAS head and shoulders above the Leupold, but at over $2000 list it definitely SHOULD be. SCI Life Member NRA Patron Life Member DRSS | |||
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A perfect scope, a German one with a 56 mm bell for example Swaro 2.5-10.*56 with an illuminated red spot.   I trust Aframe in any circumstances as far as soft are concerned. J B de Runz Be careful when blindly following the masses ... generally the "m" is silent | |||
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Another great scope is the Zeiss 2.5-10x50. I prefer this to one with a 56mm bell as it sits closer to the barrel. | |||
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Just an observation: I think some of you are missing the point of army aviator's thread. He is not looking for the absolute brightest scope he can get. Those large heavy 50-56mm scopes with 30mm tubes do not mate well to a small light Ruger No.1. They are great scopes, but do not fit the application he is inquiring about. | |||
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A good friend has one of those big scopes on his light Blaser single shot 7x57R and its an awesome rifle that would be ideal for leopard. | |||
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Every PH & hunter will have his or her own opinion on what's best for hunting Mr Spots, but my opinion is that as you won't be shooting at long range, something in the region of a 4 power scope will be more than sufficient. Go for a large light gathering aperture at the business end and as good a quality as you can afford. The more light you can get into the scope and the sharper the image, the better you'll see the cat and decide exactly where you're gonna place the bullet, so good quality is essential. I'd also advise you not to go for a scope with too many variable controls or switches etc. You wouldn't believe how many hunters waste time buggering about with switches & dials etc because they get flustered in the heat of the moment. The simpler your equipment, the less you have to worry about it and the more you can concentrate on what you need to be concentrating on. Regarding bullets, cats are thin skinned and die easily if you put the bullet in the right place. Try to get a very fast expanding bullet travelling at a slowish speed. The more damage you can do and the bigger the hole you can put into the cat the better. Even if you put the hole in the wrong place a bigger hole will make him bleed out faster. My preference as the ultimate cat bullet is the Winchester Silvertip. You might also like to consider taking a Surefire Kroma along as well. Even if you put the bullet in the perfect spot, the cat will very often run a distance and it's not at all unusual to have to track the animal into very thick cover, not knowing if it's dead or alive . The Kroma makes the blood trail a LOT easier to see and this means a safer job and fewer grey hairs for whoever has to do the follow up. - Some PHs have these torches and some don't. - Take your own and its one less thing to worry about. As it's your wife who will be doing the shooting, it's one more reason to want to get everything as perfect as possible before she enters the blind. FWIW, From my experience, most women hunters are fabulous shots. Often slightly slower than men in taking the shot, but usually, considerably more precise in where they place the bullet. | |||
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Well so far there have been some great suggestions. I think the Leupold 1.5x6 and 2.5x8 are two short in tube lenght to move to the rear for my wife. Do not like the reticle choices in the 2.5x8. It looks like the Zeiss Conquest may work the best in the 2.5x8x32 or 1.8x5.5x38. The 1.8x5.5 should be the brightest but is very heavy. The 2.5x8 might be the best overall scope for this rifle. Also my wife is German and likes German stuff. Will be checking them out in Dallas. Lets hope we have a week of good weather. | |||
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I've always thought the Leupold fixed power 6X to be an excellent value for low light. It has a 42mm objective lens. I also think it is a great all-around scope and quite appropriate for those who don't think fiddling with a variable power and ending up with the wrong magnification is a good thing. I've never shot a leopard though. _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | |||
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