I would like some expert opinion on a good bullet for Leopard with the 9.3x62. The hunt will be with Robin Hurt, who advised a fairly fast expanding bullet. Anyone with experience on Leopard? Thanks in advance.

Dwright: No experience on leopard, but the Speer 270-grain soft point is considered a fast opener in 9,3.

RWS H-Mantle is a bomb...........

Have hunted Leopard quite a bit with a 9.3x62, so far with with no joy on Mr Spots .
Have always used 286grn Woodleighs round nose softs or 258grn RWS H-Mantles in 9.3mm for game of similar size to that of a Leopard.

270gn Round nose Speer would be just soft enough imo.

286gr Nosler Partition should do very well also.

+1 286gn Nosler Partition!

No experience of any kind with Leopard but look at the RWS T-Mantel.

http://www.rws-munition.de/en/...antel_projectile.htm

No experience with the 9.63, but I have had experience with the .375 H&H. I have killed two leopard, one with a .300 grain trophy bonded bear claw, and the other one (in the picture) with a .300 grain Nosler Partition. Here's the one from last July killed with the Nosler Partition:

If you're handloading, go for the Winchester Silvertip loaded to moderate velocities. They don't work so well if they're loaded too fast but at slow - moderate speeds they're fantastic on cats.

Alternatively Woodleigh SP (NOT PSP) loaded within the velocity recommendations printed on the box or the A frame.

Robin might be a little sensitive on the issue of bullets for leopards. Probably also sensitive about client shooting straight.

Having had the opportunity to wear a live leopard which a client wounded tends to have this result.

If you get a large leopard hitting a bait, they will proceed making a blind. They will place a couple folding chairs in the blind (for you and PH) and carefully adjust the hole in front for your rifle and will make quite a secure rest such that your rifle will naturally be right over the branch. They will measure distance from blind to bait exactly (rangefinder works great for this). After blind is complete you will go some distance away, mebbe have lunch and sight in your rifle for exactly that range. Try to remove as many variables as possible.

Later, around 4'ish, you'll all drive back to the bait and pile out, walking to the blind. You and Robin will stay; the others will leave. Leopards are not good at math. Bring good book as you will be there a while. Enjoy the sounds in the blind--it's amazing how much more active animals are when people aren't tramping around. If a leopard hits, Robin will check its size and sex and then give you go ahead to shoot. After an apparently good shot he will probably leave the blind to go around while you remain inside to provide cover.

Suggestions. When the blind is built, sit in the chair a bit and study the layout of the tree, the trunk, branches, and surrounding bush. Leopards are often shot with VERY little light--knowing the layout beforehand helps. Knowing the angle of the bait branch to you will help in knowing what the leopard's orientation is to you if he's sitting on the branch. You must know leopard's orientation to shoot properly.

Don't leave your scope on high power--leave it at low power. Trying to find a leopard in dark twilight with the scope at 9-12X isn't good. You can leave it on 4-6X and crank up before shot.

After the shot, if the leopard moves at all on ground, shoot again.

If the soft point you are using for general hunting is hard, I would bring 5 or so "softer" rounds for the leopard. This way, you can sight in and have enough for shooting.

Take a flashlight with you. You may well be rooting about in the dark afterwards.

I've hunted in all of their concessions. Where and when are you going? Good luck and enjoy!!

I would imagine that the 250 grain TSX would be ideal. They open very well on smaller whitetails, so I assume they would perform just as well on cats. I have used them on zebra, oryx, kudu, hartebeast, and deer and have been pleased with the results. The 232 grain Norma may be another option.

DWright,

If the 286gr. Nosler Partition shoots well in your rifle your in business. You will get the quck expansion Robin mentioned with the frangible front portion but the rear 2/3's will exit. This not only makes this a great leopard bullet but will work well for anything else you use it on in Tanzania.

Having said the above my guess is any quality expanding bullet will work fine. A few dead leopards does not make an expert but I've use Nosler Partition, early production TBBC and the more recent Speer TBBC. All work very well with no follow up necessary.

Good luck,

Mark

Call me chicken shit but I shot mine with a 416 400g
trophy bonded bear claw. I wanted a big slow bullet.
Besides everyone always asked after it's mounted where did you shoot him. I just point to the shoulder its easy to see.

Great cat use enough gun.

i agree with mark , the nosler would work well , having said that this last season i had two guys shoot leopard with the hornady dgx and also with the barnes triple shok ..i have hunted with people using these bulletts in .375 with good results ..

i dont like silvertips as they are very soft and in the case that you happen to hit the shoulder on the main bone , they can break up , smash the leg and not enter the chest cavity ... i have had that happen on lion and leopard with .375 silvertips ( essentially the same as the 9.3)

bottom line is that you should choose what shoots well through your rifle , most people , including me , havent had enough experience on multiple cats with multiple bulletts to have any other than a very narrow experience ..

over the last 6 years i have had people take just over 20 cats and looking through my records i would say that there is no real preference on bullet....i havent lost one from bad bullet performance , a few guys missed though !!!

hope this helps and doesnt confuse !!

imc

I will be using 250gr tsx for Leopard this year in RSA . My ph told me pick a rosette out and blast the hell out of it ! Seems like good advice. sort of like aim small ,miss small from the Patriot movie.

What about the 286 gr TSX? Several have mentioned the 250 grainer in TSK. What positive or negative would the 286 gr. impart?
I'll be using the 286 gr. for hippo, croc, sable and such and would like to keep everything on the same wavelength. Thoughts anyone?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Ivan,

If you had silvertips break up, I'd bet they were factory loads or hot handloads. I've been handloading them to moderate velocities for about 30 years and have never had one fail.

I have on the other hand seen a lot of (faster) factory loaded ones fail.

It's all in the speed.

If I were using my 9.3 for leopards, I would load up some Nosler Accubonds or Partitions. I know they will expand. IMHO the last bullet I would use would be a TSX. I feel they are too tough for good expansion on a lung hit.

In my 9,3x74R double I have had excellent results on large and small game with the 286 Woodleigh Soft and the 286 Nosler Partition.

However EVERY deer, wild pig, and impala that I have shot with a 285 gr .035jkt Hawk has been DRT.[ Dead Right There].

I have shot some pretty big pigs with the Hawk so I "think" it would be fine for leopard.

Still I "know" the Woodleigh or Nosler would work from ANY angle.

Agree on the TSX being less appropriate than others. Once the petals open, expansion has ended and penetration is the strong suit. My understanding on leopard is penetration is far less important than sudden and violent expansion, with maximum energy dump inside the cat.
All I have hunted is plains game, and the TSX was fine for that.

Add one more vote for the 286 gr Nosler Partition!

Any modern expanding 9.3 bullet will work fine. Even a Barnes TSX, contrary to popular belief. I have seen Barnes work on leopard many times, and have even used solids on leopard (not the best, but with good shot placement, the cat was dead very soon.) Having said all this, shoot the bullet your gun likes best, accuracy wise, as accurate shot placement is most important.

Bill, how does energy kill?
Not trying to pick a fight, I just hate the "energy dump" propaganda, as enegry cannot kill. Penetration thorugh- and damage to vital tissue kills.
And Steve, did Winchester ever make silvertips in 9.3?

Currently my 9,3 would have Norma Oryx in it. The Woodleigh Softs are great, and would happily use the speer 270grn except I underload mine slightly (to 2300fps) to get them to shoot to the same POI as the 286grn Woodleigh/Stuart/Oryx.

For leopard you could use the 232grn happily. I would stay with a bonded core bullet like the Oryx rather than an explosive bullet like the plastic point or Vulkan...I just couldn't be bothered with more than one sight setting.

No need for a hard bullet like the A frame or Barnes, especially not for a client. The 9,3 makes a big hole relative to the size of a leopard. An impact velocity over 2250fps and just about any bullet will do.

quote:

Ivan,

If you had silvertips break up, I'd bet they were factory loads or hot handloads. I've been handloading them to moderate velocities for about 30 years and have never had one fail.

I have on the other hand seen a lot of (faster) factory loaded ones fail.

It's all in the speed.

agreed , all the failures i have seen have been factory loads ...i have never used handloaded silvertips ...

Karl,

I thought I'd seen them in 9.3 but I could be wrong. I'd be suprised if they didn't make 'em in that calibre though.

Ivan,

Try a few loaded to moderate velocities and I guarantee you'll be very pleasantly suprised. Loaded right, they're the absolute dog's doo dahs!

Karl: I'm merely extrapolating from experience here in Oregon killing coyotes, which I agree may have limited value as applied to leopard. But the guys here want a bullet that comes part inside the coyote, making a mess of lungs and heart for an instant kill without exiting and damaging the hide. I must have read too much Art Alphin somewhere along the line! Sorry.

Here you go chaps. 3 x 30 calibre silvertips loaded to moderate velocities. 2 killed Leopards and the other killed something else. 'Fraid I can't remember which is which or what the other animal was. Keep 'em slow and they're fan-bloody-tastic!