Planning my next trip, hopefully in early 2014. Have my 416 Rem for ele and buff, possibly sable/eland. Took buff and zebra with it last year. Used my 7mm Rem Mag for multiple plains game. I know I don't need the 416 for leopard, although it does have a great Swarovski scope with illuminated reticle. Would the 7 mag be enough for leopard with the right load/bullet?

drj,

Your 7 Mag is perfect for leopard. Just because your in Africa and might want to shoot some bigger PG I'd recommend the 175 gr bullet. Nosler Partitions or Accubonds would be my first choice if they shot well in my rifle. An illuminate reticle scope is almost a necessity for leopard. I had not used one until this last safari and I'm sold on them dark or daylight.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by drj:
Planning my next trip, hopefully in early 2014. Have my 416 Rem for ele and buff, possibly sable/eland. Took buff and zebra with it last year. Used my 7mm Rem Mag for multiple plains game. I know I don't need the 416 for leopard, although it does have a great Swarovski scope with illuminated reticle. Would the 7 mag be enough for leopard with the right load/bullet?

Sure, but sounds like you're already pretty comfy with the 416, and it already has a perfect scope on it? Why not just use it for everything?

drj

If you think it will allow you to make a better shot on your leopard under pressure then take it. If not then stick with your one rifle and know that gun backwards under every conceivable situation.
Ask your PH how you will be set up in the blind, every PH has their way, then go and make yourself a similar setup (in terms of how you may be sitting etc) and put some practice time in.
If you are going to sit on a camp or plastic garden chair then go buy one, if you are going to rest on some sticks with grass around the gun then build it yourself and do it.

The more you start to live this hunt now, the better prepared and more relaxed you will be when your PH leans forward and tells you to shoot.

Illuminated reticle is the way to go,
Good luck
Ian

About as perfect as you can get!!

A big leopard will weigh 150-160 lbs fully clothed. Such a light-framed animal, even when fatally hit with a big, slow, tough bullet, can live a long (and for the hunter, an uncomfortable) time.

Using a faster, quicker expanding round like a 7mm Rem will make for a quicker and surer kill. Any weight of the Nosler Partition with its quick-expanding front section will do fine. Avoid other "premium" bullets which are less expansive in favor of the more expansive varieties. A plain old Remington CoreLoct is preferable to an "out the other side in one piece" monometal bullet.

In Mwanja camp last July, Len Taylor PH'd a 15-year-old young lady to her first leopard. She stoned it with a .270 Win. The smart money says that it will be featured on "Tracks" in the upcoming season.

Indeed it will Tim. Will be a great show as she is a very interesting story.

A .308 shot well, would trump a bad .470.

So, I am sure you will be just fine with the 7 Mag.

Eland would be ok with the 7 mag, given a good shot, but I would use that 416 on the Sable.

One thing you need to remember is the leopard has a very thin skin, and the higher the velocity the more damage to the hide on the exit wound! A rifle caliber like the 7mm Mauser, 8 mm Mauser , .308, or 30-06 all shooting heavy for caliber soft points at around 2400 fps will kill him like the hammer of Thor, and do far less damage to the pelt.

Far more important is a quality light gathering scope preferably with a bold reticle with a illuminated apex. The distances are not long and pin point accuracy is a must to avoid a very dangerous follow-up!
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Leopard are not big. A 270 will work fine.

The thing you have avoid damageing the skin on the off side is too much velocity, and/or a bullet that opens too fast. Anything from 2000 to 2400 fps with a quality bullet will do the trick, if the shooter places his bullet properly!

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