I have enjoyed reading the forums for the past year and finially decided it's about time I get off my rear join in the fray.

So here goes.
I'm heading back to Zim for leopard and hopefully my 2nd buff. On my first safari (May 04) I used my 416 Rem & Swift "A"frames on about everything. Buff, eland, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, wildebeest, warthog and impala. They performed flawlessly. I recovered 4 of the bullets 1 each out of my kudu, wildebeest,waterbuck and eland. All perfect mushrooms.

I had an opportunity to have a Custom 375 built by "Hill Country Rifles" which I plan to take along (with my 416).

My Question is this:

Should I use the 300 gr a "A"frame bullet (or maybe the 300 gr. Trophy Bonded Bear Claw) in the 375 for leopard or should I opt for something like a 260 gr Nosler Accubond or a Hornady PSP.

I look forward to your suggestions!

Tim

Hi Tim:

Even though I have been to Africa mutiple times I have yet to bag my Leopard, I will try again in 2006.

IMHP.... for the 375 the 300 Aframe and Bearclaw is to much of a good thing. Leopards are soft skinned and get messed up good SUPPOSEDLY with the shock of a FAST expanding bullet. MY backup Leopard round was a 375 H&H, factory Federal 260 Grain Nosler Accubond. I believe it was around 2800 FPS....

My Primary Leopard Round was and still is a 300 RUM, factory Remington 180 Grain Nosler Partition, doing 3,350 FPS...

Regards... Jim P.

I handload for many calibers, but I get sub MOA with Nosler bullets and factory fodder, so I spend my time some where else..

Tim,

Welcome aboard...Just like Jim who said I would use the nosler accubond with as high a velocity you can get...You want to hit Mr. Spots with high velocity and crush his nervous system...Those other rounds will work but a little of target they will only punch holes like a solid...

Mike

Tim,

I've used both the bullets you mentioned quite a bit on all kinds of African and Alaskan game from the 375. Bullet placement is the important thing with leopards. If you use the TBBC or SAF in 300gr. and drill your leopard through the boiler room he will die quickly. The leopards I personally have shot have all died easily but the one that never even moved out of the tree was shot lengthwise with a 300gr.TBBC.

Don't mess around with a bunch of different bullets for different game. Use a good 300gr. soft in your 375 and you'll have a backup for your 375 for buffalo or anything else you run into.

Good hunting,

Mark

I used a Hirtenberger 272 grain ABC bullet on my leopard. He just died and fell, or fell and died, I don't know which. But the only sound we heard after the shot was him hitting the ground.

The ABC bullet is basically an Austrian TBBC. It is recommended for game up to and including buffalo. I've used it on zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, lion, kudu, etc., as well as leopard.

Like the TBBC, the nose opens fast, but only peels back a third or so of the way to the base, then pushes right through.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a TBBC on a leopard. On the other hand, I would use any decent deer bullet, too. Leopard aren't that tough. But as Mark has said, bullet placement is paramount.

My first Leopard I took in Zimbabwe 9 years ago with a Brno ZKK602 in 375. The Ammunition was Speer with I believe 260gr Grand Slams. It was in neat 5 round packs and had nickeled cases. All in all a very satisfactory load. One shot on Leopard and most other plains game with thru and thru on most of the animals including the Leopard with LARGE exit wound. I took 1,Leopard,1 Kudu,10 Impala and 1 Warthog all except one with one shot. To tell the truth I have not used factory ammo since except for 470 NE in my double.

Here we go again! There is no magic bullet/speed for leopard. Since you have used Swift A-frames before, I do not understand why you would want to change.

What you have used is about as good as it gets. Hit the damn leopard where you are suppose to and quit worrying about all this extranneous crap.

Will, I agree with you.

I'd take whatever general-use .375 H&H load that you plan to use for everything else. You don't need anything that's load-specific for leopard. Shot placement is the A-Number-1 consideration, the rest really dosen't matter all that much. I wouldn't use solids, but any good 300 gr. soft-point load that you'd use for the balance of your safari will kill him just as fast and efficiently as anything.

Since I've used this specific ammunition before with wonderful results, I suggest Federal's 300 gr. Trophy Bonded .375 H&H load.

Tim, I think you made a good decision to have Hill Country build your .375. I like the design and looks of their product!

AD

Guys

Thanks for the feedback!

The HCR 375 is a tackdriver with both the 300 gr TBBC & Swift "A" frames. I was leaning towards one or the other but thought I'd stick my toe in the forum waters with the question. The great feedback just confirmed what I was thinking, also helped by the fact I ran into a steal of a deal on about 200 rnds of the Federal TBBC ammo!

Thanks again!

Tim

I think the ammo Zimbabwe is describing is Speer Grand Slams in 285 grain. I used them last year on plainsgame and would not hesitate to use them on leopard.

John

I recommend you use only one bullet and one load, whatever you chose will work on a Leopard, I saw one killed with a .375 Woodleigh solid by accident and it was an instant kill...

If you intend to shoot both Buffalo and Leopard then pick a good premium bullet of 270 to 300 grs. and use it on everything, back it up with some solids...Mixing loads has proven disasterous for myself and ohters, it can get complicated for a number of reasons..

I have made a one gun safari several times with a 375 and a 416 Rem. and I used NorthFork softs because they work the same on Leopard as they do on Buffalo or Impala for that matter, they either stop on the off side skin or they make two holes on ocassion, one or the other but they always expand to a large frontal cross section..I used the 285 gr. soft in the 375 and 400 gr. soft in the 416...What is amazing is they do the same thing of both Impala and Buffalo and I shot a lot of both with both calibers as have others, its amazing and just shouldn't be but it is....I have a lot of recovered bullets and they ALL clone each other.
I always want a solid for the second shot on buffalo and for follow up.

hey tim,
good luck on your leopard first off, it's a shame i can't go with you guys this year. it was good to see you at the safari show. i think for general purpose the 260gr accubond would be a great bullet for plainsgame and leopard, very accurate with higher velocities and flatter trajectory in the lighter 260 as opposed to the 300gr a-frame. But the real question would be which bullet does your rifle shooth more accurately the 260gr accubond in my rifle is phenominal, and it shoots the 270 very well also, but the 300gr's are only so-so, for me it would be a no brainer. your going to use your .416 for buff thats already covered, so do you really need the extra 30-40 grains of weight for plainsgame is RSA and zim when you could benefit from a flatter trajectory?
take it easy james

Jimbo

Good to hear from you.
We were just watching some of the hunt videos the other night. Your giraffe kill "Nice shootin TEX ". (Compared to my multi-shot giraffe rodeo) Wish you wrer going with us!

As far as bullets go I think I'm going to use the TBBC on leopard and any plains game I hunt.
They shoot 1/2" @ 100yds.

Call me sometime!

Cheers!

Tim