What's your favorite caliber and bullet make for leopard . Thanks for the input.

Leopards are small, and practically any caliber will do.

I have shot quite a few, with various calibers.

Several 270 wildcats, 7mm, 338, 375 and 416.

Never noticed any difference.

They all died.

I've only shot one. A 168 grain Barnes TTSX from my .300 Weatherby worked perfectly!

I've taken most of mine with a 375 and a Swift A-Frame.

Also used a 338 Win with Partitions. I think the Partition may be the perfect leopard bullet, although I prefer the A-Frame.

At the end of the day, (hint) the scope matters more than the caliber or bullet.

Our household has only killed two. Both with a 7 x 57 with SELLIER & BELLOT 173gr.

Tom,

Whatever you would use for PG will be fine or your buffalo rifle with soft points. It does not matter much as a leopard kills very easy. I've killed them with 338, 330 Dakota and 375. I think a good quality scope with lighted reticle is more important than caliber.

Mark

quote:

a leopard kills very easy

Only if it is hit in the right place.

And yes, it is still very likely to die in the end if hit hard, but not after having mauled a few people in the process.

I killed my huge leopard (175lbs) with John Sharp in his old MALANGANI Concession, now part of Bubeye Conservancy. He was absolutely adamant that I needed to shoot a 375 H&H for Leopard (the Weatherby would not penetrate the shoulder to get to the heart or lungs!!)...
I had my 470 I had killed my elephant with, and my pre-64 Winchester Mode 70, rechambered for 300 Weatherby. I was using Federal 210gr Trophy Bonded soft points, One Shot, DEAD like lightening had struck!!...50 yards...
Now, I do agree that if I were shooting standard WEA ammo and lightly constructed 180gr bullets, the story would be different!! The RIGHT BULLET that won't explode at those terminal distances, IS CRITICAL!!

I have only killed one. Used a Sako in 7x64 and a 150 gr. Nosler partition. Left about a 3/4 inch exit hole in the hide. He jumped from the tree and went less than 50 feet. The PH said anything in the .270/.308 range works good. I also used a Leupold VXR scope with a lighted red dot at the center of the crosshairs. I really like that scope.

I have only killed one. A 30-06 with 180 gn A-Frame. Dead under the tree.

The scope is more important than the cartridge. Use the best quality illuminated reticle you can afford. I used aTrijicon 2.5 to 10 x 56. Worked great

Like Frostbit, our family has only killed two also. My wife took hers with a 7mm Rem. Mag., 150gr. Win. Ballistic Silvertip. I shot mine with a 35 Whelen, 250gr. Nos. Part.

Used SSG in a 12 bore for mine- on full charge airborne 7-8 feet off the muzzle…..Great fun.

My buddy used my 1886 .45-90 with 300 grain Nosler Partition loaded to 2200 fps and shot his big tabby at 20 yards. One shot and DRT.

I've only shot two, but always used my main rifle, a .416. I did change the scope to an illuminated reticle, which I love since it's a true one by six variable. My bullet is not ideal, a 400 grain Swift A Frame, but it works.

Killed mine in Tanzania. A .375 minimum was required by law. My .375 worked!

I have hunted them nearly always with a .375. Although I did sit for one with a 7mm Rem Mag. once. Such calibers will work. They are soft targets.

The only two I've killed where with a 7rem mag with 168g bergers....both died.

I have no idea how many I shot.

All but one from a hide.

And I would have been happy shooting ANY center fire cartridge in these situations.

Shooting a leopard a few yards away from a dead rest, one can place his bullet exactly where he wishes it to go.

When the Leopard is down and out its grins, whoops and high fives all round but not so when the parking space beneath the branch is empty.

The mood abruptly changes from one which was primed to herald an explosive jubilation to one of a glum and anxious concern and if the cat is not located in a very dead state within a reasonable distance of the baited tree an impromptu "meeting" is held to identify those with the biggest balls to lead the way forward.

Leopard hunting is not so much related to caliber or bullet as much as the emphasis on putting that bullet in the right place.

Some countries have purposely set the minimum caliber for any of the DG species at .375 hoping the "errant bullet" in the event of a wounding, will have caused sufficient damage which will either incapacitate or bring about its death within a reasonably short time frame.

Only shot 2.

One with a 375 H&H and 300gr TTSX.

Second with a 300 H&H and 180gr TTSX.

Both were dead under the tree.

With the same shot, same rifle, same bullet, one can get different reactions.

From dead right there, on the tree branch, and slowly tumbling down.

To jumping so high off the branch, and falling off the tree, and never move as he hits the ground.

To taking off at supersonic speed along the branch, flying off the tree high up, landing and running as if nothing is wrong, and dying with 30 yards.

You need a softish bullet that will expand fully ... then a smaller caliber will suffice. Problem is most people are overgunned and there is a risk of flinching given the high strung situation. Better to use something that you can shoot than a buffalo rifle with hard bullets. I am thinking 7x57 class with conventional cup and core.

I've never had a "classic" leopard experience. Only shot two, but both were in the morning and on the ground. One DRT and one within sight of the base of the tree. Not usually a fan of what Fulvio describes as countries requiring bigger calibers to make up for bad shooting, as big calibers cause bad shooting with many hunters. But I hunt pretty much everything with a .416 except plains game in Masailand, and I've done that too.

I've shot two-both with the same Winchester Model 70 375 H&H using 300 grain Nosler partitions.

I’ve said it before here.

Generally when I’m hunting cats, I’m also hunting buffalo.

Every cat I’ve shot has been shot with a rifle that meets the requirements for buffalo, and using the relatively hard ammo required.

I’ve had one less than optimal event with this situation, but all of the rest have been dead in, under, or near the place of the shot.

If you shoot them in the right place, they die quickly.

Shot mine last August. 9.3x74R with Hornady 287 grain spire point. Dead before it hit the ground.

I had to use my 375 H&H as the minimum caliber required by Tanzania. Bullet was 300 Grain A Frame. I really wanted to use my 30-06.

Thanks for the input gentleman

A couple of friends have started using CEB's on their cats. Lions and leopards. Seems the thorax is completely jelled and cat is dead on the spot.

Ailsa,

CEB's?

Hunting lion next year again.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Ailsa,

CEB's?

Hunting lion next year again.

Cutting Edge Bullets

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Ailsa,

CEB's?

Hunting lion next year again.

Cutting Edge Bullets (CEB)

Used one in my 9.3x74R double to take my last lion. Devastating performance.

Thanks. Checking them out.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Ailsa,

CEB's?

Hunting lion next year again.

Yes, Cutting Edge Bullets. Both are using the 235g Raptors in their 375's. Shank continues straight, 5 or 6 petals make a volleyball sized wound in thorax from what I understand. Cats don't move.

Glad you also had good success with them Todd.

Personally I have never used them. Just mentioning CEB's because hunters I trust have had good success with them.

All the best.

Another vote for CEBs. Lethal.

Hunted with Mark Vallaro out of Chewore North. Took my .458 B&M w/ .420gr CEBs...took kudu, leopard, lion, hippo, and croc. Both cats dropped on the spot.

I used a .280 Ackley with a fast 140gr Nosler Ballistic Tip on a large leopard. I like that bullet for deer-sized game, the front comes apart but the base is solid.

Would have been just as happy using any accurate deer rifle: 7mm-08, 270, etc.

I have only shot two; .338 WM both times. Both stone dead.

I've only taken part in one follow-up on a wounded leopard, shot in the back leg with an open sighted .470. The shooter refused to follow it up because his back hurt. (hurting rather less than the leopards leg you might surmise!) If he had used a scoped .243 I don't doubt he would have got it.
A friend once told me that leopard hunting consists of ten days of boredom (shooting Impala ewes for bait) followed by ten seconds of excitement (when you see the beast and take the shot) followed by ten minutes of sheer terror (when you go and look for the corpse)
In my limited experience he wasn't far wrong. Buffalo are better value for money!

I used a 338 Win. Mag. with assorted premium bullets to take a variety of plains game and a box of cheap Win. 200 gr. Power Points to whack baboons.
We came across a drag of a young oryx that the leopard had just killed. We found the oryx carcass. The PH and tracker hastily built a one sided blind about 50 meters away from the carcass stating the the leopard would return.
I asked what bullet was recommended and the PH advised to use the Power Points.

The leopard did return. At the shot, he just collapsed. The male cat weighed 67 kilos. It was a big struggle for me to hold up the cat to take pictures as he weighed that same as I did .

That scared the shit out of me as I could feel his heart still beating while holding him up and pleading to the PH to quickly finish the picture taking.
The post mortem autopsy indicated that the bullet had come apart destroying everything around the heart but no fragments touched the heart itself.

Geoff

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
I have only shot two; .338 WM both times. Both stone dead.

This was Tony's last post. RIP