308 or 300 Win Mag for Leopard

[Miletic]

The last concern I’ve ever had when shooting a leopard has been too big of an exit hole. My last two leopards were with 225 grain Bearclaws from my 338. Reasonable size exit hole but what mattered was a quickly dead cat. A Taxidermist can easily sew the hole and do it with fewer stitches than doctors would use on your hide if a wounded cat gets to you. Quarter sized exit hole to fifty cent piece sized exit hole, all good.

I totally agree. A quick death is the priority. And of course the hunter's safety. I expected more people to say I'm crazy when I suggest the V-max. He caused so much damage in the body (all the organs in the chest hair are like soup). It is important that the animal does not have a hard skin. With chamois, where it is important that the animal falls in place so that it does not fall off a rock or fall into a cave where the hunter cannot find it.

 

[dchum]

But hey, what do I know ? I'm a phony, right ?

P.S: Just because someone goes to Zambia for an elephant hunt, doesn't mean that they will commence the hunt AS SOON AS THEY LAND.

Yes, but your friend went to Zambia 6 weeks before the season started ?

Why would he go on an elephant hunt when the hunting season is not until May?
You did say he is currently on safari.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Yes, but your friend went to Zambia 6 weeks before the season started ?

Why would he go on an elephant hunt when the hunting season is not until May?
You did say he is currently on safari.

Let's clarify and hope that you can end your problems with me amicably on a public forum (regardless of what we think about each other).

He's in Lusaka now (for recreational purposes). He will be hunting an elephant in Zambia this season. And after the hunt, he will return from Zambia. Hunters don't necessarily go to a place just to only hunt.

He is my friend, not my family member that I will monitor his day to day activities. And I didn't expect anybody to take my words LITERALLY (like "He Is Hunting The Elephant Right Now In Zambia").

 

[dchum]

And I didn't expect anybody to take my words LITERALLY (like "He Is Hunting The Elephant Right Now In Zambia").

What else would this mean?

He’s currently in Zambia on Safari (for elephant) and will hopefully join these forums in a month.

But the season won’t even have begun in a month

Anyone ever go 6 weeks early to a hunt?
Little R&R lol

 

[Hunter-Habib]

What else would this mean?


But the season won’t even have begun in a month

Anyone ever go 6 weeks early to a hunt?
Little R&R lol

You know... They have internet in Lusaka, right ? And it takes like five minutes to create an account on these forums. Even before anybody actually does any hunting in Zambia.

 

[Philip Glass]

Have upcoming hunt in 2028 for Leopard and looking for some input from experienced hunters. Something internal tells me 300 is too big (don't want to damage the hide). Everything I have read 180 gr was too big to get the proper expansion compared a 150gr or 165 gr. Thanks for any input.

.300 Win with 180g Swift Scirocco. Here is how it works and no damage to hide:

 

[PerH]

One of the truest people on this platform and many others also that Habib is . And great book he wrote after his many years afield also with true stories .

 

[HankBuck]

Have upcoming hunt in 2028 for Leopard and looking for some input from experienced hunters. Something internal tells me 300 is too big (don't want to damage the hide). Everything I have read 180 gr was too big to get the proper expansion compared a 150gr or 165 gr. Thanks for any input.

@Shaw what caliber (.308; .300wm) can YOU shoot most accurately & confidently - Not only at targets but in a real hunting situation, with some adrenaline flowing and limited time to fire a perfectly placed shot? For me - the .308 (or .30-06) better matches my skills. [[ hide damage would be the least of my concerns, I want a very dead cat - very fast….can always find a great Taxidermist easier then a wounded Leopard ]]. And “NO” I’ve never killed a Leopard.

 

[HankBuck]

Let's clarify and hope that you can end your problems with me amicably on a public forum (regardless of what we think about each other).

He's in Lusaka now (for recreational purposes). He will be hunting an elephant in Zambia this season. And after the hunt, he will return from Zambia. Hunters don't necessarily go to a place just to only hunt.

He is my friend, not my family member that I will monitor his day to day activities. And I didn't expect anybody to take my words LITERALLY (like "He Is Hunting The Elephant Right Now In Zambia").

@Hunter-Habib— You are a very patient Man and that must lend to your hunting skills & success……..why would you exhaust yourself trying to explain something to someone (dchum) who seems to only want to argue?

 

[Shaw]

.300 Win with 180g Swift Scirocco. Here is how it works and no damage to hide:

That was the longest 1:42 for him to give you a shot lol. I will be in Omay North in '28. I have watched your videos multiple time crazy every time you see something you didn't catch the previous watch. Beautiful cat.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

This.
Caliber is the least critical componant. Leopards are thin skinned and small- boned.
That said, there are fellows that hunt Deer with a 300 Weatherby. Shoot what you are MOST comfortable, and confident with.. from 243 and up.
As is always the case...it's not the bullet...it's where you insert it.
Not to be glib, and being aware that, in the case of Leopards, the primary concern is a DRT result...
choice of caliber won't guarentee that.
The hole may be larger.. but if it's through the guts , or misses the vitals, things will still get sporty.
A Leopard properly shot with a 270 will die...with much less due diligence...than Spots poorly shot with a 375.
Best of African luck
Spike

Good bullet placement is, of course, the most.important thing. That does not make it the only thing. Leaving leopards out of it, if DRT is the goal, a bigger bullet in the correct place tends end things faster than a tiny.one. otherwise a .223 or even a .17 Rem would work just as well as a .300 WM on leopard sized animals. Short of a brain or spine shot they don't. If a guy can't shoot a .300 WM or .308 I wouldn't have any confidence that he would shoot a .243 any better.

Yes, I know Bell killed a thousand elephants with a 7x57 but that does not make it a good elephant round for most.

 

[Daisy]

Good bullet placement is, of course, the most.important thing. That does not make it the only thing. Leaving leopards out of it, if DRT is the goal, a bigger bullet in the correct place tends end things faster than a tiny.one. otherwise a .223 or even a .17 Rem would work just as well as a .300 WM on leopard sized animals. Short of a brain or spine shot they don't. If a guy can't shoot a .300 WM or .308 I wouldn't have any confidence that he would shoot a .243 any better.

Yes, I know Bell killed a thousand elephants with a 7x57 but that does not make it a good elephant round for most.

A 223 would kill it just as fast and dead.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

A 223 would kill it just as fast and dead.

If you shot him in the head, sure, but I wouldn't want to be limited to that shot. A shot through the lungs maybe if the leopard was the size of a coyote and if you don't mind following up in the dark brush. No thank you.

 

[HankBuck]

If you shot him in the head, sure, but I wouldn't want to be limited to that shot. A shot through the lungs maybe if the leopard was the size of a coyote and if you don't mind following up in the dark brush. No thank you.

@Doug Hamilton - Agree…and I doubt @Daisy ever killed a Leopard with anything…certainly Not a .223

 

[buffybr]

To the OP's original question, I wouldn't hesitate to hunt a leopard with either a .308 or .300 Win. shooting any 150-180 gr expanding hunting bullet. Most leopard hunts are short range at a stationary target. Bullet placement is most important! With a shot through the chest, I wouldn't worry about an exit wound being too big for your taxidermist to fix.

I shot my leopard in Mozambique with my .300 Wby and a 180 gr Barnes TSX bullet (my elk load back home in Montana). My scope was a 4.5-14x40 Leupold, set at 4.5 power.

Where I hunted in Mozambique there aren't any other large predators so we baited him on the ground. It was a 50 yd shot at night, and when my PH turned on his light, I had absolutely no problem picking out a spot on his shoulder and shooting. In my avatar pic, the spot on his shoulder is blood from my bullet's entrance hole. We found him stone dead 19 paces from the bait.

 

[sgt_zim]

Not been, but talked to "my" PH about it, he's guided a lot of leopard hunts.

If you can stack bullets from 80 yards with your 308 Win but can't with 300 WM, take the 308. If you can stack them with the 300 WM, take it. Appropriate soft bullets either way.

 

[DLSJR]

A 223 would kill it just as fast and dead.

Apparently you’ve never hunted leopards. Not only is it illegal, that’d be an incredibly bad idea to try. I’m trying to be polite here so won’t say what I’m really thinking.

 

[Shaw]

Ok little insight to my post. I asked a PH and they preferred a 270, which I have a 270 WSM and its a good gun but with Winchester 150 Gr power points it has an exit hole on deer the size of an orange. Well if I'm going to drop 30K on a leopard I don't want a fist size hole in it so that's out for me. But 308 & 300 were next choices I just wanted input of which was preferred over the other based on those with experience of hunting leopard. Of course Capstick killed Elephant with a .22 LR but not what the assignment was. Thanks for all the input I have both and they both shoot well so just wanted to know pros and cons of each. Thanks for all input.

 

[DLSJR]

Ok little insight to my post. I asked a PH and they preferred a 270, which I have a 270 WSM and its a good gun but with Winchester 150 Gr power points it has an exit hole on deer the size of an orange. Well if I'm going to drop 30K on a leopard I don't want a fist size hole in it so that's out for me. But 308 & 300 were next choices I just wanted input of which was preferred over the other based on those with experience of hunting leopard. Of course Capstick killed Elephant with a .22 LR but not what the assignment was. Thanks for all the input I have both and they both shoot well so just wanted to know pros and cons of each. Thanks for all input.

Why not just shoot a better bullet in your 270? A 150 grain Nosler Partition or Federal Trophy Bonded tip bullet would be ideal in 270. We’ve (we being my son and I) shot zebras, kudu, sable, topi, and lots of smaller African game with a 270 and enjoyed fantastic results, most of it with 150 grain Partitions. I would not hesitate to shoot a leopard with a 270.

 

[HankBuck]

Ok little insight to my post. I asked a PH and they preferred a 270, which I have a 270 WSM and its a good gun but with Winchester 150 Gr power points it has an exit hole on deer the size of an orange. Well if I'm going to drop 30K on a leopard I don't want a fist size hole in it so that's out for me. But 308 & 300 were next choices I just wanted input of which was preferred over the other based on those with experience of hunting leopard. Of course Capstick killed Elephant with a .22 LR but not what the assignment was. Thanks for all the input I have both and they both shoot well so just wanted to know pros and cons of each. Thanks for all input.

@Shaw - Capstick “killed Elephant with a .22LR”? Was that before or after he killed Cape Buffalo w/a pocket knife ? Based on that you might use a sling shot for your Leopard….(kidding) !
I think .30 cals you mention are very good choices - tired & true .