Firearms For Feline Menaces: The Best Guns For Indian Leopards

Panther Shooter

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As my third entry on AH forums , I wish to write an article about the best firearms for tackling the different species of Leopards found in the Indian subcontinent . While I certainly am not the most qualified person to be writing about this subject ( since there are far more experienced Shikaris than I , who have taken larger numbers of Indian Leopards under more unfavorable conditions ) , I am optimistic that my modest bag of 25 man eating West Bengal Hunting Leopards will allow me to write SOMETHING on this subject . For the purposes of this article , I shall be making four posts and one conclusion .
The four posts shall be as follows :
* Guns For Clouded Leopard
* Guns For Spotted Leopard
* Guns For Hunting Leopard
* Guns For Follow Ups

I would like to give special thanks to my former commanding officer, fellow forum member and close personal friend , @Major Khan , a retired Central Indian professional professional Shikari who provided me with a great deal of information based on his personal experiences with these fiends , as well as a few of his personal photographs.
I hope that this entry shall not be too bad in terms of quality of content .
Well... Here, we go .
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Man Eating Hunting Leopard killed by the Author with a 7 millimeter Remington Magnum, employing a 175 grain Remington Core Lokt soft nose cartridge.
 
Guns For Clouded Leopard
Let us commence this entry by speaking about the smallest member in the family of Leopards found in the Indian subcontinent- The Clouded Leopard ( known to the Shikaris Of West Bengal, as “ Baagh Dhasha “ . )
A snout to tail measurement of a large male shall be in excess of 50 inches and the weight of such a fully matured male shall be in excess of 22 kilograms.
What these creatures lack in body mass, they more than make up for , in terms of speed and cunning . With the exception of the cheetah ( which became extinct in India in the 1940s ) the Clouded Leopard is the fastest member of the Leopard family found in the Indian subcontinent . It also has an unsavory propensity to ambush their victims from the tops of trees , including human beings , occasionally.
While an attack from a Clouded Leopard is nigh unlikely to result in fatal consequences for an adult human being , the wounds inflicted by the claws of a Clouded Leopard have an unhealthy propensity to turn septic , which ( if not properly medicated in time ) is almost guaranteed to give you a fatal infection . Clouded Leopards in the Indian subcontinent who have turned man eater , invariably prey on small children ( often below the age of ten ) .
So what firearms are the best medicine for these little rascals ?
Your ideal caliber in a central fire rifle for hunting Indian Clouded Leopards would be one of the “ Medium Lightweights “ . Major Poton Khan tells me that the most popular calibre used by his international clients for raking these fiends , back when Shikar used to legal in India ( prior to 1972 ) was the .270 Winchester , employing a 130 grain Winchester Silvertip soft nose bullet . My own observations mirror that of the Major , and I personally consider the .270 Winchester to be the quintessential central rifle calibre for Clouded Leopards . A smaller alternative, which is just as potent ( provided that the head is selected as a target ) is the .243 Winchester .Here in Bangladesh , I am close friends with a land owner who often used to have these fiends come down from the hills into his farm and carry off his kid goats and chickens . Using a .243 Winchester ( A new pattern control round feed Winchester Model 70 ) and 100 grain Winchester factory loaded soft nose cartridges , this gentleman has accounted for no less than 15 Clouded Leopards in a span of four years .
The smallest central fire rifle caliber , which I have ever personally seen being used on a Clouded Leopard with successful results is the .22 Hornet , employing a 55 grain Winchester soft nose cartridge . However , I personally consider this caliber to be a little too light for use against these fiends. Major Poton Khan related a story to me about how one of his Swedish clients once shot an adult male Clouded Leopard with a .22 Hornet ; right behind the shoulder .Yet the fiend had enough fight remaining in him left to travel more than an entire mile , before expiring . After the fiend’s carcass was found and flayed , it was discovered that the 55 grain bullet fired from the .22 Hornet ( despite striking the delicate part of the animal behind it’s shoulder ) , had only penetrated a single lung . No doubt ; This was what had allowed it to get as far as it did .

When using a shotgun to put down these fiends , it is imperative to use solid projectiles , rather than shot of any form . This is because even the largest sizes of shot ( LG buckshot , which employs eight 0.36 caliber leaden pellets in a standard 2 3/4 inch 12 Bore cartridge ) is unable to penetrate into the vital organs of a large male Clouded Leopard with guaranteed reliability . Foster style slugs are recommended for killing these rascals , should a shotgun be selected for use against these creatures .

I myself have only ever been fortunate enough to have killed six of these fiends . Three of these creatures were taken with a 7 millimeter Remington Magnum , employing a 175 grain Remington Core Lokt soft nose factory loaded bullet during the late 1970s . Two were taken by using my father’s .315 Bore ( the Indian Ordinance Factories bolt action sporting rifle ) , employing a 244 grain unjacketed leaden bullet .
Perhaps no Shikari in India has successfully taken more Clouded Leopards , than the late A.M Karim of Darjeeling, West Bengal ( Better known as Karim Shikari in Darjeeling) . This talented gentleman ( who was the former professional Shikari partner of fellow forum member , compatriot and close friend , @Kawshik Rahman ) killed a documented grand total of 73 Clouded Leopards ( on one occasion , he had even put down no less than three of these rascals in one night ) by using a common Indian Ordinance Factories 12 Bore double barrel side by side shotgun ( designated as “ IOF 12 Bore DBBL “) , loaded with 2 1/2 inch Eley Grand Prix spherical ball cartridges . Even though these Eley Grand Prix Spherical Ball cartridges were “ Low Brass “ , and thus , did not carry a large charge of powder ... Mr. Karim employed them to dangerous effect . 73 dead Clouded Leopards ( the bulk of which had mauled , killed and even eaten children in the vast Tea Estates of Darjeeling) are a testament to this great man’s proficiency with such a diminutive load , fired from such an inferior weapon .
It is remarkable how dangerous game will occasionally be taken successfully with even the most inappropriate of armaments . The late Antora Jahan, fiancé of @Kawshik Rahman successfully killed a Clouded Leopard in 1968 with her father’s 12 Bore BRNO ZP149 side by side shotgun , employing a single American AAA cartridge. The cartridge was a Winchester “ Super X “ 2 3/4 inch Magnum , which held 34 copper plated pellets . The shot was taken at less than 5 paces , while the fiend was charging towards her during a beat , at night .Needless to say... This is not a recommended practice , as the erratic penetration of buck shot (that too , of such a small variety ) on a Clouded Leopard cannot be expected to deliver consistently fatal results for the fiend .
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Hide of record male Clouded Leopard , shot by Major Poton Khan , measuring a snout to tail length of 54 inches and weighing in excess of 23 kilograms .
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Bullet hole in the fiend’s T - Zone , inflicted by a hand loaded three inch Eley High Brass cartridge containing a one ounce spherical lead ball , fired from Major Poton Khan’s infamous 12 Bore Belgian double barrel side by side shotgun at close range .
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2 1/2 inch Eley Grand Prix spherical ball cartridge ( left ) actually owned by the late A.M Karim and used by him to successfully put down 73 Clouded Leopards , all on foot ( without any aids from baits or macchans / blinds ) .
 
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Another top notch article , Panther Shooter ! It is funny that you actually mention Karim . I am going to upload a video tomorrow on African Hunting Forums of Karim's 2002 interview with the editor of the Lal Golap Talk Show ( alongside providing an English translation for everyone to understand ) .
Perhaps , the other forum members shall enjoy watching a video of us , actually hunting panthers back in the good , old days of pre 72 India .
 
For what it is worth, our African bullet tests showed that a .458 Nosler Protected Point at 2200 fps MV to be very effective on a large male African leopard that was eating a farmers goat. The velocity may be a little overkill, but that load was intended for thin skinned game more than 20 yards distant.
 

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I could not imagine a better tool for the job than a 375 H&H Flanged magnum in a scoped double(QD) of course for any of the leopard species or sub species with the correct soft nosed ammunition
 
I could not imagine a better tool for the job than a 375 H&H Flanged magnum in a scoped double(QD) of course for any of the leopard species or sub species with the correct soft nosed ammunition
Even more than the 9.3×74 mm Rimmed calibre combination gun which you own , IvW ? My continental clients would often bring these to India for leopard shikars . Utilizing a 286 grain soft point RWS brand cartridge , they were dastardly effective . Of course , the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre fires a 300 grain bullet and can devastate any leopard easily ....but I always found the 9.3 × 47 mm Rimmed to be quite an excellent calibre for the largest of Indian leopards .
 
Really glad that you gentlemen from Bangladesh joined the forum. All of you are great writers. Love reading these articles. Especially while being in (semi) lockdown because of the corona virus. This is my medicine.
 
Even more than the 9.3×74 mm Rimmed calibre combination gun which you own , IvW ? My continental clients would often bring these to India for leopard shikars . Utilizing a 286 grain soft point RWS brand cartridge , they were dastardly effective . Of course , the .375 Holland & Holland magnum calibre fires a 300 grain bullet and can devastate any leopard easily ....but I always found the 9.3 × 47 mm Rimmed to be quite an excellent calibre for the largest of Indian leopards .

Yes, 9.3x74R would not be legal everywhere and my combination does not have the ability for a scope.

9.3x74R/12ga is excellent choice but only if legal.

I am also presuming hunting them and not only following up on a wounded one.
 
Yes, 9.3x74R would not be legal everywhere and my combination does not have the ability for a scope.

9.3x74R/12ga is excellent choice but only if legal.

I am also presuming hunting them and not only following up on a wounded one.
This is a news which I was unaware of , IvW . Thank you . I never knew that regulations for minimum legally permissible calibre existed for African leopards , as well. Is the minimum legally permissible calibre for African leopard also .375 Holland & Holland magnum ? Like elephant , African lion and cape buffalo ?
And is your 12 Bore " Poor Man's Double " legal everywhere in Africa for leopards ?
 
This is a news which I was unaware of , IvW . Thank you . I never knew that regulations for minimum legally permissible calibre existed for African leopards , as well. Is the minimum legally permissible calibre for African leopard also .375 Holland & Holland magnum ? Like elephant , African lion and cape buffalo ?
And is your 12 Bore " Poor Man's Double " legal everywhere in Africa for leopards ?

Yes 12 ga using Brenneke slugs is legal as it produces 3335 Joule which exceeds all minimum energy requirements as well as caliber requirements .729 vs .375

Minimum Equipment Requirements for Rifle Hunting in Africa by Country

Botswana

• The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Botswana is .375 caliber for dangerous game or big game hunting.

Central African Republic
• The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Central African Republic is .375 caliber for dangerous game or big game hunting.

Namibia
• Smallest caliber allowed 7 mm (.284).
• Minimum energy (Eo - muzzle velocity)
• Large Game
2700 Joule
(Greater Kudu, Cape Eland, Oryx / Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest, Hartmann's Zebra, Burchell's Zebra, Giraffe, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope, Waterbuck, Tsessebe, Leopard, etc.)

South Africa
• Most provinces do not have a minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting and rely on common sense.
• Some provinces require a minimum of .375 caliber for dangerous or big game hunting.

Tanzania
• The minimum equipment requirement for rifle hunting in Tanzania is .375 caliber for dangerous game or big game hunting.

Zimbabwe
• Class C Game
3000 Joule
Minimum caliber 7.0mm in diameter
(Leopard, Crocodile, Kudu, Oryx / Gemsbok, Hartebeest, Wildebeest, Zebra, Nyala, Sable Antelope, Waterbuck, Tsessebe, etc.)
 
Guns For Spotted Leopard
We now come to a significantly larger member in the family of Indian Leopards ; The Spotted Leopard . While we Shikaris of West Bengal refer to these species , as “ Spotted Leopard “ , the Shikaris hailing from Central and South India ( Such as Major Poton Khan ) refer to these creatures as “ Village Panther “ . A fully mature large , heavy male specimen will have a snout to tail length of just above five feet and a weight in the ambit of 60 kilograms. These creatures lurk around the villages of India and have an unsavory propensity to carry off goats and chickens . Man eating individuals of this species will also make children , elderly people or otherwise frail people their target with prospects of a macabre supper.
So , what firearms are the most ideal for tackling these fiends ?
My personal experience with these creatures leads me to recommend any of the “ Medium Calibers “ , namely the .30 calibers . Major Poton Khan , with all of his unrivaled field experience as a professional Shikari recommends the .30-06 Springfield , employing a 220 grain Winchester Silvertip soft nose bullet for these feline menaces. This was the central fire rifle caliber which was used by the bulk of his international clients who had booked a Shikar with Allwyn Cooper Limited ( Major Poton Khan’s outfitters ) specifically for Spotted Leopards , and the results were always satisfactory . As always , the Major provides excellent advice .

The Bangladesh Forest Department Officials are issued British Lee Enfield bolt action rifles ( the very same kind of rifle , which I was issued as a marksman in the Bangladesh Army , during the 1971 War Of Independence ) and they put them to good use against the occasional man eating Spotted Leopards which might be terrorizing the villages around our mangrove forests . The .303 British caliber cartridge , employing a 215 grain soft nose bullet has never left anything to be desired , as far as Spotted Leopards are concerned .
I myself have had the good fortune to put down four Spotted Leopards in my life . Two of these were shot with a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum, employing a pair of 300 grain Winchester Silvertip soft nose cartridges. One of these was shot with a 7 millimeter Remington Magnum , employing a single 175 grain Remington Core Lokt soft nose cartridge. One of these ( which was a Black Panther ) was shot with an IOF 12 Bore DBBL , loaded with a 2 3/4 inch Indian Ordinance Factories Ball cartridge , employing a 1 1/4 ounce spherical lead ball . While the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum raked those two Spotted Leopards from end to end like the Hammer Of Thor , the one Spotted Leopard which I had to put down with my 7 millimeter Remington Magnum dropped appreciably fast ; on the spot after my 175 grain Remington Core Lokt Soft Nose bullet had found it’s brain when I opened fire on the fiend upon selecting it’s head as a target . No doubt , I got extremely lucky that an opportune shot had presented itself . However , I certainly did not feel undergunned even one bit , when I had to face that man eating Spotted Leopard with my 7 millimeter Remington Magnum.
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The man eating Black Panther of Jolpaiguri Tea Estate , killed by the author with a heart shot , employing a 1 1/4 ounce spherical lead ball bullet .
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Man Eating Spotted Leopard , killed by the author with a frontal head shot with a 7 millimeter Remington Magnum , employing a 175 grain Remington Core Lokt soft nose factory loaded bullet.
 
@Major Khan & @IvW I've been meaning to ask about a Drilling-type combination gun as a leopard-killing (or even lion- or tiger-killing) gun. Would a pair of 16-gauge slugs plus a single 9.3x74R shot be adequate for the purpose, or would 12-gauge be better? Are slugs the ideal choice, or slug-and-shot in the same shell, or 1 each slug/slug-and-shot/shot for maximum versatility? Not that I'm ever likely to use one but I'd like to add a vintage Drilling to my collection and I want to get the "right one", if that makes sense. Y'all can PM me if you'd like so's not to derail the thread, although if @Panther Shooter has his own input on the subject I'd be glad to have it too.
 
@Major Khan & @IvW I've been meaning to ask about a Drilling-type combination gun as a leopard-killing (or even lion- or tiger-killing) gun. Would a pair of 16-gauge slugs plus a single 9.3x74R shot be adequate for the purpose, or would 12-gauge be better? Are slugs the ideal choice, or slug-and-shot in the same shell, or 1 each slug/slug-and-shot/shot for maximum versatility? Not that I'm ever likely to use one but I'd like to add a vintage Drilling to my collection and I want to get the "right one", if that makes sense. Y'all can PM me if you'd like so's not to derail the thread, although if @Panther Shooter has his own input on the subject I'd be glad to have it too.
I have accounted for 21 unwounded forest panthers with my " Old Belgian " , Webley.
Several of these exceeded 200 pounds in weight and were man eaters . I would load them with my hand loaded spherical ball cartridges . These were 3 inch Eley Alphamax magnum " High Brass " cartridges , loaded with the spherical lead ball bullets removed from Eley 2.5 inch Grand Prix spherical ball " Low Brass " cartridges ( pictured below ) .
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These spherical balls of hardened lead actually weighed 1 ounce ( making them 16 bore spherical ball bullets ) . The reason that Eley would load their 12 Bore Grand Prix spherical ball cartridges with 16 Bore spherical balls , was to allow the 16 Bore spherical ball to pass through even the tightest chokes of fully choked 12 Bore shot gun barrels without causing any strain upon the chokes . These 16 Bore spherical ball bullets helped me dispatch 21 large forest panthers and I seldom need a 2nd bullet to finish them off ( If I did , then it was purely because of my own operator error . )
When aimed at the region between a forest panther's 2 eyes at close range ... I always had 1 dead forest panther .

However , these spherical ball bullets are NOT adequate for royal Bengal tigers . I have never used my " Old Belgian " successfully against an unwounded royal Bengal tiger . The 11 royal Bengal tigers which I have dispatched in my life with my " Old Belgian " were all already mortally wounded by my clients ( and close to dying , anyway ) when I followed them up and shot them in the region between both of the 2 eyes with my " Old Belgian " and my hand loaded spherical ball cartridges .7 of these 11 mortally wounded royal Bengal tigers were tigresses . 4 were fully grown male royal Bengal tigers , which were already either shot through the heart or through both the lungs , or the stomach ( and lost a great deal of blood ) by my clients before I had to follow them up and dispatch them .
The 1 time when I did have to contend with a practically unwounded large male royal Bengal tiger by using my " Old Belgian " .... I nearly lost my life . I have actually put that reminiscence to paper in the " articles " section of African Hunting Forums . You may read the article concerning the events which had transpired on that fateful shikar , over here :

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/the-royal-bengal-tiger-which-almost-did-me-in.55875/

I would not recommend anything , but a centre fire rifle of at least .338 Winchester magnum calibre for a royal Bengal tiger ... utilizing a 250, 275 or 300 grain soft point premium bullet like a Winchester Silver Tip or a Swift A Frame . Even shot guns loaded with Brenekke Black Magic Slugs will not be an acceptable choice for hunting royal Bengal tigers , due to the lack of penetration on a large 500 pound male royal Bengal tiger . A large male royal Bengal tiger weighing over 500 pounds is a ferociously resilient brute . I have actually seen a Brenekke Black Magic Slug get fired at a man eating 500 pound male royal Bengal tiger at a distance of less than 25 feet . The operator was only able to achieve 6 inches of penetration in to the brute's chest muscles .
I would imagine that IvW feels the same way about the African lion .

For panthers ( which you American gentlemen refer to as " leopard " ) a shot gun is perfectly alright . However , be sure to only use Brenekke Black Magic Slugs in order to ensure adequate penetration , even for body shots .
My spherical ball bullets are only reliable for dispatching a panther when my point of aim is the region between both of the 2 eyes ( fortunately , this is some thing which I have learnt to master extremely well , with that grand old gun in the last 61 years . )
Avoid shot of ANY form for any of the great cats . Even for a 52 pound clouded leopard ... LG buck shot cartridges offer unreliable penetration , even at the closest of ranges . It must be remembered that buck shot utilizes spherical lead pellets . Spherical lead pellets of any size will not be able to consistently defeat the strong muscle and bone mass on any of the great cats with 100 % flawless certainty .
Should leopard be on your menu and you are intending to use a shot gun ... You shall be best served by acquiring a 12 Bore shot gun , equipped with 3 inch chambers so that you can use Brenekke Black Magic Slugs in it .
All the Best .
 
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Guns For Hunting Leopards

We now come to the largest and the heaviest member of the family of leopards found in the Indian subcontinent; the Hunting Leopard . The fact that a large , fully grown male specimen is often capable of achieving a snout to tail measurement in excess of eight feet and a live weight in excess of 94 kilograms is an extremely clear indication that these fiends mean business. And indeed , they do. While we , Shikaris hailing from West Bengal refer to these creatures as “ Hunting Leopard “ , the Shikaris hailing from Central and South India ( such as Major Poton Khan) refer to them , as “ Forest Panther “ . Unlike Spotted Leopards , Hunting Leopards typically lurk deep inside the forests of India and feed on Chital Deer , Hog Deer , Swamp Deer , Barking Deer and wild boar . Also unlike Spotted Leopards , they are typically shy to be in the presence of human beings . That is , except for the Hunting Leopard which has turned man eater . Unlike a man eating Clouded Leopard ( which only targets children ) or a man eating Spotted Leopard ( which targets children , elderly people or frail people ) , a man eating Hunting Leopard has a complete absence of fear for any human beings whatsoever. They will not hesitate to attack even a six feet tall , fully grown , healthy human male . Therefore , it is quite evident that these particular fiends deserve extra special consideration, when the Shikari is selecting a firearm for putting these fiends down .
What firearms accomplish the most satisfactory results on Indian Hunting Leopards ?
Based on my personal experience, I would highly recommend any of the “ medium heavy “ calibers , ie any of the calibers on the upper end of the .300 caliber range .
These include the .338 Winchester Magnum ( employing a 250 grain bullet ) , the 9.3 x 62 millimeter Mauser (employing a 286 grain bullet ) , the 9.3 x 74 millimeter Rimmed ( employing a 286 grain bullet ) and the .375 Holland & Holland magnum (employing a 300 grain bullet ) .
Major Poton Khan considers the 9.3 x 74 millimeter Rimmed to be the quintessential caliber for destroying any Hunting Leopard that ever walked the forests of India , based on his scores of successful continental clients who used to bring rifles chambered in such calibers to India , for the Shikar of Hunting Leopards. And I am certain that it makes for an excellent choice against Indian Hunting Leopards .
My personal favorite would have to be the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum.
In my life , I have been fortunate enough to put down 16 Hunting Leopards ; 15 of which were put down with a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum , employing 300 grain Winchester Silvertip soft nose cartridges . I have taken one Hunting Leopard with my 7 millimeter Remington Magnum , employing a 175 grain Remington Core Lokt soft nose factory loaded bullet . While fortune smiled upon me that day ( in that I was able to put the fiend down with a single shot behind the shoulder , which fortunately penetrated right into it’s heart ) , it is certainly not a feat which I would feel comfortable attempting ever again. The unsuspecting animal had offered me a shot from a perfect broadside position in open terrain , which allowed me to pick my shot and select the fiend’s heart as a target .
A 12 Bore shotgun also makes for an exceptionally fine weapon for use against Hunting Leopards , provided that only rifled slugs are used . The best among these , is Brenekke’s new Black Magic slug , which has a bone crushing weight of 602 grains .
Major Poton Khan who has singlehandedly put down no less that 21 unwounded man eating Hunting Leopards in his life ( till now. You never know when he might end up making it 22 ) , using a Belgian 12 Bore side by side shotgun and one ounce spherical lead balls. What the Major used to do , was :
* Remove the one ounce spherical lead ball projectiles from 12 Bore Eley Grand Prix 2 1/2 inch cartridges ( which did not hold a sufficiently large charge of powder in the 10 millimeter brass part of the cartridge to drive the spherical lead balls at adequate velocities reliably , through the muscles and skulls of large Hunting Leopards ) .
* Remove the BB shot from Eley Alphamax Magnum 3 inch cartridges .
* Load the spherical lead balls into the Eley Alphamax Magnum 3 inch cartridges and treat the cartridges with beeswax.
The large charges of powder in the 16 millimeter brass part of the Eley Alphamax Magnum 3 inch cartridges were more than capable of driving those one ounce spherical lead balls clean through the heads of the largest Hunting Leopards .
While a 12 Bore double barrel shotgun , loaded with homemade spherical ball cartridges is neither the most refined , nor the most modern weapon for hunting dangerous game , it is an absolutely devastating weapon in Major Poton Khan’s hands . The Major has taken all of these 21 Hunting Leopards with that old shotgun at ranges which were so close that it would make the skins of most ordinary Shikaris crawl , even imagining taking a Hunting Leopard at such ranges ( Often as less as 12 feet ) . If this is not remarkable in , and of itself... Then let this sink in . The Major took all 21 of these man eating Hunting Leopards at night , with the aid of a flashlight which he would attach to the fore end of his shotgun with masking tape . The Major also went after countless Hunting Leopards wounded by his clients at night by pursuing them into the thick shrub of the Nagpur forests . In the end , the Major and his old shotgun has always emerged victorious against all of those wounded Hunting Leopards , as well .

Me , personally ? If I knew that I was going after Hunting Leopards once again , I would without a doubt , go for a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum. It served me extremely well , during my “ Wild Years “ in the Jolpaiguri Tea Estate between 1973 and 1975 .
A43508D7-4598-4C89-BF90-D69C05F693D5.png


95 kilogram man eating Hunting Leopard killed by the Author with a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum , employing two 300 grain Winchester Silvertip soft nose cartridges.
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Man eating Hunting Leopard killed by the Author with a 7 millimeter Remington Magnum, employing a single 175 grain Remington Core Lokt soft nose factory loaded bullet .
 
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@Major Khan & @IvW I've been meaning to ask about a Drilling-type combination gun as a leopard-killing (or even lion- or tiger-killing) gun. Would a pair of 16-gauge slugs plus a single 9.3x74R shot be adequate for the purpose, or would 12-gauge be better? Are slugs the ideal choice, or slug-and-shot in the same shell, or 1 each slug/slug-and-shot/shot for maximum versatility? Not that I'm ever likely to use one but I'd like to add a vintage Drilling to my collection and I want to get the "right one", if that makes sense. Y'all can PM me if you'd like so's not to derail the thread, although if @Panther Shooter has his own input on the subject I'd be glad to have it too.

16 ga would not be good enough. Ammo will also be a problem. 12/12/9.3x74R would be my recommendation. Only use Brenneke slugs, I prefer the original.
 
16 ga would not be good enough. Ammo will also be a problem. 12/12/9.3x74R would be my recommendation. Only use Brenneke slugs, I prefer the original.
Thanks. M. Khan said as much also. So 12GA Brenneke slugs would've been an appropriate ammunition choice during, say, the 1920s/1930s in such a Drilling gun? I presume they'd have been either paper shells or solid-brass hulls at the time instead of our modern plastic.
 

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