308 or 300 Win Mag for Leopard

PeteG said:
ok
You’re wrong.
It’s not suitable and an illegal caliber.
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Yup...will back you up on this leopard Pete.. ;) and agree guy is wrong
 
DLSJR said:
Northfork PP is made specifically for lion & leopard. Other good 375 bullets would Bearclaw, Accubond, CoreLokt, Partition, I’m sure a Hornady would be fine, as would a Sierra Game King. I’ve heard good things about Cutting Edge Raptors on cats but my only experience with them was a follow-up shot on a buffalo. I wouldn’t hesitate to use that in 375 on a leopard. TSX would be way down among my choices.

There are plenty of good bullet choices for you.
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I used 375 raptor bullet on bear. It did ok, but nothing like a soft lead bullet. It is what I will use on Buffalo for sure, but not that great on softer game
Exit hole. About 2”.
IMG_7166.jpeg
IMG_7164.jpeg
 
Miletic said:
Well, now...
I'm one of those hunters who is constantly experimenting with new projectiles. When I find that a grain works great, I don't use it anymore. I just record all the results in my journal and move on. I have great confidence in the 243. When the powder and grain are well combined, it becomes a very powerful weapon. Taking into account that the leopard cat weighs 70 kg, and is extremely strong and muscular, but with a thin skin, I believe that the stopping power of the projectile is very important. If we take a situation where a leopard is in a tree and is eating bait, I would rather shoot it with a bullets that will transfer maximum energy to its body, even at the cost of not leaving the body. The SST in 243win is an extremely destructive bullet
that will turn your internal organs into soup. Even better if the animal's shoulder is also hit, in that case I think the leopard will be dead before it even falls from the tree. I note that this is my opinion, which is based on certain experience with other animals, not on the leopard. I haven't shot a leopard yet, but I hope I will have the opportunity. In the event that one of you who has hunted this animal tells me that I am wrong, I will unconditionally change my opinion because I am not stubborn and I like to listen and learn something from people who have tried something more than me.
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I’ve shot lots of bobcats with 223 and 77TMK. Destructive is an understatement.

Yes much smaller than a leopard, but similar anatomy. Fist size holes that would kill anything 150lbs.
 
I was talking with my PH for our upcoming trip to Namibia about Leopard hunting. I asked about using a 338 Marlin Express, he said it would work nicely, but a 300 WM is also a very good round. I then asked about a 9.3X62, he commented about it being a very nice caliber, but a 300 WM is also a very good round.
I then said it sounds like my 300 WM topped with a Thermal and suppressor would work. He said that is the perfect set up.
 
spike.t said:
Well Pete is a ph here in zambia...and I have a sneaking suspicion he along with other phs I know ,wouldn't be too happy at you turning up to shoot your leopard with a 243....also from memory 30 cal is min for leopard here in zambia
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.300 bore for leopard & lion (so .300 Winchester Magnum is okay but .30-06 is not).

.375 bore for elephant, Cape buffalo & hippopotamus.
 
Hunter-Habib said:
.300 bore for leopard & lion (so .300 Winchester Magnum is okay but .30-06 is not).

.375 bore for elephant, Cape buffalo & hippopotamus.
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Have shot a lion with my 300 win mag with older 220grn silver tips...must have been tougher back then as exit wasn't huge ...ran about 60 or so yards..maybe bit more..died mid stride...but now days I would on lion say use min 375.....416 rigby be nicer ...as you know they are a lot bigger than people realise....375 min here for lion buff ele
 
Bandera said:
I was talking with my PH for our upcoming trip to Namibia about Leopard hunting. I asked about using a 338 Marlin Express, he said it would work nicely, but a 300 WM is also a very good round. I then asked about a 9.3X62, he commented about it being a very nice caliber, but a 300 WM is also a very good round.
I then said it sounds like my 300 WM topped with a Thermal and suppressor would work. He said that is the perfect set up.
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Thermal scope?....you shooting at night?...
 
Miletic said:
If I had the chance, I would shoot it with 243 and SST 95gr. That bullet literally tears apart a 70 kg
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@Miletic
And when that bullet fails to penetrate those hard muscles said cat then tears you apart.
Bob
 
Hi Bob,
most likely SST will make an exit wound, which in my opinion is not a priority. I would choose Norma Oryx 100gr, but it would surely come out of the leopard and make a big hole on the other side.
SST would exhibit physical tissue destruction plus hydrodynamic juice as terminal ballistics. I think it would have a great stopping power in an animal under 70 kg
 
Betterinthebush said:
@Miletic when you go on your leopard hunt, are you going to use your .243Win on PG too? I bet those .243 development rounds will play hell on zebra and hippo for bait!
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I like experiments. A friend of mine, who knows me well, asked me if I would develop a 243 cartridge for hunting elephants.
He told me about the leopard that he is not sure if my bullet will pierce the leopard's skin, but he is absolutely sure that the leopard will surely pierce mine :)
 
Miletic said:
The pictures are a little uncomfortable to look at, but these are some of the results with my experimental 243 loads with 95gr grain weights. Animals weigh 10-15 kg.
View attachment 755946
View attachment 755947View attachment 755948View attachment 755948View attachment 755949View attachment 755950
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@Miletic - as part of your extensive research for developing a Leopard round have You determined that your results on “coyotes” [2 of them poorly hit pups] with a .243 is relevant? I agree that a .243 is a Great Coyote round (@Bob Nelson 35Whelen might disagree) and if you have no interest in the pelt it’s even better then a .22-250. How that relates to Leopard escapes Me?? Just as testing out a .410 w/lead #9 shot on quail doesn’t mean you discovered a Turkey load —- hopefully you will end up with a PH and be properly guided to a reasonably safe Leopard Hunt. I guess this is a reminder of why hunters are NOT allowed to just go to Africa and hunt-on-their-own. And again, I am a fan of the .243 - just Not a Drunken Fan…
 
My ideas are based on certain laws of physics, and the experiments I conduct are aimed at the fastest possible death of the animal. To the man who opened the topic, I expressed my opinion, which is by no means binding and does not force anyone to use the 243 in leopard hunting. There is no word of any abuse
Betterinthebush said:
Your ideas of an experiment crowds into my ideas of malfeasance concerning this subject.
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Miletic said:
My ideas are based on certain laws of physics, and the experiments I conduct are aimed at the fastest possible death of the animal. To the man who opened the topic, I expressed my opinion, which is by no means binding and does not force anyone to use the 243 in leopard hunting. There is no word of any abuse
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You’re the one that planted your flag dude.
 
HankBuck said:
@Miletic - as part of your extensive research for developing a Leopard round have You determined that your results on “coyotes” [2 of them poorly hit pups] with a .243 is relevant? I agree that a .243 is a Great Coyote round (@Bob Nelson 35Whelen might disagree) and if you have no interest in the pelt it’s even better then a .22-250. How that relates to Leopard escapes Me?? Just as testing out a .410 w/lead #9 shot on quail doesn’t mean you discovered a Turkey load —- hopefully you will end up with a PH and be properly guided to a reasonably safe Leopard Hunt. I guess this is a reminder of why hunters are NOT allowed to just go to Africa and hunt-on-their-own. And again, I am a fan of the .243 - just Not a Drunken Fan…
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Dear HankBuck,
Thank you for the explanation. Even though the explanation itself is quite an assessment of my intelligence, I still thank you
 
Miletic said:
Do you mind my opinion?
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No, actually, I don’t.

The thread was about a choice between two calibers. .308&.300.

Other posts that fell outside the scope of the OP were offered from, either, experienced hunters or hunters looking for information with a similar setup (mine included).

In fact, I would think you and your .243 experimental leopard round would be better served and explored as a thread unto itself.
 
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