Selecting the optimal setup for hunting leopard

brettp · Jun 5, 2016

Hello All,

I am heading to Namibia next year for Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard, Croc, Wildebeest and Warthog.

I am set on my 458 Lott for the first and second animals on this list.

For the remainder, it's a bit of a work in progress. The Leopard is driving the bus as being the one that I am primarily selecting the rifle for.

I have taken a lot of game in my life with 338 win and that is where my mind first goes. That caliber with a 250 grain sierra game king. I have a couple of rifle options which all wear quality scopes with 30mm tubes, 44mm or larger bells and lit reticles.

I also have options in the 300WSM class or 375 H&H.

I'd love to hear thoughts from those who have been there & done that (particularly PHs) on what an optimal setup would be.

THANKS!

Brett

BRICKBURN · Jun 5, 2016

Namibia's rules.
Minimum energy:
Big Game
5400 Joule
(Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Lion, etc.)

The rifle you shoot most accurately.
The scope that YOU can see in the lowest light near dark.

Leopards are thin skinned. Accurate shot placement will save the day.

CAustin · Jun 5, 2016

Thank you Wayne! Even When Pieter has him tied to the tree I still agree with you that shot placement will be most important!
So in terms of Joule what does a 300 win mag 180 grain produce?

cpr0312 · Jun 5, 2016

@brettp ,

All I have heard (asked a few PH's recently) for leopard is a .300 will do the trick, but of course a .375 can never hurt!

What an exciting hunt you have coming up, all the best during your hunt and preparation!

cpr0312 · Jun 5, 2016

And by the way, welcome to AH!

BRICKBURN · Jun 5, 2016

CAustin said:
Thank you Wayne! Even When Pieter has him tied to the tree I still agree with you that shot placement will be most important!
So in terms of Joule what does a 300 win mag 180 grain produce?

My 300 Win Mag load:
180 grains equal 11.6638 grams
FPS 2960 equals m/s 899.84
Energy 4722.16 Joules.

Shootist43 · Jun 5, 2016

Hornady Superformance 300 Win Mag w/180 Gr GMX 4464 Joules at 100 yds.

To convert from Foot Pounds of energy multiply by 1.3558 to get Joules

enysse · Jun 6, 2016

I would use your 375 H&H.

brettp · Jun 6, 2016

reedy0312 said:
@brettp ,

All I have heard (asked a few PH's recently) for leopard is a .300 will do the trick, but of course a .375 can never hurt!

What an exciting hunt you have coming up, all the best during your hunt and preparation!

Thanks! It is exciting for sure!

dory · Jun 6, 2016

Im taking a hand grenade , that should sort mr spots ??
Seriously though it is a question I have asked myself .
Good luck sounds like a top hunt .

Ryno Botma · Jun 6, 2016

Leopard are not very tough or thick skinned animals shot placement is the number one priority and the kinetic energy the next one high velocity soft projectile is what rocks any cat's world and then like brickburn said the scope that perform best under low light

Also to shoot croc you need dead accuracy to hit that spine from what you mentioned I'd said the 338 win with the Sierra game king would be your best pick

Kind regards
Ryno

spike.t · Jun 6, 2016

as Ryno says, with the .338 or the .300 either will work perfectly. whichever of the 2 you are the most accurate with.

and welcome aboard :D Beers:

MBIZI SAFARIS · Jun 7, 2016

Brettp, planing a safaris is half the fun...But I think that a 338 and 375 on Leopard is a bit overkill, if you go for a one rifle safari that hold buffalo and shooting well with the 375 than it's a go... But leopard wit a 180 gr Nosler Partition in a 30-06 will be more than enough if the person know his rifle... think also about the poor taxidermist when he scratching his head and can't fix that 3x3 inch exit hole from the Sierra game king

....

Best regards from Luangwa Valley.
Michael

bassasdaindia · Jun 7, 2016

out of your selection of rifles I would also choose the 458 Lott and 338 Win Mag .

Art Lambart II · Jun 7, 2016

That sounds like a dream safari I'd take the Lott and buy a classic African caliber like the 9.3x62.

brettp · Jun 7, 2016

Mbizi Safaris said:
Brettp, planing a safaris is half the fun...But I think that a 338 and 375 on Leopard is a bit overkill, if you go for a one rifle safari that hold buffalo and shooting well with the 375 than it's a go... But leopard wit a 180 gr Nosler Partition in a 30-06 will be more than enough if the person know his rifle... think also about the poor taxidermist when he scratching his head and can't fix that 3x3 inch exit hole from the Sierra game king ....

Best regards from Luangwa Valley.
Michael

Thanks for the feedback. I surely agree that planning is half the fun. I am hunting elephant on this trip, so it's not a one rifle hunt. The issue with the 338 is just that I have so much confidence in it having killed a lot of game in the US, Canada, Europe and Africa.

Oh, and i have a good taxidermist, so we have to keep testing him!

brettp · Jun 7, 2016

Art Lambart II said:
That sounds like a dream safari I'd take the Lott and buy a classic African caliber like the 9.3x62.

I actually have 2 9.3x62's and had considered that as well.

AZDAVE · Jun 7, 2016

Haven't shot a leopard (YET!) But you might want to consider taking your 375 just incase you have a problem with your 458Lott that you have a rifle for backup that meets the DG min. Might be overkill on Mr Spots but the ones I have seen impressed me with their quickness and dead is good and overkill dead is also good.

Red Leg · Jun 7, 2016

Everyone who has suggested best twilight accuracy is spot on. Caliber is secondary to accuracy and the quality of your scope. If I had a choice between a Savage .243 with a Zeiss Victory and a Rigby .375 with a Bushnell, then the .243 wins hands down. I killed mine with a .338 and a .250 gr partition. That .300 WM (properly scoped) sounds about perfect as the second gun in your battery and primary spots swatter.

Also, I would strongly suggest detachable rings. A perfect lung shot will often lead to a dash to cover. Follow-up in the almost to very dark of an African night with a scoped rifle is an educational experience. It educated me enough to insure everything that goes to Africa has a scope which QUICKLY dismounts. That evening in Namibia, with fixed mounts, I would have been better off using my rifle as a club. Fortunately the cat was stone dead, and we had no need for close action drills.

rookhawk · Jun 7, 2016

I've not hunted leopard yet but its on the list. I would not hesitate to use my 7x57 with a 175gr partition on a trophy Tom. A 140lb thin skinned predator will die within seconds from such a gun.

Shot placement is everything and a gun with no recoil will always get you better shot placement. (no recoil)

With leopard you have it made in that you're going to shoot it from a blind so you know exactly how far the shot will be 35-70 yards. You then know exactly what optimal bullet expansion and velocity will be at your killing distance for a leopard. In the case of 7x57 that's 2350fps and an excellent mushroom from a partition.

I would be leery of the more power / monster truck thinking of larger rifles for leopard for one reason: You're killing at such short distances that a 7mm mag or even a 300 Winmag may be going too fast at 35-50 yards for optimal expansion. You've gotta take all of this into account.

I shot a black bear at 50 yards with a 7x57 and all that was left was jelly where the organs once were. Optimal shock for a relatively large animal at close distances. I strongly believe a 300 win would have zipped through and potentially screwed up the lethality. (at 150 yards a different story of course)

Selecting the optimal setup for hunting leopard

brettp

BRICKBURN

CAustin

cpr0312

cpr0312

BRICKBURN

Shootist43

enysse

brettp

dory

Ryno Botma

spike.t

MBIZI SAFARIS

bassasdaindia

Art Lambart II

brettp

brettp

AZDAVE

Red Leg

rookhawk

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