I KNOW IT IS OVERKILL BUT WHAT BULLET AND WEIGHT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IN .458 WIN MAG FOR LEOPARD?

[codofish]

OMG are you kidding me! Only someone who is from NY, California or Colorado would "overthink"
that one. Maybe Dirty Harry would try that. Take 2 rifles or borrow a suitable one.
Leopard hunting is a very specialized hunt on a Dangerous Game Animal that is likely the most dangerous you can ever hunt. If the first shot is not the kill shot, you, your PH, trackers, game ranger,
and anybody in the area's life is in danger, why would you risk that?
You should never consider shooting a leopard with anything that can't consistently hit a dime size target from 100yd or less!
I love my double rifles but would never consider using one on Leopard (except maybe a follow up tracking on a wounded one if a short barrel shotgun with buckshot isn't available)
Hunting them from a blind at night in minimal or no light and a PH would agree to having a client use
a 458 or double rifle or any other Big Bore, IMHO is not someone I'll hunt with!

I have lived my entire life at the end of a dirt road in Carolina but the best deer hunter I ever met was from New York and the best hunting guide I ever had was from Colorado, maybe they influenced me.

Like I said, I shoot this rifle one MOA at 100 yards with the 400 grain bear claw. Below is a 5 shot group from yesterday, you'll notice that just one hole is about the size of a dime.

If hitting a dime from 100 yards with a hunting rifle was prerequisite for hunting dangerous game this forum would have about 10 members and a lot of starving PHs.

 

[DLSJR]

All of those are kind of shit for light transmission, except maybe the 2-12 Leupold VX6.

I have killed exactly zero leopards.

But I have spent 100's of nights in a German tower blind waiting for Mr. Schwein to come in where I can see him.

You need the same scope I hunt with, and hundreds of thousands of other European hunters hunt with. Mine is a Zeiss V8 with a 50mm objective, but a 56 is better. It will probably give you the best light transmission at 8 power. As that is the design.

This is not going to be a good scope for buffalo.

This is why you would be better off with a 243, 308, 7x57, whatever has zero recoil with a 2.5-10x56 or a 3-12x56 or similar scope, from the best brand you can afford as long as it has the words Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski, Kahles, Minox, Schmidt Bender or Meopta on the side.

I believe these scopes mentioned are overkill for a leopard and they most definitely are for buffalo. I’ve found a Leupold VX5 in 2-10x with the red Firedot reticle to be about as close to perfect as you can get. It’s a 30mm tube and 42mm objective. This is plenty of light gathering and magnification, but that Firedot is the most important feature. It simply makes precise aiming much easier regardless of light conditions. You’re only going to shoot a leopard at 40-60 yards so you don’t need a ton of magnification but I think I had my scope on 6x for my last leopard, which was a 47 yard shot.

And it’s also a damned good scope for buffalo hunting.

 

[AZDAVE]

If you are just taking one rifle and it is a 458 WM just use the same bullet you use for buffalo. The 458 bullet is already kind pre-expanded. Just have to be able to pick out a rosette and center punch it.
Don't over think it.

 

[glblanchard]

Keep it simple! The firedot is a great idea.
What is overkill anyway? Dead is Dead!

 

[codofish]

If you are just taking one rifle and it is a 458 WM just use the same bullet you use for buffalo. The 458 bullet is already kind pre-expanded. Just have to be able to pick out a rosette and center punch it.
Don't over think it.

I don't know what rifle I will take with me at this point but I do know that I will overthink it. It is what I do, my modus operandi. It would be easier for the leopard I am going after to change his spots than for me to not overthink this.

 

[steve white]

Load it with your 300g Nosler's and you should be fine.

Aren't the larger caliber Noslers thicker walled and more resistant to rapid expansion?

There used to be a factory cartridge called "Lion Load" that would really expand rapidly, I think.

 

[steve white]

All of those are kind of shit for light transmission, except maybe the 2-12 Leupold VX6.

I have killed exactly zero leopards.

But I have spent 100's of nights in a German tower blind waiting for Mr. Schwein to come in where I can see him.

You need the same scope I hunt with, and hundreds of thousands of other European hunters hunt with. Mine is a Zeiss V8 with a 50mm objective, but a 56 is better. It will probably give you the best light transmission at 8 power. As that is the design.

This is not going to be a good scope for buffalo.

This is why you would be better off with a 243, 308, 7x57, whatever has zero recoil with a 2.5-10x56 or a 3-12x56 or similar scope, from the best brand you can afford as long as it has the words Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski, Kahles, Minox, Schmidt Bender or Meopta on the side.

So the Swaro Z5 is "shit for light?" I am with you on the 56 MM--I have one in Zeiss HT and love it, but I don't know if I would buy another scope if I had that Z5....

 

[RR 314]

Aren't the larger caliber Noslers thicker walled and more resistant to rapid expansion?

There used to be a factory cartridge called "Lion Load" that would really expand rapidly, I think.

Yes sir. A-Square had a lion load--with mixed reviews (even on lions).

 

[sureshot375]

Take a .375 to use for leopard and plains game. Don’t forget you’ll be shooting bait.

The .375 is also a perfectly fine buffalo round and could fill that role if needed.

If you were dead set on a 1 gun safari a .375 would make more sense.

Leopards are not hard to kill. You could kill one with any deer cartridge.

The problem with leopards is nerves and people messing up the shot. You need to have a leopard rifle with an excellent scope that is easy to shoot. You also need to remember you will be shooting from a rest in a blind. You won’t be able to position your body to deal with recoil the same way as a standing shot. You need to completely abandon your plan to use the .458 for leopard.

Taking two guns may be slightly inconvenient. Standing at the bottom of the tree where your dead leopard is supposed to be facing the realization that your PH is about to have to risk his life to fix your screw up is way more inconvenient. Getting your face rearranged by a leopard is also inconvenient.

 

[codofish]

Take a .375 to use for leopard and plains game. Don’t forget you’ll be shooting bait.

The .375 is also a perfectly fine buffalo round and could fill that role if needed.

If you were dead set on a 1 gun safari a .375 would make more sense.

Leopards are not hard to kill. You could kill one with any deer cartridge.

The problem with leopards is nerves and people messing up the shot. You need to have a leopard rifle with an excellent scope that is easy to shoot. You also need to remember you will be shooting from a rest in a blind. You won’t be able to position your body to deal with recoil the same way as a standing shot. You need to completely abandon your plan to use the .458 for leopard.

Taking two guns may be slightly inconvenient. Standing at the bottom of the tree where your dead leopard is supposed to be facing the realization that your PH is about to have to risk his life to fix your screw up is way more inconvenient. Getting your face rearranged by a leopard is also inconvenient.

If I screw up the shot it won't be because of the caliber. I have a 300 yard range set up in my back yard so I shoot a hard recoiling rifle a few rounds about every other day. I feel the recoil while shooting at paper but have trained myself to not flinch. However, I have never felt recoil shooting at anything with hair on it.

 

[DLSJR]

Aren't the larger caliber Noslers thicker walled and more resistant to rapid expansion?

There used to be a factory cartridge called "Lion Load" that would really expand rapidly, I think.

The A Square Lion Load bullet proved to be a shit bullet. The larger caliber Nosler Partitions do have a thicker jacket but no more than a Swift A-Frame. Either would be fine but personally I’d still go with a Bearclaw.

 

[Nhoro]

I would advise a rifle with more velocity for your leopard. Cats are susceptible to velocity- 300 win mag is great. They are thin skinned and light boned and a high velocity bullet seems to have more effect and a rapid expansion bullet is needed as they are not wide animal through the rib cage. Buffalo are pretty different. Impact velocity doesn't seem to make much difference and you need deeper penetration and may need to get through the shoulder bone or spine. Two very different requirements. Can you do it yes. Should you do it- I don't think so.

If I were to make that choice, I would take my 30-06 for leopard and 458 for Buffalo. A 375 has some velocity to shock a cat and is better for leopard and could do double duty

 

[bimbo]

45-70 and 300 grs SP performance reloading

 

[Philip Glass]

The leopard is the most messed up shot on safari. Way too many PH’s have been mauled from what should have been an easy shot. Solid rest, 80 yards and yet still often times disastrous. You need an accurate rifle with an exceptional scope and a soft bullet.
What scope do you have?
I would advise a .300Win with Swift Scirroco 180g bullets. You can do this: