Anyone use TSX on leopard?

[Safari Dave]

In my .416 Rigby, Hornady DGS and DGX shot to exactly the same POI.

I think the TSX would not expand as much as I would want on a thin-skinned, light-boned animal like a leopard.


In Mozambique you had to use at least a .375 on DG.

(I would prefer a .30/06, .300 magnum, 7x57, etc. with quality cup & core bullets)





If your .416 likes the Hornady DGX bullets, I think they should be OK.


If hunting at night and if legal, I would prefer to use a thermal scope for leopard over NV or my PH quickly hitting it with a spotlight. Allow the PH to determine the animal's gender.

 

[Rare Breed]

Which bullet?

Hornady 154 Grain SST. Everyone would greatly appreciate your opinion on the SST please.

 

[Rare Breed]

Hornady 154 Grain SST. Everyone would greatly appreciate your opinion on the SST please.

I can change if need be.

 

[Green Chile]

I thought I read positive comments from Boddington on the SST? I've heard negative on almost every bullet made but I don't buy into this thinking that XYZ brand sucks. Some don't like X bullets but then my PH says the TSX is his favorite buffalo bullet along with A-frames. Worked well for me and put one down in less than 20 yards.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

I bought a case of Hornady 7x57R ammo that is loaded with the 162gr SST bullet many years ago. I use it in a dreiling and Mama shoots it in her Merkel K1. Deadly accurate bullet but I believe it would come apart on a squirrel. Shoulder shots on a big whitetail, pigs, axis, etc. are out of the question. If I have a clear, behind the shoulder shot on a whitetail doe or neck on a pig, I will use that ammo. I have seen one exit wound on a whitetail doe shot behind the shoulder at about 50 yards. This ammo must be very mild in 7x57R.

Based on those experiences, I pull the bullets on that ammo and seat a similar weight Nosler or Norma bullet over the factory load for hunting. Fortunately, the rounds I assemble in this manner shoot just as well or better as the factory ammo.

Safe hunting

 

[IvW]

Many better options than TSX for leopard.....
On larger animals they work most of the time lets say 9 iut of 10 times.....as long as you are mot nr. 10 you should be fine

 

[DLSJR]

I thought I read positive comments from Boddington on the SST? I've heard negative on almost every bullet made but I don't buy into this thinking that XYZ brand sucks. Some don't like X bullets but then my PH says the TSX is his favorite buffalo bullet along with A-frames. Worked well for me and put one down in less than 20 yards.

Just remember that every gun writer is going to speak kindly about the products his sponsors manufacture. I don‘t know if Boddington is sponsored by Hornady but you’d be well served to keep in mind that gun writers are salesmen. Nosler Partitions have been proven effective on leopards for decades, though there are plenty other effective bullets that have been mentioned.

One thing I believe is very important though I don’t believe has been mentioned is the advantage of an exit hole on a leopard. Holes in each side of the thoracic cavity will cause the lungs to completely collapse, which if the initial shot doesn’t kill the cat, the collapsed lungs will. A Partition or A-Frame will likely have an exit, along with violent front portion expansion. Either would be excellent in your 7x57.

 

[Rare Breed]

That would be a great choice. In my .275 (7x57), I used the 170 gr Oryx for PG in Zambia and they worked perfectly on everything from blue duiker to sable. However, for Leopard, the 156 Oryx (or similar bonded SP) would be just about ideal and would also work well collecting PG for bait.

Thanks everyone. I just bought 100 156 grain Oryx bullets to reload for my 275 Rigby. Should be good to go.

 

[Green Chile]

So we will get 2 reports on this 156 Oryx bullet on leopard this season. I go late Sept. When do you go?

 

[SFRanger7GP]

I shot a nice Mountain Lion at about 40 yards with my Merkel K3 in 30-06 using Barnes 180gr TSX factory ammo. He jumped high in the air, hit the ground flopping like a fish out of water and died. Probably didn't move 6 feet. Exit wound was about the size of a quarter.

Shot him down by a creek while looking for boar. St Hubertus was smiling on me that evening. Biologist said he was about 11 y/o. Oldest he had ever seen.

Safe hunting

 

[Green Chile]

That's a lot of luck to just encounter a mountain lion while hunting something else! Very cool. Here's a link to my mountain lion hunt with 10mm revolver and XTP's last season. https://www.africahunting.com/threads/usa-co-mountain-lion-with-revolver.73045/

 

[SFRanger7GP]

That's a lot of luck to just encounter a mountain lion while hunting something else! Very cool. Here's a link to my mountain lion hunt with 10mm revolver and XTP's last season. https://www.africahunting.com/threads/usa-co-mountain-lion-with-revolver.73045/

I saw that. Thanks for sharing.

I spotted mine about 200 yards away walking down the side of the hill towards the creek. The young Gaucho with me was begging me to shoot sooner. That old puma was given credit for all the livestock killing in the area. His teeth were busted and missing and he had scars all over. We drove around to all the Estancias in the area showing him off. When that photo was taken I was drunker than a Ranger platoon on payday.

Safe hunting

 

[Inline6]

Probably the most important technical decision is the scope. You will likely be shooting in bad light, and it is one of the situations where the extra investment in quality glass makes a real difference.

I am not a huge fan of overbore designs to begin with, but I would urge you to reconsider hitting a leopard inside 100 yards (probably closer to 50) with anything out of 7 STW. The violent expansion from a Berger will likely compound the potential problem. I have no doubt that it will kill him, but he won't absorb all that energy like a bear, elk, or nilgai. You could easily present your taxidermist with a real problem.

Do you have an accurate .270 or 30-06 in the safe?

100% agree with @Red Leg , the Berger bullet will do it's job. You will probably not like the results. This bobcat was 35 yards away with a 28 Nosler pushing a Berger 180.

 

[Rare Breed]

So we will get 2 reports on this 156 Oryx bullet on leopard this season. I go late Sept. When do you go?

No my friend just one...I do not go until 2025 with TSALA in Moz. I am off in 2 weeks to Zim for Elephant and Buff then in 24 I have the dart Rhino that I won on a raffle and a PG hunt. Then in 25 only focused on my leopard and already booked all hunts. Looking forward to your report!!!!

 

[Green Chile]

Ahh, ok. Well best of luck with buff and elephant! I will be in Dollar block (SW Zim) looking for ivory and Spots in last half of Sept. Still trying to settle on which big gun to take. Some of that area is pretty thick and so I might take the scoped 416 Rigby instead of the 500ne or 500j.

 

[sureshot375]

Maybe take your .375. That way you can use it as a back up for your ele also? .375 with bearclaws, nosler partitions, it really any soft is good cat medicine.

 

[Green Chile]

I considered that but it was requested that I bring a smaller caliber for the leopard blind. Still, I might shoot some of the bait animals with the 416 to try out some buff loads for next season.

 

[gibbs30c]

Shot my Leopard at a waterhole just at sundown while waiting for bait animals to come in for a night cap.

Two Leopards came in together, shot mine with a 375 pushing a 300 gr TSX at 2550 range about 100 yards.

Cat growled whirled and hit the thick bush, by the time we got back to the rover and around the waterhole to the other side it was dark. Worse two leopards were seen! Which one would be wounded, and which one to shoot again. Long story there was blood where it was hit and we decided best to wait until morning. Next day follow up showed a lot of blood and a dead leopard about 35 yards from where first hit.

I would use a TSX again without hesitation, but you want a heart lung shot.

You are not under gunned for leopard with anything down to 7X57 as some have said here......but you are not over gunned with your 416 Rigby either.

If you handload, and you work with different powders and loads you should be able to get some bullets of different weights and manf. to hit very close (less than 1/2" MOA) to the same zero as your 400 gr solids, at Leopard bait tree range. You just have to play with velocity, powders, bullet designs, and weights.

Ask yourself if you also found yourself at a waterhole with any rifle, caliber or bullet in your hands and a Leopard popped up as mine did............. would you really pass on the shot?

Good Luck on your hunt. Leopard hunting is one of my favorites.

 

[Green Chile]

Thanks for your reply. I'm sure there is a full range of experiences of use this one or don't use that one. I enjoy hearing all of them. Just for curiosity's sake, how was the offside exit with that 300 TSX and any photos? I used an almost identical load in my 375 a few weeks ago for buff, sable, croc and honey badger. There was no excess damage to honey badger. I will guess that you didn't get a full night's sleep that night wondering about the results!

 

[Hombre]

Opinions are like a****les, everyone has one. My first two leopards shot with TB bear claws from 7 Mag, switched on third leopard to 9.3 x 62 with TSX, went about 10 yards. FWTW