Buckshot & Leopard- Fact Or Fiction?

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi,

I have no experience on leopard hunting. But, me too, am an avid reader about it.
Most of the serious PH don´t like buckshot of any kind!
I remember an article by Robin Hurt after being charged and hurted by a leopard, where hi missed his 500 NE to go after a wounded one. He strongly recommend to go after it with a serious rifle!

 

[HankBuck]

OK, I'll start the conversation up again. How about #6 bird shot? If you hit him in the eyes and blind him, he can't eat what he can't see.

@archer36: just came across your post (above) and I don’t know you and do not want to offend you, But PLEASE Don’t back-me-up if I ever wound a Leopard !!
Even if you can find and verify an instance where someone successfully defended themselves from a Leopard attack by “blinding the Cat with #6s” there’s got to be better weapons to use: a Soup Spoon being one.

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

But Doctor,
Richard Harland has never actually stopped a leopard charge with a shotgun. His shotgun of choice is a 12 gauge 2.5” W.J Jeffery boxlock non ejector side by side (modified choke left barrel and cylinder choke right barrel) and his buckshot of choice used to be Eley Grand Prix SG (nine pellet).

He only ever shot three leopards with it:
One leopard charged at him and Richard fired at him, but the SG pellets only grazed the leopard in the patch of skin on the right shoulder. The leopard pounced on Richard and was getting ready to maul him, when Richard’s hunting parter (Fritz) killed the leopard with a .30-06 Springfield. This was the only one from the three leopards which actually charged at Richard.
The other two leopards were already fatally wounded by clients and Richard just put an insurance shot behind their shoulders when they were already immobilized.

I respect your opinion but i have to say that i killed many pumas boars and even buffalo with Shotguns with great results.Lately i use a 470NE but im feel confident with a shotgun.I was in only one leopard pursue and as everyone has scoped rifles i asked for a shotgun

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I respect your opinion but i have to say that i killed many pumas boars and even buffalo with Shotguns with great results.Lately i use a 470NE but im feel confident with a shotgun.I was in only one leopard pursue and as everyone has scoped rifles i asked for a shotgun

Oh, definitely. I was just pointing out a fact about Richard.

I myself have also killed quite a few big game animals (including a few dangerous ones such as two man eating Royal Bengal tigers & one African leopard) with shotguns over the years.

 

[HankBuck]

I respect your opinion but i have to say that i killed many pumas boars and even buffalo with Shotguns with great results.Lately i use a 470NE but im feel confident with a shotgun.I was in only one leopard pursue and as everyone has scoped rifles i asked for a shotgun

@juan pablo pozzi - a Puma or Cougar/Mountain Lion is a very easy animal to kill - a .38 cal revolver or .223 rifle or shotgun/buck shot have all been used to take a cat over hounds — they don’t carry much lead. I never shot a Leopard or saw one shot but always heard they are MUCH TOUGHER. I have killed over 100 whitetail deer with shotgun & buckshot (did deer control with State issued depradation permit for 7 years) and even 12ga with 000 buck penetrates poorly after 25 yards - and even at 10 yards the pellets never exit on broad side shots. My Cougar Guide's told me they had killed cats with .357 handgun and .223, one with a .22LR and I believe them but I would Not want to use that on a Leopard —- at least Not if I had a choice. I believe a Leopard is a different type of cat but will let others with actual experience be the real experts.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Two years ago, in NW Montana, a bird hunter killed a mature grizzly bear with his 12 ga. with a load of #6 bird shot. This was widely reported and documented.

 

[dchum]

Lots of top cat men PH’s grab a shotgun with heavy buckshot. From zim to Tanz and Zam.
I’ve seen many - Guav Johnson here sharing the pictures after a charge. Bucks shot stopped this cat and likely saved him.

Adam Clement’s in Tanz is seen on YouTube dispatching a a big leopard after it charged and ran into the grass wall of their blind. He had a benelli and killed it

Jason stone shoots about 20 cats a season. He grabs his Benelli every time. Leaves his beloved 470 double…

 

[HankBuck]

Lots of top cat men PH’s grab a shotgun with heavy buckshot. From zim to Tanz and Zam.
I’ve seen many - Guav Johnson here sharing the pictures after a charge. Bucks shot stopped this cat and likely saved him.

Adam Clement’s in Tanz is seen on YouTube dispatching a a big leopard after it charged and ran into the grass wall of their blind. He had a benelli and killed it

Jason stone shoots about 20 cats a season. He grabs his Benelli every time. Leaves his beloved 470 double…

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@dchum - “kills 20 cats a year”? Sounds like a lot —- unless they’re House Cats?

 

[dchum]

@dchum - “kills 20 cats a year”? Sounds like a lot —- unless they’re House Cats?

Yes Jason stone - check him out. I have no issue saying that. I don’t speak with hyperbole. He hunts multiple country’s.
Lots of private land in Bots and Zambia

He’s at 5 or 6 already since June 1st. Lots of season left and he’s not even in the thick of it.

Thanks for checking.

Best

 

[GoexFFG]

I’ve never killed a leopard or any other big cat. I have shot a lot of deer and hogs with OO buck and it’s deadly . In a forty yard and under situation it’s better than a rifle on appropriate sized game. Definitely prefer it in semi autos. Just keep shooting till it falls and shoot him again.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Lots of top cat men PH’s grab a shotgun with heavy buckshot. From zim to Tanz and Zam.
I’ve seen many - Guav Johnson here sharing the pictures after a charge. Bucks shot stopped this cat and likely saved him.

Adam Clement’s in Tanz is seen on YouTube dispatching a a big leopard after it charged and ran into the grass wall of their blind. He had a benelli and killed it

Jason stone shoots about 20 cats a season. He grabs his Benelli every time. Leaves his beloved 470 double…

View attachment 628058View attachment 628059View attachment 628060View attachment 628061

Any idea on what brand and size of buckshot was used ?

Lots of white hunters prefer Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 semi automatics in 12 gauge 3.5" Magnum for leopard follow up. Jeff Rann uses his (with the improved cylinder choke tube) loaded with Federal Premium 3" Magnum copper plated 00 Buck (he finds that 3" shells cycle better in his Benelli than 3.5" shells). John Sharp uses the exact same model (with the improved cylinder choke tube) loaded with Winchester Double X 3.5" Magnum copper plated 00 Buck.

 

[HankBuck]

Yes Jason stone - check him out. I have no issue saying that. I don’t speak with hyperbole. He hunts multiple country’s.
Lots of private land in Bots and Zambia

He’s at 5 or 6 already since June 1st. Lots of season left and he’s not even in the thick of it.

Thanks for checking.

Best

@dchum - thanks, that guy would certainly know his Leopard !!

 

[HankBuck]

I’ve never killed a leopard or any other big cat. I have shot a lot of deer and hogs with OO buck and it’s deadly . In a forty yard and under situation it’s better than a rifle on appropriate sized game. Definitely prefer it in semi autos. Just keep shooting till it falls and shoot him again.

@GoexFFG - well it seems like we are both a “fan” of Buckshot and have used it successfully a lot - within its limitations (which is Extreme Close Range). You stated you rip several shots into pigs and “keep shooting - til it falls etc..”. I think that would be needed because “One Shot” might not be enough past 30-35 yrds on a big Pig (I’ve Never shot a Pig).
My experience is that “lead” 000 Buck certainly kills Deer out to 40-50 yards (and much further) but Not consistently, many a long or “next day” tracking and recovery made or “lost”. I would “guess” that for Deer shot w/00 or 000 at 45-50 yrds only 60% will be recovered within 100 yards, another 20% will be a longer tracking job or next day recovery (1 pellet lung, liver, or Gut shot) ….but they still get recovered. The final 20% is really a question? - i think most die but even with one or two pellets in a lung-liver and 1-2 more pellets in muscle or guts — they can travel far, Not leave a good blood trail etc.. This is just my very “rough Guess” and obviously my estimated “percentages” is almost “stupid math” as I make my point that Buckshot is just Not reliable as you get out to the 50 yrd range and beyond…at least Not with “lead” buckshot and open shotgun “bead” sight like I used for years (Benelli SBE with Pattern Master extended Full choke tube). A few times I also used HeviShot 00 Buckshot and the penetration was much better and pattern “tighter” but did Not shoot enough deer with it to form a strong opinion, it was “Better” on the 1/2 dozen I did take with MUCH Better “penetration” and keeping most of the pattern inside the vital area. For shooting deer inside of 30 yards and especially running inside 30 yrds - most Buckshot is impressive and inside 25 yrds can Knock them Off-their-feet. Note, most of my shooting was done on Depredation Permits and having to legally remove deer causing crop damage to Farmers Sweet Corn & Pumpkin fields, removing 20-30 deer each Summer for 7-8 years. I later switched to a scoped 12ga Slug Gun and found that much more effective and very rare to miss or loose one inside of 110 yrds. That is just my personal experiance and some might have better luck or be able to consistently deliver the entire load (9 to 15 pellets) into the Deer’s vitals at 45-50 yrds….that would make a big differnce. At 45-50 yrds With my 000 load of 10 pellets usually 5 to 6 hit the deer “body” but sometimes only 2-3 in Lung/Liver area and that’s where the “inconsistency” stems from.

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

@juan pablo pozzi - a Puma or Cougar/Mountain Lion is a very easy animal to kill - a .38 cal revolver or .223 rifle or shotgun/buck shot have all been used to take a cat over hounds — they don’t carry much lead. I never shot a Leopard or saw one shot but always heard they are MUCH TOUGHER. I have killed over 100 whitetail deer with shotgun & buckshot (did deer control with State issued depradation permit for 7 years) and even 12ga with 000 buck penetrates poorly after 25 yards - and even at 10 yards the pellets never exit on broad side shots. My Cougar Guide's told me they had killed cats with .357 handgun and .223, one with a .22LR and I believe them but I would Not want to use that on a Leopard —- at least Not if I had a choice. I believe a Leopard is a different type of cat but will let others with actual experience be the real experts.

I understand perfectly i have been in lion and leopards hunt ,helping a friend whos a great PH .I carried a Benelli m90 .I was instrumental in the presence of the dogo argentino in Africa so i know the matter.By the way with any of my doubles i can shoot as fast as any shotgun but sometimes you grab what you have at hand and im feel confident with shotguns.Recently my son stopped a buffalo charge with slugs of his mossberg 590.
Cheers from Argentina pampas