Firearms For Feline Menaces: The Best Guns For Indian Leopards

[Panther Shooter]

Dear Sir,
Thank you for excellent article! Your experience and insights are wealth of knowledge, to many of us!

Mark Hunter
The pleasure is mine .

 

[Panther Shooter]

Thank You! I was entertained and educated, always a valuable combination.

Long Walker
I am honored that you have enjoyed it. I do not have much experience as an author.

 

[CBH Australia]

Nice writing, Thesee would have been amazing creatures to hunt. Do you happen to know @Kawshik Rahman he seems to have dropped in his writing. The three of your countrymen writing here have given us rest insites into a time gone by.
The start of the title had me thinking Menace Felines you would be talking about Feral Cats. We shoot Feral cats with pleasure in our country many shooters Make the effort to shoot them in the bush.
My first instinct was to think that a .22-250 is ideal for Feral cats, overkill really on outcast Feline menace but a sure failure in Leopard.
Honestly many feral cats in this country would be taken with the ever popular .223, many professional roo shooters use them daily and will shoot pigs and cats opportunistically to help suppress pest numbers. Private shooters find .223 to be economical and versatile so they are very common here.

 

[Panther Shooter]

Nice writing, Thesee would have been amazing creatures to hunt. Do you happen to know @Kawshik Rahman he seems to have dropped in his writing. The three of your countrymen writing here have given us rest insites into a time gone by.
The start of the title had me thinking Menace Felines you would be talking about Feral Cats. We shoot Feral cats with pleasure in our country many shooters Make the effort to shoot them in the bush.
My first instinct was to think that a .22-250 is ideal for Feral cats, overkill really on outcast Feline menace but a sure failure in Leopard.
Honestly many feral cats in this country would be taken with the ever popular .223, many professional roo shooters use them daily and will shoot pigs and cats opportunistically to help suppress pest numbers. Private shooters find .223 to be economical and versatile so they are very common here.

CBH Australia
Thank you. I have been close , personal friends with Sgt. Kawshik Rahman for the last forty years since 1980 . For Clouded Leopards ( the closest creature which we get to feral cats in Bangladesh and India ) , the smallest practical caliber which I would recommend , is the .243 Winchester, employing a 100 to 105 grain soft nose bullet.

 

[CBH Australia]

@Panther Shooter Nice, we would like to see @Kawshik Rahman back here.
How big is a clouded Leopard? Our cats do no to require a .243 but I’m sure it has been done. Feral cats can be pretty big and hat is possibly genetics of several generations and survival of the fittest, I don’t know real but they are just cats, domestic cats gone wild and in some areas maybe they have been there for maybe 100 years . I’m not sure if there is recorded sightings or research that shows when they first started to spread across the country in notable numbers .
A lot of people use ,243 in Australia, it’s somewhat common and considered versatile, there might be a few opposed to it. Maybe one member lurking on this site who openly shares his views on ,243 but Aussies are likely to find someone’s weakness for a little friendly banter.
Is there any or much hunting opportunity in India now?

 

[Panther Shooter]

@Panther Shooter Nice, we would like to see @Kawshik Rahman back here.
How big is a clouded Leopard? Our cats do no to require a .243 but I’m sure it has been done. Feral cats can be pretty big and hat is possibly genetics of several generations and survival of the fittest, I don’t know real but they are just cats, domestic cats gone wild and in some areas maybe they have been there for maybe 100 years . I’m not sure if there is recorded sightings or research that shows when they first started to spread across the country in notable numbers .
A lot of people use ,243 in Australia, it’s somewhat common and considered versatile, there might be a few opposed to it. Maybe one member lurking on this site who openly shares his views on ,243 but Aussies are likely to find someone’s weakness for a little friendly banter.
Is there any or much hunting opportunity in India now?

CBH Australia
Major Poton Khan shot this Clouded Leopard in 1970 , by using his shotgun.

It is the record size for a Clouded Leopard. It has a snout to tail length of 53 inches . This particular specimen weighed 52 pounds .
All hunting has been banned in India since 1972 after Indira Gandhi’s government came to power . They do not like meat eaters , firearms or hunting at all . I do not live in India anymore, by God’s good grace . I moved to Bangladesh in 1975 , permanently and this is where I hunt now . Here , you can fortunately hunt on private property and in public forested area ( after taking police permission for the latter ) .
I hunt Sambhar Deer , Chital Deer , Kakar Deer , wild boars , hares , cranes, greylag geese , Common Sheldrake Ducks , teals , pigeons , quails , doves and snipe .
I have also hunted six odd Asian Sloth Bears which wandered into private property , over the last 44 years . With authorization from the forest department, I shot and killed one man eating Hunting Leopard in 1980 and one man eating Spotted Leopard in 1983.
I purchased my daughter a .243 Winchester when she had turned 18 years old . Now , she still owns it and we use it to teach my grandsons how to hunt .

 

[CBH Australia]

Nice, its good to see that you can continue to hunt and involve the newer generations too.
Born in 1972 and growing up in. Small town I learned to shoot as a kid and it’s my main interest even if I’m not getting out as much as I would like.
My wife has. .243 at my insistance. A Weatherby Girls Hunt 2 it has Pink we like pattern over a composite stock. It was new and priced to sell so I talked her into it. Short stock 20” barrel she likes it now. She has shot foxes and pigs and she will happily take a cat when the opportunity presents.
.243 is a great Aussie all rounder and apparently can be put to use in other ways and that rifle being Made on a Howa action could be rebarrelled for other useful caliber.
Nice skin for @Major Khan , that’s around 20 kg in weight . I don’t think a Feral cat will get that heavy. I shot one with a .22 and on picking it up I was surprised at the weight then realised it was pregnant (Bonus points).
A rough guess is a Big Feral Cat might make 10kg that might be ambitious but an estimate.
None the less there is not such thing as too much gun for cats.
There there are the stories of Elusive Black Panthers in Victoria and southern NSW. Perhaps let go by US forces in the 1940s or brought back by returning Australian troops. Myth or Legend? Maybe something for another thread.

 

[Longwalker]

Please forgive me for adding a note of humour in this fascinating and educational topic. I do appreciate the personal stories and historical importance. But I came across this poem today, and it seemed to fit the topic in an odd way. I felt compelled to share...

"A Poem by Solomon Solomon”

The Tiger Says Grace

Dear God who cares for Tigers,
I have much to thank you for.
My stripes and leafy jungle home,
My throaty purr, my roar.
I thank you for the blazing sun,
And for the cooling shower,
And for the tasty hunter
I'm preparing to devour.
Dear God you have been generous
To send this meaty one,
Encumbered by nearsightedness
And by a faulty gun.
Oh, he was easy prey to stalk!
A most unequal match!
I lept on him with claws unsheathed
And slew with quick dispatch.
So now he lies before me
With dim, unseeing eyes,
His face bedecked with nothing
But a look of slight surprise.
And do I feel remorse's pull?
No. Not one guilty tug.
It's better he should be my lunch
Than I should be his rug.
So, God whos cares for Tigers
And who made us burning bright,
Thank you for your kindness,
I'll sleep happily tonight."

I don’t actually cheer for the tigers, but got a smile from this. Hope you do too!

 

[CBH Australia]

Please forgive me for adding a note of humour in this fascinating and educational topic. I do appreciate the personal stories and historical importance. But I came across this poem today, and it seemed to fit the topic in an odd way. I felt compelled to share...

"A Poem by Solomon Solomon”

The Tiger Says Grace

Dear God who cares for Tigers,
I have much to thank you for.
My stripes and leafy jungle home,
My throaty purr, my roar.
I thank you for the blazing sun,
And for the cooling shower,
And for the tasty hunter
I'm preparing to devour.
Dear God you have been generous
To send this meaty one,
Encumbered by nearsightedness
And by a faulty gun.
Oh, he was easy prey to stalk!
A most unequal match!
I lept on him with claws unsheathed
And slew with quick dispatch.
So now he lies before me
With dim, unseeing eyes,
His face bedecked with nothing
But a look of slight surprise.
And do I feel remorse's pull?
No. Not one guilty tug.
It's better he should be my lunch
Than I should be his rug.
So, God whos cares for Tigers
And who made us burning bright,
Thank you for your kindness,
I'll sleep happily tonight."

I don’t actually cheer for the tigers, but got a smile from this. Hope you do too!

.
Well that chubby hunter should have had a Controlled Round Feed!
Its been said before but hey he's now a maneater and will become a bounty and prize trophy for some lucky Shikar and hunting party.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Another top notch article , Panther Shooter ! It is funny that you actually mention Karim . I am going to upload a video tomorrow on African Hunting Forums of Karim's 2002 interview with the editor of the Lal Golap Talk Show ( alongside providing an English translation for everyone to understand ) .
Perhaps , the other forum members shall enjoy watching a video of us , actually hunting panthers back in the good , old days of pre 72 India .

Friend Ponton
I tried to find your video but can't find it my friend. Woul love to see it
CheerS my friend
Bob

 

[Panther Shooter]

Please forgive me for adding a note of humour in this fascinating and educational topic. I do appreciate the personal stories and historical importance. But I came across this poem today, and it seemed to fit the topic in an odd way. I felt compelled to share...

"A Poem by Solomon Solomon”

The Tiger Says Grace

Dear God who cares for Tigers,
I have much to thank you for.
My stripes and leafy jungle home,
My throaty purr, my roar.
I thank you for the blazing sun,
And for the cooling shower,
And for the tasty hunter
I'm preparing to devour.
Dear God you have been generous
To send this meaty one,
Encumbered by nearsightedness
And by a faulty gun.
Oh, he was easy prey to stalk!
A most unequal match!
I lept on him with claws unsheathed
And slew with quick dispatch.
So now he lies before me
With dim, unseeing eyes,
His face bedecked with nothing
But a look of slight surprise.
And do I feel remorse's pull?
No. Not one guilty tug.
It's better he should be my lunch
Than I should be his rug.
So, God whos cares for Tigers
And who made us burning bright,
Thank you for your kindness,
I'll sleep happily tonight."

I don’t actually cheer for the tigers, but got a smile from this. Hope you do too!

Longwalker
This poem made me smile. It is tragically comical . The late M. A. Karim actually had his right buttock torn off by a Royal Bengal Tiger. He was extremely fortunate to survive that incident . Major Poton Khan made me watch the interview a few days back . Mr. Karim was expecting a Clouded Leopard, but he ended up running into a Royal Bengal Tiger , that day.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Nice, its good to see that you can continue to hunt and involve the newer generations too.
Born in 1972 and growing up in. Small town I learned to shoot as a kid and it’s my main interest even if I’m not getting out as much as I would like.
My wife has. .243 at my insistance. A Weatherby Girls Hunt 2 it has Pink we like pattern over a composite stock. It was new and priced to sell so I talked her into it. Short stock 20” barrel she likes it now. She has shot foxes and pigs and she will happily take a cat when the opportunity presents.
.243 is a great Aussie all rounder and apparently can be put to use in other ways and that rifle being Made on a Howa action could be rebarrelled for other useful caliber.
Nice skin for @Major Khan , that’s around 20 kg in weight . I don’t think a Feral cat will get that heavy. I shot one with a .22 and on picking it up I was surprised at the weight then realised it was pregnant (Bonus points).
A rough guess is a Big Feral Cat might make 10kg that might be ambitious but an estimate.
None the less there is not such thing as too much gun for cats.
There there are the stories of Elusive Black Panthers in Victoria and southern NSW. Perhaps let go by US forces in the 1940s or brought back by returning Australian troops. Myth or Legend? Maybe something for another thread.

CBH
Chris the 243 can be put to other uses. Take the barrel off and use it as a tomato stake. And put a real barrel on it 260 or 7/08 come to mind.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

Because I want to but up some .300 ammo leftover from the last one.
Do you do a search on new posts containing .243?
Or are you just following my trail of breadcrumbs?
I have a 7mm-08 it’s the only less common chambering I own. I do like it, please see other thread .
If my phone stops I will be off doing something.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Because I want to but up some .300 ammo leftover from the last one.
Do you do a search on new posts containing .243?
Or are you just following my trail of breadcrumbs?
I have a 7mm-08 it’s the only less common chambering I own. I do like it, please see other thread .
If my phone stops I will be off doing something.

CBH
Chris
Not following any bread crumbs. Just reading posts I'm interested in and you just happen to be there when I get halfway through the post.
Cheers mate. If I didn't already have the 35 I probably would have got a 300 win mag, been around a long time and works well. It is a cartridge I actually like. Accurate, hits hard and doesn't need bullshit advertising. It's one of the BP cartridges,. A quiet achiever, nt liked to start with but now acceptable to all because it just plain works.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[Major Khan]

Friend Ponton
I tried to find your video but can't find it my friend. Woul love to see it
CheerS my friend
Bob

It is an extremely long interview , Bob ! I am in the midst of making a transcript in order to translate the interview from Bengali to English ... so that all of you, gentle men can easily understand it .
It shall be completed within a day or 2 hopefully , my friend .

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

It is an extremely long interview , Bob ! I am in the midst of making a transcript in order to translate the interview from Bengali to English ... so that all of you, gentle men can easily understand it .
It shall be completed within a day or 2 hopefully , my friend .

Friend Ponton
Thank you for sharing your work looking forward to seeing the interview. There may be some Bengali words 4hat don't translate well into English.
Cheers my Friend
Bob

 

[THAKUR]

View attachment 339007

This Leopard is a Maneater of Thunag Shot by Nawab Shafat Ali Khan with his 458 Win Magnum Model 70.

 

[mark-hunter]

This Leopard is a Maneater of Thunag Shot by Nawab Shafat Ali Khan with his 458 Win Magnum Model 70.

Dear, welcome to the forum.
Your statement is different then the authors.
Would you care to elaborate?

 

[THAKUR]

Thank You mark-hunter,
I joined this forum after reading stories of Mr Kawshik Rehman & Major Khan as i cam across this picture i was confused whether is the same animal which was shot by Nawab Shafath Ali Khan in INDIA when it turned ManeaterThis leopard came to known as Maeater of Thunag,Thunag is a village in Himachal Pradesh INDIA.This Maneater was shot after getting the permission from the Wild Life Authority and it was shot with .458 Winchester Magnum-Model 70 and not with the 7mm Rem Mag.
I have attached the picture of the same leopard one can notice .
1)Its the mirror Image.
2)The background is the same.
3)The clothes worn by Mr Khan.
4)The ammo belt.
5)The Leopard is the same.

 

[Bullhunter]

...Mr Kawshik Rehman & Major Khan & the other indian gentleman...

Did anybody see/hear from this gentleman in the last two years?
I had good contact, but it breaked down....