Leopard Gun?

[Beck]

Hey everybody here is what Lou Hallamore who wrote Chui taught me to get ready for my leopard hunt
1. Buy a $50 pig light
2. Buy a $20 pressure treated post, cement it into the ground and hang the light
3. Buy the 5 pack of the big 5 targets to get the leopard one…it is made do that at 48 yards the cat has the same look in your scope at 100 yards
4. I put the target on a $5 piece of particle board and placed it in a tree under the pig light
My pig light has a hand held device so I can manually turn it on and off
You would not believe my shock the first time I waited for dark set up 50 yards away with a sturdy rest sitting to imitate my real world situation …when I turned on the red light…my first reaction was I was seeing a blob!!!! I had to settle down so that only then could I barely given my fire dot could pick out a rouset to aim then shoot
Lou said the #1 reason hunters miss their leopard shot is their shock seeing the leopard in the red light for the first time then not picking a spot instead shooting at the “blob”
This all for $100 is the best practice I can think of

seems like very good advice - I've never shot something with using a light before, and certainly don't want any surprises

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Scope seems to be a bit overkill? I don't hunt leopards so only asking to satisfy curiosity. I would think something lower power that mounts lower on the rifle might acquire quicker. Does 50mm objective lens gather more light or less?

 

[Beck]

Scope seems to be a bit overkill? I don't hunt leopards so only asking to satisfy curiosity. I would think something lower power that mounts lower on the rifle might acquire quicker. Does 50mm objective lens gather more light or less?

Personally I think the scope is perfect - leopard should be on bait, I don't think target acquisition trumps low light visibility - you can debate the size of the objective lens as it relates to visibility in low light, but I think having the largest exit pupil possible (for a given magnification range) is important

 

[DLSJR]

Several thoughts…

Your setup looks good, but as others have said, an illuminated reticle or Firedot are huge benefits for shooting a leopard. My last leopard was shot while using a Leupold Firedot and even though I shot him at 8:00 AM, it made a huge difference as the Tom was walking along the limb and about to jump down when I shot him. The Firedot made the shot much easier.

Is night hunting for leopard even legal in Mozambique? I could be wrong but don’t think so. In a wild area such as Niassa getting a daylight cat should be no problem.

Accubond would be an excellent bullet. If you want something different a Nosler Partition or Trophy Bonded Bearclaw are both excellent for leopards. Federal changed the name of the Bearclaw to ‘Trophy Bonded Tip’ but it’s essentially the same bullet. I’d prefer either of these bullets over a Swift A Frame as I believe they open more quickly and do massive damage. I’ve shot leopards with both bullets and had perfect results each time. The Northfork Percussion point bullet is designed specifically for lion and leopard and I believe would be excellent, but I have no personal experience with them. Even though a TTSX is an excellent bullet, any of the above are better for leopards.

A pass through (someone mentioned “over penetration”) on a leopard (or lion) is a good thing! Two holes in the chest with the bullets mentioned guarantee a quickly dead cat, not only from the damage but also complete collapse of the lungs. It also gives a much better blood trail which your PH and trackers will appreciate if they have to follow the cat.

Here is what a you want to see from a leopard bullet. This was a .338 225 grain Trophy Bonded Bearclaw. This right side was the exit hole. The hole on the left side was the entrance hole.

 

[Beck]

Several thoughts…

Your setup looks good, but as others have said, an illuminated reticle or Firedot are huge benefits for shooting a leopard. My last leopard was shot while using a Leupold Firedot and even though I shot him at 8:00 AM, it made a huge difference as the Tom was walking along the limb and about to jump down when I shot him. The Firedot made the shot much easier.

Is night hunting for leopard even legal in Mozambique? I could be wrong but don’t think so. In a wild area such as Niassa getting a daylight cat should be no problem.

Accubond would be an excellent bullet. If you want something different a Nosler Partition or Trophy Bonded Bearclaw are both excellent for leopards. Federal changed the name of the Bearclaw to ‘Trophy Bonded Tip’ but it’s essentially the same bullet. I’d prefer either of these bullets over a Swift A Frame as I believe they open more quickly and do massive damage. I’ve shot leopards with both bullets and had perfect results each time. The Northfork Percussion point bullet is designed specifically for lion and leopard and I believe would be excellent, but I have no personal experience with them. Even though a TTSX is an excellent bullet, any of the above are better for leopards.

A pass through (someone mentioned “over penetration”) on a leopard (or lion) is a good thing! Two holes in the chest with the bullets mentioned guarantee a quickly dead cat, not only from the damage but also complete collapse of the lungs. It also gives a much better blood trail which your PH and trackers will appreciate if they have to follow the cat.

Here is what a you want to see from a leopard bullet. This was a .338 225 grain Trophy Bonded Bearclaw. This right side was the exit hole. The hole on the left side was the entrance hole.View attachment 657788View attachment 657789

My scope has an illuminated reticle

 

[Rare Breed]

Unless you hit bone, that will be pretty close to a solid on a cat. It will work, but something a bit faster opening would more likely see him dead at the foot of the tree rather than fifty scary yards away (he says from experience). If it were my '06 it would be loaded with a 150 or 180 gr version of that Core Lokt.

Joe as always so appreciate your feedback! You and Hunter Habib have recommended to me the 180 grain. Due to this I think I will use the Nosler Partition in 180 grain

 

[deewayne2003]

Joe as always so appreciate your feedback! You and Hunter Habib have recommended to me the 180 grain. Due to this I think I will use the Nosler Partition in 180 grain

I think that is a wise choice.

While I didn't hunt Leopard in Zim this July, I did mention to my PH that the next time I come to Zim I wanted to hunt leopard...... This opened up many hours of leopard hunting talk as my PH was apparently a leopard junkie and he stated that the best leopard bullet in his opinion was the Partition.

"Partitions open FAST and penetrate = Dead Cat, plus their more than good enough for all the bait to be shot."

Seemed to make perfect sense to me.

 

[Green Chile]

It's nice to see so many recommendations on lighted reticles. I do not know why they aren't more popular. They have given me many last minute or early shots and with a cat, it's just obvious that they would be helpful.

Great bullet advice already given but I will add one more...last year I used the Norma Oryx 7mm in 156 grain. We never got a shot but the PH was very comfortable with that bullet choice in addition to the Partition and Accubond.

 

[Happy Myles]

Use a legal rifle you are familiar with using that shoots accurately. If you flinch get a different caliber and practice. Use high quality expanding bullets. Do not rush your shot. If you do not squirm or jump around around Chui will present a fair shot. They are not hard to kill if hit properly. If wounded the cat surely will try to attack and is an equal opportunity mauler jumping from person to person. I have personally killed several leopard and helped with others on their hunts. Also over several decades helped professional photographers by baiting and strategizing viewing these wonderful animals. Sitting quietly in a blind have viewed many other unique animals and birds, a special side benefit.

 

[TMac]

Truck led tail light brake light combination with a small 12v 12ah battery is what I use for leopard, bushpig and other night critters. From the first night you bait you fit the light and leave it on. Position the light so it is shining on the bait but it needs to be on the blind side facing the bait. When you decide to sit you just add the brake light wire and the light is brighter.

I do it this way so they are use to the light from the get go as apposed to switching it on only when you sit or the intended target arrives.

Ingenious. May have some applicability to some work I do in the states.

Could you give me an idea of how far from the bait the light is on average, and then how far the blind is from the bait on average? Unless the light is at the blind, then how far is the blind usually. Thank you.

 

[50Gunner]

Beck,

I have heard and read cats hate high velocity, you've got that well covered, on a 2020 Tanzanian safari I used my 400 H&H as my light rifle for all plains game, also had a Leopard on the list, knew well from load workup the tough 400gr A-Frames were only traveling 2400 fps, so with that and the cat in mind I did a bit of customizing.

I filed the small lead tip of the A-Frames down flat, hit flat lightly with a center punch, ran an eighth inch drill bit one quarter of an inch deep, made up a handful of hollow points, loaded them like the unaltered bullets, they shot in the very same ragged sub one inch group as the others over a max charge of Varget powder.

The blind was 70 yards away, hit that Leopard dead center through both shoulders, he dropped with a deadfall thud on that river bank, never moved again, my PH was so overjoyed, he loudly shouted "I Love You Sir!!!!!"

A bit after my Wife and I arrived at camp, that PH pulled up with one of his trackers with heavily bandaged hand and forearm, they just came in from a 14 hour round trip drive for the Tracker to get another round of antibiotic shots and fresh bandages, a client just before we arrived made a bad hit on a Leopard, they went in after it, PH literally had to place the barrel of his 450 Rigby against the cat and blast him off the Tracker, what a royal mess that could have been much worse, but one also completely and easily avoidable with accurate shooting.

The 400gr A-Frames may have worked just as well in stock form, don't know, do know the hollow point dead dropped that cat, so all was more than good.

Good luck, and have fun.

 

[Philip Glass]

So this is my Leopard set up. .300 Weatherby - Sako AV - Meotpa R2 2-12x50 - 180 Nosler Accubonds going 3200 fps - I think it is a perfect setup, but open to recommendations

View attachment 657656

Very good choice! My recent recipe was .300 Win 180g Swift Scirocco. Those are softer bullets that will really shock the cat.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

So this is my Leopard set up. .300 Weatherby - Sako AV - Meotpa R2 2-12x50 - 180 Nosler Accubonds going 3200 fps - I think it is a perfect setup, but open to recommendations

View attachment 657656

@Beck
What's that door stopper for halfway down the barrel. Ive seen similar in some rifles to help groups with better barrel harmonics at the range but not on a hunting rifle.
Just asking so as I can learn something new
Bob

 

[Beck]

@Beck
What's that door stopper for halfway down the barrel. Ive seen similar in some rifles to help groups with better barrel harmonics at the range but not on a hunting rifle.
Just asking so as I can learn something new
Bob

That is exactly what it is for, my father swears by them

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

The only thing I would suggest, Beck, would be make sure that a .30 caliber is legal for leopard where you plant to hunt.

For example, Zambia and Zimbabwe specifically allow a .300 for Leopard, and a .300 meets Namibia energy requirements, but Botswana and Tanzania require a minimum of .375 for "dangerous game". I know that there is a bit of a gray area when it comes to leopard, due to its low weight and comparatively fragile built (e.g. a .270 would do just fine), but dangerous he is, and few things are more worrying on Safari these days than a government scout determined to show who is the boss...

Our legal hawk, BRICKBURN, may know the answer to this question, but if he does not, your PH sure will (assuming you have a hunt already booked).

Also, Leopard may be THE game where the old Nosler Partition may still be king. Explosive disintegration of its front core in the chest area is bound to wreak havoc on that thin skinned cat. Deep penetration with a bonded bullet is not really the concern at hand.

One more thought, will you be shooting at night? Several countries allow it on private land. In which case, does the Meopta R2 have an illuminated reticle?

Just my $0.02, for what they are worth

@One Day...
My PH/ property owner in Namibia shoots his leopards with a 25-06 and reckons it's just about ideal for penetration and expansion. Says it just drops them on the spot.
That is in his OWN PROPERTY tho.
If it was me I would want someone backing me up with something a little bigger and I love my 25s.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Hey everybody here is what Lou Hallamore who wrote Chui taught me to get ready for my leopard hunt
1. Buy a $50 pig light
2. Buy a $20 pressure treated post, cement it into the ground and hang the light
3. Buy the 5 pack of the big 5 targets to get the leopard one…it is made do that at 48 yards the cat has the same look in your scope at 100 yards
4. I put the target on a $5 piece of particle board and placed it in a tree under the pig light
My pig light has a hand held device so I can manually turn it on and off
You would not believe my shock the first time I waited for dark set up 50 yards away with a sturdy rest sitting to imitate my real world situation …when I turned on the red light…my first reaction was I was seeing a blob!!!! I had to settle down so that only then could I barely given my fire dot could pick out a rouset to aim then shoot
Lou said the #1 reason hunters miss their leopard shot is their shock seeing the leopard in the red light for the first time then not picking a spot instead shooting at the “blob”
This all for $100 is the best practice I can think of

@Rare Breed
That's where us Australians are lucky.
A lot of us are used to shooting under light for rabbits and foxes.
If'n I had 10 cents for every fox and rabbit I have shot under light I would be able to afford a spot lighting vehicle with a heater instead of freezing my arse off on a cold winter night in the back of a ute hunting foxes and rabbits.
To us hunting under light is natural
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Scope seems to be a bit overkill? I don't hunt leopards so only asking to satisfy curiosity. I would think something lower power that mounts lower on the rifle might acquire quicker. Does 50mm objective lens gather more light or less?

@Ontario Hunter
The bigger the objective the more light it gathers
That's why a lot of roo shooter in Australia used to use a Kahles 8x56 mounted in a sako vixen 222 for night hunting.
Bob

 

[TMac]

@Beck
What's that door stopper for halfway down the barrel. Ive seen similar in some rifles to help groups with better barrel harmonics at the range but not on a hunting rifle.
Just asking so as I can learn something new
Bob

Sharpshooter X-Ring Barrel Deresonator

A unique barrel deresonator, the LimbSaver Sharpshooter X-Ring helps to improve your accuracy while also dampening barrel whip. It's available in two options -- one for standard barrels and one for bull barrels. The Sharpshooter X-Ring Barrel Deresonator improves accuracy while also dampening...

limbsaver.com