Leopard Setup

[Velo Dog]

Having not hunted even one leopard, do take my opinion with a pinch of salt.
That said, I am familiar with a good bit of the details, as I’ve hung baits in Limpopo District, South Africa and have examined gunshot wounds in a leopard or two, shot by other hunters.

At this stage, I expect it’s worth mentioning that I am not wired right for sitting still and quiet, hour after hour after many more long hours.
My ex-wife will tell you that I’m not wired right for much of anything.

Anyway, if I was to set out for leopard, I would want a best quality Austro-German scope on my rifle, not too much magnification, in low rings, close as possible to the bore.
I’d want my rifle to be minimum 7x57 caliber and my bullet to be at least 160 grain, round nose soft, such as Woodleigh or the old original Hornady RNSP.

That said, the vintage design Nosler Partition, 160 grain, is a little more pointy shaped than I like for shots under about 300 paces (and especially at extra-short range).
Nonetheless, I believe it would be excellent for big and potentially grumpy kitty cats.
Furthermore, I could underline the word “minimum”, in regards to the 7x57 caliber.

If I found myself having to follow up a wounded leopard, I would prefer an open sight (“express sights”) double rifle, caliber 9.3x74R or .375 H&H.
Another one that I would be inclined to use for wounded leopard follow up would be a double barreled 12 bore shotgun, 25” barrels, loaded with Brenneke 1 oz slugs (2&3/4 inch).

Again, I’ve not hunted a leopard but if I was to do so, the above is what I’d prefer.

Cheers.

 

[thriller]

Just kicking around ideas on what is the ideal rifle caliber and scope setup for leopard hunting. Experienced leopard hunters please chime in.

300 win mag or so with softer bullet don’t want to explode the cat but too hard and it will zip through. And the best light gathering optic you can afford.

Mine never knew he was hit fell out of the tree dead

 

[buffybr]

Mozambique, 2015.

.300 Weatherby, Leupold VX 3i 4.5-14x40 scope with B&C reticle set at 4.5x, 168 gr Barnes TTSX bullet, 50 yd shot from a ground blind, complete bullet pass through, he was dead 19 paces from the bait.

 

[Doug3006]

I’m booked for a leopard in Namibia next April. I’ll use a Winchester Model 70 Super Grade in 30-06. I’ve arrived at a load using 180 Hornady Interlocks that yields half inch groups at 100 yards. I’ll let everyone know how it works.

 

[Green Chile]

I hunted leopard late last season...didn't get him in front of the rifle BUT I took a 7x57 with illuminated reticle scope. Why do I mention this? My two PHs have taken over 200 cats and they were very comfortable with my selection. I also recommend using your leopard rifle to take most or all of your bait animals. That seems obvious but you need to demonstrate proficiency and see some animals drop to that rifle and load. I think confidence in the blind is very important and nothing builds confidence like seeing animals drop to that same rifle.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Botswana, September 2023 leopard with hounds. Day 5 of 10 day hunt. Four shots with 12 gauge Browning semiautomatic shotgun, 00 buckshot. Full disclosure - thick brush so PH shot a fifth shot thereafter with .416 Remington. Not worth getting a human or hound hurt or killed. Fun hunt. Good luck to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[Wiley64]

I’m booked for a leopard in Namibia next April. I’ll use a Winchester Model 70 Super Grade in 30-06. I’ve arrived at a load using 180 Hornady Interlocks that yields half inch groups at 100 yards. I’ll let everyone know how it works.

Can’t wait to hear all about it!

 

[Wiley64]

View attachment 595060

Botswana, September 2023 leopard with hounds. Day 5 of 10 day hunt. Four shots with 12 gauge Browning semiautomatic shotgun, 00 buckshot. Full disclosure - thick brush so PH shot a fifth shot thereafter with .416 Remington. Not worth getting a human or hound hurt or killed. Fun hunt. Good luck to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

awesome picture! Looks like a fun hunt

 

[eyedok]

30-06 Zeiss Conquest 4-14x50 170gr flat nose Sierra Gameking (for 30-30) for my leopard

 

[eyedok]

Was during Covid, and was only .30 cal bullets i could find, but they worked perfect and shot under 1/2” in my supergrade

 

[eyedok]

I figured they were designed to open up at 30-30 speeds, should really open up at 30-06 speed, worked perfect

 

[Red Leg]

It is actually more about the quality of the scope than the caliber of the rifle. As others have noted, I would be happy anywhere it was legal with a 7x57 on up. I shot mine with a 250 gr bullet from a .338. .338 caliber hole going in and maybe a .40 going out. Put a 140 gr bullet on up through both lungs and you will have a dead cat within fifty yards. Hit one lung or put one in his guts and you will have long and potentially bad day or night. Were I going after another, it would be with my R8 in 300 Win Mag livery launching a 180 or 200 gr quality bullet. It carries superb Leica glass.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Just kicking around ideas on what is the ideal rifle caliber and scope setup for leopard hunting. Experienced leopard hunters please chime in.

Thousands of leopards have fallen to the old boring 30.06 165-180 grain bullets. A leopard is not hard to kill. Yes they are fascinating, majestic & deadly when cornered and wounded but its not like shooting a buffalo or lion. 270, 280, 7mm, 30.06 & the fast 300s will do the job. I've shot one leopard with 30.06 165 grain bullet. I'm going for #2 here in June with a boring old 300 win mag.

IMO the 2 most critical things.

Shot placement. That comes with practice and I will NOT hunt with a PH that doesn't have a solid rifle rest in the blind. I'm not talking about something just put together with some limbs. Your rest and hold is critical.

I know a ton of guys have shot cats with 20 mm & 40 mm scopes. Me personally I like at least a 50-56mm scope with a 30mm tube & illuminated reticle. I used a 2.5x10-50. You won't need anything more than that on magnification. Your shot should be 40-80 yards tops. Hornady, Nosler Barnes all make great bullets & the old Remington Corelotks I shot as a kid work.

 

[Altitude sickness]

My wife will be using her .308 with a Swarovski illuminated reticle. She will use this for bait hunting also. It fits and creates one hole groups at 100 yards.

 

[Luvthunt]

340 Wby with 225 Nosler part. 1 3/4 to 6 Leupold. at app. 65 long steps. Maybe too much gun (is there ever too much gun) but it was my light rifle on several trips.
BTW dead right there!

 

[Red Leg]

My wife will be using her .308 with a Swarovski illuminated reticle. She will use this for bait hunting also. It fits and creates one hole groups at 100 yards. View attachment 595132View attachment 595131View attachment 595130

She will be in great shape for anything with that set up.

 

[AZDAVE]

Used a 300 WSM with 165gr Noslers. got one lung and the heart, cat made a 110 meter dash and died running.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Red Leg beat me to it: it’s all about the scope. I’m partial to Swarovski- I’m sure there are other scopes as good in low light, but I like to keep things simple and find Swarovski is never the wrong answer. Z6i 1.7-10 should serve well.

Accuracy is important, but it would take an almost impossibly bad rifle to be a problem at the range of a leopard blind. Measure the distance, zero the rifle to that exact distance, and have a steady rest. There couldn’t be a technically more easy shot in all of hunting. It is the operator error caused by (understandably) high emotions that cause most problems.

There are better or worse cartridges and bullets but anything within a quite wide sensible range will do the job. You just need to be able to put the bullet in the right place. To do that, you need to be able to see it in the quite likely low light conditions.

If you have 100 hours to prepare for a hunt, spend 15 minutes choosing the bullet and caliber, at least 50 hours studying the anatomy of the animal/ shot placement, and the remainder at the range/ dry firing/ etc.

 

[Wiley64]

Red Leg beat me to it: it’s all about the scope. I’m partial to Swarovski- I’m sure there are other scopes as good in low light, but I like to keep things simple and find Swarovski is never the wrong answer. Z6i 1.7-10 should serve well.

Accuracy is important, but it would take an almost impossibly bad rifle to be a problem at the range of a leopard blind. Measure the distance, zero the rifle to that exact distance, and have a steady rest. There couldn’t be a technically more easy shot in all of hunting. It is the operator error caused by (understandably) high emotions that cause most problems.

There are better or worse cartridges and bullets but anything within a quite wide sensible range will do the job. You just need to be able to put the bullet in the right place. To do that, you need to be able to see it in the quite likely low light conditions.

If you have 100 hours to prepare for a hunt, spend 15 minutes choosing the bullet and caliber, at least 50 hours studying the anatomy of the animal/ shot placement, and the remainder at the range/ dry firing/ etc.

Good advice!

 

[Green Chile]

I agree that it's more about the scope than the caliber. Of course bullets matter but being able to place a shot in low light is the real key to success. For that reason, I suggest illuminated reticles to everyone leopard hunting. I like it for everything else too but it's really important for leopard.