Selecting the optimal setup for hunting leopard

[K-man]

I asked my P.H. the same question, a .300 win mag or a .375. His exact words were, " they will both kill a leopard, but sometimes with the .300 they don't know they are dead yet. Bring the .375." I am glad I did, almost had to kill a rogue cow elephant at 8 yds. No chance to try that with the .300. Good luck, use the best scope you can afford.

 

[Spooksar]

By all means take a 9.3x62, its a classic and will do the job rather well. But then I've shot 24 head of African game with mine, so I'm kind of partial to it.

 

[jand]

Absolutely the caliber you are the most comfortable shooting with , within the legal limits of what Namibia would allow you. Bullet placement is everything.
Have a great hunt.

 

[brettp]

I've not hunted leopard yet but its on the list. I would not hesitate to use my 7x57 with a 175gr partition on a trophy Tom. A 140lb thin skinned predator will die within seconds from such a gun.

Shot placement is everything and a gun with no recoil will always get you better shot placement. (no recoil)

With leopard you have it made in that you're going to shoot it from a blind so you know exactly how far the shot will be 35-70 yards. You then know exactly what optimal bullet expansion and velocity will be at your killing distance for a leopard. In the case of 7x57 that's 2350fps and an excellent mushroom from a partition.

I would be leery of the more power / monster truck thinking of larger rifles for leopard for one reason: You're killing at such short distances that a 7mm mag or even a 300 Winmag may be going too fast at 35-50 yards for optimal expansion. You've gotta take all of this into account.

I shot a black bear at 50 yards with a 7x57 and all that was left was jelly where the organs once were. Optimal shock for a relatively large animal at close distances. I strongly believe a 300 win would have zipped through and potentially screwed up the lethality. (at 150 yards a different story of course)

why would a 300 have zipped through? Typically, higher velocities lead to more (and sometimes too much) expansion - not less.

 

[rookhawk]

why would a 300 have zipped through? Typically, higher velocities lead to more (and sometimes too much) expansion - not less.

@brettp take a look at the manufacturer website and they'll cite target velocities for their bullets.

I believe for a partition it's 1900-2400 but don't quote me.

Some bullets are designed to expand under more resistance too. (Bear claw and aframe)

Remember Ruark used to pull the tips off 375 h&h silver tip winchesters? It neutered the bullet making it basically a .38 handgun hollow point so it would function with rapid expansion.

Is a bullet at a given impact velocity going to operate optimally is the question to ask. If not, change the velocity (different caliber or grain weight) or the bullet (faster or slower expansion, softer or harder construction)

Leopard is uniques because a variable is removed from the equation, you know the approximate shot distance. That helps.

 

[Red Leg]

@brettp take a look at the manufacturer website and they'll cite target velocities for their bullets.

I believe for a partition it's 1900-2400 but don't quote me.

Some bullets are designed to expand under more resistance too. (Bear claw and aframe)

Remember Ruark used to pull the tips off 375 h&h silver tip winchesters? It neutered the bullet making it basically a .38 handgun hollow point so it would function with rapid expansion.

Is a bullet at a given impact velocity going to operate optimally is the question to ask. If not, change the velocity (different caliber or grain weight) or the bullet (faster or slower expansion, softer or harder construction)

Leopard is uniques because a variable is removed from the equation, you know the approximate shot distance. That helps.

His point is accurate in that the "optimum" performance window has upper and lower limits. At slower than optimum performance an expanding bullet will act more like a solid with ever less expansion as it slows (typically longer ranges). As the bullet speed exceeds the optimal envelope (typically short ranges or using a bullet designed for .308 speed in a .300 Ultra), the risk of overly violent expansion and insufficient penetration increases. Back to the original scenario, a leopard will typically be hit at near muzzle velocity due to the typically close ranges. A light for caliber softpoint has a far greater potential to crater or otherwise misbehave than would a heavy for caliber bullet. A .300 doesn't "zip through" at close range - but it may blow up on the shoulder if it is lightly constructed.

 

[rookhawk]

Please keep in mind there is plenty of science to this, but also a lot of religion.

Roy Weatherby Church Says - Speed Kills. Faster is better. (Answer to me - Hydrostatic killing effect with special bullets at very high speeds will work. It has to be VERY fast to work correctly and that means that it has to be VERY close. 340 weatherby at 75 yards would be an example of this) Light for caliber bullets are a long range sacrament in this church. High BCs are another sacrament. Sister churches that are welcome into this congregation would be the WSM, Ultramags and other related denominations.

Swedish Church of 6.5x55 Says - Bullets should hit between 1900-2400fps. It avoids glancing deflection. It extends "hang time" in the animal transferring more energy. It alleviates the common risk of over penetration and pass through without transfer of all the bullet's energy. Heavy for caliber bullets is a sacrament. Controlled expansion is a rite. Sister churches that pray at this congregation are .260 remington, 7x57, 6.5x54MS and a wide variety of other well known characters.

Often times you can buy factory loads or handload a gun so it is welcome in either church. (e.g. .375HH can switch hit, 30-06 too)

Since @Red Leg is my ideological first cousin he is saying some of the same things, albeit in a more articulate fashion. He is coming at the problem from the Swedish Church Hymnal and both of us are thinking of how to stick a bullet in at a known velocity and distance for optimal expansion. Having the bullet blow out the other side every time is anathema to our doctrines and using a 350 yard gun at 80 yards requires a confessional.

Now let us pray / prey for others.


P.S. - Would love to have another thread to describe why Roy Weatherby is a heathen that has led the flock astray from the one true load!

 

[Red Leg]

Please keep in mind there is plenty of science to this, but also a lot of religion.

Roy Weatherby Church Says - Speed Kills. Faster is better. (Answer to me - Hydrostatic killing effect with special bullets at very high speeds will work. It has to be VERY fast to work correctly and that means that it has to be VERY close. 340 weatherby at 75 yards would be an example of this) Light for caliber bullets are a long range sacrament in this church. High BCs are another sacrament. Sister churches that are welcome into this congregation would be the WSM, Ultramags and other related denominations.

Swedish Church of 6.5x55 Says - Bullets should hit between 1900-2400fps. It avoids glancing deflection. It extends "hang time" in the animal transferring more energy. It alleviates the common risk of over penetration and pass through without transfer of all the bullet's energy. Heavy for caliber bullets is a sacrament. Controlled expansion is a rite. Sister churches that pray at this congregation are .260 remington, 7x57, 6.5x54MS and a wide variety of other well known characters.

Often times you can buy factory loads or handload a gun so it is welcome in either church. (e.g. .375HH can switch hit, 30-06 too)

Since @Red Leg is my ideological first cousin he is saying some of the same things, albeit in a more articulate fashion. He is coming at the problem from the Swedish Church Hymnal and both of us are thinking of how to stick a bullet in at a known velocity and distance for optimal expansion. Having the bullet blow out the other side every time is anathema to our doctrines and using a 350 yard gun at 80 yards requires a confessional.

Now let us pray / prey for others.


P.S. - Would love to have another thread to describe why Roy Weatherby is a heathen that has led the flock astray from the one true load!

LOL

 

[Shootist43]

rookhawk, I like your thinking. Too much gun can be worse than not enough gun. I'm leaving my recently acquired 416 Rigby and my 375 H&H home in the safe and taking a 35 Whelen and a 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser on my plains game hunt in August. If I were going on a DG hunt I would certainly reconsider my choice of calibers. But for now DG hunts are financially out of the picture.

 

[rookhawk]

@Shootist43 that 35 Whelen sounds like perfect medicine for most everything down there from Kudu to Eland, including leopard. Have a great hunt!

 

[enysse]

I actually would prefer to use my 7mm Rem Mag with 160 gr. Swift A Frame. But I would have no problem using a 7x57 too! Shot placement is final.