Interesting thread.

Shakari; I agree about the shotgun, though I have no experience shooting leopard. I do have experience shooting coyotes, monkey's and stock-chasing dogs with buckshot and the yotes & monks are very lightly-built critters, and I have tested various sizes in my media. I would not trust buckshot in the field for much unless I was absolutely certain the shot would be so close the "cloud" would be a single 12-bore knot, and if that was the case I'd be at no disadvantage with a rifle.

The stuff works on yotes and monks but that is because they are not heavily muscled. Regardless, I've had to pistol some yotes after knocking them down with buckshot. Due to the unreliability of large-size buck patterning, I started using 3-inch mag #4 buckshot and on yotes that worked OK, but then I really don't care if I have to approach a wounded yote that is still doin the kickin' chicken.

Some years ago I shot a pretty stout stray dog with a load of 00. I reckon one or maybe 2 {?}pellet got it, enough to bleed. I tracked the thing for over a half mile through thin snow and mud and dirt and eventually gave up. I had something better to do than waste my time on a dog that just had its mind changed.

Anyway, had it been a furry whirlybird like a leopard, I would not have been pleased.