While we are on the subject of hunting cats, notably leopards, and stopping charges from such, what is your feeling on using bullets that might be considered "hard"/ slow opening on cats? These typically includes Barnes X/ TSX, Swift A-Frame, Rhino/ Trophy Bonded Bearclaw.

I class bullets like Woodleigh (SP & PP), the various other bonded (& plastic tipped or not) bullets, and Nosler Partition in a sort of medium class, with the really soft ones the bullets without any re-enforcing features.

What will you use, given a choice, as a first shot on a leopard/ lion (taking into consideration that you might also hunt something else with the same rifle), and why?