I was reading an article in Sports Afield (Jan 2005) about a hunt in Africa where the author came across a leopard in the daylight. "I set my rifle on the sticks and poinred it to the left of the island. I looked through the scope. It was full of waving grass, orange-red in the setting sun. And then it was full of leopard, its head and neck silhouetted against the grass. "Take him" said Glen. I help on the leopards neck and fired. The cat was slammed to the ground so hard that we saw its tail fly up above the grass. Then all we saw was grass". He does not say how far away he was for the shot but when they walked to within 40 yards the cat took off. They looked for it until dark and went back the following morning where they eventually got the cat but the PH was mauled in the process. There was hardly any blood for tracking and the following day the tracks in the sand showed it was walking on three legs. I know it is a "hunting story" so who knows what has been added or omitted.

Anyway, my question is this: Is it common practice to take a neck shot at a leopard (or any dangerous game for that matter), especially in "breezy" conditions and through grass?

I would think that you would want a clear shot where you could place it in the heart/lungs or at least break the shoulders.