If you read what I wrote I said those are calibres anyone out after rabbits and foxes might have.  Equally they could have a .30-06 or .300 magnum for pigs or deer.   No head, lungs, intestines, spine or hindquarters from a .22-250 isn't something a panther might enjoy.  Mark any spot on the panther and consider what a hunting bullet would do.  All involve sudden and massive blood loss. 

I was not suggesting a hunter's choice in  range or kit, just saying that a panther wouldn't disappear scott free if it flaunted itself in a tree, on a rock, stump or wandering a path.  

The US military accept a .223, their 5.56, which is less powerful than the .22-250 for sniper work to 300metres easily. That is for enemy wearing full kit, which a thin skinned panther doesn't possess.  They did propose .22-250.  The .308 (7.62) has the advantage of commonality across Allies, departments and types of use (projectile).  Although snipers do not use military grade ammunition but special loads as do serious hunters and competition shooters.

Police would be happy and it has been proposed to use the .22-250 in urban settings in particular because even at 500metres it is not far off 500 ft/lbs terminal energy.  That is a heck of a lot of pressure on a relatively small entry.  QAs well tghere is quick expansion.  That would kill or severely incapacitate an offender without on-carry, ie carrying to an innocent bystander, eg a hostage.  On the other hand the thirty calibre could easily carry through a target offender, even through a riccochet to kill an innocent.  Once the round hits, who knows where it travels.  That cannot be predicted. 

The other advantage of a .22-250 is its similar trajectory to a .300 magnum, which military snipers do like very much.  They pair well.  .300magnum for extra wind, extra oompf over long distance, or when you need something to penetrate minor obstacles like glass windscreens first before tapping the offender (who takes a shot like that unless directed?).  So, .22-250 for a whole range of tasks unless extra is needed, then .300 magnum (or some like .338 but they are reaching out further).

If you don't think a .308 is reliably lethal at 500 plus metres you are seriously mistaken.  Enemy have been killed at 1500 yards by .308 in a rather ordinary but tweaked Winchester or Remington rifles (still used).  ie not the  sophisticated Accuracy International or similar.

In closing, the FClass shooting events in Australia are to 1000 yards.  .223 and .308 are common because people traditionally favour military rounds.  Many of us teethed in military competition.  But .22-250. .243 and .270 can perform creditably.  The X ring is 5" and the 10 is 10"".  An outline of a panther would not faze competitors at all.

No-one fires from a standing position or without a rest.  That is close in pig in the lignum stuff.  Something different. 

Save ithe anti-tank grenade for the black panther.

Davey, dont be too hard coz nutti has a shooting program on his computer which he plays all the time. He was known to look outside the door once.

Innes - I've been a farmer, an agricultural contractor, and a mining contractor - and I've spent the largest part of my working life in the wheatbelt and Goldfields of W.A.

I've owned and fired many weapons, including most of the common ones, from .22's, .22 magnums, .22-250, .243 Browning, .270 Winchester, .303, and even the old '94 model Winchester lever action .44.

I've dispatched many a vermin animal, including a few thousand rabbits, hundreds and hundreds of 'roos, hundreds of foxes and feral cats, and even a feral donkey and goat or three.

I can recall getting 480 rabbits in one night, with 500 rounds from a .22, way back in 1965! That was when rabbits really were in plague proportions!

The sound of blanks being fired by the panther hunting fwed.

You should be a lot nicer fwed after your lost camo pith helmet was found and returned to you.  Thankless bugger you turned out to be.  LOL

Just how are those black panthers you imagine roam the dark weedy recesses out back of your flat?  Ahem, "Big Cats" is the correct term isn't it for believers such as yourself.

Help is available , sigh , but it may be too late.

I'm sorry, fwed - that I was a bore, and discussed shooting and killing in too much detail. I can advise you that I no longer own any weapons, and I try every day, to control my desire to kill. There's a lot of people and animals out there, that really need killing, though.

Is there something else we can discuss that attracts your interest? Knitting, cooking, the best household cleaners? I'm a man of many talents, and I've been domesticated for over 20 years - so really, underneath it all, I'm just a big pussycat.

And once again, the peanut gallery makes a major contribution to the discussion.

What I am demonstrating in my mug shot, with my fingers, is the size of the intelligence portion of your brain.

Innes - I've sighted a copy of my military psychological/IQ test, and I'm pretty proud of it! "Highly intelligent, and suitable for highly skilled training", was the part I was pleased with! And that was when I was only 20 yrs of age.

It's pretty apparent, though, that to get on an anonymous forum, and indulge in targeted personal abuse, doesn't require too much IQ?

stick to facts about what has been said. Your ego seems to be larger than your head and I really think you believe the crap you sprout.

But you still continue to duck that question asked so many times of you:  Do you or do you not believe that black panthers are present in the Australian wild?

A simple yes or no, no more weasel words.  LOL

Have I ever said I do believe that ? Or have I ever said I don't ?

You go on saying I say certain things but when asked to copy / paste them you FAIL

Weasel words.

Why can't you answer with a simple yes or no?

This is too much.  LOL

I will need a seat belt to stop falling off the chair laughing at your continuing discomfiture and ducking.  Duckie, (heh, heh) shall I get your camo pith helmet for you?

Innes, as a National Serviceman and lacking a degree or professional qualification, I wasn't even considered for OTU. However, I did manage to become a lowly L/Cpl after 6mths, something that incensed a few Regulars, who were overlooked in the promotions. It was rare for any NS to get any substantial amount of training, or gain any type of rank - the Army didn't hand them out to NS'men, as promotions were always handed out to Regulars. 

I didn't start the personal abuse, Davey has attacked me constantly from the minute I started posting, calling me a squarehead and other abusive names. I put up with it for so long - but now whenever he pops his head up, he makes a good target. It might have something to do with being bullied relentlessly for over 2 yrs at high school by a thug, that makes me release some latent anger.

Fair enough Aaron.  The draft was an onerous obligation, not to mention a life threatening experience. forced on the few and school is not an experience many would choose again.

I hope my pedantic niggle on details, for instance the use of the word weapon which is common enough for the military, didn't irritate.   In print it is easy to appear terse.

I would say that both you and innes do not offend.  Not trying to bridge build but simply ackonwledging a fact.