On this page
We were walking through the Central Savanna area of Vurhonga Savanna at about 16:00 game time when we heard a lion’s warning call. A few minutes of glassing later we had a male lion in sight at 146 m. One shot through the right lung, and he was down. Here is how it went and what the harvest screen said.
Series: Our Best Kills. The animals we are proudest of, with the numbers and the story. See the whole series.
The male lion down in the grass on Vurhonga Savanna, the "Confirm trophy" prompt showing
The harvest screen: class 9, 234.47 kg, Tan fur, difficulty 7 - Very Hard, Gold at 45.90
The X-ray view: one shot through the right lung from 146.46 m
Mounted in our trophy lodge afterwards: Tan, male, trophy rating 45.9Screenshots from our own save. Tap any image to enlarge.
The Numbers
| Animal | Lion, male, class 9 |
| Reserve | Vurhonga Savanna (Central Savanna area) |
| Weight | 234.47 kg (lions run 135 to 270 kg) |
| Fur | Tan (not one of the rare furs on our record) |
| Difficulty | 7, Very Hard |
| Trophy | Skull, trophy rating 45.90, Gold |
| Weapon | Arzyna .300 Mag Tactical |
| Ammo | .300 Magnum Polymer-Tip (classes 7 to 9) |
| Distance | 146.46 m (about 160 yards) |
| Hit | Flesh, right lung |
| Tracking distance | 337.93 m |
| Weapon score | 53.28 |
The harvest screen showed all four harvest-check icons lit, so the medal held. The tracking distance of 337.93 m means he went a fair way after the hit before he dropped.
What Worked
- The ammo matched the class. The .300 Magnum Polymer-Tip is rated for classes 7 to 9, and the lion is class 9. In-class ammo is what keeps a trophy clean.
- The lung shot. Lungs are the target we recommend in our lion guide, which has our shot-placement notes. A lung hit is a clean kill and does not spoil the skull, which is the lion’s trophy.
- The time of day. In our need-zone data lions rest from 15:00 to 18:30, so a 16:00 lion is likely to be lying up in the grass, not on the move.
- We stopped and glassed. After the warning call we did not push on. We found him first.
A Second Lion, Same Rifle
This is not our first lion with the Arzyna. Our earlier male was a Blonde at level 5 (Medium), shot from 76.80 m through the left lung, and it came out Silver at 41.96. This one was level 7 and 69 m further away, and the trophy rating went up to Gold at 45.90. The weapon score barely moved (53.22 and 53.28), which fits what we see: the rifle is not what makes a lion gold. The animal’s level and trophy rating are.
What Would Make It a Diamond
Our database puts a lion’s diamond at a trophy rating of 48.5, so this one was 2.6 short. The lion’s maximum level is 9 (Legendary), and diamonds come from animals at or near a species’ maximum. Ours was level 7, so a level 8 or 9 lion is the one to hold out for. Binoculars show the level before you shoot. If it is not high enough, wait for the next one.
See him on the wall with the rest of our trophies in our trophy lodge walkthrough.
Screenshots from our own save. Distances are the game's own figures in metres. Class ranges, scores and need-zone times come from our database and can change with patches. Written October 2026. See the full lion guide and our Vurhonga Savanna map.
Frequently Asked Questions
What medal did the lion get?
What did you shoot it with?
Where was the lion?
When do lions rest?
What difficulty was the lion?
Everything on this page comes from playing and studying the game. If it helped, pick it up from the official store and support the studio that makes it.
Get theHunter: Call of the Wild on Steam → Also on PlayStation and Xbox. Store prices change; check the store for the current price.