# Killing T-Rex with a gun **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156 "2012-05-17T00:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/41 "2012-05-18T04:23:00Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > Who has the _Alamosaurus_? You were specifically told to Remember the Alamosaurus. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/42 "2012-05-18T11:25:48Z")
If I may…[What weapon should I use to hunt a Tyranosaur?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=135451) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/43 "2012-05-18T13:14:23Z")
“Need answer fast!”😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/44 "2012-05-18T13:18:40Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Huh. This would be near my last choice for a weapon, actually. (Better than a spear, but not by a whole lot.) Relatively short-range, and while flame is certainly going to be painful, is it going to cook through that much flesh fast enough to incapacitate or kill? Yes, I’m sure it will be painful - but I suspect t-rex (or any animal that feeds on large prey, for that matter) is going to be used to the idea that Dinner Sometimes Hurts. That might not make him stop trying to eat you. Just want to make a quick comment here, if we are talking about a military flamethrower (designed for combat) being “relatively short ranged”, we are talking about hundreds of yards. That’s not exactly knife-fighting range (unlike the propane flamethrowers you see in the movies, actual flamethrowers were kind of like supersoakers filled with jellied diesel fuel). The biggest problem would be lugging around the big backpack with the fuel and propellant tanks. Probably better off just carrying a BFG and lots of ammo. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/45 "2012-05-18T17:53:57Z")
Isn’t it more likely that the sound of any gun (maybe not a 22) would scare off the T. Rex? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/46 "2012-05-18T18:26:31Z")
I’m sure they’ve heard thunder. I wouldn’t count on scaring one away with a loud noise. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/47 "2012-05-18T18:49:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I’m sure they’ve heard thunder. I wouldn’t count on scaring one away with a loud noise. I wouldn’t want to count on it but a gun really doesn’t sound like thunder. I’ve been hunting and missed my target plenty of times. They always run away after hearing the shot. They don’t seem to think it’s thunder. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/48 "2012-05-18T18:51:35Z")
I’d give the T. Rex a BB gun. He’ll shoot his eye out with it. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/49 "2012-05-18T19:00:31Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I wouldn’t want to count on it but a gun really doesn’t sound like thunder. I’ve been hunting and missed my target plenty of times. They always run away after hearing the shot. They don’t seem to think it’s thunder. [Whoosh](http://www.lasalle.edu/~didio/courses/hon462/hon462_assets/sound_of_thunder.htm). (see also post #35) ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/50 "2012-05-18T19:12:58Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > The most important thing is not the caliber of the gun; that’s secondary. The most important thing is becoming an expert on the animal’s anatomy, and knowing _ **exactly** _ where the brain is. That’s how you bring 'em down. George Orwell’s essay [Shooting an Elephant](http://www.george-orwell.org/Shooting_an_Elephant/0.html) gives a nice account of what happens when you don’t actually know where an animal’s brain is. > [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I wouldn’t want to count on it but a gun really doesn’t sound like thunder. I’ve been hunting and missed my target plenty of times. They always run away after hearing the shot. They don’t seem to think it’s thunder. What are you hunting? I’d expect that from prey animals like deer, less so from cougars or other apex predators. Besides, modern animals may associate gunshots with humans and be understandably cautious. A T. Rex in some jungle nowadays might be the same way; otherwise, it wouldn’t have lasted so long without being found. A Cretaceous tyrannosaur might not. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/51 "2012-05-18T19:15:17Z")
There’s a theory that some sauropods may have been able to create sonic booms by whipping their tails. Maybe gunfire would sound like “Lunch Over Here” to a T-Rex! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/52 "2012-05-18T20:19:49Z")
\*\*Killing T-Rex with a gun \*\* That’s a ridiculous question. Where would a T-Rex get a gun? And how would he use it, lacking opposable thumbs? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/53 "2012-05-18T20:54:02Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > \*\*Killing T-Rex with a gun \*\* > That’s a ridiculous question. Where would a T-Rex get a gun? And how would he use it, lacking opposable thumbs? Simple, just give him [gatling gun arms.](http://ypcomic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/wexterProgress.jpg) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/54 "2012-05-18T23:09:32Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Sir, you have fought my ignorance - thank you! If I might trouble you a bit further, would you be so kind as to provide a cite? There is the theory that T. rex may have been a scavenger anyway. I’m not sure what the status of that idea is these days, but as far as I know it’s still considered a possibility. Also consider that humans are quite capable of scaring off bears or sharks. > [@Crazyhorse](#): > > Something that isn’t often taken into account in the threads on this question is that a t-rex is so huge with a clear line of sight it would be clearly visible at least 2 miles away and probably more. It is like trying to shoot a 2 story building. There is a lot of debate about how fast a t-rex could run (or if they could run at all) but most estimates range between about 11Mph at the slowest and 30Mph at the fastest. So let’s say they could travel at 20Mph. If you could line up a clear shot from 2 to 3 miles away, especially from a high vantage point that is an uphill run for him, you would have 5 or 10 minutes after the first shot before he could reach you. At that range there is even a chance he would have no idea where the attack was coming from, and you might have unlimited time/shots. I think I would prefer a very long range round and lots of ammo in the hope of disabling him before he got close enough for one of these big game rounds to even be effective. A shot from 2-3 miles away? Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/55 "2012-05-18T23:26:57Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > A shot from 2-3 miles away? Good luck! > **[M107 .50 Caliber Long Range Sniper Rifle (LRSR)](http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/rifle/M107.html)** While the ‘effective range’ is only rated at 2,000 meters or about 1.25 miles, the maximum range is over 4 miles. In this case ‘effective’ means able to penetrate body armor. While a 2 mile shot wouldn’t reach the t-rex with maximum energy it would definitely sting. Being able to continuously fire at him for up to 10 minutes I think it would do the job and after half the time he would have moved into ‘effective range’ (if he could even discern where the threat was originating). ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/56 "2012-05-19T00:59:11Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > [M107 .50 Caliber Long Range Sniper Rifle (LRSR)](http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/rifle/M107.html) > > While the ‘effective range’ is only rated at 2,000 meters or about 1.25 miles, the maximum range is over 4 miles. In this case ‘effective’ means able to penetrate body armor. While a 2 mile shot wouldn’t reach the t-rex with maximum energy it would definitely sting. Being able to continuously fire at him for up to 10 minutes I think it would do the job and after half the time he would have moved into ‘effective range’ (if he could even discern where the threat was originating). Yeah, but you’re got to aim it too. That effective range is a bit less than the record for the longest sniper kill and there are only 4 others recorded at over 2,000 metres. Granted, a T. rex is a much bigger target, but at that kind of range you have to take into account bullet drop, wind and the Coriolis effect, as well as holding the rifle very steady. And then at that range you would probably not know where the bullet _did_ go after it missed, making it harder to correct. I’m not sure to exactly what degree these factors affect a bullet’s trajectory though, so perhaps a half-decent shot would still hit it somewhere despite them. Of course if the T. rex isn’t coming after you (it seems like cheating if it’s not but that’s not in the “rules”) it would be a lot easier, as you said. ---
**Author:** ![Rampant\_Coypu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Rampant\_Coypu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rampant_Coypu)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/57 "2012-05-19T04:06:07Z")
I like the multiple shots at the T-rex from a long range with a .50 cal sniper rifle strategy as the T-rex approaches strategy. Reminds me of the game **OGRE**. By analogy with OGRE, I’d aim for the legs just like those OGRE games you won by taking out the treads using mostly artillery. Of course, I agree with the above posters who have said that predators are risk averse. I think the first time you stung it with the rifle it would prance around in different directions until it stopped getting stung. Might not even be smart or well informed enough to associate the sound of gunfire with the sting. I also agree that a flamethrower is a good choice. I am pretty sure a T-rex will run from fire. But all that presumes the goal is to avoid getting killed by a T-rex, not that we were trying to kill one. Given odds are good that it will retreat from something totally novel, don’t we need a vehicle to pursue it? I think one of those old anti-aircraft vehicles with the quad-.50 machine guns would do the trick. The M2 Bradley vehicle would be even better. That 25mm chain gun has gotta hurt, and the TOW missiles have gotta be a one shot kill. The only question is how fast can the T-rex run? I know some might think it unfair to bring vehicles into this, but if we’re gonna kill it, we need to be able to chase it. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/58 "2012-05-21T02:15:11Z")
Of course the OP specified killing a rex that was attacking you, not hunting one from outside it’s detection range, just sayin’ ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/59 "2012-05-21T02:37:41Z")
T-Rex is famously allergic to peanuts as discovered by Jif’s time travel division of choosy moms. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156/60 "2012-05-21T19:43:40Z")
A .50 caliber machine gun mounted on jeep like The Rat Patrol (in color). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-t-rex-with-a-gun/622156.md?page=4)