MovieChat Forums > Jurassic World (2015) Discussion > Pratts rifle

Pratts rifle

posted 8 years ago by jimmyberluti1
4 replies | jump to latest

What was it?
Could a modern elephant gun bring down a T-Rex?

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Marlin-Model-Big-Bore-Lever-Action-Rifles/706393.uts

It's basically a .45-caliber lever rifle that seemingly fires without levering the action! I can't imagine it having much effect on a large dinosaur at any range.

[–] barnstormer-1 7 years ago

That's .45-70 govt. though. It's a wicked round. Slow moving but with a 405 grain bullet you can shoot through an elk diagonally, shoulder to hip. I would definitely trust these to bring down any big game you could throw at them.

[–] Lokisgodhi 7 years ago

The Marlin model 1895 in .45-70 was featured because it's a product that would be accessible and affordable for the audience. It's not a big game rifle for animals the size of African mega-fauna or dinosaurs. It's featured in the film because it's cheap enough to generate big sales numbers for those who see it in the film and want to get one.

It's not nearly enough gun or a big enough a cartridge to bring down a T-Rex in the majority of circumstances and without pin-point precision. There was a big game hunter that used to shoot elephants with 7x57mm Mauser getting really close and shooting a very specific location on their skull.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/bell_elephants.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._D._M._Bell

Elephants are aggressive enough that it's risky to try this. A T-Rex would require being closer than any sane person would want to get.

I'd want to be armed with a standard cartridge AR type rifle but chambered in the .458 Winchester Magnum.

http://www.petersenshunting.com/gear-accessories/nemo-omen-458/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.458_Winchester_Magnum

A Serbu BFG50a or a Barret M82A1 in .50BMG is also an option. The problem is it's heavier, which makes it difficult to lug around.

http://serbu.com/bfg50a.html

https://barrett.net/firearms/model82a1/

[–] MaximRecoil (4041) 7 years ago

Yes, any gun suitable for an elephant would be suitable for a T-Rex. T-Rex is estimated to have weighed about 9 tons. The biggest elephant on record weighed 12 tons, though most of them are more like 7 tons. Either way, something like a .585 Nyati (750 grain solid @ ~2,500 FPS for over 10,000 ft. lbs. of muzzle energy) can break both shoulders of an elephant, or a T-Rex.

Hot loads for the .45-70 Gov't (like Pratt's rifle was chambered for) approach the power of a .458 Winchester Magnum (it can come within ~200 FPS of it with the same bullet), and could bring down an elephant or T-Rex with good shot placement and good bullet selection (it should be e.g., a bronze solid).