What is the best caliber for hunting velociraptors?

Question

According to wikipedia, they are not nearly as big as portrayed in Jurassic Park, so I'm thinking .308 would be sufficient.

Answer 1

how about the "577 Tyrannosaur" as it has Jurassic sounding name and it is big
also they recommend nothing less than 375H&H for dangours game
they might be smaller than thought but why take the chance?

http://www.accuratereloading.com/577tyr.html

Answer 2

A .308 may be sufficient, but I'd be worried about penetration with how thick their skin is. Since they're so fast, as well as smart, it would be wise to hit them as hard as you can the first time. I have a .45-70 just for this purpose, and any modern .45-70 lever gun should have enough power. Some of the older ones loaded to blackpowder pressures might not have enough speed to penetrate the raptor's thick skin. If you're looking for a more modern rifle, a .30-06 would be a good choice, you could get a M1 if you need to take rapid shots. The .338 Win mag would be superb for taking long shots at these tricky beasts, though recoil would be pretty fierce, and I don't think there're any semi-auto rifles chambered for anything like that. You may want to get a 12 gauge shotgun for backup in case they get too close, or there are too many. Finally, if you really want to be sure, you can always get the old standby Barret M82, or opt for a newer model 95 or 99. .50BMG rounds would provide more than enough take-down power to knock even the largest velociraptors off their feet, possibly also tearing them apart, and fast follow-up shots are possible. I've seen people hunt for rock-chuck with these, and it's very effective on small targets. Something that big is going to do too much damage to them if you're hunting them for their hide or meat, though.

Answer 3

I know you said Caliber, but I'm thinking gauge. Velociraptors were pack hunters and very aggressive. They came in at about the size of a turkey, but you might have to face up to 6 at once, and remember, it would be more a challenge of killing them first, they would be hunting you better than you could hope to hunt them.
My pick would be a Remington 11-87 12 ga. with an extended magazine tube, then I'd load it with high brass # 2 shot. Send it to Ken Eister to have it choked for 12 to 35 yards. Then a Browning HP for a back up.
Well, that's what I'd carry anyway, when do we go?

Answer 4

Check out that new upper receiver conversion for the AR-15 chambered in .416 SOCOM.

Nice straight case that's not too fat so you have a decent round count in standard magazines.

Polymer tipped heavy weight aerodynamic bullet that relies more on mass for effectiveness rather than ever diminishing velocity. Mass stays constant, that's a good thing.

Get it in a gas-piston upper if you're concerned about carbon fouling during lengthy engagements.

Mount a good red dot optic on the rail along with a white light and a laser pointer on the side rails and get busy.

Remember to save the big toe claws....there is a bounty on these guys.

Answer 5

Hellooooo!!!! Velociraptors are EXTINCT!!! If you were to go back in time several million years to the time when velociraptors were still alive, you would not have a gun with which to shoot them........ guns were not yet invented. The most powerful weapon that you would have had available would have been a large rock to stick. Take your pick and use the biggest one that you can find. You could call it "Stick Magnum" or "Rock Magnum".

OK, I got two thumbs down for the first part of my answer. Obviously there are at least two people out there who think velociraptors are STILL legal to hunt. That being the case, if I were either of you two geniuses, I'd hunt them very similarly to how snipe are hunted. Of course they are reported to hunt in packs so perhaps you would like to run down to your Jurassic Wal Mart and pick up a few Claymore mines. I agree with one person who suggested that a .577 T. Rex might be sufficient. No sense in taking chances. Now, back to reality.

Answer 6

yes they were much smaller than the ones in jurassic park. If they are in the open any 6.5mm or up would be fine.

In the forest better off with a quick handling 12ga shotgun.

Or just a friendly museum curator. The skeletons probably do not take much catching these days ;)

Answer 7

if you've been keeping up with the news you know they had feathers & only weighed about 30 lbs so think of them as a rather large non flying turkey that bites back & arm yourself accordingly. 12 ga with large shot like #2s should be about right. or a .223 for longer shots.
let me know where you get your velociraptor tag. good hunting

Answer 8

something in a semi-auto i would think. With knock down power if you miss the vitals. If you are hunting them on the ground, that is. If from a high hide over bait, anything with sufficient penetration for a head shot. Panther DPMS scoped in .223 i think. Be sure to get your permit from InGen before going to the Island

Answer 9

I think you will find the Apache Attack Helicopters to be very, very effective when dealing with these.

Their 30mm guns firing at 625 rounds per minute make for quick and clean kills.

Here in Missouri we have managed to eradicate these critters. And the Apache has played a big part.

Oh-the noise has “dried up” good milking cows. But the results are very good.

Answer 10

Well... since they hunt in packs (like wolves) ... I'd probably choose something hard-hitting that could spread its firepower across a decent arc. Something like a flamethrower or a mini-gun would be ideal... 12-gauge shotgun as a backup weapon... make sure you're wearing some good kevlar (those toe-talons are sharp little buggers)

Answer 11

A 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun loaded with buckshot is the ticket for an animal that weights less than 40 pounds.