Blog #196 – Monster Killer? Meet 375 Raptor

There are a lot of boutique cartridges in the world of firearms. Some popular ones to have sprung up in recent memory have been 300 Blackout, 6.5 Creedmoor, 5.7x28mm, and numerous more. While most of these odd-ball rounds are not meant to have universal use, they absolutely serve a distinct purpose of some kind; otherwise, why would they have been invented in the first place? One cartridge you might not have heard of is 375 Raptor which we will take a look at here today to see if it is yet another one [insert DJ Khaled voice] you should be adding to your arsenal. Let’s dive in! With a name like 375 Raptor, it sounds completely fake, right? Like, something out of Jurassic Park or a video game, but it is a real and viable cartridge gaining in popularity. If you think it is a “meme cartridge,” you should go check out .577 Tyrannosaur aka 577 T-Rex (that is a real round, too – Google it). What 375 Raptor was invented for is hunting wild, invasive pigs in the southern regions of the United States. It uses a .308 Winchester casing that has its mouth expanded open to accept a .375 diameter bullet. Let us tell you, that if you think this all sounds gnarly, you should shoot and see one in person. They are wicked! The 375 Raptor cartridge can fit into an AR-10/LR308/SR25/G2 modern sporting rifle platform and utilizes all of the same components. The only change that is needed is a barrel swap. You can still use Magpul PMAGs common to that platform. So, with the 375 Raptor being compatible to build out in a common platform, what value does it serve the firearm community in hunting invasive hogs?... Lots of energy and power! The 375 Raptor boasts 3,600 Foot-Lbs of energy at the muzzle which is astounding. When hunting we want to down game as quickly and humanely as possible out of respect to the animal, and the 375 Raptor does just that. At the moment, there are not a lot of household, name-brand, ammunition manufacturers producing 375 Raptor ammo, but there are boutique companies you can source some from as well as reload your own. If you are a hunter and are looking for a new cartridge that truly slaps!... I would highly suggest you take a discerning look at the relatively new (invented in 2014) 375 Raptor. It could add a lot of utility to your firearm collection even with it being a boutique hunting round. Until next time, continually check out our blog, join our newsletter, and watch the website for new and exciting updates! As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the comments below. We love it when you participate in our articles and keep the conversation going!