Most T. rex hunts probably looked nothing like Jurassic Park. The popular image is a sprinting ambush predator. The evidence suggests something closer to a patient, powerful hunter that used its massive bite force as the primary weapon — more grizzly bear than cheetah.
Bite Force Over Speed: T. rex had a bite force of 12,800 PSI — enough to crush bone. Its jaws could fracture a triceratops femur. This is the tool of an animal designed to kill by incapacitation, not by speed-chasing prey to exhaustion. A grizzly does not outrun a moose; it overpowers it.
Walking Speed, Not Sprinting: Biomechanical modeling suggests T. rex cruised at 4-6 mph (human jogging pace) efficiently, but likely could not sustain high-speed chases. Its legs were built for power and stability, not velocity. Fast prey (like hadrosaurs) were probably NOT its primary target — slow, armored, or already-injured herbivores were.
Evidence from Bite Marks: Fossilized bones of hadrosaurs and ceratopsians show T. rex bite marks — deep crushing punctures, not slashing wounds. This indicates the hunt ended with a crushing bite to disable, not a chase-down-and-slash approach.
Scavenger vs. Hunter Debate: Early 2000s research argued T. rex was primarily a scavenger. Modern consensus: it was an active hunter, but likely an opportunistic one. It hunted live prey when available, but would absolutely scavenge a carcass from another predator if it could overpower them — which it could.
Lone Hunters or Pack Hunters? The evidence is mixed. Trackways show multiple T. rex in the same area, and some bite marks on bones show healed wounds (suggesting the prey survived the first encounter). This hints at either solitary hunting or loose associations, not coordinated wolf-pack tactics.
Pro tip: T. rex likely hunted like modern saltwater crocodiles — ambush or surprise attack at close range, then overwhelming force. It did not need to be fast if it could hide in vegetation and strike when prey wandered close. Its tiny arms were probably useless in a fight but useful for gripping prey while the jaws did the work.