Ballistics Data for Common Cartridges

You’ve discovered our in-depth ballistics charts for many cartridges from numerous ammo manufacturers (and we're consistently adding more).

Whether you’re stocking up on ammo for your next range session or looking for deals on bulk ammo, use the charts below to compare velocity, energy, and trajectory across every common cartridge.

How We Made Our Ballistics Charts

How to Read a Ballistics Chart

Reading a ballistics chart isn’t complicated. We keep our ballistics tables as simple as possible. You’ll see which round we’re detailing at the top of the chart. Just below that, you’ll find rows for range (yards), velocity (feet per second, or fps), energy (foot-pounds, or ft-lbs), and elevation (bullet trajectory, measured in inches).

Key Ballistics Terms Explained

To understand ballistic data charts, you must first know the associated terms.

Velocity

Velocity is the speed of an object and the direction it moves. Bullet velocity begins at the muzzle (i.e. the end of the barrel).

Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy is the amount of energy a moving object possesses. It depends on two things: mass (i.e. weight) and velocity. The formula for kinetic energy is ½ mv² (one-half the mass of an object multiplied by the square of its velocity).

Trajectory and Bullet Drop

Trajectory is the curving path an object follows as it moves through the air or space. A bullet’s path to the target is rarely a straight line, which is why bullet trajectory is defined in inches of drop.

Ballistic Coefficient

Ballistic coefficient (BC) measures how effectively a projectile resists air resistance (drag). A higher BC means the object cuts through the air more easily, maintains a higher percentage of its velocity, and incurs less wind drift. Sleek, long, pointed bullets with tapered tails (boat tails) have high BCs (they’re more aerodynamic). Short, flat, stubby bullets have low BCs (they catch more wind). A low G1 BC typically ranges from 0.12 to 0.30. A medium BC ranges from 0.30 to 0.50. A high BC is 0.50 to 0.80+. An excellent BC is 1.0+, though very few rifle cartridges can actually attain it.

Weight

Grains are a unit of mass used to describe the weights of bullets (and propellant charges). One grain equals ~0.065 grams, or 1/437.5 (~0.0023) ounces. There are 7,000 grains in 1 pound. Historically, the unit was based on the weight of a single cereal seed, such as wheat or barley.

Ballistics tell you where a bullet goes; recoil tells you what it does to your shoulder on the way out. See our recoil charts by cartridge for that side of the comparison.