Ballistics reference

Bullet Drop Chart by Cartridge

Last updated 2026-09-17 Researched from published specifications and owner reviews, not tested in person

Quick answer

A .308 Winchester 168 grain match load zeroed at 200 yards runs about 8.74 inches low at 300 yards and 51.50 inches low at 500 yards, retaining 1,765 feet per second, computed with the same G1 point mass model behind every published factory drop chart. Every row here names its assumed load, because a drop chart that hides that is not useful.

A bullet drop chart is a table of how far a bullet falls below the line of sight at a series of distances, for one specific load, zeroed at one specific distance. It is not a property of a cartridge in general: the same .308 Winchester case can be loaded a dozen different ways, from a light 110 grain varmint bullet at high velocity to a heavy 190 grain subsonic load, and each one drops differently. Every chart on this page names the exact load it assumes for that reason.

The figures below are computed with a G1 point mass trajectory solver, the same standard Ingalls and Siacci drag model that every commercial ballistic app and every printed drop chart from an ammunition maker is built on. Muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient are the manufacturer's published catalogue figures for each load, not a measurement of any individual rifle, and this site does not sell or recommend ammunition. These numbers exist to give a scope's elevation dial or holdover reticle something concrete to be checked against.

Every cartridge here is zeroed at 200 yards for a single, uniform basis of comparison. A 200 yard zero is a reasonable working distance for most centerfire hunting cartridges. It is not the zero most shooters would actually pick for a rimfire round or a lever action straight wall cartridge, and the steep numbers for those rows below reflect that mismatch rather than a fault in the math.

Run it for your own rifle first Bullet Drop Calculator Run your own chronographed velocity and the bullet maker's ballistic coefficient instead of the catalogue figures used here. Open

How far does each cartridge drop with a 200 yard zero?

Path in inches relative to the line of sight, computed from each load's published muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient through the G1 drag model, with the rifle's sight height set to a realistic value for that platform. A negative number means the bullet is below the line of sight at that distance.

Zeroed at 200 yards, a .308 Winchester 168 grain match load is 8.74 inches low at 300 yards and 51.50 inches low at 500 yards, while a flatter 6.5 Creedmoor 140 grain match load is 7.71 inches low at 300 and 44.15 inches low at 500.

Sourced figure

Bullet drop in inches by cartridge, 200 yard zero
Cartridge	Load assumed	300 yd	400 yd	500 yd
.22 LR	40 gr RN at 1,255 fps	-63.00 in	-184.19 in	-377.30 in
.223 Remington	55 gr SP at 3,240 fps	-6.71 in	-21.30 in	-46.80 in
6mm ARC	108 gr match at 2,750 fps	-7.29 in	-21.42 in	-43.41 in
.243 Winchester	100 gr SP at 2,960 fps	-7.12 in	-20.90 in	-42.69 in
6.5 Creedmoor	140 gr match at 2,710 fps	-7.71 in	-22.14 in	-44.15 in
.270 Winchester	130 gr SP at 3,060 fps	-6.44 in	-18.83 in	-38.28 in
7mm Remington Magnum	160 gr at 2,950 fps	-6.58 in	-19.06 in	-38.30 in
.308 Winchester	168 gr match HP at 2,650 fps	-8.74 in	-25.42 in	-51.50 in
.30-06 Springfield	180 gr SP at 2,700 fps	-8.24 in	-23.78 in	-47.80 in
.300 Winchester Magnum	190 gr match at 2,900 fps	-6.80 in	-19.70 in	-39.61 in
.30-30 Winchester	170 gr FN at 2,200 fps	-17.69 in	-54.05 in	-115.40 in
.45-70 Government	405 gr lead at 1,330 fps	-43.44 in	-123.59 in	-245.46 in
.350 Legend	180 gr SP at 2,100 fps	-21.26 in	-65.74 in	-140.85 in

Computed from each load's published G1 ballistic coefficient and catalogue muzzle velocity, not a measurement of a specific rifle. The last four rows, a rimfire, two lever gun rounds and a straight wall cartridge, are rarely actually zeroed at 200 yards in practice: their steep numbers here exist only for a uniform basis of comparison against the others.

How much velocity does each load lose by 500 yards?

Retained velocity matters past the drop number itself: it decides how much energy reaches the target and, for some bullet designs, whether the bullet is still travelling fast enough to expand reliably. These are the same runs as the table above, reporting velocity instead of drop.

A .308 Winchester 168 grain load leaves the muzzle at 2,650 fps and is down to 1,765 fps by 500 yards, a loss of exactly a third of its starting speed, while the flatter 6.5 Creedmoor keeps 2,011 fps at the same distance.

Sourced figure

Velocity retained in feet per second by cartridge
Cartridge	Muzzle	200 yd	300 yd	400 yd	500 yd
.22 LR	1,255 fps	867 fps	774 fps	697 fps	630 fps
.223 Remington	3,240 fps	2,454 fps	2,109 fps	1,794 fps	1,515 fps
6mm ARC	2,750 fps	2,415 fps	2,256 fps	2,104 fps	1,957 fps
.243 Winchester	2,960 fps	2,501 fps	2,288 fps	2,086 fps	1,894 fps
6.5 Creedmoor	2,710 fps	2,417 fps	2,277 fps	2,142 fps	2,011 fps
.270 Winchester	3,060 fps	2,622 fps	2,418 fps	2,223 fps	2,038 fps
7mm Remington Magnum	2,950 fps	2,596 fps	2,430 fps	2,269 fps	2,115 fps
.308 Winchester	2,650 fps	2,272 fps	2,094 fps	1,925 fps	1,765 fps
.30-06 Springfield	2,700 fps	2,350 fps	2,185 fps	2,027 fps	1,876 fps
.300 Winchester Magnum	2,900 fps	2,552 fps	2,387 fps	2,229 fps	2,076 fps
.30-30 Winchester	2,200 fps	1,610 fps	1,369 fps	1,179 fps	1,050 fps
.45-70 Government	1,330 fps	1,051 fps	973 fps	913 fps	863 fps
.350 Legend	2,100 fps	1,462 fps	1,224 fps	1,064 fps	965 fps

A high ballistic coefficient retains velocity better than muzzle velocity alone predicts: the 6.5 Creedmoor starts 550 fps slower than the .223 Remington and still overtakes it in retained velocity past 300 yards.

Why will this chart not exactly match my rifle?

Three things move a real rifle's numbers away from a published chart, in roughly the order they matter. Muzzle velocity is the biggest one: catalogue figures come from a specific test barrel, commonly 24 inches, and a shorter barrel, a different powder lot or a colder day can shift real velocity by 100 feet per second or more in either direction. Ballistic coefficient is the second: the published G1 figure is itself an average across a velocity range, and the bullet maker's own number is the only one worth using. Altitude and temperature move air density, which changes drag, and matter more at longer range and higher magnification.

The fix for all three is the same one: chronograph the actual load out of the actual rifle, and use that number rather than the box. A chronograph such as the Garmin Xero C1 Pro Compact Ballistics Chronograph reads muzzle velocity directly off the shot rather than assuming the catalogue figure, which is the single most useful upgrade available to anyone trying to make a drop chart agree with their rifle.

Should I dial the come-up or hold over?

Dial when you have time and a confirmed distance: it is more precise and it returns your eye to the centre of the reticle, where the glass is sharpest. Hold over when the shot is fast or the range is uncertain, using a BDC or mil reticle calibrated to roughly match your load. Most hunters are best served picking a zero distance that lets them hold dead centre out to their usual shooting range and dialing only past that, which the 100 yard against 200 yard zero comparison works through in more depth.

Sources

G1 standard drag function, the published Ingalls and Siacci reference used across the ballistics industry
Published factory load specifications: muzzle velocity and G1 ballistic coefficient for each cartridge listed

Frequently asked questions

What does a bullet drop chart actually show?

How far a specific load, at a specific zero distance, falls below the line of sight at a series of ranges. It is a property of the load and the zero together, not of the cartridge case alone, which is why every chart worth using names the exact bullet weight and muzzle velocity it assumes rather than just the cartridge name.

Why is my rifle's drop different from this chart?

Almost always muzzle velocity. Catalogue figures come from a specific test barrel, and a difference of 100 feet per second between that barrel and yours is completely ordinary. Ballistic coefficient, altitude and temperature explain most of the rest. Chronographing your own load and using that measured velocity tightens the agreement considerably, especially at longer range.

Why is a 200 yard zero used for every cartridge here?

For a single, uniform basis of comparison across very different cartridges. It is a reasonable working zero for most centerfire hunting rounds, but it is not what a shooter would actually pick for a rimfire or a lever gun cartridge, which is why those rows show such steep drop: the mismatch is in the chosen zero, not the arithmetic.

Does a higher ballistic coefficient always mean less drop?

No, muzzle velocity still matters. A higher ballistic coefficient means a bullet sheds velocity more slowly once it is moving, which shows up more in retained velocity and wind drift than in raw drop at moderate range. Two loads with similar muzzle velocity but different ballistic coefficients will show their biggest drop difference past 400 or 500 yards, not close in.

Should I dial elevation or use a BDC reticle?

Dialing is more precise when you have a confirmed range and time to do it, since it also returns your eye to the optical centre of the scope. A BDC or mil reticle suits a shot that has to happen quickly, provided the reticle's holdover marks were calibrated close to your actual load, which is worth checking rather than assuming.

How is this chart computed?

With a G1 point mass trajectory model, the same standard drag function that commercial ballistic solvers and factory ammunition charts are built on, using each load's published muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient. It is researched from manufacturer specifications rather than measured from any particular rifle, which the site states plainly rather than implying otherwise.

Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, published optical and ballistic formulas, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are shooter convention rather than sourced numbers, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Ballistic figures come from a point mass model using the ballistic coefficient the maker publishes, so treat them as a starting point and confirm them on paper at a measured distance. Confirm your firearm is unloaded with the action open before you mount, level, torque or bore sight anything. Verify a zero only on a supervised range or a safe, legal backstop, know what lies beyond your target, and follow the law where you hunt and shoot, including rules on land access and permitted cartridges.