Rifle Ballistics Summary


This ballistics summary includes only the most common calibers.

There are dozens of loads for any given bullet weight in any cartridge that will produce different velocity and energy figures. And different rifles seldom produce identical performance, even with the same load. So the figures in any ballistics table should be taken as approximate. Never-the-less, the table below gives a reasonably accurate comparison of the basic ballistics of most popular rifle cartridges.

The velocity and energy figures in this table are taken from various sources including the Federal, Remington, Weatherby and Winchester ammunition guides and the 9th Edition of the book Cartridges of the World by Frank C. Barnes and edited by M.L. McPherson.

In the table below bullet weight is given in grains, velocity is given in feet per second (fps) and energy is given in foot pounds (ft lb). General abbreviations used below are: MV (muzzle velocity), ME (muzzle energy), V (velocity), E (energy), yds (yards), Wb (weight of bullet). Abbreviations of bullet types are: SP (spire point), Sp (spitzer), BT (boat tail), HP (hollow point), FP (flat point), RN (round nose).



Cartridge (Wb + type) MV (fps) V @ 200 yds ME (ft lb) E @ 200 yds
.204 Ruger (33 BTSP) 4225 3025 1308 671
.22 Hornet (45 Sp) 2690 1502 723 225
.222 Rem. (50 Sp) 3140 2123 1094 500
.223 Rem. (55 Sp) 3240 2304 1282 648
.22-250 Rem. (55 Sp) 3680 2656 1654 861
.220 Swift (55 SpBT) 3800 2990 1765 1090
.223 WSSM (55 SpBT) 3850 3064 1810 1147
.243 Win. (80 Sp) 3350 2593 1993 1194
.243 Win. (100 Sp) 2960 2449 1945 1332
6mm Rem. (100 Sp) 3100 2573 2133 1470
.243 WSSM (100 Sp) 3110 2583 2147 1481
.240 Wby. Mag. (100 Sp) 3406 2882 2576 1844
.257 Roberts (120 Sp) 2780 2360 2060 1480
.25 WSSM (120 Sp) 2990 2484 2382 1644
.25-06 Rem. (120 Sp) 2990 2484 2382 1644
.257 Wby. Mag. (120 Sp) 3305 2801 2910 2091
.260 Rem. (140 Sp) 2750 2347 2351 1712
6.5x55 SE (140 Sp) 2600 2220 2100 1525
6.5mm Rem. Mag. (120 Sp) 3210 2778 2744 2056
6.5x68 S (140 Sp) 2990 2580 2779 2069
.264 Win. Mag. (140 Sp) 3030 2548 2854 2018
6.8mm Rem. SPC (115 Sp) 2800 2262 2002 1307
.270 Win. (130 Sp) 3060 2639 2702 2009
.270 Win. (150 Sp) 2850 2183 2705 1587
.270 WSM (150 Sp) 3150 2601 3304 2252
.270 Wby. Mag. (150 Sp) 3245 2823 3502 2655
7x57 Mauser (140 Sp) 2660 2260 2200 1585
7mm-08 Rem. (140 Sp) 2860 2402 2542 1793
.280 Rem. (140 Sp) 3000 2528 2797 1986
7mm Rem. SAUM (150 Sp) 3110 2563 3221 2188
7mm WSM (150 Sp) 3200 2648 3410 2335
7mm Rem. Mag. (150 SpBT) 3110 2751 3221 2520
7mm Wby. Mag. (150 SpBT) 3300 2896 3627 2793
7mm Ultra Mag. (160 Sp) 3200 2791 3637 2767
.30 Carbine (110 RN) 1990 1236 967 373
.30-30 Win. (150 FP) 2390 1605 1902 858
.30-30 Win. (170 FP) 2200 1619 1827 989
.300 Sav. (150 Sp) 2630 2095 2303 1462
.308 Win. (150 Sp) 2820 2288 2648 1744
.308 Win. (180 Sp) 2620 2198 2743 1930
.30-06 Spfd. (150 Sp) 2910 2342 2820 1827
.30-06 Spfd. (180 Sp) 2700 2023 2913 1635
.300 Rem. SAUM (180 Sp) 2960 2571 3501 2642
.300 WSM (180 Sp) 2970 2549 3526 2598
.300 Win. Mag. (180 Sp) 2960 2540 3501 2578
.300 Wby. Mag. (180 Sp) 3240 2826 4195 3193
.300 Ultra Mag. (180 Sp) 3250 2834 4221 3201
7.62x39 (125 Sp) 2365 1783 1552 882
.303 British (180 Sp) 2460 2020 2420 1625
.32 Spec. (170 FP) 2250 1630 1910 1000
8x57 JS (170 RN) 2360 1620 2100 995
.338-57 O'Connor (200 FP) 2400 1638 2558 1191
.338 Win. Mag. (225 Sp) 2780 2374 3860 2815
.340 Wby. Mag. (250 Sp) 2941 2553 4801 3618
.338 Ultra Mag (250 Sp) 2860 2443 4540 3314
.357 Mag. (180 HP) 1550 980 960 385
.35 Rem. (200 RN) 2080 1376 1921 841
.35 Whelen (200 Sp) 2675 2100 3177 1958
.350 Rem. Mag. (200 Sp) 2775 2186 3419 2122
9.3x62 (286 SpBT) 2362 1931 3544 2370
.375 H&H Mag. (300 Sp) 2530 1979 4262 2608
.375 Ultra Mag (300 Sp) 2760 2263 5073 3412
.378 Wby. Mag. (270 SP) 3180 2677 6062 4295
.416 Rem. Mag. (400 Sp) 2400 1962 5115 3419
.416 Rigby (400 RN) 2370 1890 4990 3130
.44 Rem. Mag. (240 FP) 1760 1114 1650 661
.444 Marlin (240 FP) 2350 1377 2942 1010
.450 Marlin (350 FP) 2100 1397 3427 1516
.45-70 (300 HP) 1810 1244 2182 1031
.45-70 (405 FP) 1330 1055 1590 1001
.458 Win. Mag. (500 RN) 2090 1650 4850 3025
.460 Wby. Mag. (500 RN) 2600 2037 7504 4605