Ballistic Calculator: Bullet Drop, Energy, MOA/MRAD and Recoil
This ballistic calculator answers the question most shooters actually have: re-zeroing a hunting rifle from 100 to 200 yards cuts 300-yard holdover by about 5.15 inches, roughly 40 percent, across nine factory loads.
Short answer: re-zeroing a hunting rifle from 100 yards to 200 yards cuts your 300-yard holdover by 5.15 inches on average — 39.7 percent — across the nine common factory loads in the table below, and every one of those nine keeps a 6-inch vital zone from muzzle to at least 260 yards once it is zeroed for maximum point-blank range. Use the ballistic calculator below to run your own load. It solves bullet drop, wind drift, remaining velocity and energy with a full point-mass integration of the standard G1 and G7 drag models — the same math behind the manufacturer charts, validated against published Federal and Hornady data to within about 1 percent on drop and 2 percent on wind. Nothing leaves your browser, nothing is gated, and your rifles save locally so the numbers are waiting next time.
Enter a load and press Calculate. Results appear here.
Enter weight and velocity.
Enter a correction and distance.
Enter a load and gun weight.
How this ballistic calculator works
This is a point-mass (3-degree-of-freedom) solver. It launches the bullet at the angle required to cross your line of sight at the zero distance, then steps the flight forward in 0.0001-second increments, recomputing air drag at every step from the projectile’s current Mach number.
Drag comes from the standard G1 and G7 drag functions. G1 is the Ingalls BRL reference projectile that virtually every American ammunition maker uses to publish ballistic coefficients, and it is the default here. G7 describes a long boat-tail match bullet far better, so if your bullet maker publishes a G7 figure — usually less than half the G1 value for the same bullet — switch the drag model and enter that number instead. Use whichever model the coefficient you typed belongs to. The deceleration at any instant is:
Gravity is applied at 32.174 ft/s^2 every step. Wind drift uses the crosswind lag method — the bullet’s sideways displacement equals crosswind speed multiplied by lag time, where lag time is actual time of flight minus the time a drag-free bullet would take:
Air density scales with your altitude and temperature using the standard atmosphere: pressure falls as 29.92 x (1 - 0.0000068756 x altitude)^5.2559 inches of mercury, and the density ratio is that pressure ratio divided by the absolute temperature ratio in Rankine. Speed of sound is 49.0223 x sqrt(T_Rankine), which gives 1,116 fps at the 59-degree standard.
Energy is the classic grain-and-fps formula: energy_ftlb = grains x fps^2 / 450437. Recoil follows the SAAMI free-recoil formulae. Angular conversions use the exact definitions: 1 MOA subtends 1.0472 inches at 100 yards, and 1 milliradian subtends 3.600 inches at 100 yards, so 1 mil equals 3.4377 MOA.
Validation against published manufacturer data
A ballistic solver is only worth using if it reproduces the numbers the ammunition makers print on their own boxes. Every load below was run through this calculator at a 100-yard zero with a 1.5-inch sight height and compared against the manufacturer’s published table.
| Load (published source) | Check | Published | This calculator | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr ELD Match | Drop at 1,000 yd | -319.3 in | -319.9 in | 0.6 in |
| Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr ELD Match | Velocity at 1,000 yd | 1,501 fps | 1,497 fps | 4 fps |
| Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 143 gr ELD-X | Drop at 800 yd | -183.0 in | -182.7 in | 0.3 in |
| Federal Power-Shok 308 Win 150 gr | Drop at 300 yd | -14.7 in | -14.8 in | 0.1 in |
| Federal Power-Shok 308 Win 150 gr | Wind drift at 500 yd, 10 mph | 32.9 in | 33.6 in | 0.7 in |
| Federal Power-Shok 30-06 180 gr | Drop at 300 yd | -15.3 in | -15.4 in | 0.1 in |
| Federal Power-Shok 300 Win Mag 180 gr | Wind drift at 500 yd, 10 mph | 20.0 in | 20.3 in | 0.3 in |
| Federal Power-Shok 223 Rem 55 gr | Drop at 300 yd | -12.0 in | -12.2 in | 0.2 in |
Where a manufacturer publishes both an “average range” and a “long range” trajectory column, the average-range column is the 100-yard zero and the long-range column is the 200-yard zero. Comparing the wrong column is the single most common reason a solver looks broken when it is not.
Worked example you can check by hand
Take the Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 143 gr ELD-X: G1 BC of 0.623, muzzle velocity 2,700 fps, 143-grain bullet, scope 1.5 inches over bore, zeroed at 100 yards, sea level, 59 degrees, 10 mph full-value crosswind.
- Muzzle energy: 143 x 2,700 x 2,700 / 450,437 = 2,314 ft-lb.
- At 300 yards: 2,276 fps, drop 13.6 inches, wind drift 5.2 inches, time of flight 0.363 seconds.
- At 500 yards: 2,016 fps, 1,291 ft-lb, drop 54.3 inches, wind drift 15.4 inches, time of flight 0.643 seconds.
- Converting that 500-yard drop to scope clicks: 54.3 inches at 500 yards is 54.3 / (1.0472 x 5) = 10.4 MOA, which is 41 clicks on a quarter-MOA turret, or 3.0 mils.
- Re-zero at 200 yards instead and the 300-yard drop falls to 7.9 inches while the 500-yard drop falls to 44.7 inches — you gave up nothing at close range and bought yourself nearly half a foot at 300.
Ballistic calculator reference table: nine factory loads
Data updated September 2026
Nine common factory loads, using each manufacturer’s own published G1 ballistic coefficient and muzzle velocity. Trajectory columns are computed by the solver above at a 1.5-inch sight height, sea level, 59 degrees. “MPBR” is maximum point-blank range: the farthest distance at which the bullet never rises or falls more than half your vital-zone height, with the zero that achieves it.
| Cartridge | Factory load | G1 BC | Muzzle vel (fps) | Muzzle energy (ft-lb) | Drop 300 yd, 100-yd zero (in) | Drop 300 yd, 200-yd zero (in) | Drop 500 yd, 200-yd zero (in) | Vel 500 yd (fps) | Energy 500 yd (ft-lb) | Wind 500 yd, 10 mph (in) | Best zero for MPBR (yd) | MPBR, 6-in vitals (yd) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 223 Rem | 55 gr Power-Shok SP (Federal) | 0.222 | 3240 | 1282 | -12.2 | -7.7 | -52.7 | 1398 | 239 | 43.7 | 240 | 285 |
| 243 Win | 100 gr Power-Shok SP (Federal) | 0.355 | 2960 | 1945 | -12.5 | -7.5 | -45.9 | 1767 | 693 | 26.5 | 240 | 285 |
| 6.5 Creedmoor | 140 gr Power-Shok SP (Federal) | 0.439 | 2725 | 2308 | -14.5 | -8.5 | -49.9 | 1783 | 988 | 23.0 | 225 | 270 |
| 6.5 Creedmoor | 140 gr ELD Match (Hornady) | 0.646 | 2710 | 2283 | -13.4 | -7.8 | -43.8 | 2047 | 1303 | 14.7 | 230 | 275 |
| 6.5 Creedmoor | 143 gr ELD-X (Hornady) | 0.623 | 2700 | 2314 | -13.6 | -7.9 | -44.7 | 2016 | 1291 | 15.4 | 230 | 275 |
| 308 Win | 150 gr Power-Shok SP (Federal) | 0.313 | 2820 | 2648 | -14.8 | -8.9 | -55.6 | 1540 | 789 | 33.6 | 225 | 265 |
| 30-06 Sprg | 180 gr Power-Shok SP (Federal) | 0.385 | 2700 | 2913 | -15.4 | -9.0 | -54.3 | 1652 | 1091 | 27.5 | 215 | 260 |
| 300 Win Mag | 180 gr Power-Shok SP (Federal) | 0.439 | 2960 | 3501 | -11.7 | -7.0 | -41.3 | 1967 | 1547 | 20.3 | 245 | 290 |
| 22-250 Rem | 50 gr V-MAX (Hornady) | 0.242 | 3800 | 1603 | -7.4 | -5.0 | -33.3 | 1853 | 381 | 30.7 | 285 | 335 |
Sources for BC and muzzle velocity: Federal Premium product specification pages and Hornady published ballistics charts, both retrieved 18 August 2026. The six Federal rows were re-checked against those same product pages on 15 September 2026 and none of the published figures had changed. Trajectory, energy, wind and MPBR columns are computed, not quoted — run any row through the calculator above to reproduce them.
How to read your results
Pick the zero, then stop thinking about holdover
The single biggest gain in this whole table is free. A 200-yard zero on a modern deer cartridge costs about two inches of mid-range rise — well inside a deer’s vital zone — and hands back roughly 40 percent of your 300-yard holdover. Zero for maximum point-blank range and every one of these nine loads becomes a point-and-shoot proposition somewhere between 260 and 335 yards.
Ballistic coefficient matters less than you think inside 300, and more than you think past 500
Compare the two 6.5 Creedmoor 140-grain loads in the table. The 0.646 BC match bullet and the 0.439 BC soft point are within an inch of each other at 300 yards. At 500 yards the gap is six inches of drop and eight inches of wind. Buy BC for the wind, not for the drop.
Wind is the error that will actually cost you the animal
At 500 yards a 10 mph crosswind moves a 223 Rem 55-grain bullet nearly four feet. Misjudging wind by 5 mph is a bigger miss than misjudging range by 50 yards for every load on this list. That is why the calculator reports wind in inches, MOA and mils together.
Energy thresholds are guidelines, not law
Common state and outfitter guidance puts roughly 1,000 ft-lb at impact as a working minimum for deer-sized game and 1,500 ft-lb for elk. The 500-yard energy column shows which loads still clear that bar at distance. Shot placement, bullet construction and terminal performance matter more than the number itself, and no calculator can measure those.
What this calculator does not model
Spin drift, Coriolis effect, aerodynamic jump and transonic instability are all excluded. Their combined effect is negligible inside 600 yards for the loads shown and becomes meaningful past roughly 800 yards, where a custom drag model and a chronograph reading from your own rifle will beat any published BC. Barrel length changes real muzzle velocity substantially — a preset velocity from a 24-inch test barrel will be optimistic in a 20-inch hunting rifle by roughly 20 to 30 fps per inch.
Related pages
- .308 Winchester ballistics chart — four factory loads, drop, energy and wind to 600 yards
- 6.5 Creedmoor ballistics chart — and what the high ballistic coefficient actually buys you in wind
- .30-06 Springfield ballistics chart — match load against the cheap hunting box
- .270 Winchester ballistics chart — the widest load-to-load spread of any cartridge here
- .300 Winchester Magnum ballistics chart — still over 1,200 foot-pounds at 600 yards
- All Guns and Gadgets Daily tools
Frequently asked questions
What is a ballistic coefficient, in one sentence?
It is a number describing how well a bullet keeps its speed against air drag, expressed as a ratio against a standard reference projectile — the higher the number, the less the bullet slows down, and a G1 BC of 0.500 means the bullet decelerates half as fast as the G1 reference shape of the same sectional density.
Should I use G1 or G7 ballistic coefficients?
Use whichever one your manufacturer published, and use it in a solver expecting that same drag model. G1 is based on a flat-based reference bullet and is what nearly all American factory ammunition boxes quote; G7 is based on a boat-tail reference shape and models modern long-range bullets more consistently across velocities. This tool is a G1 solver, so enter G1 numbers. A rough conversion is G1 divided by about 2.0 gives G7 for typical boat-tail hunting bullets, but conversions are approximations and a published G7 used in a G7 solver will always beat a converted one.
Why does my rifle shoot differently from the calculator?
Almost always muzzle velocity. Published velocities come from test barrels, usually 24 inches, and your barrel, chamber, powder lot and ambient temperature all move real velocity by 50 to 150 fps. Chronograph your actual load, enter that number, and the solution usually collapses onto your target. The second most common cause is sight height measured to the wrong reference — measure from the center of the scope tube to the center of the bore.
What zero distance should I use for hunting?
For most centerfire deer cartridges, the maximum point-blank range zero in the table above — usually between 210 and 250 yards — keeps the bullet inside a 6-inch vital circle from muzzle to somewhere past 260 yards with no holdover at all. If you shoot at known distances off a bipod and dial your turret, a 100-yard zero is simpler because every correction is a positive dial-up.
How many clicks is my correction?
Divide the correction in inches by 1.0472 times the range in hundreds of yards to get MOA, then divide by your click value. At 300 yards, a 12-inch drop is 12 / (1.0472 x 3) = 3.8 MOA, which is 15 clicks on a quarter-MOA turret. In mils, divide inches by 3.6 times the range in hundreds of yards: the same 12 inches is 1.1 mils, or 11 clicks on a 0.1-mil turret. The MOA and MRAD tab does this for you and reports both.
Is more recoil always worse?
Free recoil energy predicts how hard the gun pushes, not how much it hurts. Stock fit, recoil pad, action type and gun weight change felt recoil dramatically at identical free-recoil figures — a gas-operated semi-automatic and a light bolt gun computing the same 20 ft-lb will feel nothing alike. Use the number to compare loads in the same rifle, not rifles against each other.
Does altitude really change my zero?
Yes, and more than most shooters expect at distance. Thinner air means less drag, so a load zeroed at sea level shoots flatter at elevation. For a typical 6.5 Creedmoor load the difference between sea level and 7,000 feet is a fraction of an inch at 200 yards but roughly eight inches at 600. Enter your hunting altitude and temperature before you build a dope card for a mountain trip.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Every calculation runs in your browser with no server call, and saved rifle profiles live in your browser’s local storage on your own device. If you use the “copy link” button, your inputs are encoded into the URL you copy, so sharing that link shares those inputs — that is the only way any value leaves your machine, and only if you choose to share it.
Download the reference table as CSV
Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). If you publish any figure from this table, please credit Guns and Gadgets Daily and link back to this page.
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Sources behind this ballistic calculator
- G1 drag function coefficient table (Mach number versus drag coefficient), Ballistics Research Laboratory standard reference projectile, as tabulated in the open-source go_ballisticcalc drag tables. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- SAAMI, Gun Recoil Formulae (revision 9 July 2018) — free recoil energy and recoil velocity formulae including propellant gas velocity factors of 1.75 for high-power rifles and 1.50 for handguns and average shotguns. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- Federal Premium product specification pages for Power-Shok 223 Rem 55 gr, 243 Win 100 gr, 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr, 308 Win 150 gr, 30-06 Springfield 180 gr and 300 Win Mag 180 gr — published ballistic coefficient, muzzle velocity, and velocity, energy, trajectory and wind tables. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- Hornady published ballistics charts and product data for 6.5 Creedmoor 140 gr ELD Match, 6.5 Creedmoor 143 gr ELD-X and 22-250 Rem 50 gr V-MAX. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
- JBM Ballistics reference notes on the relationship between drag functions and published ballistic coefficients. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
Every constant in this tool traces to one of the sources above. Nothing is estimated or carried over from another calculator.