Ballistics calculator: how much will my bullet drop?
With a 200-yard zero, a modern factory elk or deer load drops about 17 to 25 inches at 400 yards: 17.3 inches for the Hornady 7mm PRC 175 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter and 25.3 for the Hornady 308 Win 178 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, at sea level. Put in your own load, zero, wind and altitude below and the table works out drop, holds in MOA and mils, wind drift, velocity, energy and time of flight to 600 yards.
Data updated October 2026. Factory loads from Hornady's product pages, read October 24, 2026. The calculator matched Hornady's own published tables within 1.7% of the drop at 300 yards and beyond for all 12 loads.
| Yards | Path, in | Hold, MOA | Hold, mil | Wind, in | Wind, MOA | Velocity, fps | Energy, ft-lb | Time, s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | -0.2 | U 0.7 | U 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 L | 2,663 | 2,252 | 0.028 |
| 50 | 0.8 | D 1.6 | D 0.5 | 0.1 L | 0.3 L | 2,627 | 2,191 | 0.056 |
| 75 | 1.5 | D 2.0 | D 0.6 | 0.3 L | 0.4 L | 2,591 | 2,131 | 0.085 |
| 100 | 1.9 | D 1.8 | D 0.5 | 0.5 L | 0.5 L | 2,555 | 2,072 | 0.114 |
| 150 | 1.7 | D 1.1 | D 0.3 | 1.3 L | 0.8 L | 2,484 | 1,958 | 0.174 |
| 200 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 L | 1.1 L | 2,414 | 1,849 | 0.235 |
| 250 | -3.2 | U 1.2 | U 0.4 | 3.6 L | 1.4 L | 2,345 | 1,745 | 0.298 |
| 300 | -7.9 | U 2.5 | U 0.7 | 5.2 L | 1.7 L | 2,277 | 1,646 | 0.363 |
| 350 | -14.3 | U 3.9 | U 1.1 | 7.2 L | 2.0 L | 2,211 | 1,551 | 0.430 |
| 400 | -22.5 | U 5.4 | U 1.6 | 9.6 L | 2.3 L | 2,145 | 1,461 | 0.499 |
| 450 | -32.6 | U 6.9 | U 2.0 | 12.3 L | 2.6 L | 2,081 | 1,375 | 0.570 |
| 500 | -44.6 | U 8.5 | U 2.5 | 15.4 L | 2.9 L | 2,018 | 1,293 | 0.643 |
| 550 | -58.9 | U 10.2 | U 3.0 | 18.9 L | 3.3 L | 1,956 | 1,215 | 0.718 |
| 600 | -75.4 | U 12.0 | U 3.5 | 22.8 L | 3.6 L | 1,895 | 1,140 | 0.796 |
Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 143 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, G7 .314, 200-yard zero, 10 mph wind from 3 o'clock, sea level at 59°F.
Bullet drop at 300, 400 and 500 yards for 12 hunting cartridges
Each factory load with a 200-yard zero and a 1.5-inch sight height, in inches below the line of sight. Open a cartridge for its full chart to 600 yards, the holds and the wind.
| Cartridge and load | Muzzle, fps | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 500 yd at 7,000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 Creedmoor 143 gr | 2,700 | 7.9 | 22.5 | 44.6 | 42.1 |
| .270 Win 145 gr | 2,970 | 6.5 | 18.9 | 37.8 | 35.3 |
| 7mm Rem Mag 162 gr | 2,975 | 6.3 | 18.0 | 35.8 | 33.8 |
| 7mm PRC 175 gr | 3,000 | 6.1 | 17.3 | 34.2 | 32.5 |
| .308 Win 178 gr | 2,600 | 8.8 | 25.3 | 50.6 | 47.2 |
| .30-06 178 gr | 2,750 | 7.8 | 22.3 | 44.6 | 41.7 |
| .300 Win Mag 200 gr | 2,860 | 7.0 | 20.0 | 39.7 | 37.4 |
| .300 PRC 212 gr | 2,860 | 6.8 | 19.4 | 38.5 | 36.5 |
| 6.5 PRC 143 gr | 2,960 | 6.4 | 18.2 | 36.3 | 34.2 |
| .243 Win 90 gr | 3,150 | 6.2 | 18.1 | 37.0 | 33.8 |
| 6mm Creedmoor 103 gr | 3,050 | 6.2 | 18.0 | 36.1 | 33.7 |
| .350 Legend 170 gr | 2,200 | 19.7 | 61.5 | 133.0 | 111.1 |
How do I read the table?
- Path is where the bullet passes, in inches above (+) or below (-) your line of sight. It crosses the line of sight near 25 to 50 yards on the way up and again at your zero.
- Hold is the correction: U means dial or hold up, D down. One MOA is 1.047 inches at 100 yards; one mil is 3.6 inches at 100 yards. Use the column that matches your scope's turrets or reticle.
- Wind is the drift for the wind you entered: L or R is the way the bullet moves, so hold the other way. Wind from 3 o'clock blows from your right.
- Shot angle: shooting steeply up or down, the bullet hits higher than on level ground at the same distance, so the table shows less drop.
How does the calculator work?
It follows the bullet in half-millisecond steps (a point-mass model), slowing it at every step by the standard G1 or G7 drag function, the reference drag curves from the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory that bullet makers use to state a ballistic coefficient. Air density comes from the ICAO standard atmosphere pressure for your altitude and the temperature you give, so it is close to what a range finder or weather meter would read on the mountain. The rifle is zeroed on level ground in the same air, then the shot is worked out with your wind and angle.
Not included: spin drift (a few inches at 600 yards for most hunting rifles), the Coriolis effect, humidity and aerodynamic jump. Treat the output as a starting point and confirm it on paper with your own rifle.
Is a long shot an ethical shot?
Only if you have practiced at that distance. Drop and wind tables tell you where to hold, not whether you can hold there from a field position with a racing heart. Shoot your rifle at the ranges you might hunt, true the velocity to your hits, and know the distance past which you will not shoot.
Sources
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor 143 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 81499: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6-5-creedmoor-143-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 270 Win 145 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 80536: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/270-win-145-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 7mm Rem Mag 162 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 80636: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/7mm-rem-mag-162-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 7mm PRC 175 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 80712: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/7mm-prc-175-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 308 Win 178 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 80994: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/308-win-178-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 30-06 Springfield 178 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 81174: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/30-06-springfield-178-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 300 Win Mag 200 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 82002: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/300-win-mag-200-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 300 PRC 212 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 82166: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/300-prc-212-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 6.5 PRC 143 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 81621: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6.5-prc-143-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 243 Win 90 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 80462: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/243-win-90-gr-eld-x-precision-hunter, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 6mm Creedmoor 103 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter, item 81392: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/6mm-creedmoor-103-gr-eld-x, read October 24, 2026.
- Hornady Manufacturing. Hornady 350 Legend 170 gr InterLock American Whitetail, item 81196: muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficients and published trajectory. hornady.com/ammunition/rifle/350-legend-170-gr-interlock-american-whitetail, read October 24, 2026.
- International Civil Aviation Organization. Manual of the ICAO Standard Atmosphere (Doc 7488).
- The standard G1 and G7 drag functions (drag coefficient by Mach number), U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory reference projectiles.
Have a tag for this fall?
The free FilledTag hunting app measures the distance across a canyon or a meadow on the map before you go. A FilledTag plan gives you the parking, camp and seats for your unit and dates, every pin checked against land records, with the walk to each seat measured.
Check your hunt, free