Ballistics by Cartridge

.30-06 Springfield Ballistics Chart

Drop, wind drift, velocity and energy for the loads .30-06 Springfield actually shoots — solved by a real trajectory engine, not copied from a box.

Muzzle velocity
2800 fps
Bullet
165 gr, G1 0.435
Drop at 500 yd
54.9" (3.1 MRAD)
Ballistics chart: drop, wind drift, velocity and energy by range (100 yard zero)
RangeDrop (in)MOAMRADWind 10 mph (in)Velocity (fps)Energy (ft-lb)TOF (s)
100 yd0.00.00 UP0.00 UP-0.7259124610.11
200 yd-3.41.64 UP0.48 UP-3.1239220970.23
300 yd-13.04.13 UP1.20 UP-7.2220217770.36
400 yd-29.77.08 UP2.06 UP-13.4202114960.50
500 yd-54.910.49 UP3.05 UP-21.9184812520.66
600 yd-90.414.38 UP4.18 UP-32.9168610420.83
700 yd-138.118.84 UP5.48 UP-46.915368651.02
800 yd-200.623.94 UP6.96 UP-64.114007181.22
900 yd-280.829.80 UP8.67 UP-84.712796001.45
1000 yd-382.436.51 UP10.62 UP-108.911785091.69

Solved at standard sea-level atmosphere (59°F, 29.92 inHg) with a 100 yard zero, 1.75" sight height and a 10 mph full-value crosswind. Drop is relative to your zero.

Quick answer

With a 100 yd zero, a 165 gr hunting .30-06 Springfield load (165 gr, 2800 fps) drops 13.0" at 300 yd, 54.9" at 500 yd and 382.4" at 1000 yd. Change the load or zero above to see your own numbers.

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.30-06 Springfield trajectory

1002003004005006007008009001000Range (yd)-390-260-1300130Drop (in)

The .30-06 runs a step ahead of the .308 across the whole chart — about 100 fps more velocity with the same bullets, which buys roughly 20 yards of reach at any given drop figure.

The 165 grain load is the trajectory sweet spot for hunting: flatter than the 180s, better wind and energy than the 150s.

.30-06 recoil in ft-lbs →Best twist rate for .30-06 →Solve your own load →

Ballistics charts for other cartridges

6.5 Creedmoor

140 gr · 2710 fps

.308 Winchester

168 gr · 2700 fps

.270 Winchester

130 gr · 3060 fps

.243 Winchester

100 gr · 2960 fps

.223 Remington

55 gr · 3240 fps

.300 Winchester Magnum

180 gr · 2960 fps

7mm Remington Magnum

162 gr · 2850 fps

6.5 PRC

143 gr · 2960 fps

7mm PRC

175 gr · 2975 fps

.300 PRC

212 gr · 2860 fps

.338 Lapua Magnum

250 gr · 2950 fps

6mm Creedmoor

108 gr · 2960 fps

6mm ARC

108 gr · 2750 fps

6.5 Grendel

123 gr · 2580 fps

.22-250 Remington

55 gr · 3680 fps

.204 Ruger

32 gr · 4000 fps

.25 Creedmoor

134 gr · 2900 fps

.277 Fury

135 gr · 3000 fps

.30-30 Winchester

170 gr · 2200 fps

.350 Legend

180 gr · 2100 fps

.45-70 Government

405 gr · 1330 fps

Frequently asked questions

With a 165 gr hunting load at 2800 fps and a 100 yard zero, a .30-06 Springfield drops about 54.9 inches at 500 yards (10.5 MOA / 3.1 MRAD), and about 13.0 inches at 300 yards. The full chart above covers every range and load.

A typical 165 gr hunting load leaves the muzzle at 2800 fps with 2873 ft-lbs of energy. At 500 yards it is still moving 1848 fps and carrying 1252 ft-lbs. These figures are solved from the load data, not copied from a box chart.

A steady 10 mph full-value crosswind pushes the 165 gr hunting load about -21.9 inches at 500 yards. Wind drift grows faster than drop with distance, which is why wind reading matters more than memorizing holdover.

This 165 gr hunting load stays supersonic to at least 800 yards under standard conditions. Accuracy degrades through the transonic band (roughly 1,340 fps), so treat that as the practical ceiling for predictable precision. Terminal effectiveness on game depends on the energy column above — most hunters watch for 1,000 ft-lbs on deer-class animals.

Your barrel length, actual muzzle velocity, and the day’s density altitude all shift the solution. These tables use standard sea-level atmosphere and published velocities. Chronograph your load, solve for your real conditions, and true the result against actual impacts — the Atlas Ballistics app does all three.

More free ballistic calculators

All free, all in the browser, no download needed.

Ballistic Calculator

Full trajectory table with drop, drift, velocity and energy.

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Twist Rate Calculator

Miller stability factor and the twist your bullet needs.

Bullet Stability Calculator

Sg at your velocity, plus sectional density.

Recoil Energy Calculator

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Angle Shot Calculator

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Density Altitude Calculator

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MPBR & Optimal Zero

Find a suggested zero and point-blank range for your target-zone size.

Zero Calculator

Sight in at 25 yd for a 100 yd zero, and compare 36, 50 and 100 yd zeros.