Ballistics by Cartridge

5.56 NATO Ballistics Chart

Drop, wind drift, velocity and energy for the loads 5.56 NATO actually shoots — solved by a real trajectory engine, not copied from a box.

Muzzle velocity
3250 fps
Bullet
55 gr, G1 0.243
Drop at 500 yd
53.5" (3.0 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-1.128449880.10
200 yd-2.61.23 UP0.36 UP-4.824747470.21
300 yd-10.93.46 UP1.01 UP-11.521335560.34
400 yd-26.96.42 UP1.87 UP-22.118214050.49
500 yd-53.510.22 UP2.97 UP-37.415422910.67
600 yd-94.815.10 UP4.39 UP-58.413082090.89
700 yd-156.621.36 UP6.21 UP-85.711321571.13
800 yd-245.529.30 UP8.52 UP-118.810181271.41
900 yd-367.839.03 UP11.35 UP-156.79401081.72
1000 yd-529.650.57 UP14.71 UP-198.7880952.05

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 55 gr M193 FMJ 5.56 NATO load (55 gr, 3250 fps) drops 10.9" at 300 yd, 53.5" at 500 yd and 529.6" at 1000 yd. Change the load or zero above to see your own numbers.

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5.56 NATO trajectory

1002003004005006007008009001000Range (yd)-600-450-300-1500Drop (in)

The 5.56 NATO chart covers the three military and duty standards: 55 grain M193 for speed inside 300 yards, 62 grain M855 general-purpose ball, and 77 grain Mk262 OTM for reaching out to 700 yards.

With a 50/200 yard zero, 55 and 62 grain 5.56 loads stay within two inches of your line of sight from the muzzle out past 220 yards.

5.56 NATO recoil in ft-lbs →Best twist rate for 5.56 NATO →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

.30-06 Springfield

165 gr · 2800 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

.300 Blackout

110 gr · 2375 fps

7.62x39mm

123 gr · 2350 fps

.450 Bushmaster

250 gr · 2200 fps

6.8 Western

165 gr · 2970 fps

.17 HMR

17 gr · 2550 fps

Frequently asked questions

With a 55 gr M193 FMJ load at 3250 fps and a 100 yard zero, a 5.56 NATO drops about 53.5 inches at 500 yards (10.2 MOA / 3.0 MRAD), and about 10.9 inches at 300 yards. The full chart above covers every range and load.

A typical 55 gr M193 FMJ load leaves the muzzle at 3250 fps with 1290 ft-lbs of energy. At 500 yards it is still moving 1542 fps and carrying 291 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 55 gr M193 FMJ load about -37.4 inches at 500 yards. Wind drift grows faster than drop with distance, which is why wind reading matters more than memorizing holdover.

This 55 gr M193 FMJ load stays supersonic to at least 500 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.

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