Ballistics by Cartridge

7.62x39mm Ballistics Chart

Drop, wind drift, velocity and energy for the loads 7.62x39mm actually shoots — solved by a real trajectory engine, not copied from a box.

Muzzle velocity
2350 fps
Bullet
123 gr, G1 0.295
Drop at 300 yd
23.3" (2.2 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)
50 yd0.00.03 DOWN0.01 DOWN-0.3221013350.07
100 yd0.00.00 UP0.00 UP-1.4207511770.14
150 yd-2.01.30 UP0.38 UP-3.3194510340.21
200 yd-6.43.04 UP0.89 UP-6.118219050.29
250 yd-13.35.09 UP1.48 UP-9.917017910.38
300 yd-23.37.42 UP2.16 UP-14.715896890.47
350 yd-36.710.02 UP2.91 UP-20.714836010.56
400 yd-54.112.91 UP3.76 UP-27.913855240.67
450 yd-76.016.13 UP4.69 UP-36.412964590.78
500 yd-103.119.69 UP5.73 UP-46.212174040.90

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 123 gr SST hunting 7.62x39mm load (123 gr, 2350 fps) drops 2.0" at 150 yd, 13.3" at 250 yd and 103.1" at 500 yd. Change the load or zero above to see your own numbers.

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7.62x39mm trajectory

50100150200250300350400450500Range (yd)-105-70-35035Drop (in)

The 7.62x39mm launches a 123 grain .311 caliber bullet around 2,350 fps — nearly identical to supersonic .300 Blackout and .30-30 inside 200 yards, with rapid drop past 250.

Flat-base 123 grain FMJ and soft-point bullets shed velocity fast; zero at 100 or 200 yards and measure actual velocity from your barrel length before stretching past 250.

7.62x39 recoil in ft-lbs →Best twist rate for 7.62x39 →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

5.56 NATO

55 gr · 3250 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 123 gr SST hunting load at 2350 fps and a 100 yard zero, a 7.62x39mm drops about 23.3 inches at 300 yards (7.4 MOA / 2.2 MRAD), and about 6.4 inches at 200 yards. The full chart above covers every range and load.

A typical 123 gr SST hunting load leaves the muzzle at 2350 fps with 1509 ft-lbs of energy. At 300 yards it is still moving 1589 fps and carrying 689 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 123 gr SST hunting load about -14.7 inches at 300 yards. Wind drift grows faster than drop with distance, which is why wind reading matters more than memorizing holdover.

This 123 gr SST hunting load stays supersonic to at least 400 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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