How much does 5.56 NATO drop at 500 yards?

5.56 NATO with the Federal / Lake City 55 gr M193 load (0.243 G1 BC at 3165 fps) drops 58.8 inches below the line of sight at 500 yards from a 100 yard zero in standard sea-level air, which is 11.24 MOA or 3.27 mils of elevation. It is still carrying 1475 fps and 266 ft·lbf there.

How much does 5.56 NATO drop at 1000 yards?

The table here stops at 600 yards for this load, because the solver will not report a trajectory once velocity falls below the range where this model is trustworthy. Use the shorter distances and confirm the rest with live fire.

How much does a 10 mph crosswind push 5.56 NATO?

A full-value 10 mph wind moves it 12.2 inches at 300 yards and 39.6 inches at 500 yards — 2.20 mils. Half-value wind is roughly half that; the wind hold, not the drop, is what usually misses.

Should I dial MIL or MOA for this chart?

Whichever your scope is marked in — the two columns describe the same come-up. One mil is 3.6 inches at 100 yards and one MOA is about 1.047 inches, so mils give coarser, faster clicks and MOA gives finer ones. Never mix a mil reticle with an MOA turret.

Where does 5.56 NATO go subsonic with this load?

It is still supersonic at 600 yards under these conditions, which is why the table stays useful across its whole range.

5.56 NATO Ballistics Chart

5.56 NATO drop and wind charts for M193, M855 and 77 grain OTM class loads at service-rifle velocities. Same bullets as .223 Remington in places, but a different pressure and barrel standard. Every number below is solved live by the ballistic calculator on this site, not copied from a book — treat it as a reference starting point, not a substitute for truing your own rifle at distance.

Standard conditions used for every chart on this page

Zero: 100 yd
Sight height: 1.5 in over bore
Atmosphere: 59 °F, 29.92 inHg, 50% RH, 0 ft (ICAO standard)
Wind: 10 mph at 90° (90° = full-value crosswind from the right)
Shooting angle: 0°
Spin drift / Coriolis: Off — not modelled by this solver

5.56 NATO is loaded to a higher pressure in a longer-throated chamber than .223 Remington. 5.56 ammunition should not be fired in a .223-only chamber; .223 ammunition is safe in a 5.56 chamber but usually slower.
Velocities here are 20 inch rifle figures. A 14.5 or 16 inch barrel typically loses 100–200 fps, which moves the 500 and 600 yard rows noticeably.

5.56 NATO factory loads

Muzzle velocity

3165 fps

Bullet

55 gr Federal / Lake City

0.243 G1

Drop @ 500 yd

-58.8 in / -11.24 MOA / -3.27 MIL

Drop @ 1000 yd

Not solved past 600 yd

10 mph wind @ 500 yd

39.6 in / 2.20 MIL

Goes subsonic

still supersonic at 600 yd

Source: M193 55 gr FMJ-BT service load (published G1 BC 0.243, 3165 fps nominal from 20 inch). Manufacturer page. Drag model labelled on every table: G1.

Open this load in the calculator

5.56 NATO 55 gr drop chart — inches over range, 100 yd zero

5.56 NATO 55 gr velocity and energy chart — fps and ft·lbf over range

5.56 NATO 55 gr drop and wind table (G1)

5.56 NATO 55 gr M193 trajectory: drop, wind drift, velocity, energy and time of flight
Range (yd)	Drop (in)	Drop MOA	Drop MIL	Wind (in)	Wind MOA	Wind MIL	Velocity (fps)	Energy (ft·lbf)	TOF (s)
0	-1.5	0.00	0.00	0.0	0.00	0.00	3165	1223	0.000
50	-0.2	-0.47	-0.14	0.4	0.71	0.21	2957	1068	0.050
100	0.0	0.00	0.00	1.2	1.13	0.33	2763	932	0.102
150	-0.9	-0.57	-0.17	2.8	1.77	0.52	2574	809	0.158
200	-3.1	-1.48	-0.43	5.1	2.43	0.71	2393	699	0.219
250	-6.8	-2.61	-0.76	8.2	3.13	0.91	2220	602	0.284
300	-12.3	-3.92	-1.14	12.2	3.87	1.13	2055	516	0.354
350	-19.9	-5.42	-1.58	17.2	4.69	1.37	1897	439	0.430
400	-29.8	-7.12	-2.07	23.4	5.58	1.62	1746	372	0.512
450	-42.6	-9.05	-2.63	30.8	6.54	1.90	1605	315	0.601
500	-58.8	-11.24	-3.27	39.6	7.57	2.20	1475	266	0.699
550	-79.1	-13.74	-4.00	50.0	8.69	2.53	1356	224	0.805
600	-104.0	-16.56	-4.82	61.9	9.86	2.87	1251	191	0.920

Dimmed rows are below the speed of sound, where published coefficients and this point-mass model are both least reliable. The solver stops once velocity falls too low to model honestly.

5.56 NATO mini DOPE card

Range (yd)	Elevation MIL	Elevation MOA	Wind MIL	Wind MOA
100	-0.00	-0.00	0.33	1.13
200	0.43	1.48	0.71	2.43
300	1.14	3.92	1.13	3.87
400	2.07	7.12	1.62	5.58
500	3.27	11.24	2.20	7.57
600	4.82	16.56	2.87	9.86

Build a full DOPE card

How to use this chart

Match the zero first. These tables assume a 100 yard zero; a 200 yard zero shifts every row.
Match the sight height. 1.5 inches is used here; a high AR mount is closer to 2.6 inches.
Match the air. Standard sea-level air is thicker than most hunting country, so real drop at altitude is usually less than shown.
True your muzzle velocity. Box velocity comes from a test barrel — chronograph yours, then re-run it in the calculator.

Related cartridges

5.56 NATO ballistics FAQ

How much does 5.56 NATO drop at 500 yards?: 5.56 NATO with the Federal / Lake City 55 gr M193 load (0.243 G1 BC at 3165 fps) drops 58.8 inches below the line of sight at 500 yards from a 100 yard zero in standard sea-level air, which is 11.24 MOA or 3.27 mils of elevation. It is still carrying 1475 fps and 266 ft·lbf there.
How much does 5.56 NATO drop at 1000 yards?: The table here stops at 600 yards for this load, because the solver will not report a trajectory once velocity falls below the range where this model is trustworthy. Use the shorter distances and confirm the rest with live fire.
How much does a 10 mph crosswind push 5.56 NATO?: A full-value 10 mph wind moves it 12.2 inches at 300 yards and 39.6 inches at 500 yards — 2.20 mils. Half-value wind is roughly half that; the wind hold, not the drop, is what usually misses.
Should I dial MIL or MOA for this chart?: Whichever your scope is marked in — the two columns describe the same come-up. One mil is 3.6 inches at 100 yards and one MOA is about 1.047 inches, so mils give coarser, faster clicks and MOA gives finer ones. Never mix a mil reticle with an MOA turret.
Where does 5.56 NATO go subsonic with this load?: It is still supersonic at 600 yards under these conditions, which is why the table stays useful across its whole range.

Before you trust these numbers

Factory muzzle velocity is a starting point measured in a test barrel. Barrel length, throat, temperature and lot number all move it, and 50 fps of error is worth most of a click at distance. Confirm on paper at 300 and beyond before you hold off an animal or a plate.

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