AR Caliber Comparison Chart
All 18 calibers side by side. Each uses its median-energy supersonic factory load rather than a hot outlier, so no cartridge is flattered by cherry-picked ammo.
- 100 yd zero
- 2.6" sight height
- 10 mph full-value crosswind
- G1 drag, sea-level standard atmosphere
Muzzle velocity is each load's published figure corrected to the barrel length above using the cartridge's own fps-per-inch curve — so every row is directly comparable. Published spec sheets are not comparable to each other; each maker tests at a different barrel length, zero, and sight height.
Barrel length differs per row — each caliber is solved at a length people actually build it at (listed in the table), because comparing a 20" .308 to a 7" 9mm at the same barrel would be meaningless.
Energy, drop, and wind
| Caliber | Platform | Barrel | gr | MV (fps) | ME (ft-lb) | 300 yd E | 500 yd E | 300 yd drop | 500 yd drop | 300 yd wind | 500 yd wind | Unsupp. loudness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .338 Federal | AR-10 | 20" | 200 | 2,534 | 2,852 | 1,703 | 1,179 | -15.2 | -67.2 | 8.7 | 26.2 | no data |
| .450 Bushmaster | AR-15 | 16" | 250 | 2,136 | 2,533 | 808 | 498 | -34 | -164.2 | 26 | 77.1 | no data |
| .308 Win / 7.62 | AR-10 | 18" | 150 | 2,670 | 2,375 | 1,154 | 684 | -15 | -71.2 | 11.9 | 37.2 | Unsuppressed |
| .458 SOCOM | AR-15 | 16" | 350 | 1,710 | 2,273 | 712 | 493 | -62.9 | -276.8 | 38.2 | 98.2 | no data |
| .260 Rem | AR-10 | 22" | 140 | 2,696 | 2,260 | 1,331 | 910 | -13 | -58.9 | 8.4 | 25.4 | no data |
| 6.5 Creedmoor | AR-10 | 22" | 140 | 2,654 | 2,190 | 1,558 | 1,227 | -12 | -52 | 5.3 | 15.6 | no data |
| .243 Win | AR-10 | 22" | 100 | 2,900 | 1,868 | 792 | 422 | -13 | -66.5 | 13.3 | 42.6 | no data |
| 6.5 Grendel | AR-15 | 18" | 120 | 2,490 | 1,652 | 960 | 652 | -16.2 | -71.6 | 9.3 | 28.3 | no data |
| .350 Legend | AR-15 | 16" | 180 | 2,028 | 1,644 | 554 | 355 | -37.3 | -175.2 | 26.1 | 75.8 | no data |
| 6mm ARC | AR-15 | 18" | 100 | 2,628 | 1,534 | 787 | 486 | -15.2 | -70.4 | 11.1 | 34.3 | no data |
| 7.62x39 | AR-15 | 16" | 123 | 2,319 | 1,469 | 626 | 361 | -23.3 | -108.9 | 16.6 | 51.7 | no data |
| .224 Valkyrie | AR-15 | 18" | 90 | 2,544 | 1,294 | 758 | 517 | -15.3 | -67.7 | 9 | 27.2 | no data |
| .300 BLK | AR-15 | 9" | 125 | 2,116 | 1,243 | 522 | 319 | -29.4 | -134.2 | 18.7 | 56.9 | Unsuppressed |
| 5.56 NATO | AR-15 | 16" | 55 | 3,016 | 1,111 | 468 | 247 | -11.7 | -61.1 | 12.9 | 41.4 | Unsuppressed |
| 10mm Auto | AR-9 | 16" | 180 | 1,360 | 739 | 294 | 208 | -91.4 | -372.8 | 38.1 | 95.3 | no data |
| .40 S&W | AR-9 | 16" | 165 | 1,258 | 580 | 245 | 172 | -102.9 | -415.2 | 37.6 | 95.3 | no data |
| .45 ACP | AR-9 | 16" | 135 | 1,366 | 559 | 236 | 172 | -86.7 | -350.5 | 34.8 | 86.9 | Unsuppressed |
| 9mm Luger | AR-9 | 16" | 124 | 1,244 | 426 | 189 | 135 | -101.8 | -407.1 | 35.3 | 89.5 | Unsuppressed |
How to read this
Energy retention is the number that separates cartridges. Compare each row's muzzle energy to its 500-yard energy: cartridges that hold a high percentage are the ones with efficient, high-BC bullets, and they're the ones worth building a distance rifle around.
Wind drift matters more than drop. Drop is predictable and can be dialed from a chart. Wind must be estimated in real time, and every misread scales with how much your bullet drifts — so the low-drift cartridges forgive far more.
Loudness here is a ranking, not a measurement. Most of these cartridges have no published unsuppressed sound level at all, and the ones that do were measured under standards that cannot be compared to each other. Where a row says "no data", that is the honest answer. A 3 dB difference is roughly double the acoustic energy. The spread between the quietest and loudest rows here is much larger than the raw numbers suggest.
Pick one and see what it costs to build.
Open the build planner →Per-caliber detail: all reference tables · caliber overviews
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Pricing
All prices shown are approximate MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail) for reference only — ArmoryBench does not sell parts. Street prices are often lower, so always check current pricing and shop around; you can frequently find sales and better deals from reputable retailers.
Sound Is Ranked, Not Measured
ArmoryBench does not publish decibel levels. A 2026 review of published suppressor data found that most manufacturers release either nothing at all or bare numbers without the test standard, weighting, and microphone position needed to compare one against another — and that most cartridges have no published unsuppressed reference level whatsoever. Rather than present figures assembled from sources like that, we show a relative ranking: how loud one configuration is likely to be next to another, and how much to trust that comparison.
These rankings are algorithmic approximations for educational purposes only. They are not laboratory measurements and are no substitute for professional acoustic testing or OSHA/NIOSH occupational noise guidance. Peer-reviewed testing has found no suppressed centerfire rifle configuration reliably below the hearing damage threshold at the shooter’s ear. Always use proper hearing protection when firing any firearm, suppressed or not.
Ballistic Coefficients
Where a manufacturer publishes a ballistic coefficient we use it. Most hunting, defensive, and house-brand loads don't publish one, so those use a value typical of the bullet's construction, flagged as an estimate wherever it appears. Be aware that advertised BCs often run optimistic — some bullets measure meaningfully lower in the field than on the box, and the gap widens past roughly 600 yards as the bullet slows. Treat every trajectory here as a starting point for confirming on paper, not a substitute for it.
Exterior Ballistics
Trajectory, drop, wind drift, and energy figures are computed estimates based on a standard point-mass ballistic model and the inputs you supply. Actual performance varies with atmospheric conditions, chronograph accuracy, and firearm/ammunition variance. Verify zero and trajectory data at the range before hunting or competition use.
Reloading Data
This tool does not calculate chamber pressure and never generates a charge weight from first principles. Any future custom-load feature is constrained to interpolation between published load-data points and must never be the sole basis for a handload. Always verify any load against current published data from the powder and bullet manufacturer, start at the published starting load, and never exceed a published maximum charge.
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NFA Items
Configurations involving suppressors, or a barrel under 16" paired with a shoulder stock (SBR), require ATF approval (Form 1 or Form 4), a background check, and an approval wait period before assembly or possession. As of January 1, 2026, the associated $200 federal tax was eliminated by federal law; the registration, background-check, and approval process itself was not eliminated and remains fully in effect. Verify current law in your jurisdiction — you are solely responsible for completing all required legal steps.
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