.22 LR Drop Chart

The plinker's cartridge — cheap, quiet, short-ranged. A 40 gr high-velocity load stays usable inside ~75 yards then drops fast; the 40 gr subsonic (match / suppressor) drops faster still.

Updated July 2026

Load

Barrel

Rimfire velocity peaks around 16–20″ and then flattens, so barrel length barely changes the chart.

Zero

Units

40 gr high-velocity · 1,255 fps · G1 BC 0.125 · 100-yard zero · 2″ optic height · sea level.

Range	Drop (in)	Hold (MOA)	Hold (MIL)	Velocity
25 yd	+1.1	—	—	1,168 fps
50 yd	+2.6	—	—	1,098 fps
75 yd	+2.3	—	—	1,042 fps
100 yd	0	—	—	996 fps
150 yd	−11.3	7.2	2.1	924 fps
200 yd	−32.9	15.7	4.6	866 fps

This load is subsonic — quiet and superb suppressed, but it drops fast and is a short-range proposition.

Estimate — confirm at the range. These figures are computed for the selected load and zero at sea level. Your real drop depends on your exact ammo and lot, altitude, temperature, and conditions. Use this to get in the ballpark and to pick the right optic — then verify your actual holdovers on paper or steel before you trust them.

What this means for your optic

By the time you're holding several MOA or MIL of holdover, a plain dot stops being enough. That's where a reticle with marked holds (a BDC or MIL/MOA grid), an exposed turret you can dial, and a first-focal-plane scope earn their keep. Pick a rifle below to see the optics that fit it — and how they mount.

What this means for your optic

.22 LR rifles in our catalog