.243 Winchester Drop Chart
A flat-shooting, light-recoiling varmint-and-deer favorite — fast little bullets that buck wind better than the mild recoil suggests.
Updated
Load
Barrel
Zero
Units
90 gr ELD-X · 3,150 fps · G7 BC 0.206 · 24″ barrel · 100-yard zero · 2″ optic height · sea level.
| Range | Drop (in) | Hold (MOA) | Hold (MIL) | Velocity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 yd | 0 | — | — | 2,913 fps |
| 200 yd | −2.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 2,684 fps |
| 300 yd | −9.1 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 2,464 fps |
| 400 yd | −21.7 | 5.2 | 1.5 | 2,256 fps |
| 500 yd | −41.3 | 7.9 | 2.3 | 2,058 fps |
| 600 yd | −69.1 | 11.0 | 3.2 | 1,870 fps |
| 700 yd | −106.8 | 14.6 | 4.2 | 1,690 fps |
| 800 yd | −156.8 | 18.7 | 5.4 | 1,518 fps |
| 900 yd | −222.0 | 23.6 | 6.9 | 1,354 fps |
| 1000 yd | −306.3 | 29.3 | 8.5 | 1,201 fps |
| 1100 yd | −414.7 | 36.0 | 10.5 | 1,075 fps |
| 1200 yd | −553.0 | 44.0 | 12.8 | 1,016 fps |
Stays supersonic to roughly 1000 yards — past that the bullet goes transonic and groups usually open up.
Estimate — confirm at the range. These figures are computed for the selected load, barrel, and zero at sea level — the barrel setting shifts muzzle velocity by a typical per-inch rate from published cut-down tests, so it’s an estimate too. Your real drop also 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.