.500 S&W Magnum Drop Chart
The most powerful production handgun cartridge — a .50-caliber hand-cannon round that's still flat enough to hunt with inside 200 yards.
Updated
Load
Barrel
Rimfire velocity peaks around 16–20″ and then flattens, so barrel length barely changes the chart.
Zero
Units
300 gr FTX · 1,950 fps · G1 BC 0.2 · 100-yard zero · 2″ optic height · sea level.
| Range | Drop (in) | Hold (MOA) | Hold (MIL) | Velocity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 yd | +0.4 | — | — | 1,764 fps |
| 100 yd | 0 | — | — | 1,592 fps |
| 150 yd | −3.8 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1,436 fps |
| 200 yd | −11.9 | 5.7 | 1.7 | 1,298 fps |
| 250 yd | −25.2 | 9.6 | 2.8 | 1,183 fps |
| 300 yd | −44.6 | 14.2 | 4.1 | 1,094 fps |
Stays supersonic to roughly 200 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 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.