5.45×39mm Drop Chart
The Soviet answer to 5.56 — a light, fast 5.45 mm bullet built for the AK-74 family (AK-74, AKS-74U, AK-105). Flat and low-recoiling up close, though the light bullets shed velocity past ~400 yards.
Updated
Load
Barrel
Zero
Units
53 gr FMJ (7N6) · 2,900 fps · G7 BC 0.168 · 16″ barrel · 100-yard zero · 2″ optic height · sea level.
| Range | Drop (in) | Hold (MOA) | Hold (MIL) | Velocity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 yd | 0 | — | — | 2,621 fps |
| 200 yd | −3.1 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 2,358 fps |
| 300 yd | −12.4 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 2,110 fps |
| 400 yd | −29.7 | 7.1 | 2.1 | 1,877 fps |
| 500 yd | −56.8 | 10.9 | 3.2 | 1,657 fps |
| 600 yd | −96.7 | 15.4 | 4.5 | 1,450 fps |
| 700 yd | −153.3 | 20.9 | 6.1 | 1,255 fps |
Stays supersonic to roughly 700 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.