7.62×39mm Drop Chart

The AK cartridge — a heavy, rainbow-trajectory round best inside ~300 yards.

Updated July 2026

Load

Barrel

Zero

Units

123 gr FMJ · 2,350 fps · G1 BC 0.275 · 16″ barrel · 100-yard zero · 2″ optic height · sea level.

Range	Drop (in)	Hold (MOA)	Hold (MIL)	Velocity
100 yd	0	—	—	2,049 fps
200 yd	−6.3	3.0	0.9	1,773 fps
300 yd	−23.8	7.6	2.2	1,527 fps
400 yd	−56.3	13.5	3.9	1,316 fps
500 yd	−109.0	20.8	6.1	1,153 fps

Stays supersonic to roughly 500 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.

What this means for your optic

7.62×39mm rifles in our catalog