AmmoSight

Caliber Comparison Chart

By AmmoSight · Updated · 64 calibers · 117 head-to-head comparisons

This caliber comparison chart lines up 14 handgun and 50 rifle cartridges on the numbers that decide a purchase: bullet diameter, velocity, muzzle energy, how much energy is left downrange, bullet drop, and recoil. Every figure comes from our ballistics calculator using one typical factory load per caliber, so the rows compare fairly. Click a caliber name for its full ballistics page. Click any "vs" link for a head-to-head with trajectory graphs, energy and penetration tables, and recoil.

Handgun chart Rifle chart All 117 comparisons Which caliber? FAQ

Most Compared Calibers

The matchups shooters look up most. Each card shows how much more energy the stronger caliber delivers, and what that costs in recoil.

.357 Mag
vs
.44 Magnum
.44 Magnum delivers
+55%
energy
2.4×
recoil
Full comparison
.38 Special
vs
9mm Luger
9mm Luger delivers
+76%
energy
1.7×
recoil
Full comparison
.30-30 Winchester
vs
.308 Winchester
.308 Winchester delivers
+39%
energy
1.6×
recoil
Full comparison
10mm Auto
vs
.40 S&W
10mm Auto delivers
+2%
energy
+31%
recoil
Full comparison
.357 Mag
vs
.45 ACP
.357 Mag delivers
+69%
energy
+49%
recoil
Full comparison
.270 Winchester
vs
.308 Winchester
.270 Winchester delivers
+2%
energy
+13%
recoil
Full comparison
.270 Winchester
vs
.30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield delivers
+5%
energy
Same
recoil
Full comparison
6.5 PRC
vs
7mm PRC
7mm PRC delivers
+26%
energy
1.5×
recoil
Full comparison
Cartridges drawn to scale by case length and bullet diameter. Check a reloading manual for exact dimensions.

Handgun Caliber Comparison Chart

14 pistol and revolver cartridges, ranked by muzzle energy. Click any column header to re-sort. Drop is measured at 100 yards with a 25-yard zero. Recoil assumes a 2 to 2.5 lb handgun.

Caliber ↕ Dia (in) ↕ Wt (gr) ↕ Velocity (fps) ↕ Muzzle energy (ft-lb) ↓ Energy @100 yd (ft-lb) ↕ Drop @100 yd (in) ↕
25-yd zero 		Recoil (ft-lb) ↕ Compare
.44 Magnum 0.429 240 1,350 971 684 -6.9 22.0 8 comparisons ↓
.357 Mag 0.357 125 1,500 625 377 -5.8 9.1 10 comparisons ↓
10mm Auto 0.400 175 1,150 514 373 -10.0 7.7 10 comparisons ↓
.357 SIG 0.355 125 1,350 506 315 -7.5 7.1 6 comparisons ↓
.40 S&W 0.400 165 1,175 506 355 -9.7 5.9 8 comparisons ↓
9mm Luger 0.355 124 1,201 397 296 -8.9 3.8 10 comparisons ↓
.45 ACP 0.451 230 850 369 320 -17.7 6.1 9 comparisons ↓
.45 Colt 0.452 185 920 348 281 -15.4 7.0 5 comparisons ↓
.30 Super Carry 0.312 115 1,150 338 254 -9.8 3.1 —
.44 Special 0.429 165 900 297 236 -16.3 5.3 5 comparisons ↓
5.7x28mm 0.224 40 1,800 288 143 -4.0 1.7 3 comparisons ↓
.38 Special 0.357 125 900 225 183 -16.1 2.2 9 comparisons ↓
.380 Auto 0.355 90 1,000 200 143 -13.7 1.4 8 comparisons ↓
.32 ACP 0.312 60 1,000 133 85 -14.6 0.8 3 comparisons ↓

Rifle Caliber Comparison Chart

50 centerfire and rimfire rifle cartridges, ranked by muzzle energy. Drop is measured at 300 yards with a 200-yard zero. Recoil assumes a 6 to 7 lb rifle.

Caliber ↕ Dia (in) ↕ Wt (gr) ↕ Velocity (fps) ↕ Muzzle energy (ft-lb) ↓ Energy @300 yd (ft-lb) ↕ Drop @300 yd (in) ↕
200-yd zero 		Recoil (ft-lb) ↕ Compare
.338 Lapua Magnum 0.338 270 2,800 4,701 3,591 -7.0 66.4 1 comparison ↓
.338 Winchester Magnum 0.338 230 2,810 4,034 2,892 -7.2 45.9 1 comparison ↓
.300 Weatherby Magnum 0.308 200 3,000 3,998 2,861 -6.2 47.6 1 comparison ↓
.28 Nosler 0.284 160 3,300 3,870 2,684 -5.1 39.9 1 comparison ↓
.300 PRC 0.308 212 2,860 3,851 2,836 -6.8 44.1 1 comparison ↓
.300 Win Mag 0.308 200 2,860 3,633 2,583 -7.0 40.6 5 comparisons ↓
7mm PRC 0.284 175 3,000 3,498 2,621 -6.0 33.9 4 comparisons ↓
7mm Backcountry 0.284 170 3,000 3,398 2,495 -6.1 29.0 —
.35 Whelen 0.358 225 2,600 3,378 1,797 -10.2 34.7 1 comparison ↓
.270 Weatherby Magnum 0.277 140 3,275 3,335 2,251 -5.3 28.9 —
6.8 Western 0.277 165 2,970 3,233 2,340 -6.3 29.7 1 comparison ↓
7mm Remington Magnum 0.284 162 2,940 3,110 2,262 -6.5 29.5 3 comparisons ↓
.45-70 Government 0.458 325 2,000 2,887 1,034 -23.0 36.3 2 comparisons ↓
.30-06 Springfield 0.308 150 2,920 2,841 1,680 -7.4 25.0 7 comparisons ↓
.257 Weatherby Magnum 0.257 110 3,400 2,824 1,863 -5.0 22.5 —
6.5 PRC 0.264 143 2,960 2,783 2,019 -6.4 22.4 4 comparisons ↓
.270 Winchester 0.277 130 3,060 2,704 1,731 -6.4 25.0 8 comparisons ↓
.450 Bushmaster 0.452 250 2,200 2,687 874 -19.8 25.2 3 comparisons ↓
.308 Winchester 0.308 150 2,820 2,649 1,554 -8.1 22.2 12 comparisons ↓
7.62x54R 0.311 150 2,800 2,612 1,578 -8.0 18.9 1 comparison ↓
7mm-08 Remington 0.284 150 2,770 2,556 1,783 -7.6 18.6 3 comparisons ↓
.25-06 Remington 0.257 117 3,100 2,497 1,608 -6.2 21.2 6 comparisons ↓
.260 Remington 0.264 129 2,930 2,460 1,617 -6.9 16.2 1 comparison ↓
.400 Legend 0.400 215 2,250 2,417 771 -19.1 18.8 1 comparison ↓
.360 Buckhammer 0.358 180 2,400 2,303 622 -18.4 18.1 2 comparisons ↓
6.5mm Creedmoor 0.264 125 2,850 2,255 1,543 -7.1 17.0 11 comparisons ↓
6mm Creedmoor 0.243 103 3,050 2,128 1,441 -6.2 12.5 2 comparisons ↓
.243 Winchester 0.243 95 3,100 2,028 1,163 -6.6 13.2 6 comparisons ↓
.22 Creedmoor 0.224 80 3,285 1,917 1,282 -5.3 9.3 1 comparison ↓
.30-30 Winchester 0.308 150 2,390 1,903 643 -16.1 14.2 6 comparisons ↓
6.5mm Grendel 0.264 123 2,580 1,818 1,193 -9.1 9.7 3 comparisons ↓
8.6 Blackout 0.338 210 1,970 1,810 1,000 -18.0 14.1 1 comparison ↓
.350 Legend 0.357 150 2,325 1,801 629 -16.7 10.0 4 comparisons ↓
6mm ARC 0.243 103 2,800 1,794 1,197 -7.6 8.3 2 comparisons ↓
.338 ARC 0.338 175 2,075 1,674 903 -16.3 10.1 1 comparison ↓
.22-250 Remington 0.224 55 3,680 1,654 771 -5.1 6.5 2 comparisons ↓
.22 ARC 0.224 75 3,075 1,575 1,027 -6.2 5.9 1 comparison ↓
7.62x39mm 0.311 123 2,365 1,528 589 -15.2 8.2 2 comparisons ↓
.224 Valkyrie 0.224 60 3,300 1,451 679 -6.6 5.0 1 comparison ↓
5.56x45mm NATO 0.224 64 3,050 1,322 585 -8.0 4.7 2 comparisons ↓
.223 Remington 0.224 64 3,020 1,296 620 -7.8 5.2 9 comparisons ↓
.222 Remington 0.224 50 3,395 1,280 559 -6.4 3.9 1 comparison ↓
.204 Ruger 0.204 32 4,225 1,269 512 -4.1 3.4 2 comparisons ↓
.300 Blackout 0.308 150 1,900 1,203 650 -19.7 7.0 10 comparisons ↓
.17 Remington 0.172 25 4,000 888 386 -4.5 2.3 —
.22 Hornet 0.224 35 3,070 733 97 -17.5 1.4 —
.17 Hornet 0.172 20 3,650 592 200 -6.4 0.7 —
.22 Magnum 0.224 30 2,200 322 49 -40.5 0.5 1 comparison ↓
.17 HMR 0.172 17 2,550 246 42 -22.9 0.1 2 comparisons ↓
.22 LR 0.223 40 1,200 128 53 -63.9 0.2 1 comparison ↓

How to read this chart

  • Hunting: start with Energy @300 yd. A common rule of thumb is 1,000 ft-lb for deer and 1,500 ft-lb for elk. Then check Drop @300 to see how much holdover you need.
  • Carry and defense: weigh Muzzle energy against Recoil. The best defensive round is the most energy you can put on target with fast follow-up shots.
  • Range days: sort by Recoil. Lower recoil means longer sessions and better practice.
  • Each row uses one representative factory load. A heavier or lighter bullet will shift the numbers. Open a caliber's ballistics page to run your own load.
Muzzle energy in foot-pounds for every caliber in the chart, using the same loads as the tables above.

All Caliber Comparisons by Caliber

117 head-to-head pages. Find your caliber, then pick what to compare it against.

Handgun caliber comparisons

Rifle caliber comparisons

Which Caliber Should You Choose?

Energy, trajectory and recoil trade against each other

Every cartridge is a compromise. More powder behind a heavier bullet means more energy on target. It also means more recoil, more muzzle blast and usually a heavier rifle. A lighter, faster, sleeker bullet shoots flatter and drifts less in wind, but it arrives with less energy and may not drive as deep on a big animal. That is why 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester get compared so often. The 6.5 gives up 394 ft-lb at the muzzle, then makes some of it back by 300 yards, and it does that with 5.2 ft-lb less recoil. The .308 Winchester vs 6.5mm Creedmoor comparison plots both curves.

Best calibers for deer, elk and varmints

For whitetail and mule deer inside 300 yards, anything from .243 Winchester up will do the job. .270 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 and .308 are the usual picks. .30-30 and .350 Legend cover lever guns and straight-wall states. Elk and moose need more energy at distance. .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, 6.5 PRC and 7mm PRC all carry more than 1,500 ft-lb past 300 yards. Varmint shooters want speed and light recoil, which points to .204 Ruger, .223 and .22-250. Good starting points: .270 Winchester vs .30-06 Springfield, .300 Win Mag vs 7mm Remington Magnum and .22-250 Remington vs .223 Remington.

Best carry and home-defense calibers

Modern 9mm Luger is the default choice. It has enough energy for reliable expansion, mild recoil, and high capacity in a compact pistol. .40 S&W and .45 ACP add energy and bullet diameter, and you pay for it in recoil and capacity. .38 Special and .357 Magnum remain the revolver standards. .380 Auto trades power for a pistol small enough to carry in a pocket. Compare .40 S&W vs 9mm Luger, .38 Special vs 9mm Luger and .357 Mag vs .44 Magnum to see energy, penetration and recoil side by side.

Reading the recoil numbers

Recoil in this chart is free recoil energy, in foot-pounds, for a fixed gun weight. Most shooters find rifle recoil under 15 ft-lb easy to manage, 15 to 25 ft-lb noticeable, and more than 30 ft-lb tiring after a box of ammo. A heavier gun, a muzzle brake or a good recoil pad all bring the felt number down. On handguns the spread is smaller, but a 2 ft-lb difference is easy to feel on fast follow-up shots. Open the recoil calculator to run your own gun weight.

Caliber Comparison FAQ

What is the difference between caliber and cartridge?
Caliber is the width of the bullet. A .308 bullet is 0.308 inches across. A cartridge is the whole round: case, primer, powder and bullet. Several cartridges can share one bullet size. .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield and .300 Win Mag all fire a .308-inch bullet, but the cases hold different amounts of powder, so velocity and energy differ. This chart lists cartridges. Most shooters just call them calibers, so we do too.
.30-06 vs .308: which is more powerful?
.30-06 Springfield. With the loads in this chart, .30-06 leaves the muzzle with 2,841 ft-lb and .308 Winchester with 2,649 ft-lb. At 300 yards the gap is 1,680 versus 1,554 ft-lb. The cost is recoil: 25.0 ft-lb against 22.2 ft-lb in a similar rifle. For deer inside 300 yards, either one does the job.
What is the flattest-shooting hunting caliber?
Of the big-game cartridges in this chart, .257 Weatherby Magnum drops the least. Zeroed at 200 yards, it falls 5.0 inches at 300 while still carrying 1,863 ft-lb. Fast cartridges with sleek bullets, like 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, .270 Winchester and .25-06 Remington, land within about an inch of it. Sort the rifle chart by the drop column to see the full order.
How do I convert caliber to millimeters?
Multiply inches by 25.4. A few common ones: .223 in = 5.56 mm, .243 in = 6 mm, .264 in = 6.5 mm, .284 in = 7 mm, .308 in = 7.62 mm, .338 in = 8.6 mm, .355 in = 9 mm, .400 in = 10 mm and .451 in = 11.43 mm. Names are not always exact. 6.5 Creedmoor uses a .264-inch bullet, which is closer to 6.7 mm, and every 7mm cartridge uses a .284-inch bullet.
Which handgun caliber has the least recoil for self-defense?
9mm Luger is the practical answer. It produces 397 ft-lb at the muzzle with only 3.8 ft-lb of recoil. .380 Auto kicks less, at 1.4 ft-lb, but it gives up nearly half the energy (200 ft-lb). .40 S&W adds energy (506 ft-lb) and recoil (5.9 ft-lb) you will feel on fast follow-up shots. .38 Special from a steel-frame revolver is also easy to control.

Caliber to millimeter conversion

Bullet diameter (in)MetricCartridges
.174.4 mm.17 HMR, .17 Hornet
.2045.2 mm.204 Ruger
.223 / .2245.56 mm.223 Remington, 5.56 NATO, .22-250
.2436 mm.243 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6mm ARC
.2576.5 mm.25-06 Remington, .257 Weatherby
.2646.7 mm (6.5 nominal)6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 6.5 Grendel
.2777 mm (6.8 nominal).270 Winchester, 6.8 Western
.2847.2 mm (7 nominal)7mm-08, 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm PRC
.3087.62 mm.308 Win, .30-06, .300 Win Mag, .30-30
.3117.9 mm7.62x39mm, 7.62x54R
.3388.6 mm.338 Win Mag, .338 Lapua, 8.6 Blackout
.355 / .3579 mm9mm Luger, .380 Auto, .357 Magnum, .38 Special
.40010 mm10mm Auto, .40 S&W, .400 Legend
.42910.9 mm.44 Magnum, .44 Special
.451 / .45211.43 mm.45 ACP, .45 Colt, .450 Bushmaster
.45811.6 mm.45-70 Government

Want to run your own load? Open the trajectory calculator or the recoil calculator.