Want to learn all about the most popular rifle calibers? You’re in the right place!
We have too many calibers to properly label…so I’ve broken it down into two parts.
And now onto the bigger boys…
We’ll cover pros/cons, average price, recoil, and recommended ammo for a bunch of popular rifle calibers.
Plus for the ones we shoot regularly…some short video clips!
What Does Caliber Mean?
Now let’s get some easy terminology out of the way…
Caliber is the size of the bullet’s diameter and can be measured in both imperial (inches) and metric (mm) units. If it doesn’t say mm after, it’s likely in inches (because ‘Murica).
And for terminology’s sake…a “bullet” is just the metal projectile while the entire thing is called a “cartridge” or “round.”
And a 9mm deconstructed in real life…
Here are the definition and units of some of the things we’ll be using to compare the different calibers.
- Bullet weight: Measured in grains (gr) where 7000 grains make up a pound…so it’s a really small unit.
- Velocity: Speed of the bullet in feet/sec
- Energy: Measured in Joules (J), a rough approximation for the power of the round
Rifle Bullet/Cartridge Guide
Let’s get to it with our first part…
Now…there’s A LOT of calibers we’re going through. And some are more popular than others. I’ll highlight those with an underline in the header.
.22LR
This tiny low-recoiling round is popular for both rifles and pistols.
Called the “twenty-two” long rifle, it’s a “rimfire” cartridge instead of “centerfire” because the firing pin hits the rim of the case instead of…the center.
Here are some fired versions…
The .22 long rifle is probably the most popular rifle round out there.
Its small size and high velocity make it ideal for hitting small game like squirrels at range, and its low recoil makes it a great round for beginners and children who want to shoot but don’t want the shoulder bruises that come with a larger round.
Here it is in a .22LR pistol…
It’s even less recoiling in a rifle (Ruger 10/22 shown).
Usually reserved for target shooting or small pests, that doesn’t mean it’s not deadly to human targets either. The small caliber bullets tend to bounce around inside a body, follow bones, and wreak havoc.
Take a look at our Best .22LR Ammo: Accuracy, Plinking, and Hunting.
- Bullet Weight: 30-40 gr
- Velocity: 1200-1600 ft/s
- Energy: 140-160 J
- Price Per Round: ~7 cents
.17 HMR
Newer to the game than most cartridges, the .17HMR (Hornady Magnum Rimfire) is an ultra-light bullet designed to be as flat a trajectory as possible for a rimfire round.
This is a cartridge that has room to grow in many ways.
Flat shooting trajectory makes it great for precision shooters while the energy downrange is also good enough for varment hunters looking to put down small game.
Either way – a great option with dozens of loadings available. And it packs way more oomph than the .22LR!
Learn everything about it in our .17 HMR [Guide]: Best Ammo & Guns!
- Bullet Weight: 17-20 gr
- Velocity: 2350-2650 ft/s
- Energy: 330 J
- Price Per Round: ~18 cents
5.7 FN
A new-ish round for personal defense developed by FN Herstal to fly through soft body armor like a hot knife through butter.
It does this with a small projectile going incredibly fast. Unfortunately it’s only really chambered for two FN guns…the Five-SeveN handgun…
And the P90 rifle…
With the rifle you get an ammo capacity of 50 rounds in a funky magazine. But as a civilian you can’t go full auto or get the armor piercing rounds. So ehh…
- Bullet Weight: 40 gr
- Velocity: 2300 ft/s
- Energy: 500 J
- Price Per Round: ~50 cents
.30 Carbine
Blast to the past! Not super common nowadays, but it was the ammo for the M1 carbine back in WWII and up to the Korean War.
Pretty low recoil and really fun to shoot in the M1 if you get a chance.
- Bullet Weight: 110 gr
- Velocity: 2000 ft/s
- Energy: 1300 J
- Price Per Round: ~40 cents
.300 Blackout (BLK)
The “three-hundred blackout” is a new-ish round (2011) that aimed to put the larger .30 caliber bullet (such as the AK-47) into the AR platform that normally took .22 caliber bullets.
And also to offer great suppression abilities and the use of current magazines. Recoil is pretty similar to the regular soft-shooting 5.56x45mm of the AR-15. If you’re looking for .300 BLK ammo or uppers, we got you covered.
- Bullet Weight: 125 gr
- Velocity: 2200 ft/s
- Energy: 1360 J
- Price Per Round: ~70 cents
7.62x39mm
The 7.62x39mm cartridge is a Russian round designed for use in the venerable AK-47 and SKS rifles.
With the importation of these rifles to the U.S., the 7.62x39mm has become a popular round, and some bolt-action rifles, notably from CZ, and semi-autos like the Ruger Mini-30 use it.
The round is large enough for a medium-sized game such as deer and more than adequate for self-defense.
Moderate recoil and moderate range but great knockdown power. Especially when compared to the 5.56/.223 AR round coming up soon.
Check out the Best 7.62×39 Ammo article.
- Bullet Weight: 123 gr
- Velocity: 2400 ft/s
- Energy: 2180 J
- Price Per Round: ~20 cents
.224 Valkyrie
A very new round from Federal that used the AR-15 platform and could reach 100 yards.
Swap out your upper, get a 6.8 SPC magazine (ok a little annoying) and you’re ready to go.
You can shoot it all day without bruising your shoulder and even I was able to get 1000 yards semi-consistently. Those better skilled shooters were hitting 1250 around me.
However, the round was initially plagued with ammo problems which are now fixed.
Learn more in our Complete .224 Valkyrie Guide.
- Bullet Weight: 60-90 gr
- Velocity: 2600-3500 ft/s
- Energy: 2000 J
- Price Per Round: ~45 cents
5.56x45mm or .223 Remington
Finally!
The standard caliber of the M-16, M-4, and the civilian AR-15.
5.56x45mm (five-five-six) is a NATO round and is normally loaded a little “hotter” than the civilian .223 (two-two-three) even though the two are dimensionally the same.
Extremely accurate and soft shooting.
Larger than a .22lr, but not by much, many states don’t allow hunters to use .223 on large game like deer because it’s considered inhumane.
It’s used, therefore, more as a varmint round used to kill prairie dogs at long range or predators such as coyotes. There’s also a lot of military and accurate available although the standard is 55 gr.
Best AR-15 Ammo: Home Defense & Range for more information
- Bullet Weight: 55-77 gr
- Velocity: 3100 ft/s
- Energy: 1770 J
- Price Per Round: ~25 cents
What’s your take on the super popular 5.56?
6.8 SPC
A name almost as long as the story that created the cartridge, the 6.8 Remington Special Purpose Cartridge was designed for the United States Military as an intermediate step between 5.56 NATO and 7.62 NATO.
While the history behind this cartridge is totally worth reading, you’ll have to take a look at our dedicated article for that!
The short version of the story is that while it performed well in field testing among Special Forces units in Iraq and Afganistan, it never saw wide adoption in any form.
But the 6.8 SPC lives on in the civilian world due to its power and range offered in an AR-15 platform, much like the 6.5 Grendel.
- Bullet Weight: 85-120 gr
- Velocity: 2500 ft/s
- Energy: 2000 J
- Price Per Round: ~60 cents
6.5 Grendel
Ever growing in popularity with long range shooters looking to get the most out of their AR-15 rifles, the 6.5 Grendel delivers supersonic speeds well past 1,000 yards.
Because of the precision and wide range of bullet options the Grendel is also a great option for hunters, especially since it proves to be capable of dropping deer with ease out to 300+ yards using a 12.5″ barrel!
Take a look at the Best 6.5 Grendel Uppers.
- Bullet Weight: 90-130 gr
- Velocity: 2700 ft/s
- Energy: 2500 J
- Price Per Round: ~80 cents
.458 SOCOM
As the name suggests, the .458 SOCOM was designed by US Special Operations members as an alternative caliber for the M4/M16 rifle.
Born out of the lessons learned by the Rangers and Delta teams in Operation Gothic Serpent, .458 SOCOM is a heavy beast of a cartridge designed to deliver a huge amount of power on target, roughly equivalent to a light .45-70!
Firing a bullet at least 5 times heavier than standard 55gr 5.56 NATO, .458 SOCOM was designed to be 100% compatible with standard M4/M16 rifles – including magazines!
The only things required are a new barrel, bolt, and slightly enlarged ejection port.
Although it never saw service with US Armed Forces, the concept behind the .458 SOCOM lives on in the .300 AAC Blackout.
.458 SOCOM offers civilian shooters a great option for big bore shooting out of an AR-15, perfect for hunting T-Rexs or other dangerous game!
RIP shoulder and wallet though…
- Bullet Weight: 250-600 gr
- Velocity: 1000-2200 ft/s
- Energy: 1800-3500 J
- Price Per Round: ~$2.00
Whew…we’re basically halfway there…now onto Part II.
.30-30 Winchester
There is a popular saying that more deer have been killed by the .30-30 in North America than all other cartridges combined.
And really, we believe it!
Introduced all the way back in 1895, the .30-30 is one of the oldest center fire smokeless cartridges still in production today.
Normally found in lever-action rifles, this great-great-granddaddy of a round delivers a lot more knockdown power than most people give it credit for.
Check out the Best .30-30 Ammo and the Best Lever Action Rifles!
- Bullet Weight: 110-170 gr
- Velocity: 2400 ft/s
- Energy: 2400 J
- Price Per Round: ~75 cents
Bullet weights range from 110gr up to 170gr with velocities averaging around 2,400-2,500ft/s. Perfect for stalking deer in the woods!
6mm Creedmoor
The 6mm Creedmoor (CM) is simply 6.5 Creedmoor necked down and with a smaller bullet.
What this offers shooters is a lighter recoiling, faster-moving round that is winning championship marksman competitions the world over!
Still new to the world of shooting, 6mm has a lot of growth potential as shooters learn more about it and test it in new applications. Although, it is already clear that it shines brightest as a long range precision shooter’s competition cartridge.
- Bullet Weight: 85-130 gr
- Velocity: 3000 ft/s
- Energy: 2800 J
- Price Per Round: ~$1.20
.243 Winchester
Introduced in 1955, .243 Winchester opened the doors for cartridges based on the popular .308/7.62 NATO necked down to smaller bores.
Designed for varmint hunting and target shooting, .243 Win is popular due to its age and capability as a cartridge both for precision and for its flat trajectory…but it is an older cartridge that is starting to show its age.
While .243 Win will have a special place for hunters looking to harvest game at medium ranges, for target shooters the .243 Win has been almost completely replaced by the higher BC 6mm Creedmoor.
- Bullet Weight: 58-105 gr
- Velocity: 3000-4000 ft/s
- Energy: 2700 J
- Price Per Round: ~60 cents
.45-70 Government
Named “Government” because it was developed at the US Army’s Springfield Armory in 1873.
It’s a big boy round…or more specifically…a big buffalo round. Check it out compared to the (now) tiny 5.56…
And it packs a wallop…
Nowadays you’ll find them in some lever-action guns. Check out our review of the Henry .45-70.
There’s a wide range of bullet weight, velocity, and energy…
- Bullet Weight: 250-405 gr
- Velocity: 1500-2000 ft/s
- Energy: 2300-4600 J
- Price Per Round: ~$1.25
7.62x51mm or .308 Winchester
The big brother of the 5.56, the “seven-six-two” NATO round is used by the US military and the .308 “three-oh-eight” is its civilian equivalent.
But this time, the .308 is usually the hotter round.
Much more recoil than the 5.56 but with extended range and knockdown power.
Plus tons of choices for ammo.
There are very few animals this round won’t take down and it’s also the de facto sniper round the world over.
Check out Best 7.62×51 Ammo and also Best AR-10s for the AR platform chambered in 7.62×51.
- Bullet Weight: 147-175 gr
- Velocity: 2600-2700 ft/s
- Energy: 3300-3500J
- Price Per Round: ~75 cents
6.5 Creedmoor
One of the military’s newest calibers!
And for good reason…it gives awesome long distance precision without insane recoil/blowback.
And when does it go subsonic?
1300 yards.
That’s why both the military and competition shooters love the 6.5 CM.
I was able to hit 1000 yards semi-easily with a 6.5 Creedmoor from PSA (full review) and I’m not an excellent shot.
It’s getting more and more popular so there’s plenty of loads too.
Check out our 6.5 Creedmoor Guide for the best ammo and guns.
- Bullet Weight: 120-140 gr
- Velocity: 2700-3000 ft/s
- Energy: 3000 J
- Price Per Round: ~70 cents
7.62x54mmR
Russian cartridge that is still in military issue today.
Popular for their sniper rifles, the 7.62 “Russian” (the R actually stands for rimmed and not Russian), is hard hitting with a good amount of recoil.
When you hear this round mentioned, there is one rifle that is always associated with it: the Mosin Nagant. Surplus makes it cheap to shoot such a large caliber though.
- Bullet Weight: 150-181 gr
- Velocity: 2500-2800 ft/s
- Energy: 3600 J
- Price Per Round: ~60 cents
.270 Winchester
Many have a special place in their hearts for .270 Winchester as their first deer rifle caliber.
Knocking down deer since the early 1920s, .270 Win is basically .30-06 necked down from .30 cal to .277 cal. This gives you the bullet options for everything 7mm with the case and action length of .30-06!
The .30-30 might be the grim reaper of deer, but I suspect the .270 Win is a close second due to the flat shooting of the round and the real power it can push behind it.
- Bullet Weight: 90-150 gr
- Velocity: 3000 ft/s
- Energy: 3500 J
- Price Per Round: ~$1.00
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 (thirty-ought-six) began life as the .30 Government and was made the primary U.S. military round in 1906 (hence the “06” in the name).
Though it was eventually replaced by the 7.62x51mm round in the military after 50+ years, the 06 remains a popular bolt-action hunting round capable of killing any animal in North America given its tremendous knockdown power and range.
With great power comes great recoil, and a pretty steep price per round.
- Bullet Weight: 150-200 gr
- Velocity: 2500-2900 ft/s
- Energy: 2800-3000 J
- Price Per Round: ~$1.50
.338 Lapua Magnum
Everyone likely says it wrong…it’s “LAH-poo-uh” instead of “lah-POO-uh” but everyone agrees it’s a big hard hitting round.
One that got the then-new record for the longest confirmed sniper kill at 2707 yards in Afghanistan.
Check it out when compared to the huge 30-06 Springfield!
- Bullet Weight: 200-300 gr
- Velocity: 2800-3400 ft/s
- Energy: 5000 J
- Price Per Round: ~$2.50
.50 BMG
No rifle caliber guide is complete without the big boy “fifty-cal” BMG (Browning Machine Gun).
Manageable when you’re standing and with a suppressor!
It puts everything else to shame with its immense size difference. Let’s zoom out to show proper perspective.
Super long range, knockdown ability, and recoil in the form of everything from machine guns to sniper rifles.
If you ever need to take down a T-Rex at 1,500 yards – this is the round you want.
- Bullet Weight: 647-800 gr
- Velocity: 2800-3000 ft/s
- Energy: 18,000 J
- Price Per Round: ~$3.00
Conclusion
So there you have it, our guide to some common rifle calibers.
Anything we missed that you really think should be here? Check out the most Popular Handgun Calibers as well as How Bullets Work.
The post Rifle Caliber Guide [Definitive Guide+Videos] appeared first on Pew Pew Tactical.