Muzzle Velocity Calculator
Table of contents
What is muzzle velocity?Muzzle velocity calculator: bullet kinetic energyBullet velocity calculator: barrel pressureHow fast does a bullet travel?FAQsOur muzzle velocity calculator is designed to help firearm enthusiasts, ballistics experts, and hobbyists determine the speed at which a projectile exits the firearm barrel. Knowing muzzle velocity is critical in understanding a firearm's performance, as it influences accuracy, energy, and trajectory.
This bullet velocity calculator uses three approaches to finding muzzle velocity. Read the following article to learn more about them and to find out what muzzle velocity is or what an average bullet speed is.
🙋 We also have an FAQ section at the end of the text. Check it to discover interesting numbers related to projectile speed, such as 9mm muzzle velocity!
What is muzzle velocity?
The muzzle velocity is the speed of the bullet that leaves the muzzle of a firearm, i.e., the end of the barrel.
The average bullet speed typically varies between 1000 ft/s (300 m/s) for handguns and 3900 ft/s (1200 m/s) for rifles. Large vehicles, such as tanks, can use bullets with even greater velocity, surpassing 5000 ft/s (1500 m/s).
Muzzle velocity calculator: bullet kinetic energy
Our tool uses the three equations to determine the average bullet speed. The first one is based on the kinetic energy formula:
where:
- — Muzzle velocity;
- — Bullet kinetic energy; and
- — Bullet mass.
🔎 The muzzle velocity calculator will do all the unit conversions in the background, so you don't need to worry about it.
Bullet velocity calculator: barrel pressure
If you know more details about your firearm from the manufacturer, you may find out what the bullet velocity is from the barrel gas pressure and its dimensions. The equation is as follows:
where the new variables are:
- — Average pressure of propellant gases generated inside the firearm's chamber and barrel when the gases rapidly expand during the shot.
- — Cross-sectional area of the bore. The muzzle velocity calculator finds it using the bore diameter.
- — Length of the barrel.
💡 You can easily convert between the diameter and cross-sectional area of the bore with the diameter of a circle calculator.
How fast does a bullet travel?
The last equation of the bullet velocity calculator is straightforward. To use it, you need to estimate the distance between the firearm and the target and the time it takes for a bullet to hit the target when shot from the gun. This is a really rough estimation but it's the simplest way to find muzzle velocity for the specific firearm. The equation is as follows:
⚠️ Note that in this way, you will find the average bullet speed on the specific distance between you and the target. It will be smaller than the muzzle velocity due to air resistance, which slows down the moving projectile. For more information on the air resistance, check the drag equation calculator.
Measuring distance should be easy. For measuring time, we suggest recording your shot and finding the precise time by investigating the video's frames — the moments the bullet leaves the muzzle and hits the target. The video frame size calculator is a perfect tool to learn more about frames in the video recording.
How do I calculate muzzle velocity of 5.56?
To find the muzzle velocity of the 5.56 NATO, you need to follow the below steps:
-
Check the bullet's kinetic energy
KE. Let's assume it is 1300 ft-lb (~1760 J). -
Determine the bullet's mass
m, e.g., 55 gr (~3.56 g). -
Calculate the muzzle velocity
vwith the below formula:v = 474.5 × √(2 × KE / m) -
Skip the multiplier
474.5if you're using joules and grams instead of foot-pounds and grains. -
Based on the above assumptions, the muzzle speed is
v ≈ 3260 ft/s(995 m/s).
What is the .223 muzzle velocity of a 55 grain bullet?
The .223 Remington muzzle velocity of a 55-grain bullet is approximately 3240 ft/s. To find it, you can refer to the ballistic performance tests or calculate it with the following formula:
v = √(2 × P × A × L / m)
where:
v— Muzzle velocity;P— Pressure in NATO chamber,52,000 psi;A— Bore cross-sectional area,0.02 in², for0.16 inbore diameter;L— Barrel length,20 in; andm— Bullet mass,55 gr.
Remember to convert the values to the correct unit before the calculation.
What is the .45 ACP muzzle velocity of a 230 gr bullet?
The .45 ACP muzzle velocity of a 230 gr bullet is approximately 835 ft/s. It will take around 0.6 seconds to hit a target 500 feet away based on the simple muzzle velocity formula:
v = d / t
where:
v— Muzzle velocity;d— Distance between the gun and the target; andt— Time taken to reach the target by the bullet.
The actual travel time will be shorter due to air resistance.
What is the 9mm muzzle velocity?
The 9mm muzzle velocity is typically between 1100 ft/s and 2000 ft/s. This bullet's speed in mph is 750 mph and 1350 mph, respectively.
The exact muzzle velocity depends on the bullet mass and type. For example, the tests with a 4.65-inch barrel length show that the Federal FMJ 124 gr bullet has a muzzle velocity of 1150 ft/s.