.22 LR Subsonic ballistics chart
The .22 LR subsonic trajectory with a 40-grain suppressor load: drop, wind drift and retained velocity from a 50-yard zero out to 150 yards.
What is the .22 LR Subsonic?
Subsonic .22 LR keeps a 40-grain bullet below the speed of sound - typically 1,040-1,080 fps at the muzzle - so it never produces a sonic crack. Paired with a suppressor it is remarkably quiet, which is why it dominates pest control around buildings, backyard practice and small-bore training where noise matters.
Because the bullet is subsonic from the muzzle it never passes through the accuracy-wrecking transonic buffet that standard and high-velocity .22 LR hit around 75-100 yards, and many rifles shoot their tightest groups with good subsonic match ammunition. The cost is a steep, looping trajectory: useful drop begins almost immediately and every 25 yards past the zero needs its own hold.
Typical uses: Suppressed pest control, quiet backyard practice, small-bore training and close-range small game.
Sample load
The trajectory below is calculated for this representative factory load in a standard ICAO atmosphere. The bullet is an entry from the app’s bullet library, so the calculator opens with it already selected. Your rifle will differ — enter your own chronographed velocity and verified BC in the calculator for numbers you can dial.
- Bullet
- Eley 40 gr Subsonic Hollow
- Muzzle velocity
- 1,040 fps
- Ballistic coefficient
- 0.142 (G1)
- Zero
- 50 yd
.22 LR Subsonic key figures
- Muzzle energy
- 96 ft⋅lb
- Supersonic to
- Subsonic from the muzzle
- Point-blank range, 6 in zone
- 106 yd (90 yd zero)
- Point-blank range, 3 in zone
- 81 yd (70 yd zero)
Point-blank range is how far you can hold dead on and still hit a target zone of that height, using the zero shown. Work it out for your own load with the maximum point-blank range calculator , or see how the .22 LR Subsonic stacks up in the cartridge comparison chart .
.22 LR Subsonic trajectory table
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft⋅lb) | Drop (in) | Elevation (MIL) | Elevation (MOA) | Wind 10 mph (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1,000 | 89 | 0.3 | -0.4 | -1.3 | 0.3 |
| 50 | 965 | 83 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| 75 | 935 | 78 | -2.7 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 0.8 |
| 100 | 907 | 73 | -7.8 | 2.2 | 7.5 | 1.1 |
| 125 | 882 | 69 | -15.6 | 3.5 | 11.9 | 1.3 |
| 150 | 859 | 66 | -26.2 | 4.9 | 16.7 | 1.6 |
This load is subsonic from the muzzle, so it never passes through the transonic zone that disturbs a supersonic bullet as it slows. The trajectory is steep but predictable.
.22 LR Subsonic drop chart with a 25-yard zero
The same load zeroed at 25 yards instead of 50, for shooters who use that zero.
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft⋅lb) | Drop (in) | Elevation (MIL) | Elevation (MOA) | Wind 10 mph (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1,000 | 89 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| 50 | 965 | 83 | -0.7 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| 75 | 935 | 78 | -3.7 | 1.4 | 4.7 | 0.8 |
| 100 | 907 | 73 | -9.2 | 2.6 | 8.8 | 1.1 |
| 125 | 882 | 69 | -17.3 | 3.9 | 13.2 | 1.3 |
| 150 | 859 | 66 | -28.2 | 5.3 | 18.0 | 1.6 |
Learn more
New to reading a table like this? These guides explain the numbers: