Ballistics and Holdover

You zero your .22-250 at 100 yards, then settle onto a groundhog at 275 yards. If you hold exactly where the reticle sits, where does the bullet go? Not into the animal — the arc of gravity has already sent it several inches low. Knowing your load’s drop chart before you pull the trigger is the difference between a clean hit and a frustrated miss.

Quick recall

From the previous lesson — when you pre-range landmarks before a hunt, what two things does that practice give you when a groundhog appears?

From the previous lesson — when you pre-range landmarks before a hunt, what two things does that practice give you when a groundhog appears?

Instant range reference without reaching for a tool, and the ability to apply the correct holdover immediately Just faster shooting — the holdover you figure out on the fly Nothing — pre-ranging only matters for stalking hunters

Check answer

How gravity shapes every shot

A bullet leaves the muzzle traveling nearly horizontally. From that instant, gravity pulls it downward at 32 feet per second squared. The scope sits above the bore — you zero the rifle by angling the barrel slightly upward so the bullet’s arc crosses the sight line at your chosen zero distance. Past that zero the bullet keeps arcing down, and the drop accelerates.

Drop is not optional. Even the flattest-shooting rifle in your varmint bag is dropping inches at field distances. The only question is how many inches, and how to compensate.

The why Why bullet drop accelerates at distance

Drop is proportional to time of flight squared. At 100 yards a fast bullet might be in flight for 0.1 seconds; at 300 yards it’s been flying roughly 0.3 seconds. Gravity acts on every fraction of that flight time. Double the time of flight and you get four times the drop — which is why the numbers on a drop chart grow so much faster than the distances do.

The flat-shooter: .22-250 drop at common distances

The .22-250 is considered a varmint rifle precisely because its combination of high velocity (55-grain bullet at roughly 3,600–3,700 fps) and decent ballistic coefficient keeps the trajectory very flat to 200 yards.

Approximate drop for a .22-250 zeroed at 200 yards (55-grain load):

Distance	Drop from line of sight
100 yds	+1.5 in (still rising to zero)
200 yds	0 in (zero)
250 yds	–2.5 in
300 yds	–6 to –9 in

Those numbers vary with exact load, muzzle velocity, and elevation — which is exactly why you build your own chart. The table above is a working example, not a substitute for your specific rifle’s data.

Edge case What about a 100-yard zero on the .22-250?

With a 100-yard zero, the .22-250 is about –1.5 to –2 inches at 200 yards and –8 to –12 inches at 300 yards. A 200-yard zero gives you slightly more range before holdover is required — most .22-250 varmint hunters prefer the longer zero because of the flat 0–200-yard window it creates.

The rimfire reality: .22 LR drops hard

The .22 LR is a genuine hunting tool at close range, but its trajectory is dramatically different from a centerfire varmint round. A high-velocity load (CCI Stinger, 32 grain, ~1,640 fps) with a 50-yard zero:

Approximate drop for a high-velocity .22 LR zeroed at 50 yards:

Distance	Drop from line of sight
50 yds	0 in (zero)
100 yds	–2 in (high-velocity load)
150 yds	–11 in
200 yds	–30 in

A standard-velocity .22 LR (40 grain, ~1,100 fps) drops much more — around 7–12 inches at 100 yards and 54 inches at 200 yards. These numbers mean the .22 LR is a burrow-edge, inside-100-yards tool for varmint hunting. Using it at 200 yards without precise range and a specific holdover for that load produces misses or, worse, wounding hits.

Two ways to compensate: holdover and turret dial

Once you know the drop at your target’s distance, you have two correction methods:

Holdover: Place the reticle above the animal by the drop amount. If your .22-250 drops 7 inches at 300 yards, hold 7 inches above the aim point. This is fast but requires you to know the drop and judge that distance on the animal in the field.

Turret dial (elevation adjustment): Modern varmint scopes often have ¼-MOA or ⅛-MOA per click turrets. Dial the required elevation correction in and your reticle center is now your new point of impact. This is precise but takes more time — better used from a prepared stand than in a hurried shot.

Deep dive What is MOA and how many inches is one click?

MOA stands for minute of angle — it is an angular measurement. One MOA equals approximately 1.047 inches at 100 yards, rounded to 1 inch for practical purposes. At 200 yards, 1 MOA = 2 inches. At 300 yards, 1 MOA = 3 inches. A scope with ¼-MOA clicks moves point of impact ¼ inch at 100 yards per click, ½ inch at 200 yards, ¾ inch at 300 yards. To dial 7 inches of elevation at 300 yards: 7 ÷ 0.75 = about 9–10 clicks on a ¼-MOA scope.

Comparing the two trajectories

The diagram below plots a simplified comparison of a flat centerfire arc versus a steep rimfire arc from a common vantage point to a target at 300 yards. The labeled points show where each bullet’s path crosses key distances.

Line of sight (200 yd zero) .22-250: ~6–9 in low at 300 yds .22 LR: off-chart low by 300 yds

Read the chart

Knowledge check

A hunter's .22-250 is zeroed at 200 yards. The drop chart shows the bullet is 7 inches low at 300 yards. There's a groundhog at 300 yards. Which is the correct approach?

A hunter's .22-250 is zeroed at 200 yards. The drop chart shows the bullet is 7 inches low at 300 yards. There's a groundhog at 300 yards. Which is the correct approach?

Hold the reticle center on the animal — the zero covers it Hold about 7 inches above the animal, or dial 7 inches of elevation Decline the shot — no rifle can hit at 300 yards

Check answer

Knowledge check

Why is a .22 LR with a 50-yard zero a poor choice for a groundhog standing 200 yards away?

Why is a .22 LR with a 50-yard zero a poor choice for a groundhog standing 200 yards away?

It's too loud and will scare other animals in the field The bullet drops ~30 inches below the aim point at 200 yards — an unpredictable hit or miss The .22 LR has too little power to humanely take a groundhog at any range

Check answer

Take it to the woods

Build and test your drop chart before the field

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Reset

• Find factory ballistics data for your specific load (bullet weight, muzzle velocity, BC) from the manufacturer's website or a ballistics calculator.
• Choose a zero distance appropriate to your cartridge: 200 yds for .22-250, 50 yds for .22 LR.
• Generate or note the drop at 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 yards and write it on a small card for your range bag.
• Verify the chart at the range: shoot at 200 yds and 300 yds and check that actual impact matches the prediction.
• Before every session, review the drop values — especially for ranges where you'll likely be shooting.

Sources

• .22 LR practical ballistics at field distances: https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/practical-ballistics-for-22lr/
• .22-250 trajectory and drop chart examples: https://ammo.com/ballistics/22-250-ballistics
• .22-250 Remington trajectory calculator: https://ammosight.com/calculators/trajectory/22-250-remington
• MOA scope adjustments and practical ballistics: https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2014/6/16/precision-rifle-shooting-tips-the-prone-position/