Expanded Bullet Cross-Sectional Area List

Compiled By Chuck Hawks


Bullet cross-sectional area is an important element in the killing power of bullets. Other factors being equal, the bigger the diameter of the bullet, the bigger the diameter of the bullet hole.

What follows is a list of common handgun and rifle bullet diameters showing their cross-sectional area to four decimal places, in square inches. Under each bullet diameter are listed some of the cartridges using that bullet diameter. These cross-sectional areas were collected from various sources (including the A-Square handloading manual Any Shot You Want) or computed by the simple formula: area = pi (3.1416) times the radius (1/2 the bullet diameter) squared. Note: Frontal area is the same as cross-sectional area with a cylindrical bullet, as listed below.


    .172" diameter bullets = .0232 frontal area.

    • .17 HMR
    • .17 Win. Super Mag.
    • .17 Hornet
    • .17 Fireball
    • .17 Remington

    .224" (5.56mm) diameter bullets = .0394 frontal area

    • .22 Mag. (WMR)
    • .221 Fireball
    • .222 Remington
    • .223 Remington
    • .225 Winchester
    • .22-250 Remington
    • .223 WSSM
    • .220 Swift
    • 5.6x57 RWS

    .243" (6mm) diameter bullets = .0464 frontal area

    • 6mm PPC
    • 6mm TCU
    • .243 Winchester
    • .243 WSSM
    • 6mm Remington
    • 6x62 Freres
    • .240 Wby Mag.

    .257" diameter bullets = .0519 frontal area

    • .256 Win. Mag.
    • .25-35 Winchester
    • .250-3000 Savage
    • .257 Roberts
    • .25-06 Remington
    • .257 Wby. Mag.

    .264" (6.5mm) diameter bullsts = .0547 frontal area

    • 6.5mm TCU
    • 6.5mm JDJ
    • 6.5x54 M-S
    • .260 Remington
    • 6.5x55 Swede
    • 6.5mm Rem. Mag.
    • 6.5x68 Schuler
    • .264 Win. Mag.

    .277" diameter bullsts = .0603 frontal area

    • 6.8mm SPC
    • .270 Winchester
    • .270 WSM
    • .270 Wby. Mag.

    .284" (7mm) diameter bullets = .0633 frontal area

    • 7mm BR Rem.
    • 7mm TCU
    • 7-30 Waters
    • 7mm-08 Remington
    • 7x57 Mauser
    • .280 Remington
    • 7x64 Brenneke
    • 7mm Magnum (all)

    .308" (7.62mm) diameter bullets = .0745 frontal area

    • .30 Carbine
    • .30 Herrett
    • .309 JDJ
    • .30-30 Winchester
    • .300 Savage
    • .307 Winchester
    • 7.5x55 Swiss
    • .308 Winchester
    • .30-06 Springfield
    • .300 Magnum (all)

    .311-.312" diameter (.303 caliber) bullets = .0760

    • .32 ACP
    • .32 S&W Long
    • .32 H&R Mag.
    • .327 Federal Mag.
    • .32-20 Winchester
    • 7.62x39 Soviet
    • 7.7x58 Japanese
    • .303 British

    .32" (8mm) diameter bullets = .0819 frontal area

    • .32 Win. Spec.
    • 8x52 Siamese
    • 8x57JS Mauser
    • 8x68S
    • 8mm Rem. Mag.

    .338" diameter bullets = .0897 frontal area

    • .338 JDJ #2
    • .338-57 O'Connor
    • .338-06 A-Square
    • .338 Win. Mag.
    • .338 Ultra Mag
    • .340 Wby. Mag.

    .355" diameter bullets = .0989 frontal area

    • .380 ACP
    • 9mm Luger
    • .357 SIG
    • .38 ACP
    • .38 Super

    .357-358" diameter bullets = .1007 frontal area

    • .357 Magnum
    • .357 Rem. Maximum
    • .357 Herrett
    • .35 Remington
    • .356 Winchester
    • .358 Winchester
    • .35 Whelen
    • .350 Rem. Mag.
    • .358 Norma Mag.

    .366" (9.3mm) diameter bullets = .1052 frontal area

    • 9.3x57mm Mauser
    • 9.3x62mm
    • 9.3x64mm Brenneke
    • 9.3x74R

    .375" diameter bullets = .1104 frontal area

    • .375 JDJ
    • .375 Winchester
    • .376 Steyr
    • .375 Magnum (all)
    • .378 Wby. Mag.

    .377" diameter bullets = .1116 frontal area

    • .38-55 Winchester

    .400" (10mm) diameter bullets = .1256 frontal area

    • .38-40 Winchester
    • .40 S&W
    • 10mm Auto

    .409" diameter bullets = .1314 frontal area

    • .450/.400 N.E. (3")
    • .450/.400 N.E. (3 1/4")
    • .400 Pondoro

    .410" diameter bullets = .1320 frontal area

    • .41 AE
    • .41 Rem. Mag.

    .416" diameter bullets = .1359 frontal area

    • .416 Rigby
    • .416 Rem. Mag.
    • .416 Wby. Mag.

    .423" diameter bullets = .1405 frontal area

    • .404 Jeffery
    • .425 Express

    .429-.430" diameter bullets = .1445 frontal area

    • .44 Special
    • .44 Auto Mag.
    • .44 Rem. Mag.
    • .444 Marlin

    .451-.452" diameter bullets = .1604 frontal area

    • .45 ACP
    • .45 Auto Rim
    • .45 Colt
    • .45 Win. Mag.
    • .454 Casull
    • .460 S&W Mag.

    .458" diameter bullets = .1647 frontal area

    • .45-70 Government
    • .450 Marlin
    • .458 Win. Mag.
    • .450 Watts
    • .458 Lott
    • .460 Wby. Mag.

    .468" diameter bullets = .1720 frontal area

    • .500/.465 N.E.

    .475" diameter bullets = .1772 frontal area

      .475 Linebaugh
    • .480 Ruger
    • .470 N.E.
    • .475 #2 N.E.

    .500" diameter bullets = .1963 frontal area

    • .50 AE
    • .50 Beowulf
    • .500 S&W Mag.

    .510" diameter Bullets = .2043 frontal area

    • .500 N.E.
    • .500 Jeffery
    • .50 BMG

    .585" diameter bullets = .2688 frontal area

    • .577 N.E.
    • .577 Tyrannosaur

    .620" diameter bullets = .3019 frontal area

    • .600 N.E.



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Copyright 2003, 2016 by Chuck Hawks. All rights reserved.


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