How Fast Is a Bullet? Muzzle Velocity in fps, mph and m/s

How fast a bullet travels depends on the cartridge. Most handgun bullets leave the muzzle at roughly 800 to 1,500 feet per second (fps), or about 245 to 460 m/s. Common centerfire rifle bullets reach about 2,300 to 3,300 fps (700 to 1,000 m/s). So many beat the speed of sound, 343 m/s (1,125 fps) at 20 C.

Convert Bullet Speed: fps to mph, km/h and m/s

In the US, for example, ammunition boxes and spec sheets list velocity in feet per second. Most people, however, think in miles per hour, and physics classes use meters per second. Therefore, type a velocity below to see it in every unit at once. The converter also uses the exact definition 1 ft = 0.3048 m.

To begin with, “bullet speed” usually means muzzle velocity: the speed of the bullet at the instant it leaves the barrel. From that moment on, however, air drag slows it down, so every published figure is a starting value, not a constant. As a result, the honest answer to how fast a bullet goes is a range that depends on the cartridge, the bullet weight, the barrel length and even the air temperature.

In addition, ammunition makers publish these numbers for each load. For example, CCI lists its 40-grain .22 LR Mini-Mag at 1,235 fps at the muzzle, and Federal lists its 150-grain .308 Winchester American Eagle load at 2,820 fps. In other words, how fast a bullet flies can more than double from a common rimfire load to a common rifle load. Instead of shooting advice, this page explains those figures as a measurement topic: the units, the speed of sound, and how velocity is actually measured.

How Fast a Bullet Travels by Cartridge Class

First, the table below groups common ammunition into broad classes. For example, the first three rows are manufacturer figures for specific loads. The ranges are approximate, because each class covers many bullet weights and loads. Also, every value is a muzzle velocity, so the bullet is already slowing down a few feet later.

Likewise, the 9mm figure comes from Federal’s published ballistics for its 115-grain load. For a closer look at that one cartridge, see our guide to how fast a 9mm bullet travels.

How Fast a Bullet Goes in mph: Quick Chart

Use this chart to see how fast a bullet goes in everyday units for any velocity on a spec sheet. In addition, the last column shows the Mach number, which compares the speed with sound at 20 C (1,125 fps). Moreover, every value is rounded from the exact conversion, so feel free to print the chart and keep it as a reference.

In fact, the math is simple. First, multiply fps by 0.3048 to get m/s. Next, multiply m/s by 3.6 for km/h. Finally, multiply fps by 0.6818 (that is, 3,600 / 5,280) for mph. For example, 1,200 fps x 0.6818 = about 818 mph.

How Fast a Bullet Moves Compared With Sound

To begin with, sound in dry air at 20 C (68 F) travels about 343 m/s, which is roughly 1,125 fps or 767 mph. However, that speed changes with air temperature. For example, NASA’s Glenn Research Center explains that it depends on the type of gas and its absolute temperature, and it gives about 761 mph for standard sea-level air (15 C).

Also, these values use the common approximation 331.3 x square root of (1 + T / 273.15) m/s, with T in degrees Celsius. In general, a bullet faster than the local speed of sound is called supersonic; a slower one is subsonic. For instance, the .308 load above starts at about Mach 2.5, while the 9mm load starts barely above Mach 1. Because a supersonic bullet outruns its own sound, it also creates a small sonic boom, usually heard as a sharp crack. To learn more about sound itself, read how fast the speed of sound is in air, water and steel.

How Fast a Bullet Slows Down After the Muzzle

In fact, air drag starts slowing a bullet the moment it leaves the barrel. In addition, manufacturers publish downrange velocities too, so we can see how much speed each example loses over 100 yards (91.44 m).

Above all, notice the pattern. Specifically, the two small, light bullets lose almost a fifth of their speed in 100 yards, while the longer, streamlined rifle bullet keeps more than 90% of it. In short, how fast a bullet stays depends on shape and weight as much as on the starting number. Also notice that both the .22 LR and the 9mm drop below the speed of sound before 100 yards.

How a Chronograph Measures How Fast a Bullet Travels

In practice, how fast a bullet travels is measured with a chronograph, a timing instrument. For example, optical models use two light sensors (often called screens) a fixed distance apart, while radar models track the bullet with the Doppler shift of a microwave signal. The optical method is the easiest to understand, because it is simply speed = distance / time:

1. Fix the sensor spacing. First, the two sensors sit a known distance apart, for example 2 feet, and that spacing is built into the unit’s settings.
2. Start the clock at the first sensor. Then, when the bullet’s shadow crosses the first sensor, an electronic timer starts counting in microseconds.
3. Stop the clock at the second sensor. After that, the second sensor stops the timer, which gives the travel time across the gap.
4. Divide distance by time. The unit then divides the spacing by the time: 2 ft in 0.001667 seconds equals 1,200 fps.
5. Average several readings. Next, it reports the average and the spread (standard deviation), because no two shots are identical.
6. Convert the units. Finally, enter the average in the converter above to see it in mph, km/h or m/s.

Ballistics labs also use high-speed cameras, which film the bullet against a scale and count frames. Ballistic gel, by contrast, is a target material, not a speed-measuring tool; labs pair it with a chronograph to know the impact velocity.

Velocity Terms People Often Confuse

However, several measurements sound alike but describe different things. As a result, two sources can give different numbers for the same bullet without either being wrong.

Reading Bullet Speed Figures: Do and Don’t

Honest Limits of Any “How Fast” Answer

There is no single bullet speed, so every number on this page is a typical or published value. For one thing, manufacturers measure with standardized test barrels, and real barrels differ in length. Moreover, powder burns differently in heat and cold, and an individual chronograph reading can differ from the next by a few dozen fps. Similarly, the speed of sound values assume dry air and a simple temperature formula; humidity and altitude shift them slightly. Therefore, treat these figures for how fast a bullet goes as a guide for understanding and comparison, not as precise predictions for a particular firearm. Finally, the rounded mph and km/h values in the tables come from the exact conversion, yet they inherit any uncertainty in the original fps figure.

When Accuracy Really Matters

For trivia or a school project, the ranges above are enough. However, a few fields need measured, documented velocities instead:

• Forensic science. Investigators therefore rely on lab chronograph and camera data, never on box figures.
• Physics and engineering coursework. For this reason, state the unit, the source and the temperature you assumed for sound.
• Competition rules. In addition, some shooting sports set velocity or power limits that officials check with a chronograph.

How Fast a Bullet Travels: FAQs

How fast is a bullet in miles per hour?

Most handgun bullets travel about 545 to 1,023 mph at the muzzle, and common rifle bullets about 1,568 to 2,250 mph. For example, a 1,200 fps bullet is moving about 818 mph.

How fast is a bullet in meters per second?

Typical handgun bullets start at roughly 245 to 460 m/s. In contrast, common centerfire rifle bullets start at roughly 700 to 1,000 m/s.

Is a bullet faster than the speed of sound?

Often, yes. Sound travels about 343 m/s (1,125 fps) at 20 C, and most rifle bullets and many handgun bullets start faster than that. However, subsonic loads are the exception.

How fast is a 9mm bullet?

For example, Federal lists its 115-grain American Eagle 9mm load at 1,180 fps (about 805 mph) at the muzzle and 961 fps at 100 yards.

How fast is a .22 bullet?

Similarly, CCI lists its 40-grain .22 LR Mini-Mag at 1,235 fps (about 842 mph) at the muzzle, slowing to 998 fps at 100 yards.

What is muzzle velocity?

Muzzle velocity is the speed of a bullet at the moment it leaves the barrel. It is also the number printed on most ammunition boxes.

How do you measure how fast a bullet travels?

With a chronograph. Optical models time the bullet between two sensors a known distance apart and divide distance by time; radar models use the Doppler shift.

Does a bullet slow down after it leaves the gun?

Yes, because air drag slows it immediately. For instance, light pistol and rimfire bullets can lose about 19% of their speed in 100 yards, while streamlined rifle bullets lose less.

How do you convert fps to mph?

Multiply feet per second by 0.6818. For example, 2,800 fps x 0.6818 = about 1,909 mph. Similarly, to get m/s, multiply fps by 0.3048.

What does subsonic mean for a bullet?

Subsonic means slower than the local speed of sound, about 1,125 fps at 20 C. As a result, a subsonic bullet does not make the sharp supersonic crack in flight.

How Fast a Bullet Goes: The Bottom Line

To sum up, how fast a bullet travels depends on the cartridge: about 800 to 1,500 fps for most handgun loads and about 2,300 to 3,300 fps for common centerfire rifle loads. Moreover, many of them pass the speed of sound, 343 m/s at 20 C, and all of them slow down from the moment they leave the barrel.

Therefore, when you read a velocity, check the unit, the distance and the source. Then use the converter at the top of this page to turn any fps figure into mph, km/h or m/s in one step.