Rifle Caliber Chart With Detailing Guide & How They Can Affect Your Shooting Explained

A rifle’s caliber is the diameter of its barrel, measured in inches or millimeters. Rifles are sometimes referred to by caliber and sometimes by the specific cartridge(s) that they can take. This article provides an overview of rifle calibers and how rifle calibers can affect your shooting And Finally the Chart of all Rifle Calibers In Order.

Introduction to Rifle Calibers

Although obviously, a cartridge has to be smaller than the inside of the barrel to pass through it, cartridges often have a name that combines their manufacturer and the caliber weapon that takes it.

Firearms and cartridges to fit them can be made in conjunction, or firearms can be made to fit available caliber bullets.

Often a manufacturer will release a new size cartridge and a firearm with a new caliber to match. But this doesn’t always go as expected.

For example, in 1990, Smith & Wesson and Winchester introduced the .40 S&W cartridge, but Glock was able to beat them to the punch by developing and releasing a pistol to fire it (the Glock 22) and a compact version of the same pistol (the Glock 23) before the Smith & Wesson Model 4006 pistol came to market, a little later in the year.

Rifle calibers can be designated in inches or millimeters.

Measurements in inches usually show a decimal to the hundredths or thousandths place (.22 or .338), but sometimes the decimal point is omitted (22).

Measurements in millimeters may have a whole number (9 mm) or include tenths (6.5 mm).

Some metric measurements follow the diameter of the bullet (width) with the length, with an x in between (7.62 x 51). When the length is given, mm may not be included.

In metric measurements, the decimal is never omitted. Because cartridges are measured in a variety of ways, equivalently named cartridges as far as caliber are not always interchangeable.

Rimfire rifles are made in a limited number of calibers: .17, .22 and 5mm.

Centerfire cartridges are a different story.

Cartridges for centerfire rifles can range from .17 caliber to .950. Given the small size of the diameter of rifles barrels, it is not surprising that there are cartridges with incremental differences, for example, .220, .221, .222, .223, .224, and .225 are all available calibers. In fact, even though you may hear of a few calibers more than others, there are actually many, many choices.

Rimfire and Centerfire Rifle Calibers

Various calibers cartridges may be sorted by purpose on account of the range, recoil, size bullet it can handle, trajectory, and how it can be fired (singl, from a magazine, from an ammunition belt, etc.).

However, this does not eliminate controversy and arguments about which cartridge (and which caliber cartridge) is best for various purposes.

• Some of the most popular caliber cartridges are the .22LR (Long Rifle), which is used for small game, target shooting, and plinking;
• .308 Winchester (aka 7.62×51 mm NATO), which is used by military snipers, big game hunting, and law enforcement sharpshooting;
• 5.56x45mm NATO adapted from the .223 Remington and used in assault rifles.

As you can see there are many types of Rifle calibers.

In fact, so many rifle calibers that you can easily become confused! The best thing to do is do your research and find out which rifle caliber is best for you then find the perfect rifle for you.

All Rifle Caliber chart In Order

Cartridge	Caliber		Avg Muzzle Energy
.50 BMG	0.51	Anything with a pulse	12600
.458 Win Mag	0.458	Cape Buffalo	5063
.460 Weatherby Magnum	0.458	Thick-skinned big game	7380
.45-70 Govt	0.458	Elk at short range	3138
.450 Nitro Express	0.458	Hunting dangerous game	4909
.450 Bushmaster	0.452	Elk at short range	2810
.444 Marlin	0.429	Grizzly Bear	3067
.416 Rigby	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5166
.416 Remington Magnum	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5123
.416 Ruger	0.416	Cape Buffalo	5498
.450/400 Nitro Express	0.405	Cape Buffalo	3732
.378 Weatherby Magnum	0.375	Cape Buffalo	6004
.375 Ruger	0.375	Cape Buffalo	4780
.375 H&H Magnum	0.375	Cape Buffalo	4560
9.3 x 62mm Mauser	0.366	Grizzly Bear	4017
.35 Whelen	0.358	Grizzly Bear	3932
.350 Legend	0.357	Deer at short range	1907
.338-378 Weatherby Magnum	0.338	Grizzly Bear	5035
.33 Nosler	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4799
.338 Lapua Magnum	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4851
.338 RUM	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4694
.340 Weatherby Magnum	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4674
.338 Win Mag	0.338	Grizzly Bear	4164
.338 Federal	0.338	Grizzly Bear	3340
.325 WSM	0.323	Grizzly Bear	3596
.303 British	0.312	Black bear	2440
7.62×54mmR	0.312	Elk	3375
.30-378 Weatherby Magnum	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4666
.30-40Krag	0.308	Moose at shorter range	2030
.300 PRC	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4246
.300 Weatherby Magnum	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4092
.300 RUM	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4135
.30 Nosler	0.308	Grizzly Bear	4111
.30 carbine	0.308	Deer	1990
.300 Winchester Magnum	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3827
.300 WSM	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3718
.30-06 Springfield	0.308	Grizzly Bear	3179
.308 Winchester	0.308	Elk	2784
.300 Ruger (RCM)	0.308	Grizzly Bear	2948
.300 Blackout	0.308	Hogs	998
.30-30 Winchester	0.308	Elk	1942
7.62 x 39mm	0.308	Deer	1608
.28 Nosler	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3678
7mm Weatherby Magnum	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3482
7 STW	0.284	Grizzly Bear	3458
7 WSM	0.284	Elk	3255
7mm Rem Mag	0.284	Elk	3122
.280 Ackley Improved	0.284	Elk	2952
7 SAUM	0.284	Elk	3004
.280 Remington	0.284	Elk	2873
7mm-08 Remington	0.284	Elk	2528
7mm Mauser	0.284	Elk	2330
.27 Nosler	0.277	Elk	3513
6.8 Western	0.277	Elk	3011
.270 WSM	0.277	Elk	3072
.270 Weatherby Magnum	0.277	Elk	3176
.270 Winchester	0.277	Elk	2862
6.8 Remington SPC	0.277	Deer	1624
6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum	0.264	Elk	3395
6.5 Weatherby RPM	0.264	Elk	3098
6.5 PRC	0.264	Elk	2780
.264 Winchester Magnum	0.264	Elk	2766
6.5-284 Norma Match	0.264	Deer	2462
.26 Nosler	0.264	Elk	3125
.260 Remington	0.264	Deer	2273
6.5 Creedmoor	0.264	Deer	2231
6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser	0.264	Deer	1983
6.5 Grendel	0.264	Deer	1447
.257 Weatherby Magnum	0.257	Deer	2675
.25-06 Remington	0.257	Deer	2201
6mm Creedmoor	0.243	Deer	2125
.240 Weatherby Magnum	0.243	Deer	2099
.243 Winchester	0.243	Deer	1958
6mm Remington	0.243	Deer	1953
6mm BR	0.243	Paper/steel	1712
.22 Creedmoor	0.224	Coyote	1769
.224 Valkyrie	0.224	Coyote	1519
.223 / 5.56	0.224	Coyote	1499
.22 Nosler	0.224	Coyote	1613
.22-250	0.224	Coyote	1654
.220 Swift	0.224	Coyote	1766
.222 Remington	0.224	Varmints	1165
.22 Hornet	0.224	Varmints	680
.22 WMR	0.224	Varmints	276
.22lr	0.223	Varmints	133
.204 Ruger	0.204	Varmints	1325
.17 Hornet	0.172	Varmints	622
.17 WSM	0.172	Varmints	398
.17 HMR	0.172	Varmints	240

Rifle Caliber to MM Conversion Chart

Rifle Caliber Name	Common Metric Name	Bullet Diameter
.17	4.5mm	.172″ (4.32mm)
.204	5.2mm	.204″ (5.2mm)
.22 (lr)	5.6mm	.223″ (5.66mm)
.22 (not lr)	5.6mm	.224″ (5.7mm)
.223	5.56mm	.224″ (5.7mm)
.243	6mm	.243″ (6.17mm)
.257	6.53mm	.257″ (6.53mm)
.260	6.5mm	.264″ (6.71mm)
.270	6.8mm	.277″ (7.04mm)
.280	7mm	.284″ (7.21mm)
.30	7.62mm	.308″ (7.82mm)
.325	8mm	3.23″ (8.2mm)
.33	8.6mm	.338″ (8.59mm)
.366	9.3mm	.366″ (9.3mm)
.375	9.5mm	.375″ (9.53mm)
.416	10.6mm	.416″ (10.57mm)
.50	13mm	.51″ (12.95mm)

Cartridges for Dangerous Game

In descending order of popularity the following calibers have been the most frequently chosen.

• 375 H & H
• 458 Win
• 416 Rem Mag
• 470 Nitro Express
• 416 Rigby
• 404 Jeffery
• 500 Nitro Express
• 450/400 Nitro Express

The 375H & H, 458Win and 416Rem are obviously the most frequently used because both cartridges and rifles are readily available at affordable prices.