Bullet weight (grains): what it means and median price by weight
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Guide reviewed 2026-10-09. Bullet weight is printed on the box and in listing titles as "gr" (grains). This page defines the unit from NIST and shows what each common weight costs on this site right now. It does not say which weight to buy.
What a grain is
NIST's conversion tables give the grain as 6.479 891 E+01 milligrams, which is about 64.8 mg. SAAMI's pistol and revolver standard (Z299.3-2022) states bullet weights in grains and sets a manufacturing tolerance on them: for lead and lead-core bullets, "Less than 100 grains" is "Nominal weight ± 2.0%," and "Equal to or greater than 100 grains" is "Nominal weight ± 1.5%." A box marked 115 gr therefore means a nominal weight, not an exact one.
Median price per round by bullet weight
Listings with a stated grain, grouped by weight, for weights with at least 5 listings. Calibers with fewer than 2 such weights are left out. "Listings" is how many rows each median rests on, not a recommendation.
9mm
| Bullet weight | Median $/rd | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 70 gr | $0.49/rd | 8 |
| 80 gr | $1.20/rd | 5 |
| 90 gr | $0.98/rd | 28 |
| 95 gr | $0.49/rd | 16 |
| 100 gr | $0.88/rd | 56 |
| 115 gr | $0.35/rd | 642 |
| 124 gr | $0.58/rd | 361 |
| 130 gr | $0.44/rd | 15 |
| 135 gr | $0.81/rd | 46 |
| 138 gr | $0.98/rd | 13 |
| 147 gr | $0.60/rd | 269 |
| 150 gr | $0.53/rd | 13 |
| 158 gr | $0.50/rd | 5 |
Prices exclude shipping and tax.
.380 ACP
| Bullet weight | Median $/rd | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 68 gr | $1.40/rd | 7 |
| 70 gr | $0.88/rd | 7 |
| 75 gr | $0.58/rd | 7 |
| 80 gr | $1.20/rd | 14 |
| 85 gr | $0.93/rd | 25 |
| 88 gr | $0.69/rd | 22 |
| 90 gr | $0.90/rd | 131 |
| 92 gr | $0.39/rd | 22 |
| 94 gr | $0.50/rd | 18 |
| 95 gr | $0.40/rd | 244 |
| 100 gr | $0.50/rd | 20 |
| 102 gr | $1.25/rd | 10 |
Prices exclude shipping and tax.
.40 S&W
| Bullet weight | Median $/rd | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 120 gr | $0.56/rd | 21 |
| 125 gr | $0.80/rd | 25 |
| 130 gr | $0.74/rd | 8 |
| 135 gr | $1.25/rd | 27 |
| 140 gr | $1.38/rd | 20 |
| 150 gr | $0.88/rd | 14 |
| 155 gr | $1.05/rd | 51 |
| 160 gr | $0.65/rd | 15 |
| 165 gr | $0.53/rd | 366 |
| 170 gr | $0.50/rd | 9 |
| 175 gr | $1.34/rd | 22 |
| 180 gr | $0.54/rd | 568 |
| 200 gr | $1.34/rd | 14 |
| 205 gr | $0.56/rd | 11 |
Prices exclude shipping and tax.
.45 ACP
| Bullet weight | Median $/rd | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 78 gr | $1.91/rd | 10 |
| 105 gr | $1.96/rd | 8 |
| 135 gr | $1.85/rd | 12 |
| 155 gr | $0.90/rd | 21 |
| 160 gr | $1.40/rd | 11 |
| 165 gr | $1.20/rd | 21 |
| 180 gr | $1.49/rd | 9 |
| 185 gr | $1.18/rd | 243 |
| 200 gr | $1.13/rd | 70 |
| 205 gr | $1.05/rd | 10 |
| 210 gr | $1.73/rd | 9 |
| 220 gr | $1.65/rd | 13 |
| 225 gr | $1.28/rd | 10 |
| 230 gr | $0.59/rd | 821 |
Prices exclude shipping and tax.
.223 / 5.56
| Bullet weight | Median $/rd | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 35 gr | $1.46/rd | 12 |
| 40 gr | $0.85/rd | 31 |
| 45 gr | $1.04/rd | 27 |
| 50 gr | $1.09/rd | 70 |
| 52 gr | $1.41/rd | 8 |
| 53 gr | $1.33/rd | 34 |
| 55 gr | $0.70/rd | 756 |
| 60 gr | $1.12/rd | 8 |
| 62 gr | $0.80/rd | 276 |
| 64 gr | $1.25/rd | 36 |
| 68 gr | $0.75/rd | 29 |
| 69 gr | $1.43/rd | 81 |
| 70 gr | $1.68/rd | 12 |
| 73 gr | $1.60/rd | 32 |
| 75 gr | $1.20/rd | 76 |
| 77 gr | $1.40/rd | 55 |
| 85 gr | $1.80/rd | 7 |
Prices exclude shipping and tax.
.308 / 7.62x51
| Bullet weight | Median $/rd | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 110 gr | $2.50/rd | 8 |
| 125 gr | $2.10/rd | 13 |
| 130 gr | $2.75/rd | 8 |
| 145 gr | $1.00/rd | 17 |
| 147 gr | $1.09/rd | 88 |
| 149 gr | $1.32/rd | 12 |
| 150 gr | $1.65/rd | 313 |
| 152 gr | $3.27/rd | 7 |
| 155 gr | $1.83/rd | 59 |
| 165 gr | $2.02/rd | 132 |
| 168 gr | $1.97/rd | 223 |
| 169 gr | $2.08/rd | 5 |
| 172 gr | $2.35/rd | 9 |
| 175 gr | $1.80/rd | 108 |
| 178 gr | $2.19/rd | 42 |
| 180 gr | $1.64/rd | 132 |
| 185 gr | $2.10/rd | 24 |
| 200 gr | $1.41/rd | 13 |
| 205 gr | $1.95/rd | 9 |
Prices exclude shipping and tax.
Weights differ in bullet type, brand and package size as well as grain, so a price gap between weights is not caused by weight alone. Compare like with like on the caliber page.
Cheapest right now
- 9mm: $0.23/rd at Cheaper Than Dirt. Buy at Cheaper Than Dirt
- .223 / 5.56: $0.44/rd at Freedom Munitions. Buy at Freedom Munitions
Sources
Where this comes from.
Sources were opened and read on or before . Quotes are the publisher's own words; the page may have changed since.
- NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8: conversion factors for units of mass (grain to milligram)
- SAAMI Z299.3-2022, centerfire pistol and revolver pressure and velocity (PDF) (+P footnote, cartridge list, bullet weight tolerance)
Buyer's guides