Escape From Tarkov Ammo Chart: Penetration, Damage and the Best Rounds in 2026

Short answer up front: in Escape from Tarkov, the bullet matters more than the gun. A cheap AK-74M with 5.45x39 BP gs (48 damage / 45 penetration) will outperform an expensive M4 loaded with basic ammo, because penetration decides whether your shots actually get through armor. The current meta divides cleanly into tiers: 5.45 BP/PPBS and 5.56 M855A1/M995 at the top of the rifle calibers, 7.62x51 M61/M62 for battle rifles, 7N31/AP 6.3 for 9x19 SMGs, and budget staples (5.45 PS, 5.56 M855, 9x19 Pst Gzh) that are fine early but fall off fast once players run class 4+ armor. This guide gives you the numbers that matter per caliber — with sources for every value — plus where to get good ammo, and how the ammo economy shapes which weapons are worth running.

Official resources: Official Escape from Tarkov Wiki — Ammunition · Steam store page · eft-ammo charts · mosqueras 5.45 chart · IBTimes 5.56 vs 5.45 breakdown

How to Read the Chart: Damage vs Penetration

Every round in Tarkov has two headline stats (official wiki — Ballistics):

• Damage — flesh damage per hit (thorax has ~85 HP; two good hits to the chest kill)
• Penetration — the round's armor-class defeat number. Rough guide used across every ammo chart: ~25–30 pen defeats class 3, ~35–45 defeats class 4, ~45+ starts defeating class 5, and class 6 needs the top tier in each caliber

The trap new players fall into is damage-first thinking (huge flesh damage rounds like 5.45 US or 9x19 RIP feel strong against scavs and lose to every armored player). If you're fighting PMCs, penetration is the stat to read first. Armor damage, fragmentation chance and recoil/accuracy modifiers fill out the picture, but pen + damage is 90% of the decision (thegunzone's 5.56 breakdown).

5.45x39 — The AK Standard

The Russian intermediate caliber for the AK-74 family. Values from the official wiki and current charts (wiki — 5.45x39mm BP gs, mosqueras 5.45 chart, IBTimes):

Rule of thumb: run PP as your baseline once traders allow, BP when you can craft/source it, and never bring PS into a raid where you expect class 4+ armor (IBTimes).

5.56x45 — The NATO Standard

The M4A1/HK 416/ADAR caliber. NATO rifles fire faster but their early ammo is famously bad against armor (thegunzone, IBTimes):

The community consensus: don't run NATO rifles until you can source M855A1 or M995 — a fast-firing M4 with M855 loses to a slower AK with BP. Once you have the ammo, NATO's fire rate becomes the advantage (thegunzone).

7.62x51 and 7.62x39 — The Battle Rifle and AKM Lines

7.62x51 (the SR-25, M1A, SA-58, .308 DMRs) is the veteran's caliber: slow, heavy, and it punches armor that rifle calibers can't. M80 (~38 pen) is the affordable baseline, M61 (~47 pen) is the meta anti-armor round, M62 is its tracer, and M993 tops the range. Two shots to the chest with M61 kills through class 5 — the reason battle rifles stay meta at every wipe (eft-ammo charts).

7.62x39 (AKM, Vepr, RD-704) splits the difference: PS (~33 pen) is the universal budget round, BP (~44 pen) is the proper armor-defeater, and MAI AP tops it. For early wipe the 7.62x39 PS AKM/Vepr is one of the most cost-effective kits in the game — the early-game ammo guide consensus puts it at the top of the budget table.

Pistol and SMG Calibers

• 9x19 — Pst Gzh is the starter round (Prapor LL1); AP 6.3 (~30 pen) and 7N31 (~33 pen) are the anti-armor picks for the MP5, MPX, Vector and the 9mm pistols. SMGs with AP rounds are a genuine class-3 killer early wipe (gamerant's early ammo guide).
• 12 gauge — shotguns live on 6.5 Express buckshot (budget face-shredder), Dual Sabot and AP-20 slugs (the armor answer); pellets defeat armor through face/leg shots rather than chest pens.
• 7.62x54R — the Mosin/SV-98 line: LPS (starter), SNB (~50 pen) and 7N1 for sniping. The Mosin with SNB is the classic budget sniper.

Where to Get Good Ammo

• Traders — each loyalty level unlocks better rounds; the meta ammo (M995, 7N31, BP in quantity) usually sits at LL3–4 or behind quests (gamerant)
• Crafting — the hideout Workbench crafts 5.45 BP (Workbench 3), 9x19 AP and others; this is how the ammo economy runs (wiki — 5.45 BP craft)
• Flea market — the price signal for ammo; high-pen rounds cost multiples of trader price, which is why crafting pays
• Loot — ammo crates, wooden crates and loose ammo spawns; Igolnik and M995 are found, not bought

The practical plan: early wipe, buy the budget staples (5.45 PP/PS, 9x19 AP 6.3, 7.62x39 PS); mid wipe, switch to craft lines (Workbench + scav case); late wipe, everything is about the flea price of M61/M995/BP — the early-wipe playbook in the wipe guide schedules exactly this ammo progression.

The Weapons the Ammo Feeds

Because ammo decides fights, the weapon meta follows the ammo economy (skycoach's best weapons tier list):

• Budget kings — AK-74M + 5.45 PP, Vepr/AKM + 7.62x39 PS, MP5/MPX + 9x19 AP 6.3
• Mid-tier — M4A1/HK 416 + M855A1, AK-74N + BP, SR-25 + M80
• Endgame — HK 416/M4 + M995, SR-25/M1A + M61/M993, RD-704 + 7.62x39 BP
• Sniper — Mosin + SNB/7N1, DVL/SV-98, and the .338 Lapua rifles for the richest players

The test for any "best weapon" claim: what ammo can I actually feed it this week? A gun you can't afford to feed is a bad gun — the same logic that makes the Customs and Reserve loot routes ammo-focused in early wipe.

Per the official Escape from Tarkov Wiki — Ammunition, every round's performance profile — projectile speed, damage, penetration, armor damage and recoil — is published per cartridge, which is the definitive reference for building loadouts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best ammo in Escape from Tarkov?

The best rounds by caliber: 5.45x39 BP gs (48 dmg / 45 pen) and PPBS/Igolnik for AKs; M855A1 and M995 for 5.56; M61/M993 for 7.62x51; 7N31/AP 6.3 for 9x19. "Best" depends on what you can source — a gun you can't feed is a bad gun.

What ammo should I use early game?

5.45 PP/PS, 7.62x39 PS, 9x19 Pst Gzh/AP 6.3, 12 gauge 6.5 Express buckshot, and 7.62x54R LPS for the Mosin. These defeat class 3 armor and are cheap or craftable — fine for the first weeks of a cycle.

How do penetration and damage work in Escape from Tarkov?

Damage is flesh damage per hit (thorax ~85 HP); penetration determines whether the round defeats the armor class. Roughly: ~25–30 pen beats class 3, ~35–45 beats class 4, 45+ starts on class 5, and class 6 needs each caliber's top tier. For PMC fights, read penetration first.

What are the best weapons in Escape from Tarkov?

The meta follows the ammo: budget AK-74M/Vepr/MP5 with their budget rounds, M4/HK 416 with M855A1+, and SR-25/M1A with M61 for late game. The best weapon is the one whose ammo you can sustain.

How do I get the weapon rack level 2 in the hideout?

Build the Weapon Stand module and upgrade it — Level 2 holds 132 cells for storing and displaying weapons. It's a cosmetic/storage module (no income), so build income and craft stations first. If it shows locked, check the build-item requirements rather than assuming a bug.

Related Guides

• Escape From Tarkov Bosses — every boss, spawn rate and loot
• Escape From Tarkov Reserve Map — extracts, Glukhar and the bunker
• Escape From Tarkov Wipe — what wipes, what carries over, and Season 1
• Escape From Tarkov Best Settings — FPS and visibility guide
• Escape From Tarkov Customs Map — extracts, Reshala and early quests

Last updated: August 13, 2026.