Using good ammo can be the key difference between life and death. Very few games, if any, can match the depth of the ammo system in Escape From Tarkov. As the wipe progresses, more and more players are using higher class armor which can invalidate certain rounds. Many newer players spend their money on tricking out their weapon, whether it be for stats or appearance, only to die in a raid and see the terrifying "400 damage absorbed by armor" message in the after raid lobby.

The best way to increase survival percent is by using the best ammo that is also affordable. That's a delicate balance in a game about realistic scarcity and gunplay. Try these ammo types in Escape From Tarkov to get an edge over other players.

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Updated On January 24th, 2022, By William Quick: When Escape from Tarkov appeared on the FPS scene, it immediately gained a reputation for being unforgiving and even hostile to players. That's why if you're aiming to take a shot at this game, you should pack the right kind of ammo. We've updated this list to add some more options.

15 Armor-Piercing AP-20 Rounds

an oil shelf

AP-20 is an armor-piercing shotgun shell that will serve players well. It can penetrate class 4 armor and do so, more often than not, on the first shot. It can also one-shot someone to the thorax if it does penetrate. Effective against higher class armors, AP-20 ammo is often able to make it through class five in just a few shots.

One of the biggest upsides of AP-20 is that the weapons it is shot out of are cheap, meaning that players can still stay well within a lower-end budget with them. This ammo is great for a budget kit and has a surprisingly high range, so don't be afraid to take engagements at distance. This slug can compete well within rifle range and is quite accurate. There is no better round to load into a shotgun than AP-20.

14 Take On High Armor Classes With 7n31 Rounds

9x19 vector in tarkov

7n31 is a 9x19 round capable of penetrating class 4 armor on the first shot and making short work of the highest armor classes. It can go through class 6 armor in around 7 shots. That might sound like a lot, but the bullets are fired from weapons such as the Vector that fire at 950 rounds per minute.

With good flesh damage, good penetration, and the privilege of being fired from guns with laser-accurate bullet hoses like the Vector, 7n31 has lots of good things going for it. Unfortunately, that is reflected in the price point. Expect to pay a premium for the round and expect to go through a lot of them. As a result, this is not recommended as a budget round at all.

13 Go Ballistic With 5.56x45mm FMJ Round

A Slight Tilt With A Rifle

Also known as a .223 Remington, these cartridges are practical and designed specifically to be used for practice shooting and hunting. It's ammo that was made for the individual to protect themselves which makes it a practical choice that's reliable in wilderness situations.

Its biggest strength is its speed, reaching over 900 meters per second. It does a good amount of damage and will definitely leave a mark on armored targets. It allows for good accuracy and reduced recoil for safer firing. You can pick this ammo up from the Skier at Loyalty Level 1.

12 Balance Budget With Power Using 7N1 Rounds

tarkov svds mod screen

The 7.62x54R 7N1 round is a highly effective and budget-friendly option. It will one-shot enemies in the thorax through class 4 armor every time and can do the same to class 5 or 6 armor with a bit of luck. 7N1 is shot out of a variety of bolt-action rifles meaning that it is great for sniping and long-range engagements but can falter in close quarter-combat.

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An 7N1 cannot be fired out of any fully automatic weapon. This requires players to take their time and aim shots which can be a death sentence against an enemy who is mag dumping. Still, 7N1 rewards patient players who can use range to their advantage. The SVDS is where the round really shines as it is a semi-automatic rifle that immensely helps out in close-quarter engagements.

11 Collaterally Conscious With 5.45x39mm PRS Rounds

Modding Every Part Of The Weapon

These cartridges are built with softness in mind which may be a strange choice for a bullet. This ammo was created with the purpose of reducing collateral damage during urban firefights in times of warfare or law enforcement operations. The result lead to bullets that had noticeable stopping power.

Because of this, this ammo is effective at keeping exposed targets at bay but struggles to deal with armor. It has good traveling speed, reduced recoil, and is unlikely to be caught bouncing off walls. To pick some up, you'll need to be at Loyalty Level 1 with Prapor.

10 SNB Rounds: Armor Pen vs. Flesh Damage

running through a factory office
Via: Slyther Games

A 7.62x54R round, SNB trades a bit of flesh damage for more penetration. There is no armor in the game that can stop one of these bullets. The downside to such an awesome penetration value is that it is incapable of one-shotting without some sort of lucky fragmentation. As a result, SNB is best paired with an SVDS as it allows for quick two taps to the thorax against every enemy.

SNB is also very effective at range and makes for a fantastic sniping round. A relatively easy-to-find round in maps like reserve, SNB also serves as a great budget bullet to deal with highly geared enemies and gives every player a fighting chance. Like 7N1, it does suffer against enemies who utilize full-auto weaponry but is more competitive with its guaranteed two-tap potential.

9 Punch Through With 7.62x39mm BP Rounds

Firing Through An Open Door

This ammo goes hard which makes it dangerous in your hands and in the hands of any enemies you may encounter. Its construction is based on the desire to punch through armored targets and stop lesser-prepared targets right in their tracks. It also allows it to do solid general damage.

This is a smart choice to take with you as you start to encounter better-equipped enemies, but you'll need to compensate for its slight accuracy and recoil drawbacks. The merchant Prapor will sell some to you only if you have Loyalty Level 3, and after you've completed The Punisher - Part 5.

8 Close Quarters Supremacy With AP SX Rounds

tarkov mp7 mod screen

Similar to the 7n31 round but better in every way, the 4.3x.30mm AP SX round is the best submachine gun round money can buy. Players will need a fair bit of money to buy it, too. Fired exclusively from the two MP7 variants, this round can go through class 6 armor in around 2 shots. This means that the gun has a potential 3 shot to the thorax kill time which is quite fast considering the MP7s shoot at 950 rounds per minute.

The incredible stopping power of this round makes it great for close quarter maps like Factory and Interchange, or in high traffic areas like the Shoreline resort. It is only held back by its range. As a submachine gun round, it won't be very effective once players start to creep into rifle ranges and get outclassed at sniper ranges. However, it is nearly uncontestable in close-quarter combat.

7 Bounce And Break With 7.62x39mm PS Rounds

Looking Through The Scope

Things can get very hectic very fast once you come under fire, so it can be hard to take accurate shots. That's why you'll need ammo to give you more options and that's where this ammo comes in with a lot of useful qualities. It has a good balance between damage to flesh and armor.

Where it really shines is the construction that gives it a high ricochet chance coupled with a fair amount of fragmentation. This makes it particularly effective when fighting in tight spaces and right from Loyalty Level 1, you can pick some up from Prapor.

6 BS (No, Not That Kind) Rounds

tarkov ak74m modding screen

5.45x39mm BS ammo has helped keep AK's competitive for years against the likes of the M4A1. This round ignores anything class 5 and lower and makes very short work of class 6. Capable of 3-tapping to the thorax, it is a fantastic "spray and pray" type of round. Unlike the submachine gun bullets, BS is shot from a rifle and is quite effective at mid to long-range engagements.

As an AK bullet, it can be loaded into larger magazines such as a 60 round mag. This gives players the ability to quickly and easily take down multiple players without having to reload or worry about opponents' gear. BS is a top-tier round that will serve any player well in virtually any scenario and should definitely be purchased if it is within budget.

5 Hit Hard With 7.62x51mm M80

Checking An Assault Rifle

In an environment as brutal as this one, you need to make every shot count. When you're lucky enough to hit a target in the midst of battle, you want some assurance that it hit hard. This is why you should grab a batch of this ammo as soon as possible as it's made for damage output.

It's highly effective against both armor and flesh, being able to travel at high speeds. It also has a very high chance to ricochet off surfaces and a reduced chance of fragmentation. You can get this potent ammo from the Peacekeeper once you've achieved Loyalty Level 2.

4 Better Weapons With M995 Rounds

hk416a5 tarkov mod screen

The 5.56xx45mm answer to BS, M995's greatest advantage over the AK counterpart is that it is fired from the superior M4A1 and HK416A5 platforms. The bullet is nearly identical in performance to BS, only having slightly (and irrelevantly) higher penetration and fragmentation chance. The difference in weapons is what separates the two rounds.

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Both the M4A1 and HK416A5 are highly moddable and can be made to have much more manageable recoil than any AK variant. When combined with their higher rates of fire, players are left with a bullet that will be fired more accurately and more quickly. This can be the difference between winning or losing a fight. M995 is also craftable in the hideout which gives players guaranteed and relatively affordable access to it.

3 7n39 Rounds A.K.A. "Igolnik"

Escape from Tarkov for the PC. A heavily armored soldier.

The pinnacle of AK bullets, the 5,45x 39mm 7n39 round, known as Igolnik, completely invalidates armor. It will go through every armor in the game like it was nonexistent and will down an enemy in 3 thorax shots. This round is so powerful that it is the ammo of choice for the Interchange Scav boss: Killa. Since it is possible to be target farmed off of the Scav boss, it is relatively affordable and accessible.

With access to 60 round mags, 7n39 is effective at wiping squads. Alternatively, players on a stricter budget can top load their mags with 7n39 and then fill out the rest with cheaper ammo. This strategy cuts down on costs while still giving them the best chance against highly geared players and Scav bosses such as Killa himself.

2 .338 Lapua Magnum AP Rounds

mk-18 tarkov mod screen

A round so powerful that the gun it is shot from had to be locked behind a quest, .338 Lapua Magnum AP is the best marksman round in the game. It is Tarkov's version of the "golden gun" meaning that it is a one-shot kill to the thorax on anybody. It has a higher penetration value than any other bullet (save mounted weapons) and does over 100 flesh damage. There isn't a better round for sniping than Magnum AP and chances are there never will be.

The only downside to this powerful ammo is that it cannot be fired from a fully automatic weapon. Players need to be able to hit their shot for the ammo to work which can be difficult in closer engagements when enemies are pre-firing with full auto weaponry. But, if people are patient and play their distances right, few can compete with this ammo.

1 The Multi-Tool: M61 Rounds

mdr art for tarkov

If players were to only ever use one round for an entire wipe, it would have to be M61. It does everything people want ammo to do. It ignores all armor, does very high damage, can be used in cheap weapons, and can be fired from fully automatic guns. M61 will kill every PMC in two shots to the thorax. It is so powerful that it will kill Killa, who has 210 thorax HP compared to a player's 85, in just 3 shots. As a larger cartridge, it is fantastic at range. Previously, it was the best in the game for sniping until the introduction of Lapua.

M61 is also great for those on a bit of a budget. While the ammo is expensive, it can be fired from cheap guns such as the Hunter rifle. As many of the guns are semi-automatic, players do not need to buy a bunch of ammo to make it work well. Regardless of the range, the budget, or the opposition, M61 will give players the edge they need to come out on top.

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