Tarkov Ammo Guide 1.1.0: Penetration, Damage and Best Ammo

How penetration and damage work

Every round has several important properties. Penetration describes how it interacts with armor. Damage describes the health damage after the hit gets through. Penetration chance, armor material and durability, hit location and repeated shots also matter. That is why a single number from an ammo chart cannot guarantee the result of every shot.

When a round does not pass through armor, it is not always completely useless: the armor loses durability and some damage can still get through. But against healthy armor, weak ammunition increases the number of hits you need. In practice, that means more time exposed, more rounds spent and fewer chances to survive the return fire.

A simple scale is useful for beginners. Below 20 penetration is usually reserved for exposed body parts and specific builds. Around 30-39 is the working budget range for early raids. At 40+ it becomes easier to deal with class 4 armor, while 50+ belongs to ammunition intended for heavier engagements. Treat these as planning ranges, not hard guarantees.

• High damage without enough penetration does not make a round universal.
• Armor material and durability change the result of the same hit.
• A controllable weapon can make a mid-tier round more practical than an expensive round you cannot control.
• Compare penetration, penetration chance, damage, recoil and availability together.

What to use against class 2, 3 and 4 armor

Against class 2 armor, most ordinary rounds are workable if you hit the chest and do not give the opponent time to answer. There is little value in buying rare ammunition for this situation. A larger supply, medical items, armor and magazines usually improve the raid more.

Class 3 is the first point where weak rounds start to fail noticeably. Look for ammunition around 30 penetration or higher, while still checking the specific caliber and penetration chance. 7.62x39 PS, M855 and 5.45 PP provide a reasonable base, but the result still depends on distance, armor type and how many shots connect.

Against class 4, do not rely on damage alone. If you regularly meet well-equipped players, use a round around 40 penetration or higher, or choose a high-rate-of-fire weapon and accept that a budget round will need more hits. M856A1, M855A1, 5.45 BP, 7.62x39 BP and 7.62x51 M80 are more sensible choices than their weaker counterparts.

• Class 2: use an affordable round and bring enough of it.
• Class 3: aim for roughly 30-39 penetration.
• Class 4: prefer 40+ penetration when the raid is built around PvP.
• If the ammunition does not match the job, change it before the raid rather than after emptying several magazines.

5.45x39: PP, BT, BP and BS

5.45x39 can look cheap, but it only becomes a reliable choice with the right ammunition. Current data lists 5.45 PP at 34 penetration and 51 damage, BT at 37 and 54, BP at 45 and 48, and BS at 54 and 45.

PP is a reasonable starting point if you already run AK-74 rifles and want affordable ammunition for early fights. BT adds penetration but is tracer ammunition, so its visible trail can reveal your position. BP is much more comfortable against class 4. BS offers a large penetration reserve and should be spent deliberately rather than used for every Scav.

HP, PRS and other weak options are not replacements for armor ammunition. 5.45 HP has only 9 penetration and is better suited to exposed body parts or a specific leg-focused build. If weak 5.45 is all you can access, another caliber can be more predictable.

• 5.45 PP: first usable budget option.
• 5.45 BT: good intermediate choice, but remember the tracer trail.
• 5.45 BP: strong option for more serious fights.
• 5.45 BS: high penetration; use it with a reason.

5.56x45: M855, M856A1 and M855A1

The 5.56x45 progression is easy to understand. M855 has 31 penetration and 54 damage, M856A1 has 38 and 52, and M855A1 has 44 and 49. M995 reaches 53 penetration, but it is an expensive late progression round rather than a required beginner purchase.

M855 is appropriate for weak and medium armor, especially while learning ADAR or M4. Do not expect it to cut through every class 4 vest. Its job is to give you an affordable starting point. Once M856A1 becomes available at a reasonable price, it is a natural step for raids where class 3-4 armor appears more often.

M855A1 is better suited to regular fights against stronger armor. Still, do not buy it at any price: check trader stock and the current flea price. Expensive ammunition cannot fix bad positioning, missed shots or a missing medical plan.

• M855: accessible 5.56 starting ammunition.
• M856A1: the first meaningful penetration upgrade.
• M855A1: a strong option for class 4 armor.
• M995: expensive late progression, not a beginner requirement.

7.62x39: PS and BP

7.62x39 PS remains one of the clearest starter rounds. Current data lists 35 penetration and 61 damage. It works well in early raids against class 2-3 armor and lets you run an AKM, VEPR-136 or similar rifle without constantly hunting rare ammunition.

PS can still pressure class 4 if the armor is damaged, the hit sequence is favorable or your shots are clean, but that is not a guarantee. If the raid is specifically about fighting geared players, move to 7.62x39 BP when it is available. BP has 47 penetration and 58 damage, making it a real upgrade rather than a more expensive box of the same idea.

7.62x39 HP has high body damage but only 15 penetration. It is a useful example of why damage alone is not enough. HP is not a substitute for PS or BP in a normal chest fight; use it only for a deliberate leg or exposed-body strategy.

• PS: the default budget choice for AKM and VEPR-136.
• BP: the step toward more reliable class 4 performance.
• HP: a special-purpose round, not a universal option.

7.62x51: BCP FMJ, M80, M62 and M61

7.62x51 gives strong damage even on budget ammunition. BCP FMJ has 37 penetration and 83 damage. That makes it a strong base for the RFB, M1A and similar rifles if you can control the recoil and make deliberate shots.

M80 reaches 43 penetration with 80 damage and is the natural upgrade for class 4 encounters. M62 has 42 penetration and 82 damage, along with a tracer trail. M61 reaches 60 penetration and 73 damage, but its cost makes it a poor choice for every learning raid.

The advantage of 7.62x51 is the ability to end a fight with a small number of accurate hits. The trade-offs are recoil, magazine and ammunition cost, and stricter positioning. If you miss, an expensive round cannot solve the problem by itself.

• BCP FMJ: strong budget foundation with high damage.
• M80: practical upgrade for class 4 armor.
• M62: powerful tracer option for later progression.
• M61: high penetration, but do not spend it without a reason.

9x19: Pst gzh, AP 6.3 and PBP

9x19 needs especially careful selection. Pst gzh has 20 penetration and 54 damage. It is cheap ammunition for Scavs, exposed body parts and weak armor, but it is not a reliable answer to a protected PMC.

AP 6.3 has 30 penetration and 52 damage. It is the first sensible upgrade for the MP5, Vector and other 9x19 weapons when you use controlled bursts and do not expect to defeat heavy armor head-on. PBP reaches 39 penetration and 44 damage, but its price and availability need to fit your economy.

QuakeMaker and RIP have high body damage but very low penetration: 8 and 2. They are special-purpose leg ammunition. They can work when the whole build is designed around that plan, but a beginner looking for normal chest fights should choose proper penetrating ammunition instead.

• Pst gzh: cheap option against weak protection and exposed areas.
• AP 6.3: the first serious 9x19 step.
• PBP: later upgrade with 39 penetration.
• QuakeMaker and RIP: only for a deliberate leg-focused build.

How to buy ammo from traders and the flea market

Do not start with price. Pick the weapon first, decide which armor you expect to face, then compare the ammunition available for that weapon. If a round is cheap but cannot solve the problem in front of you, the saving only exists in the menu. In the raid, you spend more time, more bullets and more risk.

Check trader offers before using the flea market. Stock, purchase limits and level requirements can change. That is why a guide should not promise that one round will always be sold by the same trader at the same price.

Buy enough for a few raids instead of filling the entire stash. For learning, 150-200 rounds of one working type are more useful than five mixed stacks that make it impossible to understand what failed.

• Check traders first, then the flea market.
• Compare the price per round, not only the price of a pack.
• Do not mix weak and strong ammunition in one magazine without a clear reason.
• Check whether the round is tracer ammunition and whether that fits your route.

How LOVEC EFT Radar helps you stock ammunition

An ammo chart answers what to use; the radar answers where to find more of it during the raid. In LOVEC EFT Radar, open the loot section, enable ammo-pack filters and set a price threshold. The map will show the relevant points, so you do not have to memorize every ammunition spawn.

The most practical use is on a route you already understand. If a box or a pack of the caliber you need is nearby, pick it up without creating a separate risky trip. If it is on the other side of the map, consider the time, threats and nearest extract first. A cheap round is not worth an unnecessary fight.

The radar also lets you combine ammunition with the rest of the raid plan. Keep the needed caliber, a hideout item and nearby extracts visible at the same time. That turns ammo collection into part of the route instead of an impulsive detour after the first fight.

• Use the loot section to show ammo packs and set a minimum price.
• Look for ammunition on a known route before changing direction.
• Use price filters to separate ordinary supplies from valuable loot.
• The radar complements an ammo chart; it does not replace checking the round's stats.

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