Best Escape From Tarkov Ammo Type: What Should You Use?

Guns aren't everything in the city of Tarkov, so you're going to want to know the best Escape From Tarkov ammo to be able to confidently take down any PMCs or scavs that you come across. Unlike most other shooters, the guns in Escape From Tarkov don't actually dictate damage or penetration and it is instead entirely dictated by the ammo you load them with. So, for a full guide on the best Escape From Tarkov ammo, split into each ammo type, then make sure to keep on reading below.

• Make sure to pair some of the best ammo with one of the Escape From Tarkov best guns for an optimal loadout.

Escape From Tarkov Best Ammo For Each Type

Largely, the two statistics that define whether ammo is good or bad are flesh damage and armour penetration. Other factors like recoil shifts, tracers, or bleed chance can add to an ammo type, but the worth of a bullet in Escape From Tarkov will always be found in damage and penetration.

Damage is easy to understand, as more damage means a faster time to kill, but penetration is a bit more complicated. As there are six different classes of armour in Escape From Tarkov, you're going to need an ammo that has the best chance of going through every single one. The penetration value largely correlates to how effectively an bullet can penetrate each class. For example, 38 pen goes through class four armour almost always, whereas 32 would struggle with class four and above.

Depending on the situation, you also might want an ammunition that deals extremely high flesh damage despite having very minimal penetration, as the 'leg meta' (where you exclusively aim at your opponent's unarmoured legs) can be very strong.

So, check out the full list of the best Escape From Tarkov ammo down below, broken up into each separate ammunition type.

• Have a read of this Escape From Tarkov new guns guide to see all the new ways to take down your fellow PMCs.

12x70mm Best Ammo (12ga Shotguns)

20x70mm Best Ammo (20ga Shotguns)

23x75mm Best Ammo (TOZ KS-23M)

9x18mm Best Ammo (Pistols/Submachine Guns)

7.62x25mm Best Ammo (TT Pistol/PPSh-41)

9x19mm Best Ammo (Pistols/Submachine Guns)

.45 ACP Best Ammo (UMP/Vector .45)

9x21mm Best Ammo (SR-1MP)

.357 Magnum Best Ammo (Chiappa Rhino)

5.7x28mm Best Ammo (Five-seveN/P90)

4.6x30mm Best Ammo (MP7)

• You can craft some of the best ammo in the game on the workbench, but you're going to want to keep an eye out for these Escape From Tarkov Hideout items to level it up.

9x39mm Best Ammo (AS VAL/VSS)

.366 TKM Best Ammo (VPO-209/VPO-215)

5.45x39mm Best Ammo (AK series weapons)

5.56x45mm Best Ammo (NATO Assault Rifles)

7.62x39mm Best Ammo (SKS/AKM/RD-704/Mk47)

• Don't let your performance counteract all the good ammo. Read our Escape From Tarkov best settings guide for improved FPS and visibility.

.300 Blackout Best Ammo (MCX .300)

7.62x51mm Best Ammo (RFB/MDR 7.62/SCAR-H/DVL-10)

7.62x54mmR Best Ammo (Mosin/SV-98/SVDS)

12.7x55mm Best Ammo (ASh-12)

.338 Lapua Magnum Best Ammo (Mk-18/AXMC)

So, that rounds up this guide on the best Escape From Tarkov ammo, split into each ammo type. While not every ammo in the game is worth using, there are definitely a large amount of options you can take for various different playstyles too. However, some of these ammo you won't be able to find easily, so make sure to check out the Escape From Tarkov flea market banned items to get all the information.