Tarkov Ammo Tier List – EFT Ammo Chart

Last Updated on September 5, 2026 by Samuel Franklin

Navigate the complex Tarkov ammo mechanics with these ammunition recommendations and charts. Providing an overview of the ballistics system, the trade-off between ammo options, specific recommendations for different calibres and other informative resources this comprehensive page will help you find the ideal ammo to use in your Tarkov raids for your favourite weapon and budget.

This page is based on my personal thousands of Tarkov hours to provide recommendations that consider the time of the season/wipe, your playstyle, stock availability and Roubles budget.

Table of Contents:
– EFT Ammo Chart (Quick Reference)
– EFT Ammo Chart (Advanced)
– Tarkov Ammo Mechanics

EFT Ammo Chart – Quick Reference Chart

This Tarkov ammo chart provides a quick reference resource for my recommended bullets across budget, mid tier and top tier options based on your intended raid activity:

• Budget Tier (Budget For Loot & Scav Hunts): The budget round is readily available and ideal to save Roubles during simple raids where your focus is on loot, Scavs and careful PvP. These are stronger during early stages of a season reset as player armour is minimal.
• Mid Tier (Default Choice Balancing Cost and Penetration Power): A reliable default option once you established your Tarkov account for PvP and even boss hunting to ensure you are prepared for whatever the raid brings.
• Top Tier (Use For The Toughest Combat Challenges): The best realistically obtainable ammos available that players can use for the most difficult combat encounters Tarkov offers such as bosses, the Rogue Boss Goons or high end PvP. While some calibres below do technically have a stronger ammo in terms of raw stats these are so rare you’ll simply never obtain enough to use consistently.

Calibre	Budget Tier	Mid Tier	Top Tier
12x70mm	Express Buckshot (Jaeger Level 1)	Flechette (Jaeger Level 3)	AP-20 (Crafting)
20x70mm	7.5mm Buckshot (Jaeger Level 1)	Poleva-6u (Jaegar Level 1)	TSS AP Slug (Jaeger Level 3)
23x75mm	Shrapnel-10 (Prapor Level 2)	–	Barrikada (Prapor Level 3)
7.62x25mm	AKBS (Prapor Level 1)	PT Gzh (Prapor Level 2)	PST gzh (Prapor Level 2)
9x18mm	PRS gzh (Prapor Level 1)	–	PBM gzh (Prapor Level 1)
9x19mm	PST gzh (Prapor Level 1) (Mechanic Level 2)	AP 6.3 (Peacekeeper Level 3)	PBP gzh (Prapor Level 4)
9x21mm	P gzh (Prapor Level 2)	BT gzh (Prapor Level 3)	7N42 (Prapor Level 4)
.357 Magnum	–	–	Magnum FMJ (Jaeger Level 2)
.45 ACP	Match FMJ (Peacekeeper Level 1)	–	ACP AP (Peacekeeper Level 4)
.50 Action Express	AE Hawk JSP (Jaeger Level 1)	AE Copper Solid (Mechanic Level 2)	AE FMJ (Mechanic Level 3)
5.45x39mm	PS (Prapor Level 2)	BT (Prapor Level 2/4)	7N40 (Prapor Level 4)
5.56x45mm NATO	M855 (Peacekeeper Level 3)	M856A1 (Peacekeeper Level 4)	M855A1 (Crafting)
5.8x42mm	DBX95 (Skier Level 2)		DBP191 (Skier Level 3)
6.8x51mm	SIG FMJ (Peacekeeper Level 3)	–	SIG Hybrid (Peacekeeper Level 4)
.300 Blackout	BCP FMJ (Skier Level 3)	CBJ (Peacekeeper Level 4)	AP (Crafting)
7.62x39mm	PS (Prapor Level 3)	PP (Prapor Level 4)	BP (Crafting)
7.62x51mm NATO	BCP FMJ (Jaeger Level 3)	M80 (Peacekeeper Level 4)	M80A1 (Crafting)
.308 Marlin Express	ME LOKT (Jaeger Level 2)		ME (Mechanic Level 3)
7.62x54mmR	FMJ (Prapor Level 2)	PS (Prapor Level 4)	BT (Crafting)
.338 Lapua Magnum	UCW (Jaeger Level 3)	–	FMJ (Jaeger Level 4)
9x39mm	SP-5 (Prapor Level 2)	SPP (Prapor Level 4)	SP-6 (Prapor Level 4)
9.3x64mm	SP (Prapor Level 3)	–	FMJ (Prapor Level 4)
.366 TKM	EKO (Jaeger Level 1)	–	AP-M (Crafting)
12.7x55mm	PS12 (Prapor Level 2)	–	PS12B (Prapor Level 4)
.50 BMG	M21 (Peacekeeper Level 4)		M33 (Peacekeeper Level 4)
4.6x30mm	JSP SX (Mechanic Level 3)	FMJ SX (Mechanic Level 4)	AP SX (Crafting)
5.7x28mm	SS197SR (Peacekeeper Level 2)	L191 (Peacekeeper Level 3)	SS190 (Peacekeeper Level 4)

EFT Ammo Chart – Advanced

For the advanced player that wants a deeper understanding of Tarkov ballistic mechanics and the various key breakpoints when choosing an ammo there are several fantastic visual information sources that I regularly reference for EFT ammo chart guidance:

EFT Ammo Chart

EFT Ammo makes it visually clear how effective each ammo type will be against the different Tarkov armour classes which allows you to pick the best option based on the armour class you expect. This also includes updated price information so you can visually see how the cost can quickly increase for extra penetration to find a suitable budget.

EFT Monster Ammo Chart

EFT Monster is producing a high quality visual Tarkov bullet chart which is also interactive that lets you understand where each ammunition sits in terms of damage and penetration power. This tool is useful to understand the trade off each ammo has as usually different ammunitions have a focus for damage type.

Tarkov Ammo Mechanics

Understanding how ammo works in Escape From Tarkov can provide additional insight into what makes a particular option good or bad for those wanting to move beyond reliance on an EFT ammo chart resource. While the choice itself is important you always need to consider your goals for a raid and other game circumstances such as the time since a Tarkov wipe as this impacts the armour classes you’ll encounter on players.

The common ammo choice is to optimise for penetration as this ensures chest armour or helmets can be mitigated. Lower calibre weapons like sub machine guns and pistols have lower ammo penetration options so these weapons are generally focused on head (or face) shots as they cannot reliably penetrate Tarkov armour. These weapon types can also focus on ‘leg meta’ where you bring ammunition that focuses on high damage instead of any penetration and target unarmoured areas. To simplify your decision you can follow the below flowchart steps:

1. Do I plan to deal damage to limbs (leg meta) or focus on head and thorax (standard meta) damage? If going for leg meta maximise damage at all costs. If going for standard meta optimise for enough penetration (see 2 below) and then damage after that.
2. What armour do I expect to face given my raid objectives? Scavs will primarily have no armour or be up to armour class 3, budget PMCs primarily armour class 4 and high tier PvP will be class 5 and 6. Aim for a penetration value approximately 10 times the armour class and then seek to maximise damage beyond that. For example a 40 penetration ammo is generally effective against class 4. While in theory players could just run the highest penetration ammunition possible this may not always be available due to budget or availability constraints. The higher you go in penetration also generally reduces damage slightly that against lower armours may actually result in extra hits to kill your target.

Your choice of ammo in Tarkov can also impact on accuracy, recoil, bleed chance and weapon durability burn with some being tracer rounds that allow you (and your enemies) see shots. Considering all of the above the best ammo in each Tarkov situation can vary dramatically and why the ammo tier lists within the community highlight different ammo strengths.

Written by

Samuel Franklin

Samuel Franklin is the founder and lead editor of the Games Finder team and enjoys video games across all genres and platforms.

Sam (Seelyon) is a seasoned Escape From Tarkov player with over 1,000 raids across multiple Tarkov patches while accumulating thousands of player kills and maintaining a 50% survival rate who favours a calculated playstyle. During these wipes he has earned the coveted Kappa secure container, proving his determination in the unforgiving world of Tarkov. His passion for the punishing game goes beyond personal accomplishment and he is driven by a desire to guide new players on their own Escape From Tarkov journey one raid at a time.

Through countless firefights, strategic flanks and exhilarating boss encounters, he has accumulated a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics and nuances that allows him to offer valuable insights and strategies to those seeking to navigate the complexities of Tarkov.