Escape from Tarkov ammo tier list & best ammo to use for patch 0.14.6

Grabbing the best ammo for your favourite weapon is essential if you're gunning for success in Escape from Tarkov, and our tier list will show how big the difference is between the top options (and those you'll want to avoid).

Unlike most shooters, ammo in Tarkov determines your weapon's damage instead of the gun itself, playing a key part in penetrating any armour you come up against. It's all well and good having the best gun in the game equipped, but if you don't have the right ammo, you might as well be using a pea shooter.

Best ammo you can buy in Escape from Tarkov

• 12/70 Flechette
• 9x19mm AP 6.3
• .45 ACP AP
• 5.7x28mm SS190
• 9x39mm SP-6 gs
• .366 TKM AP-M
• 5.45x39mm 7N40
• 5.56x45mm M856A1
• 7.62x39mm PP
• .300 Blackout CBJ
• 6.8x51mm SIG FMJ
• 6.8x51mm SIG HYBRID
• 7.62x51mm M80
• 7.62x51mm M62 Tracer
• 7.62x54R PS gzh
• 7.62x54R BT gzh
• 12.7x55mm PS12B
• .338 Lapua Magnum FMJ

While there are several rounds above that aren't the best in their category, the nature of how you obtain ammunition in Escape from Tarkov means that most of the best rounds aren't actually used.

You'll either have to do lengthy crafts in the Workbench or be lucky enough to find them in your raids, as they are banned on the Flea Market and not sold by the Traders. Unfortunately, both outcomes often don't give you enough ammo to run constantly, leaving you to look for alternatives.

The rounds we've listed above though are always available either through one of the Traders or on the Flea Market, giving you a much more reliable way to load up your magazines with great ammo and dominate your next raid.

If you're simply wanting to see the best ammo in the game regardless of access though, make sure to check out our full tier list below.

S-Tier

• 12/70 Flechette
• 23x75mm "Barrikada" Slug
• 4.6x30mm AP SX
• 9x19mm AP 6.3
• 9x19mm PBP gzh
• 9x39mm SP-6 gs
• 9x39mm BP gs
• 5.45x39mm BP gs
• 5.45x39mm BS gs
• 5.56x45mm M855A1
• 5.56x45mm M995
• 5.56x45mm SSA AP
• 5.7x28mm SS190
• 7.62x39mm BP gzh
• 7.62x39mm MAI AP
• .300 Blackout CBJ
• .300 Blackout Blackout AP
• 6.8x51mm SIG HYBRID
• 6.8x51mm SIG FMJ
• 7.62x51mm M80
• 7.62x51mm M62 Tracer
• 7.62x51mm M61
• 7.62x51mm M993
• 7.62x54mm R BT gzh
• 7.62x54mm R SNB gzh
• 7.62x54mm R BS gs
• .338 Lapua Magnum FMJ
• .338 Lapua Magnum AP

You've got a mix of obtainable rounds here with those that you can only find in raid, but if you spot any of these at any point you must make sure to pick them up.

Nearly all of these have high penetration and are excellent against Class 5 and most deal with Class 6 competently too, making them excellent in pretty much every single situation.

One round that might seem a bit odd near the top is 5.7x28 SS190, which 'only' has 47 penetration, albeit with an excellent damage rating of 49. While this might not stack up to the pen values of the rounds surrounding it, the overwhelming fire rate and massive magazine size of its weapon, the P90, make this 'weaker' round an absolute menace against geared PMCs.

The same is largely true of the other SMG rounds I've included in S-Tier, from the 9x19 options to the 4.6x30 rounds for the MP7. Their rapid fire rates more than compensate for lower pen values, and the chances of tearing through any surrounding soft armour even if you happen to run into Class 5 plates is incredibly high. Failing that, you can always aim for the head!

A-Tier

• 12/70 8.5mm Magnum Buckshot
• 12/70 Piranha
• 12/70 AP-20 Armor-Piercing Slug
• 23x75mm "Zvezda" Flashbang Round
• 23x75mm "Shrapnel-25" Buckshot
• 23x75mm "Shrapnel-10" Buckshot
• .45 ACP AP
• 5.7x28mm L191 (Tracer)
• 4.6x30mm FMJ SX
• 9x39mm PAB-9 gs
• .366 TKM AP-M
• 5.45x39mm 7N40
• 5.56x45mm M856A1
• 7.62x39mm PP
• .300 Blackout M62 Tracer
• 7.62x51mm BCP FMJ
• 7.62x54mm R PS gzh
• 12.7x55mm PS12B
• .338 Lapua Magnum UCW

The A-Tier is where you start to get the more realistic ammo choices that you'll use consistently, while still maintaining top performance across the board.

You've got a mix from the best shotgun rounds to fully automatic monsters like M856A1 and M62 Tracer, so definitely try and keep these rounds in your rotation when using any of the eligible weapons.

B-Tier

• 12/70 5.25mm Buckshot
• 12/70 6.5mm Express Buckshot
• 12/70 7mm Buckshot
• .45 ACP RIP
• 9x21mm BT gzh
• 9x21mm 7N42
• 4.6x30mm JSP SX
• 9x39mm SPP gs
• 5.45x39mm PP gs
• 5.45x39mm BT gs
• 5.45x39mm PPBS gs "Igolnik"
• 5.56x45mm M855
• 5.56x45mm Mk 318 Mod 0 (SOST)
• 7.62x39mm PS gzh
• .300 Blackout BCP FMJ
• 7.62x54mm R SP BT (Tracer)
• 7.62x54mm R FMJ
• 7.62x54mm R T-46M gzh
• 7.62x54mm R LPS gzh

Any of the B-Tier ammo listed above is perfect for the mid-wipe stage, as they either deal with Class 4 armour well or deal enough damage to cause serious trouble for any non-armoured areas.

You'll be able to pick most of these up at the Flea Market or around LL3 Traders, so they're still definitely worth investing in for general use or if you want to save a bit of money later on in the wipe.

The placement of a round like 5.45x39 Igolnik might seem odd all the way down in B-Tier due to its extremely high penetration, it clearly paints a picture of the current meta.

62 pen is largely redundant as most players will be wearing Class 5 plates at most, and the proliferation of lower-class soft armour makes low-damage high-pen rounds like Igolnik fall significantly down the pecking order.

Something like 7N40 in the same weapon class is significantly better to use even with 20 less penetration, as it boasts 15 higher damage, which is the difference between a two-shot thorax kill and a three-shot.

C-Tier

• 12/70 Superformance HP Slug
• 12/70 Copper Sabot HP Slug
• 12/70 Lead Slug
• 12/70 FTX Custom Lite Slug
• 12/70 Makeshift .50 SMG Slug
• 9x19mm RIP
• 9x21mm 7U4
• .357 Magnum FMJ
• 5.7x28mm RR197SR
• 9x39mm SP-5 gs
• .366 TKM Geksa
• .366 TKM FMJ
• .366 TKM EKO
• 5.45x39mm FMJ
• 5.45x39mm PS gs
• 7.62x39mm FMJ
• 7.62x39mm US gzh
• 7.62x39mm T-45M1 gzh
• .300 Blackout Whisper
• .300 Blackout V-MAX
• 7.62x51mm TCW SP
• 7.62x54mm R HP BT (Tracer)
• 12.7x55mm PS12
• .338 Lapua Magnum TAC-X

Ammo in our C-Tier has become a lot more effective since the armour rework in patch 0.14, as it's much easier to use lower penetration ammo against armour that has a smaller hitbox or soft armour areas.

I wouldn't recommend using these beyond the first couple of months of a wipe as players will start to use Class 4 armour and beyond, but they are very effective in the opening stages and are what I usually gravitate towards.

D-Tier

• 12/70 RIP
• 12/70 Grizzly 40 Slug
• 12/70 Dual Sabot Slug
• 12/70 "Poleva-3" Slug
• 12/70 "Poleva-6U" Slug
• 9x18mm PM PMM PSTM gzh
• 9x18mm PM PDB gzh
• 7.62x25mm TT PST gzh
• 9x19mm Quakemaker
• 9x19mm M882
• 9x19mm PST gzh
• .45 ACP Hydra-Shock
• .45 ACP Lasermatch FMJ
• .45 ACP Match FMJ
• 9x21mm PE gzh
• 9x21mm P gzh
• 9x21mm PS gzh
• .357 Magnum Soft Point
• .357 Magnum HP
• .357 Magnum JHP
• 5.7x28mm R37.F
• 5.7x28mm SS198LF
• 5.7x28mm R37.X
• 5.7x28mm SB193
• 4.6x30mm Action SX
• 4.6x30mm Subsonic SX
• 9x39mm FMJ
• 5.45x39mm US gs
• 5.45x39mm T
• 5.56x45mm M856
• 5.56x45mm FMJ
• 7.62x39mm HP
• 7.62x39mm SP
• 7.62x51mm Ultra Nosler
• 12.7x55mm PS12A

While not the bottom of the barrel, these rounds are generally ones that you'll want to avoid unless absolutely necessary.

They're either used in bad guns or have much better alternatives, so don't be too surprised if you don't win many gunfights when using these options.

F-Tier

• 20/70 5.6mm Buckshot
• 20/70 6.2mm Buckshot
• 20/70 7.5mm Buckshot
• 20/70 7.3mm Buckshot
• 20/70 Devastator Slug
• 20/70 "Poleva-3" Slug
• 20/70 Star Slug
• 20/70 "Poleva-6U" Slug
• 9x18mm PM SP8 gzh
• 9x18mm PM SP7 gzh
• 9x18mm PM PSV
• 9x18mm PM P gzh
• 9x18mm PM PSO gzh
• 9x18mm PM PS gz PPO
• 9x18mm PM PRS gs
• 9x18mm PM PPE gzh
• 9x18mm PM PPT gzh
• 9x18mm PM PST gzh
• 9x18mm PM RG028 gzh
• 9x18mm PM BZHT gzh
• 7.62x25mm TT LRNPC
• 7.62x25mm TT LRN
• 7.62x25mm TT FMJ43
• 7.62x25mm TT AKBS
• 7.62x25mm TT P gl
• 7.62x25mm TT PT gzh
• 9x19mm PSO gzh
• 9x19mm Luger CCI
• 9x19mm T gzh
• 5.45x39mm HP
• 5.45x39mm PRS gs
• 5.45x39mm SP
• 5.56x45mm Warmageddon
• 5.56x45mm HP
• 5.56x45mm Mk 255 Mod 0 (RRLP)

Avoid these rounds at all costs. They all have functionally no penetration which won't even work with scavs, and are typically used in guns that you'll want to avoid beyond the first day or so. Save your time and money by opting for something else.

What is the best overall ammo in Escape from Tarkov?

The best ammo in Escape from Tarkov is by far the .338 Lapua Magnum AP round, which does an unmatched 115 damage with 79 penetration power. This round will one-shot Class 6 armour at up to 800m if you hit the thorax, making it overwhelmingly powerful if you can land your shots.

The main trouble with the round though is that it is found in raid only, and can only be used with two rare and expensive weapons. If you've got the roubles to burn though, this is the choice for you.

Alternatively, 6.8x51mm SIG HYBRID is the best ammo that you can use in your average raids as it's purchasable from Peacekeeper LL4, letting you dominate the meta in 0.14.

Ammo cartridge tier list

Outside of the best individual ammunition in the game, you can also evaluate the overall strength of each ammo cartridge available to players. When comparing them, you have to consider the overall availability and strength of each round within each cartridge and also the guns available for the round type.

Here is our tier list of each ammo cartridge type in Escape from Tarkov right now: