Learn how Escape From Tarkov ammo works and the crucial stats you need to consider when choosing ammunition.
Probably the most common problem that new players face in Escape from Tarkov is a quick and correct ammo choice. You may feel overwhelmed at the beginning because of EFT’s numerous ammo types and each of them comes with its own set of statistics— damage, penetration, fragmentation, velocity, and so on. And all these factors are quite important.
Sometimes, the kind of ammo you load into your gun is usually more important than the gun itself. This guide is going to clear any confusion regarding Escape from Tarkov ammo, so you’re not gonna get your pants twisted thinking about what stat this gun brings to set the odds of your survival.
How Does Ammo Work in Escape From Tarkov
Let us first break down a few different calibers to better understand what is going on. As an example, we will compare two EFT guns, 9x19mm Parabellum versus 7.62x51mm NATO.
When you check your gun, the caliber will be marked on it. The first gun is 9×19, while the second is 7.62×39. This caliber indicated what ammo a gun was built to take. You can’t use 9×19 caliber in a 7.62×51 gun because it won’t fit or work. Once you’ve determined your caliber, look up your gun and see what sorts of ammo are available for that caliber.
Now, how would you choose the right one? That is where the stats about ammo come in, understanding them helps you choose the best one.
Escape from Tarkov Ammo Stats that You Must Know
1. Damage and Penetration
In choosing your best Escape from Tarkov ammo, you must consider these two important stats, damage and penetration.
Damage is the total health loss you inflict, while penetration determines how well a bullet can get through armor. For example, lower-grade ammo might deal decent damage but struggle against tougher armor, while higher-penetration rounds can cut through more layers but may not hit as hard.
Some ammunition, like BP, might require fewer shots to take down a player in class 4 armor due to their balance of damage and penetration. In contrast, while PPBS has excellent penetration, its lower damage means you may need just as many shots.
Still, the best Escape From Tarkov ammo depends on the situation. Higher penetration isn’t always the answer; sometimes, a mix of decent damage and good penetration is the better idea.
2. Fragmentation chance
Second another important factor to consider with Escape from Tarkov ammo is fragmentation chance. This refers to the likelihood that a bullet will break apart upon hitting a target, potentially adding an extra 50 damage.
For example, if a round like PS has 48 damage and a 40% chance to fragment, it could deal an additional 67.2 damage if it does. However, since fragmentation is random, I find it less critical than damage and penetration. If my bullet fragments, then great, if not, that’s fine too.
3. Effective Distance
The next important stat you must know about Escape from Tarkov ammo is the effective distance. This measures how far a bullet can travel before losing 25% of its damage and penetration. Once you shoot beyond this distance, your bullet will hit with less force and lower penetration, making it harder to take down targets.
This stat matters most for long-range shooting, especially if you’re sniping. If you’re trying for headshots at extended distances, understanding effective distance can explain why some shots don’t kill as expected.
4. Recoil
This value shows how much your gun kicks when you shoot. Recoil can be a personal preference—do you want to hit harder with fewer shots or fire more rounds?
For example, if you use ammo with high recoil, you might miss some shots, reducing your overall damage. In contrast, lower recoil ammo lets you hit more consistently, even if the damage is lower per shot.
For snipers or marksman rifles, recoil is less of an issue since you’re usually taking single shots.
5. Accuracy
Another stat to consider in Escape from Tarkov ammo is accuracy. This value shows how precise your shots can be, but it’s mainly influenced by your gun, not the ammo itself.
For most situations, you won’t need to focus on ammo accuracy unless you’re shooting at targets over 200 meters away. Even then, the performance of your weapon plays a bigger role in how accurately you hit your target.
6. Speed/Velocity
The speed or velocity, is another start that tells you how fast the bullet travels, which affects its flight path. Higher velocity bullets tend to drop less over distance, making them more effective at long ranges.
For example, if you’re sniping, a high-velocity round will maintain accuracy better than a slower one. Velocity impacts how you aim when targets are moving; faster bullets require less lead time to hit moving players, increasing your chances of scoring a hit.
Check out:
- Escape From Tarkov Beginner’s Guide: Total Noobs Come Here
- How Armor Works in Escape From Tarkov: Discover These 4 Crucial Stats
- How to Survive Raids in Escape From Tarkov – 8 Essential Tips
- The Best Escape From Tarkov Budget Loadouts(Patch .15)
Additional Secondary Stats
The three additional stats that are also important to consider are failure to feed chance, durability burn, and heat.
The failure to feed chance indicates how likely your ammo is to jam in the gun, with lower percentages meaning fewer jams.
Meanwhile, durability burn measures how much your ammo affects your weapon’s condition each time you fire. For example, ammo with a durability burn of 20 means your gun will wear down faster when firing those rounds.
Heat is another important factor, especially if you’re using a full-auto fire or a suppressor. Higher heat values can lead to more jams or misfires, particularly during extended firing sessions.
While you want these values to be low, they shouldn’t be the sole reason for choosing your ammo. Just keep an eye on them, especially with higher fire rates, since the more rounds you fire, the greater the chance of encountering issues with your weapon. EFT Ammo is a nifty site for more detailed ammo stats
Conclusion
That wraps up our guide for Escape from Tarkov ammo. So, are you using a sniper rifle where each shot needs to count, or a fast-firing gun where hitting often is more important? Please know that the different ammo values are crucial.
If you want to make sure every ammo finds its target, using our StealthCore EFT cheat’s aimbot tool, you can skyrocket your accuracy.
With various factors to keep in mind, understanding how each type of ammo works can greatly improve your gameplay. Use this knowledge to make informed choices for the raids that come ahead.
