Which Tarkov rounds the Official Wiki rates very effective against armor class 4, 5 and 6 on Patch 1.1, by caliber \u2014 plus what the FMJ price cut and the new 5.8x42mm change.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6449,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[237],"tags":[],"blog_tag":[],"class_list":["post-7354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-escape-from-tarkov"],"acf":{"redactor":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"
Which Escape from Tarkov<\/a> rounds get through armor class 4, 5 and 6 on Patch 1.1? Below, for each caliber: the lowest-penetration round the Official Wiki<\/a> rates very effective<\/em> against each class, the strongest round per rifle caliber, what the FMJ price cut in Patch 1.1.0 actually buys you, and the new 5.8x42mm. The ratings are the wiki’s, read on 4 October 2026 \u2014 Battlestate Games does not publish penetration values \u2014 and they describe how many hits a round needs on average, not a guaranteed first penetration.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" TL;DR<\/p>\n Per the Official Wiki<\/a>, the chance a bullet goes through armor depends on three numbers: the armor’s class, its remaining durability, and the round’s penetration power. The angle of the hit does not change that chance on body armor; helmets are the exception, because a shallow hit can ricochet off one. A round that goes through still loses 0\u201340% of its damage; a round that does not deals only a little blunt damage.<\/p>\n The wiki scores every round against classes 1\u20136 on a 0\u20136 scale by how many hits the armor stops on average, from Pointless<\/em> (20+) through Effective<\/em> (3\u20135) and Very effective<\/em> (1\u20133) to Usually ignores<\/em> (penetrates more than 80% of the time from the first hit). That score includes armor wearing down over follow-up hits, so it is not the chance of the first shot going through. This guide uses “very effective” as the bar.<\/p>\n What the ratings do not cover.<\/strong> The real result also depends on the armor’s remaining durability and material, on where the bullet lands \u2014 some areas, such as the armpits, cannot be protected at all \u2014 and on distance: bullets lose damage and penetration as they slow down. A round rated very effective against class 6 is a good bet against that armor, not a promise to go through every class-6 plate on the first hit.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":7353,"caption":"Schematic: every round of twelve calibers by penetration, coloured by the highest armor class the Official Wiki rates it very effective against. Not a game capture.","alt":"Chart of Escape from Tarkov ammunition penetration for twelve calibers, each round coloured by the highest armor class it is very effective against: class 4 amber, class 5 orange, class 6 red."},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Lowest-Penetration Round Rated Very Effective, by Armor Class","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" For each caliber, the lowest-penetration round the wiki rates very effective<\/em> or better against the class, with its penetration in brackets. A dash means no round in that caliber reaches that rating. Lower penetration does not mean a lower price: we have not checked trader prices, stock or loyalty levels for these rounds after Patch 1.1.0, so treat the table as a ballistics list, not a shopping list.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Caliber"},{"header_text":"Class 4"},{"header_text":"Class 5"},{"header_text":"Class 6"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.45x39mm"},{"cell_text":"BT gs (37)"},{"cell_text":"BP gs (45)"},{"cell_text":"BS gs (54)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.56x45mm"},{"cell_text":"M856A1 (38)"},{"cell_text":"M855A1 (44)"},{"cell_text":"M995 (53)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.8x42mm"},{"cell_text":"DBP191 (39)"},{"cell_text":"DBX12 \/ DVX12 (47)"},{"cell_text":"DBX12 \/ DVX12 (47)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"7.62x39mm"},{"cell_text":"PS gzh (35)"},{"cell_text":"BP gzh (47)"},{"cell_text":"MAI AP (58)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"7.62x51mm"},{"cell_text":"BCP FMJ (37)"},{"cell_text":"M62 Tracer (42)"},{"cell_text":"M80 (43)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"7.62x54mmR"},{"cell_text":"FMJ (36)"},{"cell_text":"PS gzh (45)"},{"cell_text":"PS gzh (45)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"9x39mm"},{"cell_text":"SPP gs (35)"},{"cell_text":"PAB-9 gs (43)"},{"cell_text":"SP-6 gs (48)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":".300 Blackout"},{"cell_text":"M62 Tracer (36)"},{"cell_text":"CBJ (43)"},{"cell_text":"\u2014"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"6.8x51mm"},{"cell_text":"SIG FMJ (36)"},{"cell_text":"SIG Hybrid (47)"},{"cell_text":"SIG Hybrid (47)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"4.6x30mm"},{"cell_text":"FMJ SX (40)"},{"cell_text":"AP SX (53)"},{"cell_text":"AP SX (53)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.7x28mm"},{"cell_text":"SS190 (37)"},{"cell_text":"\u2014"},{"cell_text":"\u2014"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"9x19mm"},{"cell_text":"PBP gzh (39)"},{"cell_text":"\u2014"},{"cell_text":"\u2014"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" Three rows need a note. 7.62x51 BCP FMJ (37) is rated very effective against class 4 on the live wiki as read on 4 October 2026; older cached copies of the page show it one step lower, at effective. 7.62x51 M80 (43) already rates very effective against class 6, earlier than its penetration alone would suggest, because the wiki weighs its high armor damage (67%). And .366 TKM AP-M (42) and 12.7x55 PS12B (46) cover class 4 and 5 but not class 6.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Strongest Round per Rifle Caliber","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Caliber"},{"header_text":"Round"},{"header_text":"Penetration"},{"header_text":"Damage"},{"header_text":"Against class 6"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.45x39mm"},{"cell_text":"PPBS gs Igolnik"},{"cell_text":"62"},{"cell_text":"37"},{"cell_text":"Usually ignores (6)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.56x45mm"},{"cell_text":"SSA AP"},{"cell_text":"57"},{"cell_text":"38"},{"cell_text":"Very effective (5)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.8x42mm"},{"cell_text":"DVC12"},{"cell_text":"52"},{"cell_text":"46"},{"cell_text":"Very effective (5)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"7.62x39mm"},{"cell_text":"MAI AP"},{"cell_text":"58"},{"cell_text":"53"},{"cell_text":"Very effective (5)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"7.62x51mm"},{"cell_text":"M993"},{"cell_text":"65"},{"cell_text":"70"},{"cell_text":"Usually ignores (6)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"7.62x54mmR"},{"cell_text":"BS gs"},{"cell_text":"70"},{"cell_text":"72"},{"cell_text":"Usually ignores (6)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"9x39mm"},{"cell_text":"BP gs"},{"cell_text":"54"},{"cell_text":"58"},{"cell_text":"Very effective (5)"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" These are the rounds to bring for a raid where you expect armored players. The trade is damage: the highest-penetration 5.45 and 5.56 rounds deal 37\u201338 damage per hit, against 55\u201357 for FMJ, so they win on armored targets and lose on unarmored ones. 7.62x51 and 7.62x54mmR keep 70+ damage at 65\u201370 penetration, which is why they top the chart.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Did the Patch 1.1.0 FMJ Price Cut Make Cheap Ammo Viable?","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" The Patch 1.1.0.0 notes<\/a> cut trader prices on 5.45x39 FMJ, 5.56x45 FMJ, 7.62x39 FMJ, 9x19 Green Tracer and .45 ACP Lasermatch FMJ, and moved a number of popular rounds and magazines one trader loyalty level down. The same patch raised trader prices by about 25% on average, cut what traders pay you by about 20% and raised the Flea Market fee from 3% to 5% \u2014 so the cheaper FMJ arrived in a more expensive economy.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Round made cheaper in 1.1.0"},{"header_text":"Penetration"},{"header_text":"Damage"},{"header_text":"vs class 3"},{"header_text":"vs class 4"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.45x39mm FMJ"},{"cell_text":"24"},{"cell_text":"55"},{"cell_text":"Slightly effective (3)"},{"cell_text":"Magdump only (2)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"5.56x45mm FMJ"},{"cell_text":"23"},{"cell_text":"57"},{"cell_text":"Effective (4)"},{"cell_text":"It’s possible, but\u2026 (1)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"7.62x39mm FMJ"},{"cell_text":"26"},{"cell_text":"63"},{"cell_text":"Effective (4)"},{"cell_text":"It’s possible, but\u2026 (1)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"9x19mm Green Tracer"},{"cell_text":"14"},{"cell_text":"58"},{"cell_text":"It’s possible, but\u2026 (1)"},{"cell_text":"Pointless (0)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":".45 ACP Lasermatch FMJ"},{"cell_text":"19"},{"cell_text":"76"},{"cell_text":"It’s possible, but\u2026 (1)"},{"cell_text":"Pointless (0)"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" By the wiki’s ratings, 5.56 and 7.62x39 FMJ are effective against class 3 and the 5.45 FMJ only slightly effective there; none of the five is rated better than “magdump only” against class 4. That makes them a poor choice for hitting a protected zone of class-4-or-better armor \u2014 not useless against players: limbs and unprotected areas take full damage, and plenty of players wear class 3 or less. For Scavs and weapon levelling they are fine.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"New in 1.1.0: The 5.8x42mm Caliber","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" Patch 1.1.0.0 added the QBZ-191 assault rifle and the 5.8x42mm caliber with four rounds. The names below are BSG’s; the numbers are the wiki’s, which lists the armor-piercing tracer as DVX12 where the patch notes say DBX12.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Round"},{"header_text":"Damage"},{"header_text":"Penetration"},{"header_text":"Armor damage %"},{"header_text":"vs class 4"},{"header_text":"vs class 5"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"DBX95 (tracer)"},{"cell_text":"57"},{"cell_text":"33"},{"cell_text":"40"},{"cell_text":"Effective (4)"},{"cell_text":"Magdump only (2)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"DBP191 (general purpose)"},{"cell_text":"53"},{"cell_text":"39"},{"cell_text":"43"},{"cell_text":"Very effective (5)"},{"cell_text":"Slightly effective (3)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"DBX12 (AP tracer; wiki: DVX12)"},{"cell_text":"48"},{"cell_text":"47"},{"cell_text":"54"},{"cell_text":"Usually ignores (6)"},{"cell_text":"Very effective (5)"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"DVC12 (armor-piercing)"},{"cell_text":"46"},{"cell_text":"52"},{"cell_text":"60"},{"cell_text":"Usually ignores (6)"},{"cell_text":"Usually ignores (6)"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" In practice 5.8x42 sits between 5.56 and 7.62x39: DBP191 is a general-purpose class-4 round, and DVC12 at 52 penetration is close to 5.56 M995 (53) while dealing a little more damage (46 against 42).<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Are These Numbers Current?","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" The two patches after 1.1.0 did not change ballistics. Patch 1.1.5.0<\/a> removed the rounds that came loaded in the magazines of some trader weapon presets, and Patch 1.1.5.1<\/a> fixed how much traders pay for ammo packs. Neither touches penetration or damage, so the chart above stands on the current build. Whether PvE uses the same values as PvP is not stated by BSG; the wiki keeps one table for both. How the modes differ elsewhere is in our PvE vs PvP breakdown<\/a>, and what else 1.1.0 changed is in our Patch 1.1.0.0 summary<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Our Take: Which Ammo to Carry","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" Our Take<\/p>\n Carry one round that clears class 4 and keep the class 5\u20136 round for raids where you expect armored players.<\/p>\n The cheaper FMJ is for Scavs, weapon levelling and lightly armored players; against class 4 and up, bring something better. For most rifles the step that matters is the first “very effective” class-4 round in the table above \u2014 BT gs, M856A1, PS gzh, SPP gs \u2014 because that is what most mid-game players wear. Ammo is also the stock you burn fastest in PvE, where you are restocking against AI rather than trading with players; if you would rather not grind traders for it, our PvE ammunition service<\/a> delivers 2,500 rounds of any type, with 5,000 and 10,000 on the same page.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":" Ballistic numbers come from the community-maintained Official Wiki, because BSG does not publish them; patch changes come from BSG’s own notes.<\/p>\n\n
Sources and Confidence<\/h2>\n
\n\n
\n \nClaim<\/th>\n Where it comes from<\/th>\n Status<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Damage, penetration, armor damage and the 0\u20136 effectiveness rating per armor class for every round in this guide<\/td>\n The Official Escape from Tarkov Wiki \u2014 Ballistics<\/a>, read 4 Oct 2026<\/td>\n Community wiki \u2014 not published by BSG, not re-measured by us<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Penetration chance depends on armor class, durability and penetration power, not angle; 0\u201340% damage reduction on penetration; blunt damage otherwise<\/td>\n The Official Escape from Tarkov Wiki \u2014 Ballistics<\/a><\/td>\n Community wiki<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 5.8x42mm with DBP191, DBX95, DVC12 and DBX12; QBZ-191; cheaper 5.45\/5.56\/7.62x39 FMJ, 9x19 Green Tracer, .45 ACP Lasermatch FMJ; popular ammo one loyalty level lower; trader prices +25%, buyback \u221220%, Flea fee 3% \u2192 5%<\/td>\n Battlestate Games \u2014 Patch 1.1.0.0<\/a><\/td>\n Official<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Patches 1.1.5.0 and 1.1.5.1: preset magazines emptied at traders; ammo-pack sale price fixed; no ballistic changes<\/td>\n Patch 1.1.5.0<\/a>, Patch 1.1.5.1<\/a><\/td>\n Official<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n “Lowest-penetration round rated very effective” per caliber and class<\/td>\n This article, from the wiki table<\/td>\n Derived from the wiki ratings; not a price comparison<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Which trader sells each round and at what loyalty level after 1.1.0<\/td>\n In game<\/td>\n Not checked line by line<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"faq","items":[{"question":"What is the best ammo in Tarkov right now?","answer":"Among the common rifle calibers, the Official Wiki chart puts 7.62x54mmR BS gs (70), 7.62x51 M993 (65), 5.45x39 PPBS gs Igolnik (62) and 7.62x51 M61 (60) at the top, all rated \"usually ignores\" against class 6; heavier calibers such as .338 Lapua Magnum AP (79) go further. For a 5.56 rifle it is SSA AP (57) or M995 (53)."},{"question":"What penetration do I need for armor class 4, 5 and 6?","answer":"There is no single number per class, because the wiki’s ratings weigh armor damage as well as penetration. Examples of the lowest-penetration rounds it rates very effective: against class 4, 7.62x39 PS gzh (35) or 5.56 M856A1 (38); against class 5, 5.56 M855A1 (44); against class 6, 7.62x51 M80 (43) but 5.56 M995 (53) and 7.62x39 MAI AP (58). These are averages over several hits, not first-shot guarantees."},{"question":"Is FMJ worth using after Patch 1.1.0?","answer":"For Scavs, weapon levelling and players in class 3 or lighter, yes \u2014 1.1.0 made 5.45, 5.56 and 7.62x39 FMJ cheaper. Against a protected zone of class 4 or better, the wiki rates them at best “magdump only”."},{"question":"What is the best 5.8x42mm round?","answer":"DVC12: 52 penetration, 46 damage; the wiki rates it as usually ignoring class 5 and very effective against class 6. DBP191 is the general-purpose option for class 4."},{"question":"Do PvE and PvP use the same ammo stats?","answer":"BSG has not said otherwise, and the Official Wiki keeps one ballistics table for both modes. We have not measured it."}]}],"bottom":null,"meta_description":"Tarkov ammo chart for Patch 1.1: by caliber, the lowest-penetration rounds the Official Wiki rates very effective against armor class 4, 5 and 6."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7354"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7356,"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7354\/revisions\/7356"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7354"},{"taxonomy":"blog_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neonsect.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_tag?post=7354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}