Escape From Tarkov: Best Early Game Ammo (0.14)

Ammo has always mattered more than guns in Escape From Tarkov, and with the big meta shakeup introduced in Patch 0.14, players will need to know what the best bullets are if they want to take down the competition.

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The following is a list of ammunition sold by LL1 and LL2 traders early in the wipe. This doesn’t account for the advanced ammo types one might find in their random Escape From Tarkov raids or the ones you can craft at a Workbench. If you’re fresh out of bullets and are wondering what to spend your money on, take a gander at the table below to find a suitable option.

Escape From Tarkov: Best Early Wipe Ammo

Weapon Category	Caliber/Ammo Type
Pistols/SMGs	9x19mm Pst Gzh (Prapor & Mechanic LL2/Starting Ammo) 9x19mm M882 (Peacekeeper LL2) .45 Lasermatch (Peacekeeper LL1) .45 ACP Match FMJ (Peacekeeper LL2) 4.6x30mm Action SX (Mechanic LL1) 5.7x28mm SS197SR (Peacekeeper LL2 after Scrap Metal quest) 7.62x25mm TT AKBS (Prapor LL1)
Shotguns	12/70mm 6.5 Express Buckshot (Jaeger LL1) Dual Sabot Slugs (Jaeger LL1) 20/70 7.3mm Buckshot (Jaeger LL2)
Intermediate/Assault Rifles	5.45x39mm US GS(Prapor LL1) 5.45x39mm FMJ (Prapor LL2) 5.56x45mm RRLP (Peacekeeper LL1) 5.56x45mm M856 (Peacekeeper LL2)
Battle Rifles	.366 FMJ (Jaeger LL1) 7.62x39mm SP (Skier LL1) 7.62x39mm FMJ (Prapor LL2) 7.62x51mm TCW SP (Skier LL2)
Sniper Rifles	7.62x54mmR T-46M Gzh (Skier LL1 after Supplier quest) 7.62x54mmR FMJ (Prapor LL2)

Submachine Guns benefited greatly from Patch 0.14’s recoil changes. Almost every starter SMG, especially the PP-19 and MP5, are now extremely strong thanks to having virtually no recoil. Ammo doesn’t matter as much for these weapons early on as long as players aim for the neck. If armor does become a problem, then the 4.6x30mm and 5.7x28mm rounds should do the trick against Class III protection, at the very least.

Meanwhile, shotguns have remained more or less the same. Most early-game buckshot will still have trouble penetrating Class III armor, so make sure to stay close and aim for the face.

When it comes to intermediate assault rifles, players will be hard-pressed to find anything with decent armor penetration. Most of the useful ammo types for 5.45x39mm and 5.56x45mm rounds have been moved to LL3 traders, including the 5.56x45mm M855 rounds that were the standard ammo for NATO rifles. Because of this, assault rifle users will need to rely on their scavenging skills and luck to find good ammo for their favorite weapons. However, most rifles are still lethal even with bad ammo, thanks to the recoil rework.

For battle rifles and sniper rifles, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the LL1 options. Ammo for these weapons generally has decent ammo penetration up to Class III, though players will have to be more accurate with their shots. The most reliable out of these ammo types is the 7.62x39mm FMJ for AK rifles sold by Prapor, as both the ammo and the guns that use them are relatively cheap.