Ammunition Selection for Beginners

Pick ammunition for the shot you expect to take, not for one headline stat. Start with what your build chambers, decide whether you are challenging protection or avoiding it, then compare the result at the range you actually fight.

This is the beginner decision guide. Exact penetration probabilities and damage formulas live in the Damage Model; coverage and armour wear live in the Armour Penetration guide.

A four-step choice

1Start with the buildA loadout is a build and the round it fires. Filter to the calibre it chambers; a strong round you cannot load is not an option.
2Choose the target planChallenge the helmet or vest when the round is competitive there. Otherwise plan for a zone the gear does not cover.
3Check the rangeDamage and penetration can change with distance. Compare at the distance you expect, not only at point blank.
4Check the whole resultShots, time, cost and the spray estimate answer different questions. Pick the trade-off you can execute and afford.

Read the round as a trade-off

Penetration

How well the round challenges effective armour class. Compare it with the zone and its current condition, not only the gear badge.

Damage

What the hit can take from the target before protection and zone scaling. It matters directly when you aim around armour.

Blunt and range

A stopped round may still deal damage and wear gear, while ballistic curves can change the matchup with distance. Let the simulator calculate both.

Price and availability

A theoretical improvement is only useful when you can buy enough to load and replace it. Compare cost to kill, not price per round alone.

Decide by situation

Situation	Choice	Why
You can challenge the protected zone	Prioritise penetration, then damage	The round still needs enough surviving damage to finish the target after it gets through.
The expected armour outclasses the round	Choose an uncovered zone plan	Damage and controllability matter more when the shot is not asking the vest or helmet for permission.
You do not know what they will wear	Compare both plans	Test an aimed protected-zone result and a repeatable uncovered-zone result before paying for the round.

Verify before you buy a stack

Put the build and round into the simulator, equip the target you care about, set its condition and facing, then compare a protected zone with an uncovered one. Add alternatives as extra loadouts so range and target stay fixed while the round changes.

Example: compare an AK-74N (Factory) firing 5.45x39mm FMJ against a fresh 6B17 Upgraded Body Armor and ACH Helmet at 60 m. The link restores that exact build, round, target, condition, facing and view.Open the example

Browse ammunition Open Combat Simulator Follow the simulator workflow

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A four-step choice

1Start with the buildA loadout is a build and the round it fires. Filter to the calibre it chambers; a strong round you cannot load is not an option.

2Choose the target planChallenge the helmet or vest when the round is competitive there. Otherwise plan for a zone the gear does not cover.

3Check the rangeDamage and penetration can change with distance. Compare at the distance you expect, not only at point blank.

4Check the whole resultShots, time, cost and the spray estimate answer different questions. Pick the trade-off you can execute and afford.

Read the round as a trade-off

Penetration

How well the round challenges effective armour class. Compare it with the zone and its current condition, not only the gear badge.

Damage

What the hit can take from the target before protection and zone scaling. It matters directly when you aim around armour.

Blunt and range

A stopped round may still deal damage and wear gear, while ballistic curves can change the matchup with distance. Let the simulator calculate both.

Price and availability

A theoretical improvement is only useful when you can buy enough to load and replace it. Compare cost to kill, not price per round alone.

Decide by situation

Situation	Choice	Why
You can challenge the protected zone	Prioritise penetration, then damage	The round still needs enough surviving damage to finish the target after it gets through.
The expected armour outclasses the round	Choose an uncovered zone plan	Damage and controllability matter more when the shot is not asking the vest or helmet for permission.
You do not know what they will wear	Compare both plans	Test an aimed protected-zone result and a repeatable uncovered-zone result before paying for the round.

Verify before you buy a stack

Ammunition Selection for Beginners

A four-step choice

Read the round as a trade-off

Penetration

Damage

Blunt and range

Price and availability

Decide by situation

Verify before you buy a stack

Related Guides

The Damage Model, Step by Step

Penetration Mechanics Explained

How to Use Combat Sim

A four-step choice

Read the round as a trade-off

Penetration

Damage

Blunt and range

Price and availability

Decide by situation

Verify before you buy a stack