What is Penetration in Tarkov? (A Simple Guide)

Welcome to Tarkov, where the bullets are as realistic and unforgiving as the firefights. In this game, your success hinges on understanding one crucial concept: **penetration**. Unlike simpler shooters where bullets just deal damage, in Tarkov, every single round has a hidden "penetration power" value, and every piece of armor has a "class" that determines how well it can stop those rounds. This creates a complex game of rock-paper-scissors. A high-penetration bullet from a sniper rifle can punch right through a heavily armored player's helmet for an instant kill. On the other hand, a low-penetration shotgun shell might be completely stopped by that same helmet, dealing zero damage to the person wearing it. This means that **your choice of ammo is often more important than the gun you're firing.**

This calculator is designed to be your personal ballistics expert, your secret weapon for planning your loadouts. It takes the incredibly complex, community-tested formulas that govern Tarkov's combat and turns them into simple, actionable data. It's smarter than a basic ammo chart because it doesn't just tell you the stats of a bullet; it simulates a firefight for you. It shows you the chance your bullet will go through the armor on the **first shot, the second shot, and the third shot**, as the armor gets weaker with each hit. Most importantly, it gives you the golden metric every player needs to know: the estimated **average Shots to Kill**. It's all about taking the guesswork out of the game so you can enter every raid with the confidence that you've got the right tool for the job.

How to Use the Calculator

Getting the vital stats for your next firefight is a quick, real-time process:

1. Select Your Ammunition: Use the first dropdown menu to choose the exact type of ammunition you plan on using. The list includes a wide variety of the most common rounds in the game.
2. Select the Target's Armor: In the second dropdown, choose the armor rig or helmet that you expect your opponent to be wearing.
3. Set Armor Durability: Use the slider to set the armor's starting durability. A 100% durability vest is much tougher than one that's already been damaged in a fight.
4. Analyze the Results Instantly: There's no "calculate" button! The tool will immediately update with a full analysis. You'll see your penetration chance for the first three shots, and the average number of shots it will take to kill an enemy by shooting them in the chest.
5. Share Your Findings: Found an amazing ammo and armor matchup? Click the "Copy Share Link" button to get a unique URL that saves your selection, perfect for sharing with your squad on Discord.

Tips for Winning More Firefights

• The Rule of 10:** This is a great starting point. For a reliable chance to penetrate, you want your ammo's penetration value to be at least **10 times the armor class** you're trying to defeat. For example, to reliably beat Class 4 armor, you want ammo with at least 40 penetration.
• **Master the "Leg Meta":** If you know you're using ammo with low penetration (like shotgun buckshot or almost any pistol round), don't even bother shooting at an armored chest or helmet. It's a waste of bullets. Instead, aim for their unprotected legs. This strategy, known as the "leg meta," can bring down even the most heavily armored "chad" by blacking out their limbs.
• **Volume of Fire is a Weapon:** Even if your first shot has a low chance to penetrate, it will still damage the armor, making it weaker. This means your follow-up shots have a much better chance to go through. This is why high-rate-of-fire weapons like SMGs with good ammo can be so effective at shredding an opponent's armor and getting the kill.
• **Know Your Enemy (and Your Budget):** Pay attention to what other players are wearing and using at different stages of the wipe. Early in the wipe, cheap ammo like 7.62x39 PS is fantastic because most players are wearing low-tier armor. Later in the wipe, when everyone is running Class 4 or 5 armor, that same ammo becomes almost useless. Always adapt your loadout to the threats you expect to face.