Media: user-provided authorized asset pack · In-Game Ballistics Manifest & Steam Community Testing · Update 0.7.2. This image supports context, not every mechanic described on the page.
Field notes
- 01 · 9x18mm Makarov (Early-Game Budget Caliber): Plentiful and inexpensive. Excellent for killing baseline roaches, rats, and unarmored scavengers using sidearms like the PM Nikolay PB or Bahadir 918. Ineffective against armored military vests.
- 02 · 9x19mm Parabellum (Balanced Sidearm & SMG Round): Fires with flatter trajectories and higher velocity. Deals reliable flesh damage with light armor penetration when loaded into submachine guns like the Borealis 9mm.
- 03 · 5.45x39mm Soviet (Standard Assault Rifle Caliber): The workhorse military round for the Mikhail 74U. Offers high muzzle velocity, minimal recoil, and reliable penetration against Tier 1 and Tier 2 body armor.
- 04 · 7.62x39mm Intermediate (High Armor Penetration): Chambered in heavy platforms like the MK-47. Delivers crushing kinetic energy that shatters Tier 3 bandit plate carriers in 2-3 direct chest impacts.
- 05 · 7.62x54mmR Full-Power Rifle (Sniper & DMR BIS): The premier long-range sniper cartridge used by the 63 Dragoon. Guarantees one-shot vital eliminations against virtually all human targets at extreme engagement distances.
- 06 · 12-Gauge Shotgun (Buckshot vs Slugs): 12-gauge Buckshot deals massive spread damage that staggers charging mutants instantly. When facing armored sentries, load specialized 12-gauge Slugs to punch directly through armor plates.
Evidence boundary
| Top Armor-Piercing Caliber | 7.62x54mmR (Defeats all known body armor tiers) |
| Best All-Round Rifle Round | 7.62x39mm (Optimal balance of punch and availability) |
| Best Mutant Hunting Round | 12-Gauge Buckshot (High stagger; max 1 bleed per shot) |
| Stealth Infiltration Caliber | 9x18mm Subsonic when paired with suppressed PM Nikolay PB |
| Shotgun Bleed Cap | Capped at 1 bleed effect per shot since Update 0.7.0 |
| Ammunition Unloading | Right-click magazines in inventory to unload loose rounds for repackaging |
| Verified Baseline | In-Game Ballistics Manifest & Steam Community Testing · Update 0.7.2 |
Questions players ask
Which ammo type is best against armored human bandits?
7.62x39mm and 7.62x54mmR are the best armor-piercing calibers. They punch through Tier 2 and Tier 3 body armor vests without suffering severe damage reduction.
Why are shotgun pellets doing less bleed damage now?
In Update 0.7.0, developers capped shotguns to apply a maximum of one bleed effect per trigger pull, preventing instant bleed-out deaths from single buckshot blasts.
Can I craft ammunition at safehouse workbenches?
Yes! Workbench recipes require Gunpowder, Scrap Metal, and Clean Water to craft standard 9x18mm, 5.45x39mm, and 12-gauge shells.
How do I unload ammunition from weapons I scavenge?
In your inventory grid, right-click the firearm and select 'Unload Ammo' or drag the magazine off the weapon to strip loose cartridges into your stash.
Where can I barter for cheap 7.62x39mm rifle rounds?
Trader Volodymyr at the Crossroads annex and Mechanist quartermasters sell military ammunition boxes in exchange for electronic scrap and rubles.
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