In Hunt: Showdown, ammunition plays an important part in how each gun performs in PvP and PvM content. With a wide variety of special ammo types, from long-range "Spitzer" bullets to devastating close-range "Dumdum" rounds, each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. In this Hunt Showdown Ammo tier list, we’ll break down the best and worst ammo types and explain which special bullet types perform best for a specific category of ammo including: Compact, Medium, Long and Shell. If you're looking to pick the meta special ammo for your current gun, keep on reading!
Tier List Criteria
To ensure a fair and comprehensive ranking of ammo types in Hunt: Showdown, we’ll evaluate them based on specific ammo categories: Compact, Medium, Long and Shell. Each special ammo will be judged mostly on the following criteria, which reflect its overall effectiveness in a variety of combat situations.
Damage
- Measures how much raw damage the ammo delivers per shot, as well as its ability to down enemies. For example, in terms of rifles and snipers, high damage over long distances on long ammo is crucial.
Range & Penetration
- Refers to the ammo’s effectiveness at different distances, and penetration considers how well it can shoot through objects like walls or cover. Rifles and snipers thrive with high penetration and long-range capability, while for shotguns and sidearms, range helps determine their reach beyond close quarters.
Muzzle Velocity
- Higher muzzle velocity means faster travel time for bullets, allowing for easier target tracking since there's bullet drop now. It’s vital for snipers and rifles, especially when engaging enemies at long distances, but less so for shotguns and some sidearms which excel in short-range combat.
Special Effects & Utility
- Special ammo types have properties such as poison, explosive damage, or fire, adding extra utility in combat that can come in handy.
Long Ammo Tier List
S
Spitzer Ammo
Spitzer long ammo loses some damage in comparison to default long ammo but gains drop range and muzzle velocity. It is expensive but one of the best ammo types for guns like the Mosin-Nagant and Lebel 1886.
A
Incendiary Ammo
Incendiary long ammo does not bring any stat downsides in comparison to default long ammo and is generally a solid pick because each of your shots burn the enemies' health, meaning if they take enough shots even when they are "full" health you'll eventually one-tap them.
High Velocity Ammo
High Velocity long ammo gains a lot of additional muzzle velocity with a negligible downside— more recoil. The recoil doesn't pose an issue and while the High Velocity rounds used to be overpowered, they're still quite strong after the nerfs and are a great substitute for Spitzer ammo.
B
FMJ Ammo
FMJ long ammo has increased penetration power that's quite good with lever-action rifles in conjunction with the Levering perk, allowing you to kill pinned down enemies through walls. It does however have reduced muzzle velocity and drop range, meaning they're more suited for medium-long range shots instead of 100m+.
C
Poison Ammo
Poison long ammo just like Incendiary doesn't gain any stat disadvantages. It causes hunters that are hit to be disoriented and have reduced hearing as well as inability to heal. Most long ammo rifles that can use Poison ammo can also use Incendiary, and generally speaking Incendiary is much better.
Explosive Ammo
Explosive long ammo burst on impact, scattering shrapnel that in general doesn't perform very well. The ammo has a lot of downsides such as less damage, less penetration power and less muzzle velocity— all stats you usually want to prioritize on long ammo guns.
Medium Ammo Tier List
S
Dumdum Ammo
Dumdum medium ammo is incredible right now, while it does reduce velocity and drop range, it applies intense bleeding which makes enemy hunters panic and run for cover. The ammo is good in 6 & 5 star games, and in 4 star games and below, it's straight up overpowered.
A
FMJ Ammo
FMJ medium ammo reduces muzzle velocity and drop range making it more ideal for close to mid range fights, which is usually intended for medium ammo guns. It has great synergy with Centennial using the Levering trait.
High Velocity Ammo
As mentioned in the long ammo section, the High Velocity bullets gain muzzle velocity at little to no downside. Generally speaking you'll only want to run this bullet type on medium ammo Sniper rifles.
B
Incendiary Ammo
Incendiary medium ammo lights enemies on fire and can significantly burn enemies' health away, but it is however overshadowed by stronger medium bullet types from higher tiers.
Poison Ammo
Poison medium ammo disorients enemies & removes their ability to heal and regenerate health. It can be useful in certain close-mid range fights but generally speaking there's better bullets for that range category.
C
Explosive Ammo
Explosive medium ammo shatters on impact, scattering shrapnel. It is not very useful for medium ammo guns and is mostly a "PvM" bullet at the moment.
Compact Ammo Tier List
S
Dumdum Ammo
Dumdum performs great in the compact ammo category and is the most popular bullet type for pistols right now. The Officer is a perfect example of this, a cheap and effective pistol that's become a must-have sidearm on many loadouts simply because it can run Dumdum.
A
High Velocity Ammo
The high velocity compact ammo is a popular bullet for the Infantry 73L Sniper because it enables it to have good muzzle velocity for longer range shots. It also works well on the Ranger 73 which is another meta compact weapon right now.
B
Incendiary & Poison Ammo
When it comes to Incendiary or Poison compact bullets, they're in a very similar state and are often great options if you don't know which playstyle to commit to with a certain weapon. For example, you might want to play the Infantry 73L but aren't sure you want to play for mid-long range shots, in that case Incendiary or Poison ammo can be useful since they're versatile and will perform well at any range.
C
FMJ Ammo
FMJ compact ammo increases bullet penetration at the cost of muzzle velocity and drop range. It's a good bullet type for lever-action rifles when paired with Levering trait but that's about it.
Shell Ammo Tier List
S
Buckshot (Default) ammo
Surprisingly, the Buckshot, which is a default ammo type for shotguns performs quite well. It has reliable one-tap kill range and accuracy, even while jumping or being mid-air.
Slug ammo
Slugs have unlimited headshot range, meaning you're even able to get those cheeky 20-30m headshot one-taps with shotguns. A lot of players tend to run it in Slate and Auto-5 loadouts.
A
Flechette
Flechettes have a rending effect that causes bleeding to hunters since it fires a lot of smaller dart-like projectiles. It cannot pierce, but the bleed can be good for support roles in team play, even though it sacrifices the shotgun's one-shot kill potential.
B
Penny Shot
Penny shot shell ammo has fallen off significantly in the latest patches, losing damage and having much higher bullet spread. It performs worse than Buckshot while having less maximum ammo.
C
Dragon Breath
Dragon Breath sacrifices bullet range in exchange for a jet of flame being created, that burns anything in its path. It can be good for zoning enemies in team play and supporting your teammates but that's about it.
Starshell
Starshell launches a flare that descends slowly and illuminates an area, igniting anything it touches. These shells are useless and just don't run them if you want to get a kill, let alone win a game.
