guide Complete Guide to Picking Ammo Belts (Updated May 2023)

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

Spoiler

As a player who has every plane in the game (excluding premiums, I have a lot but not all) and spent a huge chunk of my time into the game (registered Sept 2013), I think I know this game very well. I decided to share my knowledge with beginners and all other players with picking ammo belts to help them pick the correct ones. I see a lot of players picking tracers for every gun which is not correct although there are only a few guns that have tracers as the best ammo belt option.

 

Note #1: The listing is based on where the gun came from, not where it's located in the tech tree (for example the Lewis machine gun is found on the S.81 Italian bomber in the Italian tech tree but is of US origin and design so on this guide it's located under the US section).

 

Note #2: This list is mostly applicable for picking belts for enemy aircraft engagements. For guns capable of ground attacking non-soft targets (medium tanks, heavy tanks, light pillboxes etc) I included the appropriate belts for them too.

 

Note #3:  This guide is not opinionated. The belts that were chosen in this list represent the maximum damage you can get out of the guns they are referred to. Some players would rather use tracers on the type 99 mk II Japanese 20mm for example as personal preference (I did that for a very long time too, thinking tracers were the best for Japanese 20mms but I was wrong), but Universal has the most damage output.

 

Note #4: This list also includes Stealth ammunition belts for specific guns because they're as good as the other best ammo belts but are better, in the sense of making surprise attacks on enemy planes because usually players only react to being shot at when they see tracers flying past them, and only react to stealth ammo when they're hit. If you are able to lead stealth ammo, that's great; it's another option for you rather than only Universal on MG 17s for example. 

 

^I've spoilered the old intro from 2018^

 

May 2023: note that the list is ordered by nation of design. So as an example if you're playing as Britain and you want to find the GAU-4 for your Phantom, it's under the US. 

 

 

Guns marked as "(turret only)" are available only as defensive armament/on turrets of bombers and/or attackers.

Hold CTRL then press F to search for the gun you want. Here's the guide! 

 

FRA:

 

 

7.5mm MAC 1934: Universal

7.5mm MAC 1934 (turret): Armored Targets

7.5mm Mle 33: Universal

7.5mm Mle 33 (turret): Armored Targets

7.5mm Mle 1923: Universal

7.5mm Mle 1923 (turret): AP-T

7.5mm Darne 1933: Universal

7.5mm Fabrique Nationale Mle 38: Universal

20mm Hispano HS.9: Universal

20mm Hispano 404: Universal

20mm Hispano 404 (turret): Universal

20mm M50: Air Targets

30mm DEFA (all variants): Air Targets

 

IT:

 

 

7.7mm Breda-SAFAT: Universal

7.7mm Breda-SAFAT (turret): Universal

12.7mm Breda-SAFAT: Air Targets

12.7mm Breda-SAFAT (turret): Universal

12.7mm Scotti (turret only): Universal

30mm Hispano HS 825: Air Targets

102mm 102/35 mod 14: Ground Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (ground targets)

 

JP:

 

 

7.7mm type 89: Universal

7.7mm type 89 'special' (turret): Armored Targets

7.7mm type 89 (turret): Armored Targets

7.7mm type 92 (turret only): Armored Targets

7.7mm type 97: Universal

7.7mm type 97 (turret): Armored Targets

7.7mm Te-1 (turret only): Universal

7.92mm type 98 (turret only): Armored Targets

12.7mm Ho-103: Air Targets

12.7mm Ho-104 (turret only): Universal

13mm type 2 (turret only): Universal

13.2mm type 3: Ground Targets

20mm type 99 mk I: Universal

20mm type 99 mk I (turret): Air Targets

20mm type 99 mk II: Universal

20mm type 99-II mk. 5(turret only): Air Targets

20mm Ho-1 (turret only): Air Targets

20mm Ho-3: Universal

20mm Ho-5: Universal

20mm Ho-5 (turret): Air Targets

20mm JM61A1: Air Targets

30mm type 5: Tracers

30mm Ho-155: Tracers

37mm type 94: Default

37mm Ho-203: Default

40mm Ho-301: Default

57mm Ho-401: Default:

75mm Type 88: Ground Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets ground targets)

 

GB:

 

 

7.7mm Vickers E: Universal

7.7mm Vickers K (turret only): Universal

7.7mm Browning: Universal

7.7mm Browning (turret): Universal

(British) 12.7mm M2 Browning (turret only): Universal

20mm Hispano Mk.I: Stealth

20mm Hispano Mk.II: Air Targets

20mm Hispano Mk.V (turret):  Universal

20mm Hispano Mk.V: Air Targets

25mm ADEN: Air Targets

30mm ADEN: Air Targets

40mm Vickers S: Air Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (ground targets)

47mm Vickers P: Default

57mm Molin Class M: Default

 

USSR:

 

 

7.62mm PV-1: Universal

7.62mm DA (turret only, on TB-3): Universal

7.62mm ShKAS: Universal

7.62mm ShKAS (turret): Universal

12.7mm UB Berezin: Air Targets

12.7mm UB Berezin (turret): Universal

20mm ShVAK: Universal/Tracers (stealth can work for sneak attacks, but it's weaker in damage output) (FI-T is the best round for Russian 20mms)

20mm ShVAK (turret): Air Targets

20mm B-20M: Universal/Tracers (stealth can work for sneak attacks, but it's weaker in damage output)

20mm B-20S: Universal/Tracers (stealth can work for sneak attacks, but it's weaker in damage output)

20mm B-20E (turret only): Air Targets

23mm VYa-23: Universal

23mm NS-23: Air Targets

23mm NS-23K: Air Targets

23mm NR-23: Air Targets

23mm NR-23 (turret): FI-T

23mm GSh-23L: Air Targets

30mm NR-30: Air Targets / Ground Targets

30mm GSh-30-1: Air Targets

30mm GSh-6-30: Air Targets (aircraft), Ground Targets (tanks)

37mm NS-37: Air Targets

37mm N-37: Air Targets

37mm N-37D: Air Targets

45mm NS-45: Air Targets/Armored Targets (Air or Ground RB)

 

GER:

 

 

7.92mm MG 15: Universal/Stealth

7.92mm MG 15 (turret): APT

7.92mm MG 17: Universal/Stealth

7.92mm MG 17 (turret): AP-T

7.92mm MG 81: Universal/Stealth

7.92mm MG 81 (turret): AP-T

13mm MG 131: IAI/Stealth

13mm MG 131 (turret): Default

15mm MG 151: Air Targets

20mm MG C/30L: HEFI-T

20mm MG FF: Air Targets

20mm MG FF (turret): Universal

20mm MG FF/M: Air Targets

20mm MG 151: Air Targets/Stealth

20mm MG 151 (turret): Universal

27mm Mauser BK27: Air Targets (they work for both air and ground units)

30mm MK 108: Universal/Stealth

30mm MK 103: Air Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (ground targets)

37mm BK 3,7: Air Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (ground targets)

50mm BK 5: Air Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (HVAP-T) (ground targets)

50mm Mk.241a: Air Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (HVAP-T) (ground targets)

75mm BK 7,5: Air Targets (enemy aircraft)/Amored Targets (HVAP-T) (ground targets)

 

USA:

 

 

7.62mm Browning: Universal/Stealth

7.62mm Browning (turret): Armored Targets

7.7mm Lewis (turret only, found on the Italian S.81): Universal

12.7mm M2 Browning (early war): Ground Targets/Stealth

12.7mm M2 Browning (mid+late war): Universal/Stealth

12.7mm M2 Browning (turret): Universal

12.7mm M3 Browning: Universal/Stealth

20mm T31: Air Targets/Stealth

20mm AN/M2: Air Targets/Stealth

20mm AN/M3: Air Targets/Stealth

20mm Browning-Colt Mk 12 Mod 3: Air Targets

20mm Mk 11 mod 5 (gunpod): Air Targets

20mm T-160: Air Targets

20mm M24A1: Air Targets

20mm M39A1: Air Targets

20mm M61A1 / GAU-4: Air Targets

30mm GAU-8/A: Ground Targets

37mm M4: Ground Targets

37mm M10: Ground Targets

75mm T13E1: Ground Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (ground targets)

75mm M10: Ground Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (ground targets)

 

SWE:

 

 

8mm Ksp m/22: Air Targets/Stealth

8mm Ksp m/22 Fh: Air Targets/Stealth

8mm Ksp m/22 Fv: Air Targets/Stealth

8mm Ksp m/22-37 R (turret): AP-T

12.7mm Akan m/39A: Universal/Stealth

12.7mm Akan m/40: Air Targets/Stealth

12.7mm Akan m/45: Universal/Stealth

12.7mm LKk/42: Air Targets/Stealth

13.2mm Akan m/39: Air Targets/Stealth

13.2mm Akan m/39A: Air Targets/Stealth

13.2mm Akan m/39 (turret): Universal

20mm Akan m/41A: Air Targets

20mm Akan m/45: Air Targets

20mm Akan m/47B: Air Targets

20mm Akan m/47C: Air Targets

20mm Akan m/49: Air Targets

30mm Akan m/55: Air Targets
30mm Akan m/75: Air Targets

57mm Akan m/45: Ground Targets

 

If you find anything missing or incorrect, please inform me.

 

I hope this is helpful

 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by EpicBlitzkrieg87

[Ska_King_Felix 1,450]

Just a little change to the U.S. ammo...

7.62mm Browning: Universal/Stealth

7.62mm Browning (turret): Armored Targets

12.7mm M2 Browning: Universal/Stealth

12.7mm M2 Browning (turret): Universal

12.7mm M3 Browning: Universal/Stealth

20mm AN/M2: Default/Universal

20mm AN/M3: Default/Universal

20mm Hispano Mk. II: Tracers (if you need a tracer compound)/Air Targets

20mm T-160: Air Targets

37mm M4: Ground Targets (sparks less)

37mm M10: Ground Targets (sparks less)

75mm T13E1: Ground Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (ground targets)

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

4 minutes ago, Ska_King_Felix said:

Just a little change to the U.S. ammo...

7.62mm Browning: Universal/Stealth

7.62mm Browning (turret): Armored Targets

12.7mm M2 Browning: Universal/Stealth

12.7mm M2 Browning (turret): Universal

12.7mm M3 Browning: Universal/Stealth

20mm AN/M2: Default/Universal

20mm AN/M3: Default/Universal

20mm Hispano Mk. II: Tracers (if you need a tracer compound)/Air Targets

20mm T-160: Air Targets

37mm M4: Ground Targets (sparks less)

37mm M10: Ground Targets (sparks less)

75mm T13E1: Ground Targets (enemy aircraft)/Armored Targets (ground targets)

Ground targets in .50 cals has more AP-I than Universal afaik.

I will not add Universal to the 20mms as they're worse than Default

I'll check GT for the 37mm soon

[blastedryan 967]

Seems like your picks differ from mine on the smaller caliber guns.

 

You're also missing a few guns.

 

http://wiki.warthunder.com/index.php?title=User:Blastedryan/Best_belt

[Jugular 42]

Guys, this is great! Thank you very much, saves a TON of research time. Really appreciate all of your collective work, and your websites/advice!   

[Ska_King_Felix 1,450]

1 hour ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

Ground targets in .50 cals has more AP-I than Universal afaik.

I will not add Universal to the 20mms as they're worse than Default

I'll check GT for the 37mm soon

Isn't Universal for the mid-war .50's API/API/T/I/I?  Also, the AN/M 20mm Universal is better at sawing off wings than Default because of the extra AP shell in there.

Edited January 5, 2018 by Ska_King_Felix

[Ska_King_Felix 1,450]

Also, they reworked how pure incendiary rounds worked a few patches ago.  They now penetrate the armor like Ball rounds rather than burning on impact.

[Spielfuehrer 7]

I would like to have some reasons for the decisions. 

13 hours ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

7.92mm MG 15: Universa

Why no stealth belts e.g?

[ThatGirlJamie 15]

Frankly I find that American .50 cals loaded up with Ground Attack Belts just tear off wings with the extra AP in them. Destroying someone's wing is more reliable than engine fires because a skilled pilot can put out most engine fires while it's very difficult to survive the loss of a wing.

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

44 minutes ago, Spielfuehrer said:

I would like to have some reasons for the decisions. 

Why no stealth belts e.g?

You reminded me to add stealth for the German low caliber machine guns, so thanks for that.  I use stealth on them and somehow I forgot this.

 

13 hours ago, blastedryan said:

You're also missing a few guns.

 

What are they?

 

12 hours ago, Ska_King_Felix said:

Also, the AN/M 20mm Universal is better at sawing off wings than Default because of the extra AP shell in there.

 

Just checked. Default has HEF-I/HEF-I/AP-IT and Universal has HEF-I/AP-IT; Default is better.

 

12 hours ago, Ska_King_Felix said:

Isn't Universal for the mid-war .50's API/API/T/I/I?

 

Also forgot about that one. Sorry; updated  

 

13 hours ago, Jugular said:

Guys, this is great! Thank you very much, saves a TON of research time. Really appreciate all of your collective work, and your websites/advice!   

Np  I hope it gets pinned soon.

[blastedryan 967]

9 hours ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

22 hours ago, blastedryan said:

You're also missing a few guns.

 

What are they?

75mm M10 - on the gizzly

MG C/30L -on the he112 a-0

DA turret -on the TB-3m

B-20E turret -on the IL-10

British M2 Browning turret(different from American M2 turret) -on Lincoln

Vickers P -on Tempest vickers P

Ho-3 -on Ki-45 hei

Ho-5 turret -on Ki-67

Type 88 -on Ki-109

Lewis turret - on Sm79B

Scotti turret -on Z1007

102/35 mod 14 -on P108A

Hispano Hs.9 -on D.371 Hs9

 

 

I'm pretty sure these guns are not ingame:

MG81 non turret

N-37

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

26 minutes ago, blastedryan said:

75mm M10 - on the gizzly

MG C/30L -on the he112 a-0

DA turret -on the TB-3m

B-20E turret -on the IL-10

British M2 Browning turret(different from American M2 turret) -on Lincoln

Vickers P -on Tempest vickers P

Ho-3 -on Ki-45 hei

Ho-5 turret -on Ki-67

Type 88 -on Ki-109

Lewis turret - on Sm79B

Scotti turret -on Z1007

102/35 mod 14 -on P108A

Hispano Hs.9 -on D.371 Hs9

 

 

I'm pretty sure these guns are not ingame:

MG81 non turret

N-37

MG 81 is found on the Ju 88 A-4 as an offensive weapon.

N-37 is the 37mm that you can use on the Yak-9P and Yak-9UT.

Lewis turret is on the list.

I'll update the list with the others

[GregKjr 520]

Nice list. Should help newer people be more effective in air to air.

 

I am shocked the American .50cal m-20 apit belt is not on the list. As it is a late war belt that the Americans can use at T3 in the P47s..... 

 

In my opinion it's probably the best belt for any thing short of jets. It can tare off wings and start fires.

[blastedryan 967]

Ah those foldered guns are hard to find.

 

I forgot to mention there are 3 variants of the M2 Browning. The early on things like the P40, the middle on the P38's, and the late on the P47's.

[Wild1234 90]

4 hours ago, GregKjr said:

I am shocked the American .50cal m-20 apit belt is not on the list. As it is a late war belt that the Americans can use at T3 in the P47s..... 

 

I agree with you on this. I generally either run tracers or stealth on my 50 cal planes. Solid armor piercing incendiary tracers ruin the day of anything they hit and make a great laser show. Although I could also see the reason to avoid those belts as that many tracers flying at an enemy make them start juking and dodging faster than anything else you can throw at them (Which is why I started switching to stealth in arcade mode)

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

13 hours ago, blastedryan said:

I forgot to mention there are 3 variants of the M2 Browning. The early on things like the P40, the middle on the P38's, and the late on the P47's.

Already on the list before you mentioned them  

14 hours ago, GregKjr said:

I am shocked the American .50cal m-20 apit belt is not on the list. As it is a late war belt that the Americans can use at T3 in the P47s..... 

 

Tracers? If so, read this:

 

On 1/5/2018 at 9:17 PM, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

Note #3: This guide is not opinionated. The belts that were chosen in this list represent the maximum damage you can get out of the guns they are referred to. Some players would rather use tracers on the type 99 mk II Japanese 20mm for example as personal preference (I did that for a very long time too, thinking tracers were the best for Japanese 20mms but I was wrong), but Universal has the most damage output.

 

Tracers may be a viable option but Universal and Stealth are better right now.

[blastedryan 967]

5 hours ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

Already on the list before you mentioned them

Then your choice of universal/stealth for the late is outright wrong. You use tracer only.

Edited January 7, 2018 by blastedryan

[Wild1234 90]

8 hours ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

Tracers may be a viable option but Universal and Stealth are better right now.

 

I am curious, what makes universal cause more damage than tracer for the late American M2 Browning (Aside from the laser beam yelling "Dodge Now" to the enemy pilot:P)? The universal belt has 2x API, 1x APIT, 2x I bullets, where the tracer belt is solid APIT. My understanding was that stock incendiary rounds were really only effective against early cloth planes and when shooting at metal planes you needed armor piercing. Wouldn't that give the tracer belt 2 more effective bullets for every 5 fired vs the universal belt?

[Ska_King_Felix 1,450]

22 hours ago, Wild1234 said:

 

I am curious, what makes universal cause more damage than tracer for the late American M2 Browning (Aside from the laser beam yelling "Dodge Now" to the enemy pilot:P)? The universal belt has 2x API, 1x APIT, 2x I bullets, where the tracer belt is solid APIT. My understanding was that stock incendiary rounds were really only effective against early cloth planes and when shooting at metal planes you needed armor piercing. Wouldn't that give the tracer belt 2 more effective bullets for every 5 fired vs the universal belt?

Check the average incendiary for the belt.  I did this a while back, and I think I got something like 36 grains of incendiary for tracers, 54 grains for Stealth, and it should be somewhere in between for Universal.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Ska_King_Felix
Screwed up on calculating; wrong units

[EpicBlitzkrieg87 8,350]

20 hours ago, blastedryan said:

Then your choice of universal/stealth for the late is outright wrong. You use tracer only.

Tracer deals the least amount of damage and since it's all fireworks the enemy is more careful with evading your shots. Also it blinds your aim. (I used to be a hefty tracers user until I switched to other belts and realized my mistake)

I've also been attacked many times by players with tracers. I compared to how much damage they dealt vs the players who damaged me with universal or stealth and the result didn't favor tracer users. One of the biggest mistakes I made in RB was using tracers.

Edited January 8, 2018 by EpicBlitzkrieg87

[Ska_King_Felix 1,450]

3 hours ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

Tracer deals the least amount of damage and since it's all fireworks the enemy is more careful with evading your shots. Also it blinds your aim. (I used to be a hefty tracers user until I switched to other belts and realized my mistake)

I've also been attacked many times by players with tracers. I compared to how much damage they dealt vs the players who damaged me with universal or stealth and the result didn't favor tracer users. One of the biggest mistakes I made in RB was using tracers.

And for people like me with potato PC's, it reduces your FPS to 12 !

[blastedryan 967]

3 hours ago, EpicBlitzkrieg87 said:

Tracer deals the least amount of damage and since it's all fireworks the enemy is more careful with evading your shots.

Well now I know you have no actual factual basis for any of your belt choices.

 

By every measure API-T does more fire damage than all other bullets available and has the second most physical damage behind AP.

[Ska_King_Felix 1,450]

38 minutes ago, blastedryan said:

Well now I know you have no actual factual basis for any of your belt choices.

 

By every measure API-T does more fire damage than all other bullets available and has the second most physical damage behind AP.

Tracers have worse ballistics, more spread.  Also gives away position, has lower avg. incendiary content compared to Universal and Stealth.

[blastedryan 967]

15 minutes ago, Ska_King_Felix said:

Tracers have worse ballistics, more spread.  Also gives away position, has lower avg. incendiary content compared to Universal and Stealth.

Where are your sources?

 

This is mine: http://wiki.warthunder.com/index.php?title=Template:M2late_Browning_belts

Edited January 8, 2018 by blastedryan

[Ska_King_Felix 1,450]

1 minute ago, blastedryan said:

Where are your sources?

 

This is mine: http://wiki.warthunder.com/index.php?title=Template:M2late_Browning_belts

 

I probably screwed up on the calculations for the incendiary content and/or remembered them incorrectly, but I KNOW that the tracer compound burning in flight negatively affects the spread and ballistics.

I screwed up (I calculated the avg. grain content, not gram content).