All Sons of the Forest Ammo Types (Ranked)

When scouring the wilds in Sons of the Forest, you’re rightfully going to judge scenarios by the weapons at your disposal. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Having a weapon is only half the battle since you won’t be able to use it without the ammo. This means that a big part of decision making in terms of “best-weapons” works in tandem with the accessibility of ammo. Additionally, some weapons can hold different types of ammo, and some ammos can be used with multiple weapons. For this reason, I feel like it is important to take a look at the various ammunitions separately from their munitions. 

A Quick Note About Arrows

This is what you call a miss.

In an effort to avoid redundancy, instead of including the three arrow types (Crafted Arrows, 3D arrows, and Carbon Fiber Arrows) in this list, I am including the four types of craftable modifications that can be added to any of those arrow types instead: Shock, Fire, Poison, and Explosive. That aspect of an arrow is far more important to each scenario than the quality of your arrow.

However, I do want to quickly go over the difference in the arrow types:

• Crafted Stone Arrows: These are extraordinarily easy to make with some of the most basic, farmable ingredients. As long as you don’t forget to fill yourself up with feathers ahead of time, you shouldn’t ever run out of crafted arrows between encounters, and if you do you can always open your inventory and craft more mid-battle. They are significantly weaker than the other two arrows though.
• 3D Printed Arrows: These arrows are pretty easy to obtain and are a significant upgrade to the stone arrows. They just aren’t accessible unless you can use one of the numerous 3D printers across the map and have adequate 3D printer resin. Conveniently, most areas that have 3D printers are usually by ink and a bed (if not you can build a tent). By using the save/reload method you can easily max out your 3D printers arrows. 
• Carbon Fiber Arrows: Carbon Fiber Arrows are unquestionably the strongest type of arrow, but they are not craftable by any means; by menu or 3D printer. This is the best arrow to have, just don’t forget to pick it back up after you use one, because there is no telling when you’ll run into more. 

11. Small Rocks / Golf Balls

Should I?

While this may be the least important ammo type, it doesn’t come without its advantages. They can both be thrown free-handed, but are intended to be used with the slingshot. You aren’t going to use this for much other than killing birds. 

However, killing birds can be pretty important if you’re out of crafted arrows. The only scenario where you’re going to use these ammo types is if you are actively trying to farm something that crafts a better ammo type. 

Small rocks can be found everywhere. Golf balls are mostly found on the golf course; however, they are still available at other locations. Additionally, you can technically golf with the golf club and golf balls; but it simply is not fun. 

I’ve yet to even make contact with the ball

10. Poison Arrows

Without planting your own seeds, it can actually be pretty obnoxious finding the right ingredients.

Poison arrows can be pretty convenient in the beginning of the game. When you have a weak bow, no firearms (or ammo…), and crafted arrows; sometimes you just can’t deliver the damage that you need to take down swarms of enemies. 

Poison arrows can give you the advantage in their ability to slowly kill your opponent–even if you can only get one shot off or can’t get a headshot. However, pretty quickly enemies begin to have large enough health that poison arrows become ineffective.

9. Taser Cartridges

Pictured is Kelvin walking away from this trash-of-a-weapon.

Taser cartridges would be more important if more than one could fit inside the taser. Unfortunately, the lowest of cartridges is matched with a humorously slow reload animation. If the stun baton or shock arrows didn’t exist, I would hold the taser cartridges in more regard.

Despite the slow loading animation, I will say that I never found myself ever running out of them. Actually acquiring the taser is pretty easy and in the first cave that you should be exploring (the beach drop-point cave), as it also holds the rebreather which is required for most important caverns.   

8. Shock Arrows

A well placed arrow to the booty can feel… shocking… 

Shock arrows do everything that the taser does but better. The obvious reason for that is no longer having to experience the terrible loading animation. But additionally, they also do as much damage as the corresponding arrow alongside the stun effect. So, they can actually have a more significant use in battle. 

The only real downside to shock arrows is that it requires some craftable items that you may find more important to use in other situations. I would suggest trying to have 3 or 4 shock arrows using your crafted arrow inventory, as your main goal here isn’t damage, you don’t want to waste a more powerful arrow. 

7. Handgun Ammo

Put it in here. Not the other hole…  

Handgun Ammo is probably the most common type of ammo to find; at least it was the ammo I found was always in my inventory. Admittedly, I don’t have the self-control to hold on to any form of shotgun ammo, so that may have given this information a bit of skew. 

One thing the handgun ammo does that is both a blessing and a curse is that it works with both the pistol and the revolver.The revolver does way more damage but the pistol has a variety of mods that revolver doesn’t have (flashlight attachment, recoil attachment, etc.). 

I’d suggest picking your favorite of the two weapons (*cough* revolver *cough*). The only reason I can also be a big fan of the pistol is that I can use its flashlight attachment alongside the regular flashlight to have a really nice view of the caves. However, that method doesn’t actually consume ANY ammo so it is irrelevant for us right now. 

6. Rifle Ammo

As this VERY low quality image shows, I’ve never had a problem with wasting rifle ammo…

The rifle is fun to use but most of its pros can be outdone by other weapons. Rifle Ammo isn’t exactly the most common ammo to find and in both my early access and 1.0 playthroughs I found the rifle to be one of the last weapons that I got. 

That being said, it can pack a major punch at a good distance from the enemies. Problem is, once you’ve gotten your first headshot off, all of the friends are going to know right where to run to. Which will quickly mean you’re too close to the enemy to use the rifle adequately. I suggest starting a conflict with the rifle against the strongest enemy at the camp for an easy kill, and then barging in with weapons intended better for close combat. 

I would rank the rifle ammo higher if I didn’t find the crossbow bolt more convenient. While the crossbow is significantly harder to aim, once you get it down you’ll find yourself getting headshots from way further than you expected yourself to be able to. Combine that with the fact the crossbow doesn’t make any noise and you’ve got a good reason to only use the rifle ammo in select situations. 

Additionally, you can also attach the pistol’s flashlight to the crossbow, so it also nullifies the need for the pistol in almost every circumstance. 

5. Slug Shotgun Shells

Not pictured: The Shells.

I love me a shotgun. Read any of my articles (or the end of this one…) and you’ll find it's the most consistent factor in all of my travels. However, the slugs just don’t have the kick that I want like the buckshot does. 

You’re almost guaranteed to decapitate your enemy with a well-placed headshot from a slug shotgun shell. This is because you have a much smaller blast area. These shells are designed for combat with a single enemy; whereas the buckshot shells are designed for crowd control. If you have a single enemy, I do suggest the slugs, but that’s only because I don’t want to waste my buckshot. 

4. Fire Arrows

These guys are immune to lava but not fire…

Fire Arrows, in my opinion, do everything the shock arrows and poison arrows do, but simultaneously. Admittedly, being lit on fire won’t stun the larger enemies like the shock arrows will, but most enemies will find themselves at least momentarily stunned. Additionally, being lit on fire also deals continuous damage (also not as much as the poison arrows; but I’d rather have a bit of both worlds than all of one world. 

Additionally, a flaming enemy can easily light another enemy on fire, which in tight caves means a single fire arrow could result in a horde of burning enemies.

Unfortunately, most stronger enemies cannot be killed with a single flaming arrow. However, the same applies to the poison and shock arrows. 

3. Crossbow Bolt

If you keep your eyes open, they are abundant.

The crossbow can shoot from a very long distance, essentially becoming a silenced rifle with retrievable ammo. It also can have decent knockback for a lot of enemies; and even when there is no actual knockback they will frequently halt an enemies active attack. 

Crossbow bolts are way more common than carbon fiber arrows, so you’re unlikely to run out and, if you do, won’t have any problems finding them. 

With the ability to equip the flashlight to the end of the crossbow, it can become one of the only ammo types that works effectively both below and above ground. 

2. Explosive Arrows

The explosion animations in this game are abysmal. 

It was hard for me not to have explosive arrows at number one. The one and only reason they are not in the number one spot is because of how expensive they are to make. None of their ingredients (except potentially a crafted arrow if that counts) are farmable in nature. And all of those ingredients can also have major uses in other situations. 

But despite the explosive arrows flaws, you’re simply not going to have any problems winning a battle that you’re having trouble with if you bring some along. They stick to the enemies, so you don’t have to worry about the enemy moving out of range like you would a grenade. Sure, sticky bombs can do the same thing, but why would you use a sticky bomb when you can use virtually the same ingredients to make your sticky bomb a true projectile. 

1. Buckshot Shotgun Shells

Knockback can’t get better than that.

I love and will always consider the shotgun the best weapon. As such, its best ammo had to make the #1 spot. If it didn’t exist the slug shells would probably advance to the #2 slot with the explosive arrows at #1. They can knock back almost anything, and what it can’t knock back can probably be knocked back if you take a step back and make a second shot. 

In one on one confrontations I’ve never had the buckshot take more ammo to kill an enemy than the slugs.

In most basic scenarios a buckshot shell will obliterate any enemy in one hit that isn’t creepy or elite.  

Honorable Mentions:

These aren’t technically the type of ammo I’m talking about within the realm of this article. But I do want to note their importance as well as why I think they still deserve a mention. 

Zip-Line Rope

It takes waaaaaaay too long to run that far.

Since Zip-Line Rope isn’t designed for combat, I didn’t feel like it had a place on the actual ranking of this list. However, it is TECHNICALLY still an ammo, since you’re not going to be able to use the zip-line gun without it. Being that ziplines can be one of the most important items in the game in terms of making treks across the map less redundant; you never want to let yourself run out of zip-line rope even if you don’t think that you use it that much.

You might not need it very frequently, but you WILL need it and will be very disappointed if you’re out of ammo when you do. 

Crafted Spears

Dual use for easy hunting.

Since you can’t fire them from any sort of munition, they can’t technically be considered an ammunition. However, they do run out so I suggest treating them in much the same way as you might treat a crafted arrow. You’re not always going to need them but it’s not bad to have a couple on hand because they are incredibly easy to craft. 

Batteries

I simply don’t have any clever quips about a low-quality image of batteries but my options are limited.

Batteries are not ammunition in any way, shape, or form; BUT without batteries you aren’t going to be able to use the chainsaw, stun baton, and a variety of other things related to combat, i.e. multiple crafting recipes for other ammunition. Since having them works in much the same way as ammo would for a firearm, I still felt they deserved an honorable mention. 

Check out these related articles:

• [Top 10] Sons of the Forest Best Weapons
• [Top 3] Sons of the Forest Best Axes
• [Top 5] Sons of the Forest Best Melee Weapons