12 Gauge Buckshot
Ammunition for a Shotgun.
The 12 Gauge Buckshot is ammunition in Rust for 6 weapons, among them the M4 Shotgun, Spas-12 Shotgun and Pump Shotgun. Its damage per shot runs from 157.5 in the Spas-12 Shotgun to 210 in the Double Barrel Shotgun. You craft it at a Level 2 Workbench, and its blueprint costs 40 scrap to research.
About the 12 Gauge Buckshot
It fits 6 weapons: the M4 Shotgun, Spas-12 Shotgun, Pump Shotgun, Eoka Pistol, Double Barrel Shotgun and Waterpipe Shotgun. It flies at 225 m/s from the Double Barrel Shotgun and 293 m/s from the M4 Shotgun.
One craft makes 2, so each costs 2.5 × Metal Fragments and 5 × Gun Powder. A full stack of 64 takes 32 crafts and 96 seconds: 160 × Metal Fragments and 320 × Gun Powder. When a Supply Drop has it, it holds 6 to 12. Recycling it in a green recycler returns 20% of its crafting cost.
On the tech tree it sits behind 4 other unlocks: Metal Shield, Salvaged Icepick, Salvaged Axe and Longsword. In all, 31 loot sources drop it; the full list of where it drops gives the chance for each.
12 Gauge Buckshot damage and stats
Of the weapons that fire it, the M4 Shotgun gets the most damage per second out of it: 154. Each shot splits into 14 pellets. Where it lands changes its damage: ×1.25 to the head and ×0.75 to the legs and feet.
How to craft the 12 Gauge Buckshot
Crafting one takes 3 seconds at a Level 2 Workbench and costs 5 × Metal Fragments and 10 × Gun Powder. One craft makes 2 of them.
5
10 How to get the 12 Gauge Buckshot blueprint
Research it for 40 scrap, or unlock it on the Level 2 tech tree for 5 Blueprint Pages in total.
1 Item
40 Scrap
Blueprint
40
Node
1 Blueprint Page
Unlocked
5
Blunderbuss 210 70 2 225
Double Barrel Shotgun 210 70 2 225
Eoka Pistol 210 105 1 225
Krieg Shotgun 210 119.8 8 225
Pump Shotgun 210 119.8 8 225
Waterpipe Shotgun 210 46.7 1 225
M4 Shotgun 168 153.9 6 293
Spas-12 Shotgun 157.5 150.1 6 225 Damage is per shot and already carries each weapon’s own scale, so the same round is not the same number in every barrel. DPS assumes the weapon fires without stopping.
What the 12 Gauge Buckshot recycles into
A green recycler always gives back 1 × Metal Fragments and 2 × Gun Powder for one.
×1
×2
25%
50%
×1
×3
50%
×1
×3
88%
75%
×1
×2 The chance is for a single roll of what the item gives when opened.
Where to find the 12 Gauge Buckshot
Supply Drop has the best chance at 86%, followed by Present Drop at 62% and Heavy Scientist at 49%.
Stats checked against the Rust game files on 9 November 2026.
Silver Egg
Medium Loot Bag
Large Present