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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.

14PELLETS
×1.3HEADSHOT
1PENETRATION
40%RICOCHET

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.

Metal Fragments 5
Gun Powder 10
12 Gauge Buckshot
Output ×2
Workbench Level 2
Craft time
WB2 3s
WB3 −50% 1.5s

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.

Research table Burn one copy of the item for its blueprint
Item 1 Item
+
Scrap 40 Scrap
→
Blueprint Blueprint
Research cost 40
Tech tree In the level 2 workbench tree
Node Node
+
Blueprint Page 1 Blueprint Page
→
Unlocked Unlocked
Total to reach 5

Stats checked against the Rust game files on 9 November 2026.