Standard 12-caliber round filled with 6 mm shot. Highly lethal at close range. Only suitable for use with smoothbore weapons.
― In-game description
12x70 Buckshot is a type of shotgun ammunition featured in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series.
General Characteristics
The 12x70mm Buckshot is probably the most popular shells used by shotguns. It is 12 Gauge / 18.5mm (0.729") wide and 70mm (2.75") long. It contains 9 0.36" spherical pellets, which exit the barrel of a shotgun in a cone shaped pattern when fired.
Buckshot rounds are extremely deadly during initial velocity and are able to waste any unarmored stalker in a single shot, the sheer impact of the shells are also enough to stun anyone lucky enough to survive the shot. However the pellets have poor penetration as their spherical shape and light weight prevents them from properly piercing armor at range. Any stalker possessing heavy armor or at long range will most definitely survive a continuous volley unless shot in the head or worn down with a wasteful volley of buckshot. They are most effective against mutants, who do not posses armor and who heavily rely on melee combat.
12x70 Buckshot has the lowest penetration statistic of any munition in the game, making its performance against armor extremely low, and leaving it unable to penetrate any kind of cover, even some underbrush. On the other hand, it is more likely to stun or kill a target with a direct hit at close range due to it firing multiple pellets with each shot.
The buckshot is likely the most effective ammunition against mutants, due to the multiple pellets. Up-close, the player may even score a one-hit kill against weak mutants such as dogs.
Keep in mind that like other types of shotgun ammo, 12x70mm buckshot is much heavier pr. cartridge compared to pistol and intermediate rifle rounds. Considering how easy it may be to obtain buckshot at the start of a game, while it can be an economical way of dealing with unarmored targets, always consider how much it is necessary to carry, even more so than with other types of ammo.
Usage
12x70 Buckshot can be used in any smooth-bore shotgun, such as the Hunting shotgun, SPSA-14, Chaser 13, Sawed-off shotgun, and the Eliminator. When a threading upgrade is applied to some shotguns, 12x70 Buckshot either loses a significant amount of accuracy, or can no longer be used at all. It should also be noted that even if accuracy isn't accounted for, buckshot pellets quickly lose the majority of their damage potential at range, and more severely than other projectiles, and unless shooting at completely unarmored targets, will be effectively useless. In S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, applying the Tier 3 accuracy +30% upgrade to the Hunting shotgun disallows the weapon to fire buckshot rounds.
Locations
Shadow of Chernobyl
These shells are very common; many rookie Loners and Bandits who carry shotguns will have them on hand. They can be purchased from any trader, except for Colonel Petrenko. These rounds are effective against foes with little to no armor, and are very effective against mutants.
Clear Sky
Buckshot shells remain easy to find, rookie Loners, Bandits, and Clear Sky members packing shotguns use them. Some members of Freedom and Duty carry these shells as well, and just about every trader sells them. While still very effective against mutants, they are not as effective against humans. Anyone wearing armor will surely survive more than one shot, unless a headshot is scored.
Call of Pripyat
Buckshot is still the most common type of shotgun munition available to the player. These rounds are the best against mutants. Trapper tells rookies to always keep some buckshot rounds handy for taking down packs of Rodents. They are poor against human enemies - barring a point-blank headshot - but great against all mutants that can be engaged safely at close range. Loners and Bandits have a lot of them, and they're almost always in stock at stores throughout Yanov and Zaton.
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