12 Gauge Buckshot

[Pinetop]

With all the civil unrest going around, I decided to prepare for some predator removal via use of rubber buckshot. Wow, very hard to find. But after much searching, I was able to get my hands on some Sellier & Bellot 7.5mm Rubber Buck Shot, in 12 gauge, 2 5/8 shells, with a load of 15 pellets.

Thankfully, I took it out to the range and patterened it against some Federal 9 pellet 00 buck to give me some idea of it's pattern at relatively close distances.

Here are the details of each type.
Federal - 9 Pellets, .33" diameter, high brass
S&B - 15 pellets, .295" diameter, low brass

Following are the pattern diameters at 10' and 21', fired from a Mossberg 590-A1 with 18" barrel.

10 Feet
Lead: Federal 00 - 2" pattern
Rubber: S&B 7.5mm - 8" pattern

15 Feet
Lead: Not patterned
Rubber: S&B 7.5mm - 11" pattern

21 Feet
Lead: Federal 00 - 3.5" pattern
Rubber: S&B 7.5mm - 13.5" pattern

General Impression
- These rounds are very light weight, i.e. rubber vs lead shot
- Light loads, very little recoil (smaller wad, less powder, and smaller size allows 15 pellets)
- Pattern sizes convince me that they are not for long distance use, but probably OK for the 10' to 21' distances patterened.

[YNOTAZ]

Good to know. I just picked up a few boxes of "get off my lawn" S&B rubbers

[Kingjoey]

Need to pick up a case of it at some point, got 2000rds of 00buck commie eraser to use until then

[YNOTAZ]

I kind of figured if police can use them and call it "less than deadly force", it makes use of rubber at least defensible.

[Manitu]

Don't the rubber ones just knock them down? Now the judge gets to listen to two stories instead of one. The survivors story trumps a silent intruder.'

[YNOTAZ]

Don't the rubber ones just knock them down? Now the judge gets to listen to two stories instead of one. The survivors story trumps a silent intruder.'

Ah yes, but there is a point where there is a group like St Louis, prior to being an "intruder". Police and you have no right to use of deadly force. Pointing a shotgun and pulling the trigger is questionable at that point, but the use of rubber buckshot might mitigate the deadly force charge due to police establishing it as less than deadly force.

You jumped ahead to the next step which is what I'm hoping to avoid. I repeat "get off my lawn".

[OH-MAN]

Shouldn't we change the name rubber buckshot to something more friendly like oh,
" Superball Peacefull Protest Pursuader "?

[Pinetop]

That is good, but I think "Rubber Pellets for Predator Removal" rounds might be almost as good.

[Gunslinger808]

I kind of figured if police can use them and call it "less than deadly force", it makes use of rubber at least defensible.

The correct term is “less lethal”, that means it’s not necessarily lethal, but still can be, especially if used improperly.
Regardless of what you shoot someone with, if it causes grievous injury or death, you are still liable, no matter what the packaging says.

Don't the rubber ones just knock them down?

Not even that, when used correctly it will hurt like heck and leave a welt.
At close range and without protective clothing they can penetrate soft tissue, they’re mostly used as skip shot where you aim in front of the target and skip it into their shins.
A lot like the old knee knockers.

[ex462]

Thought knee knockers only came in 37 mm. think I will try and load some in 12 GA.

[Pinetop]

Yes on Gunslingers comment......."mostly used as skip shot where you aim in front of the target and skip it into their shins". That is my thought as best use also. I have Glock 17 for more forceful, close in encounters.