Terminal Testing Rubber Buckshot

By Bruce F

This is another one of those tests that I’ve wanted to do for years, but never got around to doing. The tipping point came two weeks ago when one of the main characters in HBO’s True Detective Season 2 got blasted twice in the chest with rubber buckshot. The first shot, from across the room, sent our hero to the floor. The masked villain then follows up with a nearly point blank second shot. Ray, the receiver of the rubber buckshot, describes his injuries as cracked ribs and a sore heart from the buckshot hitting his sternum. Having a box of rubber buckshot available, I decided to head out to the range and see if rubber buckshot could possibly cause such injuries at the distances shown in the True Detective episode.

Herter’s is the house ammunition brand at Cabela’s. Since it’s a private label, we will never know for sure who manufactures the ammunition, but we do know it was made in Italy. Cabela’s describes the ammunition as follows: “Rubber buckshot for non-lethal self-defense and animal deterrence. Not for use in semiautomatic shotguns. Loaded in Italy to the highest standards …read more

Source:: Pocket Guns & Gear