There are many weapons in VALORANT, the tactical first-person shooter made by Riot Games. In order to become a master of the game, it's pivotal that you learn to master the weapons in it. That's why we've made a series of weapon guides for VALORANT weapons discussing the weapon cost, the weapon damage, and controlling the weapon's recoil. In this guide, we'll be talking about the Bucky shotgun.

Cost

The Bucky is a very cheap primary weapon in VALORANT. At just 900 credits, it's the cheapest gun you can buy and equip as your main firearm. This means it leaves a lot of room for you to buy your agent a shield or a few abilities which, depending on the agent you're playing, may be of higher importance for a good performance in the round. Though the Bucky has a very niche use, as we'll come to see later in this guide, its low cost makes it quite appealing.

Damage

At close range, the Bucky does an incredible amount of damage in a huge burst. A well-shot blow will take down any enemy. Upon firing, the Bucky shoots 15 pellets. If your target is under eight meters away from you, only half of those pellets need to hit the enemy's body for a guaranteed kill. However, you better make sure to hit your target when firing. It takes the Bucky 1.1 seconds before you can fire your next shot, giving the opponent a lot of time to respond if you miss your shot.

The table below shows the exact numbers for the damage the Bucky does in VALORANT:

As the numbers show, the Bucky's bullets lose their power quite rapidly. After twelve meters already, the Bucky is operating at less than half of its power.

Bullet spread

Like every shotgun in practically every shooter game, the Bucky has a high bullet spread. You'll be able to reliably hit your target for a lot of damage up until about eight meters. However, after that you already might need to hit your target twice in order to kill them.

Using its primary fire mode, the Bucky becomes almost useless if the target is more than twenty meters away. The pellets you do land simply don't deal enough damage. You're going to want to use the Bucky at extremely close range to ambush your enemies.

Alternate fire

Thankfully, you're not completely useless if the enemy is farther away than a few meters. Using its alternate fire mode by clicking with your right mouse button you shoot out the shell holding the pellets. After about eight meters, the shell explodes and the bullets fire out as regular. Essentially, you're extending your accuracy with eight meters.

The Bucky's alternate fire mode is exceptionally strong against targets between ten and twenty meters away. To compare: you deal about 100 damage against a target ten meters away with the primary fire. Using the alternate fire mode you deal over 300 damage to the same target. However, it comes at a risk. If the target is too close the shell won't explode, dealing far less damage. A hit with the shell deals 40 damage when hitting a target in the head, 20 damage when hitting their body, and only 15 damage when hitting their leg.

To summarize:

The Bucky excels at an extremely close range against a single opponent in VALORANT. One well-aimed blow will take them out guaranteed. It's cheap, and therefore can be paired easily with other purchases. However, its value drops off quickly. Should you miss your shot, or face multiple opponents, chances are the round is over for you as they'll take you out while you're trying to reload. The Bucky has some flexibility with its alternate fire, but it's still a close-range gun at heart.

VALORANT weapon guides:

For more VALORANT content including guides, patch notes, and news, check out our dedicated VALORANT section!

Images via Riot Games