They make shells for longer birding ranges that are like hybrids between birdshot and buckshot, but at that range you’d need a pretty skilled shooter with a good gun, and then you still have the problems that come with firing a gun. Unfortunately nobody has found a compact, easy-to-replicate mid-range solution. Buuuut if you’re an electronics person with a little knowledge, I’ve seen both internet hobbyists and Ansarallah soldiers with DIY directed jammers the size of a large rifle.

For what it’s worth, I’ve had birdshot bounce off a hard target and hit me in the cheekbone, and it stung but didn’t do much damage