Summary
Considering the range of weapons inFallout 4, from pistols to laser guns, there is a noticeable lack of shotguns available in the wasteland. Although there is a significant amount of modding and legendary effect shotguns available, which includes content fromthe Creation Club, the number of shotguns available in the base game is surprisingly small.
Thankfully, each of the weapons is quite different from the other, and the type of shotgun a player uses will mostly be down to their personal style and preference. That said, some are far more likely to be used by players than others for various reasons, and knowing what thebest shotgunsare inFallout 4can be very helpful for those looking to conquer the Wasteland.
5Double-Barrel Shotgun / Handmade Shotgun
Two Early-Game Weapons With Unimpressive Stats
The Double-Barrel Shotgun, from the base game, and the Handmade Shotgun, from the Creation Club, feature the same base stats. The Double-Barrel Shotgun is an effective weapon in the early stages of the game and will help players fight off the enemies they encounter during the first few hours. With poor accuracy, players should only use this weapon at very close quarters.
Players can find the Double-Barrel Shotgun naturally by looting low-level raiders or from vendors such asArturo Rodriguez inDiamond City. Gamers should also keep a keen eye out for the legendary effect of this weapon, which is calledNever Ending. This will let players fire the weapon constantly and never have to worry about reloading. Unless players find this effect, this weapon will most likely be cast aside in favor of an upgrade.
4Triple-Barrel Handmade Shotgun
A Shotgun That Can Come With Some Great Legendary Effects
A better variant of the previously mentionedHandmade Shotgun, the base version of this weapon is an upgrade as it deals 5 more damage and can fire off one more shot. This could be crucial in engagements where defeat is looking likely. This shotgun can be found on raiders and specific vendors whilst at a high level. Shotguns are all about high damage, so thePowerful Receivermod, which increases damage by 38, may be of interest to those considering the Triple-Barrel Handmade Shotgun.
The Triple-Barrel Handmade Shotgun can also be found with threedifferent legendary effectsalready equipped: Incendiary, Nimble, and Ghoul Slayer. Players should take note ofNimbleas its 75% increase in movement speed, while aiming will assist in making quick decisions in close-quarters combat.
3Combat Shotgun
A Semi-Automatic Shotgun That Requires Less Reloading
The Combat Shotgun is an 8-round shotgun with high damage. The magazine capacity is what keeps it above the previous entries on this list, as it allows players to pump out more damage without being interrupted by the chore of reloading. To improve this already good shotgun, players should look to install theAdvanced ReceiverandDrum Magazine. This will increase the damage and fire rate with only minor losses to range and accuracy while increasing the magazine size to 32.
As befitting its place on the list, the combat shotgun is a tad harder to find in the open world. They are sometimes carried by raiders but can also be sold by various vendors, like Deb inBunker Hill. If theFar Harborexpansion is installed, players will receive the Combat Shotgun as part of completingthe Hull Breach side quest.
2Justice
A Useful Weapon That Can Stagger Enemies
The key selling point here is that Justice is aunique weaponwith a legendary effect. The legendary effect in question isStagger. As the name suggests, all shots that hit have a chance to stagger enemies. This is incredibly useful inclose-quarters combatand can give players a chance to escape from powerful foes. An upgraded version of the Combat Shotgun,Justicecomes with a Powerful receiver modded on as standard, hence its 75 damage.
Justice can only be acquired in one way:Fallout 4players must buy it fromPenny Fitzgeraldat her shop in Covenant. She can trade with the player between 8 am and 6 pm.
If Penny dies before players can acquire the Justice shotgun, the weapon will become permanently unavailable.
1Le Fusil Terribles
A Great Tool To Use When Targeting Limbs
Taking the top spot as thebest shotguninFallout 4is theLe Fusil Terribles. This is a unique version of the Combat Shotgun that has a very high magazine capacity and damage as standard. Not much separates it from theJustice, but the range and accuracy of this shotgun are better, and its legendary effect has a higher ceiling. This weapon grantsViolent, a 25% increase in damage and limb damage but with 25% more recoil. If the recoil can be controlled, it provides a massive boost.
As a unique shotgun, it can only be found in one place. To get it, players must go to thecaptain’s cabin in Libertaliaand look for a wooden crate that can be looted. Once located, players should consider anAdvanced Receivermod to take the damage to 99 and make this an end-game-worthy shotgun.
