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Fortnite has a profusion of weapons that can suit any player, irrespective of their skill level. The developers often add and replace firearms, thus circulating them and maintaining a balanced loot pool.
Weapons in Fortnite range from Revolvers to Heavy Sniper rifles, with a plethora of options in-between.
A shotgun is a close-range combat weapon that uses shells and fires a spread of pellets instead of regular shots. These guns excel in close encounters and inflict more damage than other assault weapons.
Fortnite offers a selection of shotguns, with each weapon having unique features.
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In a recent update, shotguns, be it vaulted or unvaulted, underwent balancing that has reduced the weapon's maximum damage. Players are now confused as to which shottie is now the best.
Ranking Pump, Charge, and other shotguns available in Fortnite
1) Dragon's Breath Shotgun
A weapon with a name as formidable as this one is destined to be one of the best-in-class. This is true for this gun.
The Dragon's Breath Shotgun is a single-shot weapon that fires four rounds at once. Available only in Epic and Legendary rarities, when fired upon wooden structures, it engulfs them in fire, thus justifying the name.
The firearm inflicts damage in the range of 158 to 165 and has a headshot multiplier of 1.25x, capped at 195-200. It is the only shotgun in Fortnite that can inflict damage in the range of 200, making it the most potent weapon in its class in Fortnite.
It was last available in Chapter 3 Season 2, and this no-nonsense weapon means business.
2) Ranger Shotgun
This is a single-shot, break-action shotgun designed for longer ranges. It has a tighter spread than most shotguns, making it suitable for medium to long-distance combat. The gun highly rewards accuracy and is ideal for a stealth approach in a close-range scenario.
The shotgun deals serious damage to structures but only has a single shot and hence needs to be compensated by an SMG. It deals damage in the range of 109.8 to 134.1 and has a headshot multiplier of 1.5x, capped at 165.
This firearm falls between a combat shotgun and a heavy shotgun and was vaulted for Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3.
3) Pump Shotgun
The OG shotgun. Introduced in Fortnite Chapter 1, it is one of the oldest weapons in Fortnite and perhaps the most liked in its category.
It is a mighty shotgun with a slow fire rate and a small ammo capacity. This gun can remove the target's shield altogether from close range.
Although the firearm inflicts high damage, it performs poorly against structures due to its meager structure damage. Depending upon the rarity, it inflicts damage in the range of 64.4 to 128 per shot.
The gun's headshot multiplier was recently updated from 1.5x to 2.0x. It is best when coupled with a high-firing weapon and was vaulted for Chapter 3 Season 3.
4) Striker Pump Shotgun
Available in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3, the Striker Pump Shotgun is a slow-firing, high-damage weapon that excels in short-range. It has a tight spread, rendering it useless in medium to long-range combats. It has a slow reload time and reloads a single shell at once.
Depending upon the rarity, the weapon inflicts damage in the range of 103.2 to 126. It has a headshot multiplier of 1.65x that is capped at 185.
Its impressive stats make the gun an excellent close-range option for players. The slow reload time can be compensated by coupling it with a fast-firing SMG.
5) Double Barrel Shotgun
A one-of-its-kind weapon, the Double Barrel Shotgun is a short-range, high-damage weapon that only holds two shots. It is only offered in Epic and Legendary rarities.
The weapon is designed for very close-range combat and has a spread larger than other firearms in the category.
This shotgun has a range of 118 to 123 damage per shot and a headshot multiplier of 1.5x. The Double Barrel Shotgun can damage an opponent's entire shield with two shots, irrespective of its rarity.
It reloads both the shells at once and has an exotic version called the Dub. This gun is famous for its recoil, which can send the shooter flying back.
6) Lever Action Shotgun
The amalgamation of Pump Action and Double Barrel shotguns, this slow-firing weapon has a lever action and is suitable for close-range combat. Since the lever needs to be cranked between shots, the gun fires slowly. It has a medium-sized spread that can be tightened while aiming down sight.
The weapon inflicts damage in the range of 93.6 to 114.3 across different rarity. It has a headshot multiplier of 1.45x, and the damage is capped at 150. It is advised to be used with an SMG that can compensate for its slow fire rate.
7) Auto Shotgun
Introduced in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1, this gun is pretty new to the game. It is a fully-automatic fast-firing shotgun that deals moderate damage.
This weapon has a very tight spread, making it deadly in close-range combat. Though it fires at a fast rate, it reloads rather slowly, which can compromise gamers.
This firearm deals damage in a range of 84 to 103.2, depending on the rarity. It has a headshot multiplier of 1.5x, capped at 145.
Since the high fire rate deals good damage, this shotgun is well suited for beginners. Luckily for them, it is available in the game's latest season.
8) Heavy Shotgun
This semi-automatic weapon fires a single precise slug instead of a conventional pellet string like other shotguns. The gun is very precise but performs poorly during hipfire.
While Aiming Down Sight (ADS), the firearm's accuracy is highly rewarded, and its unique firing makes it compatible with medium-range combat.
Depending upon the rarity, the weapon inflicts damage in the range of 83 to 101. It has a headshot multiplier of 1.75x and offers moderate structural damage.
In its Legendary iteration, the gun can damage an enemy's full shield in two rounds, making it one of the most damage-intensive shotguns. The Heavy Shotgun shares a nomenclature identical to the model from Chapter 1. Both, however, are different.
9) Charge Shotgun
One of the most polarizing weapons in Fortnite, the Charge Shotgun is unlike any other in its category. While it can shoot like an ordinary Pump Shotgun, users can hold down the aim button to charge the weapon, increasing the inflicted damage and making the spread even tighter. Hence, this gun excels in close-range combat.
When uncharged, the firearm inflicts damage in the range of 81 to 99. The charged damage increases significantly to between 121.5 and 148, depending on the rarity.
It has a headshot multiplier of 1.75x, capped at 182 and 195 for both scenarios. This gun is among the most lethal weapons in the game, also possessing a Mythic version called Kit's Charged Shotgun.
10) Makeshift Shotgun
Introduced in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 6, this is a short-ranged weapon suitable for close encounters with the enemy. It has a magazine size of 3 and is only offered across three rarities, the highest being Rare. This gun reloads one shell at a time.
It deals damage in the range of 88 to 98 and has a headshot multiplier of 1.25x that is capped at 120. It is helpful for early-game use, where it can inflict good damage on unshielded players.
11 ) Tactical Shotgun
This semi-automatic, fast-fire shotgun has been in Fortnite since its launch. It is a short-ranged weapon that fires a string of pellets when shot.
It has a moderate clip size and reload time of around six seconds. The firearm has a structural damage range of 75 to 78. Coupled with the fast firing rate, it is very efficient at taking down structures.
The shotgun inflicts damage in the range of 77 to 94, depending upon the rarity. It was last updated in Chapter 3 Season 2, where its headshot multiplier was raised to 1.75x.
This shotgun is an excellent weapon for beginners as it offers a faster firing rate than other shotguns. Unfortunately, this weapon is valulted for the current chapter.
12) Drum Shotgun
As the name suggests, the drum shotgun has a drum-style magazine, giving it the highest cap limit in its class in Fortnite. It is a fully-automatic fast-firing weapon that excels in close-to-mid-range combats.
The weapon has a wide spread that makes it very useful in swiping an area but renders it useless in long-range encounters.
The firearm has a damage range of 57 to 69.9 per shot and a headshot multiplier of 1.25x, capped at 85. It has the quickest reload time among other guns in the category, providing increased structural damage at close range.
Unlike other shotguns, it has a broader spread and greater pressure. The weapon is based on the American Origin-12 Shotgun.
13) Combat Shotgun
It is a semi-automatic fast-firing shotgun with a large magazine and a tight spread. This particular weapon outperforms other shotguns in the category when it comes to mid-range combat.
Its tight spread makes the gun efficient for short to mid-range scenarios while making it relatively weak at close range.
The firearm inflicts damage in the range of 57 to 66, depending on the rarity. It offers a headshot multiplier of 1.5x, which is capped at 95.
Since the shotgun has a very long range, it can suffice in place of an assault weapon. Its tight spread makes it harder for beginners to use from close range. The gun is vaulted for the current season and was last available in Chapter 3 Season 2.
14) Primal Shotgun
Introduced in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 6, the Primal Shotgun is a close-range weapon with a drum magazine. It shoots in 2-shot bursts with a slight delay before firing again.
This weapon inflicts damage in the range of 52 to 60 and has a headshot multiplier of 1.25x that is capped at 75. It is offered across all rarities and has a Mythic version called Spire Assassin's Primal Shotgun.
15) Two-Shot Shotgun
Introduced in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3, the Two-Shot Shotgun is the latest entrant in its class. A semi-automatic offering that fires two shots bursts, the gun fires two shots at a single trigger pull.
The Fortnite community is divided in their opinion about this gun. It reloads two shells simultaneously and has the longest reload time in its class.
This firearm inflicts damage in the range of 54 to 69, making it the least powerful shotgun in Fortnite. It has a headshot multiplier of 1.75x and is best suited for close-range combat.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the views of the author.
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