A Complete Shotgun Build Guide For Fallout 76

Fallout 76 offers a lot of choices, especially in the combat department. You can use dozens of different weapons and armor sets to fight off everything the Wasteland throws at you throughout your adventure. One of the weapon types you can use in Fallout 76 is shotguns, which act as one of the best close combat weapon types in the game.

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Shotguns are an underused weapon type in Fallout 76, and although there aren't many of them, they're still worth equipping if you know how to handle them. This guide will explain everything you should know about how to get the best shotguns, the best perks to equip, and how to properly distribute your SPECIAL stats for maximum potential.

Updated May 17, 2024, by Andrew Scariati: The best Fallout 76 shotgun build is an exceptional way to mow down enemies, whether you've just stepped foot in Appalachia or are a veteran. A shotgun build in Fallout 76 can be shaped to fit your tastes based on the variety of shotgun forms available.

The Best Weapon For A Shotgun Build

Although there aren't a lot of shotguns to choose from, there's still a large enough selection to warrant testing weapons for the best Fallout 76 shotgun build.

There are four shotguns to consider for the strongest shotgun build possible.

​​​​​Gauss Shotgun

Weapon Name

Crafted Level

Plan Required?

Perk Required?

Materials Required

Gauss Shotgun

Max Available

Gauss Shotgun

Science 1

• Aluminum: 14
• Circuitry: Six
• Legendary Module: Two
• Screws: 15
• Silver: Four
• Springs: Four
• Steel: Seven
• Wood: Eight

Gauss weapons are powerful in the Fallout franchise, but the Gauss Shotgun takes it to the next level because it allows you to charge your shot for maximum damage, and bullets you shoot explode upon impact, which deals area damage.

Gauss Shotguns deal 80-105 base damage and function superbly in the best Fallout 76 shotgun build.

You can buy the Gauss Shotgun plan from Samuel once you become an ally of the Settlers.

The Pepper Shaker

Weapon Name

Crafted Level

Plan Required?

Perk Required?

Materials Required

Pepper Shaker

50

Pepper Shaker

Gunsmith 5

• Adhesive: Nine
• Aluminum: Ten
• Gear: 20
• Oil: 11
• Screw: 15
• Springs: 20
• Steel: 47

While it may appear to be a heavily modded Gatling Gun, the Pepper Shaker is an automatic heavy shotgun with a rotary barrel.

You must spin the weapon up for one second before it begins firing, and each shot fires a spread of eight projectiles.

You must get the Pepper Shaker Plan from the Grahm's Meat Cook seasonal public event available during Meat Week, usually once per year.

The plan will allow you to craft the Pepper Shaker and unlock it for purchase from Purveyor Murmrgh at The Rusty Pick.

The damage listed on your Pepper Shaker is evenly split between the eight projectiles, but this shotgun's best quality is its ability to cripple enemy limbs. If you hate being hit by melee attacks, this is the best Fallout 76 shotgun build for stopping enemies in their tracks.

Crafting a Pepper Shaker can be a hassle if you need to farm screws or other resources, but it's your only way to get one.

Just remember you can re-roll your legendary perks to avoid crafting a new one every time you re-roll searching for your ideal perks.

Quad Double-Barrel Shotgun

Weapon Name

Crafted Level

Plan Required?

Perk Required?

Materials Required

Double-Barrel Shotgun

45

Double barrel shotgun

Gunsmith 2

• Adhesive: Eight
• Gears: Nine
• Oil: Eight
• Screws: 13
• Steel: 23
• Wood: 14

The Double-Barrel Shotgun is a solid weapon, but it isn't exceptionally strong.

However, the Quad legendary effect makes the Double-Barrel Shotgun one of the best weapons in Fallout 76, since you can shoot four times as many bullets without reloading your weapon.

The Quad Double-Barrel Shotgun isn't at any set location in Fallout 76, so you'll have to earn it by defeating legendary enemies or through legendary crafting.

Combat Shotgun

Weapon Name

Crafted Level

Plan Required?

Perk Required?

Materials Required

Combat Shotgun

50

Combat shotgun

Gunsmith 4

• Adhesive: 11
• Gears: Ten
• Oil: Nine
• Screws: 15
• Springs: 15
• Steel: 29
• Wood: 14

The Combat Shotgun is one of the strongest shotguns in Fallout 76. It deals 60-90 base damage, and you can fire eight times before needing to reload.

You can find multiple Combat Shotguns at the southern entrance to Watoga; however, they don't have legendary effects.

You can also get Combat Shotguns by defeating Mole Miner Diggers throughout the Wasteland and by searching the barn at the Southhampton Estate.

You may find additional Combat Shotguns as loot after defeating enemies or by searching inside containers.

The Best Legendary Effect For A Shotgun Build

Legendary effects can make your weapons more powerful by granting them special bonuses. Since you'll often be trying to hit multiple enemies simultaneously while using a shotgun, the Explosive effect is powerful on shotguns.

Explosive rounds make your bullets detonate upon impact, which deals extra damage to all enemies in the area. The Explosive effect is especially useful if you plan to fight hordes of enemies.

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The Best Stats & Perks For A Shotgun Build

Your SPECIAL stats, Perk Cards, Legendary Perks, and mutation are all important to focus on while creating a new build.

Although there's room for personal preference within all of these categories, there are some SPECIAL stats and Perk Cards that are useful for a shotgun build regardless of your preferences.

The Best SPECIAL Stat Spread For A Shotgun Build

SPECIAL stats are the most important feature you can use to customize your build for maximum efficiency. You start with one point in each stat upon creating your character and earn an extra SPECIAL point each time you level up until level 50, which gives you 56 points in total.

Legendary Perks can also increase your SPECIAL stats beyond 56 total points.

There are a few SPECIAL stats you should prioritize for a shotgun build, as you'll see below. However, you can redistribute some of your points depending on which Perk Cards you want to equip. Additionally, you may want to adjust your Perception stat if you plan to use VATS.

SPECIAL Stat

Number Of Points

Strength

14

Perception

12

Endurance

six

Charisma

three

Intelligence

eight

Agility

eight

Luck

five

The Best Perk Cards For A Shotgun Build

Each Perk Card offers a unique effect that will make your character stronger.

You earn Perk Cards as you level up, and each card requires a certain amount of SPECIAL stat points.

For example, if you have three Perception points, you can select a Perk Card that requires three or fewer Perception points.

The following eight Perk Cards are the best Perks you should equip if you're using shotguns in Fallout 76.

Since shotguns are close-range weapons, there are a few Perk Cards that can maximize your HP and the healing you receive from stimpaks.

Perk Card

Base Effect

SPECIAL Stat Requirement

Level Requirement

Enforcer

Shotguns Gain A Five Percent Chance To Stagger Opponents And A Ten Percent Chance To Break A Limb

One Agility

Level 30

Shotgunner (Master, Expert)

Shotguns Deal Ten Percent More Damage

One Strength

Level Ten

Concentrated Fire

You Can Target Individual Limbs In VATS

One Perception

Level Two

Skeet Shooter

Shotguns Have Better Spread And Accuracy

One Perception

Level Ten

Bloody Mess

All Weapons Deal Five Percent More Damage

One Luck

Level 42

First Aid

Stimpacks Restore 15 Percent More HP

One Intelligence

Level Two

Scattershot

Shotguns Reload Ten Percent Faster And Weigh 30 Percent Less

One Strength

Level 18

Life Giver

+15 HP

Two Endurance

Level 50

The Best Legendary Perks For A Shotgun Build

Legendary Perks are similar to Perk Cards; however, they're only available once you reach level 50.

You unlock a new Legendary Perk slot when you reach levels 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, and 300.

These six Legendary Perks are useful for a shotgun build, especially if you're playing in a group setting.

Depending on what type of armor or secondary weapons you use, there may be other Legendary Perks that are also useful for your build.

Legendary Perk

Base Effect

Taking One For The Team

While Part Of A Team, You Deal 20 Percent More Damage To Enemies After They Attack You

Far-Flung Fireworks

Enemies Have A Ten Percent Chance To Explode When You Defeat Them Using A Ranged Weapon

Ammo Factory

You Get 50 Percent More Ammo When You Craft Ammunition

Legendary Strength

Gain One Strength And Strength Point

Legendary Perception

Gain One Perception And Perception Point

Legendary Endurance

Gain One Endurance And Endurance Point

The Best Mutation For A Shotgun Build

There are many mutations to acquire in Fallout 76, but some are more useful than others for a shotgun build.

The best mutation to pair with shotguns is Speed Demon because it grants you 20 percent faster movement speed and allows you to reload 20 percent faster.

However, you'll also become hungry and thirsty faster while the Speed Demon mutation is active.

You can get mutations by taking radiation damage. Radiation is present in many locations throughout the Wasteland, and you can also eat irradiated food or swim in water to take radiation damage.

Unless you're using a bloodied build, radiation is dangerous for your character, so make sure to be cautious while interacting with it.

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