[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best PvP Shotguns

Updated:

21 Dec 2023

What are the best PvP Shotguns in Destiny 2?

Recently, shotguns have undergone a lot of changes, especially in PvP. The shotgun meta has undergone significant changes due to several nerfs to particular archetypes, traits, and exotics. Nevertheless, despite Bungie's best efforts, shotguns are still incredibly devastating and rank among the strongest Special weapons in PvP. But the question is what is the best shotgun for PvP in Destiny 2. The success of many of the shotguns you can use in the game depends on the perk rolls you get when the weapon drops.

Shotguns can be excellent or bad, depending on their perks, but some models consistently deliver good performance no matter how they fall. Here are the top 10 shotties for PvP in Destiny 2.

10. Without Remorse

"No regrets."

Without Remorse is the first craftable Lightweight Shotgun in Destiny 2, making it one of the greatest Lightweights for the Crucible right away.

The roll that most people will be creating is the Threat Detector and Elemental Capacitor because it provides you with a considerable handling benefit. Consider switching to Fragile Focus from Elemental Capacitor if you don't want to play an Arc subclass. When appropriately used, Fragile Focus offers you the same range benefit as Opening Shot, enabling you to fight with an Iron Reach Riiswalker.

Without Remorse Stats

Impact: 65
Range: 45
Stability: 43
Handling: 64
Reload Speed: 59
Aim Assistance: 55
Inventory Size: 22
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 3
Recoil: 54
Bounce Intensity: 46
Rounds Per Minute: 80
Magazine: 6

PvP God roll:

Barrel: Truesight HCS

Magazine: High Caliber Rounds

Perk 1: Slideshot

Perk 2: Swashbuckler

Why Without Remorse is excellent for PvP

Without Remorse is an Energy weapon, a weapon slot that doesn't have much competition in terms of Lightweights.
Because of its super high handling, it is one of the most sought-after shotguns in the game.

How to get Without Remorse

You can get this weapon by completing season of the Haunted activities, and once you've collected enough patterns, you can craft this weapon at The Enclave

9. Found Verdict

Witness

The legacy weapon, Found Verdict was a Vault of Glass raid drop from the first Destiny game. The aggressive frame shotgun Found Verdict does arc damage. With its extraordinarily high-impact numbers, the weapon excels.

For maximum effectiveness, players can acquire several perk combos like Slideshot and Accurized Rounds. But just with the Heritage shotgun, finding Found Verdict from the fabled Vault of Glass raid requires teaming up with other players and a little luck.

Found Verdict Stats

Impact: 80
Range: 31
Stability: 22
Handling: 39
Reload Speed: 36
Aim Assistance: 37
Inventory Size: 34
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 2
Recoil: 75
Bounce Intensity: 25
Rounds Per Minute: 55
Magazine: 4

PvP God roll:

Barrel: Truesight HCS

Magazine: High Caliber Rounds

Perk 1: Slideshot

Perk 2: Swashbuckler

Why Found Verdict is excellent for PvP

The Found Verdict is one of the most popular shotguns in PvP and excels with its tremendously high-impact stats.
From the Master version of Vault of Glass, you can acquire the Timelost version of Found Verdict and apply adept mods to boost the stats further.

How to get Found Verdict

You can only obtain the Found Verdict in the Vault of Glass raid. Not counting opening the door, this weapon can drop from the first (Conflux), second (Oracles), and fourth encounter (Gatekeeper). Once the weapon drops, it can appear in secret chests hidden throughout the activity.

8. Duality

"The question becomes whether or not to fire, not where to aim." —Osiris

In Destiny 2, the Duality exotic shotgun debuted during the Season of the Hunt. The weapon can fire a single slug projectile when pointing down the site or a close-spread pellet shot while hip-firing because of its unusual perk, the "compression chamber."

The On Black Wings perk gives the Duality, a solar damage weapon, a stacking boost to actual damage, and reload speed from pellet projectile final blows. The length of the perk is extended by final blows with the weapon's slug projectile.

Duality Stats

Impact: 80
Range: 70
Stability: 45
Handling: 60
Reload Speed: 1
Aim Assistance: 65
Inventory Size: 70
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 6
Recoil: 78
Bounce Intensity: 22
Rounds Per Minute: 65
Magazine: 6

Exotic Perks:

Compression Chamber

Fires a pellet spread in hip-fire or a single high-damage slug while aiming.

On Black Wings

Pellet final blows grant a stacking precision damage and reload speed buff. Precision hits with slugs extend the duration.

PvP God roll:

Barrel: Truesight HCS

Magazine: High Caliber Rounds

Perk 1: Slideshot

Perk 2: Swashbuckler

Why Duality is excellent for PvP

Concerning both the stats and the firing modes, it is a complete package for PvP.
For PvP gamers, Duality's exotic perk that extends the duration with kills is the pinnacle.

How to get Duality

Players can get this weapon from the Exotic Kiosk if they already have the Beyond Light Expansion Pack. It costs

1 Exotic Cipher
100,000 Glimmer
150 Glacial Starwort
1 Ascendant Shard.

7. Wastelander M5

A trusty companion for those long walks in hard vacuum.

The Wastelander M5 is one of the strongest Legendary shotguns right now. One of the current powerful Legendary shotguns is undoubtedly the Wastelander M5. It is a Kinetic weapon that can be found in the first slot, quickly freeing up the Energy weapon slot for many fantastic PVP alternatives.

You can eliminate guardians from Precision Frame ranges by using this shotgun's simultaneous Slideshot and Opening Shot rolls. Because of its excellent handling, Wastelander makes a great panic shotgun for when enemies close the distance.

Wastelander M5 Stats

Impact: 65
Range: 44
Stability: 40
Handling: 66
Reload Speed: 59
Aim Assistance: 49
Inventory Size: 26
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 2
Recoil: 51
Bounce Intensity: 49
Rounds Per Minute: 80
Magazine: 6

PvP God roll:

Barrel: Truesight HCS

Magazine: High Caliber Rounds

Perk 1: Slideshot

Perk 2: Swashbuckler

Why Wastelander M5 is excellent for PvP

A new origin attribute called Hot Swap is now available for Wastelander M5, improving the player's handling anytime they take damage. Any Crucible game mode will benefit significantly from this.
It is a fantastic alternative to Riiswalker. If your roll on Riiswalker could be better, think about farming for a Wastelander M5.

How to get Wastelander M5

Players can get this weapon from Dares of Eternity.

6. Heritage

A single word etched inside the barrel: "Wilhelmina-1."

Inside the PVP section of Destiny 2, there is a high-performance weapon called the Heritage shotgun. It is a kinetic shotgun that fits the archetype of the pinpoint slug frame.

The Heritage excels with superb range and handling, enhancing quick movements and run-and-gun strategies. It is a top-tier shotgun deserving of acclaim when combined with unique perks like Corkscrew Rifling and Reconstruction. If the range is your only concern, Heritage will have a 100 range after a roll with Slideshot and range-enhancing perks, which puts it barely below Duality's effective slug range. But with the correct barrels, mag perks, and Masterwork, you can reach this range cap.

Heritage Stats

Impact: 70
Range: 68
Stability: 43
Handling: 70
Reload Speed: 45
Aim Assistance: 68
Inventory Size: 49
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 5
Recoil: 60
Bounce Intensity: 40
Rounds Per Minute: 65
Magazine: 6

PvP God roll:

Barrel: Truesight HCS

Magazine: High Caliber Rounds

Perk 1: Slideshot

Perk 2: Swashbuckler

Why Heritage is great for PvP

The incredible stats of Heritage make it the ideal slug for PvP because it is highly stable to shoot even while you are in the air.
If you know how to play intelligently, it is one of the few guns that can shut down enemies, even in their supers, with just one tap.

How to get Heritage

Players can get this weapon from the Deep Stone Crypt Raid.

5. Chaperone

"My mother had a shotgun we called the Chaperone. Kept us alive out there before we got to the City." —Amanda Holliday

Throughout the last few seasons, Chaperone has been repeatedly nerfed. Shotguns no longer have as much range, and Fusion Rifles have gradually become more popular. This is still one of the strongest shotguns you can use in the Crucible even if Chaperone can no longer cross-map individuals.

Although a range nerfs, Chaperone outperforms every other shotgun in Destiny 2, including Duality. The Chaperone may headshot enemies at close range to activate Roadborn, which extends its range even further. With Chaperone, you can easily land headshots because of its excellent range and moderately high aim assist value.

Exotic Perks:

Precision Slug

Fires a single-slug precision round.

The Roadborn

Precision kills briefly grant bonus handling, range, and precision damage with this weapon.

Chaperone Stats

Impact: 75
Range: 100
Stability: 20
Handling: 80
Reload Speed: 30
Aim Assistance: 70
Inventory Size: 45
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 1
Recoil: 85
Bounce Intensity: 50
Rounds Per Minute: 50
Magazine: 6

Why Chaperone is excellent for PvP

The Chaperone has the longest one-hit kill distance of any shotgun in the game, provided you can hit your headshots.
It's a kinetic slot weapon, so you can get creative with your loadouts as the special slot is available.

How to get Chaperone

You can only get Chaperone from the Monument to Lost Lights weapon vault in the Tower. To craft the weapon, you’ll need to bring a hefty list of materials:

1x Exotic Cipher
125,000 Glimmer
200 Etheric Spiral
1x Ascendant Shard

4. Felwinter’s Lie

"I just like the name. Doesn't mean anything." —Lord Felwinter to Lord Timur

Another well-known shotgun, Felwinter's Lie, dominated PVP in Destiny 1 and reasserted its dominance in Destiny 2. Felwinter's Lie is a rare shot package shotgun that is renowned for its impact and one-shot kill potential while causing solar damage.

Removing Quickdraw and ongoing nerfs to the kill distance of the Pellet Shotgun made Felwinter's worse than the competition. However, its inherent "Shot Package" frame still has some of its previous consistency, which makes it a viable PvP option.

Felwinter’s Lie Stats

Impact: 80
Range: 21
Stability: 19
Handling: 26
Reload Speed: 34
Aim Assistance: 33
Inventory Size: 34
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 2
Recoil: 62
Rounds Per Minute: 55
Magazine: 4

PvP God roll:

Barrel: Truesight HCS

Magazine: High Caliber Rounds

Perk 1: Slideshot

Perk 2: Swashbuckler

Why Felwinter's Lie is excellent for PvP

Felwinter's Lie is renowned for having a significant impact and is most known for its one-shot kill potential and solar damage.
It is even more exciting because it is offered in the Monument to Lost Lights weapon vault, and you may buy the god roll by spending some resources. There is currently no serious grind to get it.

How to get Felwinter’s Lie

You can only get Felwinter’s Lie from the Monument to Lost Lights weapon vault in the Tower. To craft the weapon, you’ll need to bring a hefty list of materials:

100 Legendary Shards
75000 Glimmer
2 Enhancement Prisms
1x Ascendant Shard

3. Ragnhild-D

Return fire to sender.

Recent balance improvements have made aggressive frames more practical. One-tap shotguns have increased in value due to the current meta's lack of Special ammunition. Aggressives are also worth reconsidering as Lightweights are two-tap machines.

Since Ragnhild-D is craftable, you can acquire the precise roll you desire for this gun, making it a superb Aggressive Frame. This gun's excellent roll, Perpetual Motion, and Elemental Capacitor allow you to improve its handling significantly. If you don't want to play an Arc subclass, you can replace Elemental Capacitor with Frenzy.

Ragnhild-D Stats

Impact: 80
Range: 28
Stability: 29
Handling: 30
Reload Speed: 33
Aim Assistance: 38
Inventory Size: 37
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 3
Recoil: 64
Bounce Intensity: 36
Rounds Per Minute: 55
Magazine: 5

PvP God roll:

Barrel: Truesight HCS

Magazine: High Caliber Rounds

Perk 1: Slideshot

Perk 2: Swashbuckler

Why Ragnhild-D is excellent for PvP

Ragnhild-D is easy to craft and has consistent one-taps in its effective range.
It provides a variety of fantastic perks that raise the handling, which is one of the most crucial stats for this type of weapon.

How to get Ragnhild-D

Ragnhild-D is a world drop and a craftable weapon. You can find it by completing random activities, and if you've collected enough pattern pieces, you can craft this weapon at The Enclave

2. Riiswalker

"No. I will not allow a Fallen to fight in the Banner, that right is reserved for Guardians alone. But if you insist, I may allow a Guardian to carry a Fallen-forged weapon into battle. You are a weaponsmith, are you not?" —Lord Saladin to an Unknown Eliksni

The Riiswalker is a legendary shotgun from Destiny 2's Season of the Splicer that belongs to the lightweight frame archetype. Only the Iron Banner competition participants can receive the weapon Riiswalker via a random drop or by finishing the third mission in the Iron Banner quest line.

Riiswalker shotgun is a weird gun. On the one hand, it is one of only a few shotguns in Destiny 2 with a range of over 90. However, it has a Lightweight Frame. Additionally, Lightweight Shotguns are difficult to one-tap with as a result of recent range nerfs. The only two who can accomplish it consistently are Riiswalker and Wastelander, assuming a nearly perfect roll.

Riiswalker Stats

Impact: 65
Range: 45
Stability: 43
Handling: 71
Reload Speed: 62
Aim Assistance: 52
Inventory Size: 25
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 2
Recoil: 54
Bounce Intensity: 46
Rounds Per Minute: 80
Magazine: 6
PvP God roll:
Barrel: Truesight HCS
Magazine: High Caliber Rounds
Perk 1: Slideshot
Perk 2: Swashbuckler

Why Riiswalker is excellent for PvP

Riiswalker is a shotgun that fires very quickly; thus, hitting a Guardian with a two-tap should be relatively easy.
If you can get the perfect roll, Riiswalker is more than competitive in Destiny 2's current sandbox. Its Lightweight Frame gives it an advantage over Precision Frames by enabling you to run and strafe more quickly.

How to get Riiswalker

The best way to get this weapon was from Saladin via Iron Engrams. Unfortunately, the gun has been removed from the nightfall rewards in Season 17, and we hope it will be added to the Monument to Lost Lights (Kiosk) or made available through Xur.

1. Lord of Wolves

By this right alone do I rule.

The finest exotic shotgun in Destiny 2's Crucible, Lord of Wolves, remains the best despite this season's multiple ammo and range nerfs. It has a longer range than almost every shotgun in the game, is simple to use, and starts with three shots instead of two. Although Chaperone or a perfect Heritage roll can outrange it, Lord of Wolves is superior to both since it is so simple to use.

Shrapnel Launcher's second perk, "Release the Wolves," increases the range, amplifies the damage, and raises the number of hits in each burst, which pelts players with high solar damage.

Lord of Wolves Stats

Impact: 68
Range: 20
Stability: 39
Handling: 40
Reload Speed: 80
Aim Assistance: 80
Inventory Size: 100
Zoom: 12
Airborne Effectiveness: 4
Recoil: 80
Bounce Intensity: 20
Rounds Per Minute: 640
Magazine: 5

Exotic Perks:

Shrapnel Launcher

Fires a powerful short-range burst of Solar damage.

Release the Wolves

[Alternate Weapon Action]: Greatly increases the rate of fire and shoots in full auto.

Why Lord of Wolves is great for PvP

The best part about Lord of the Wolves is its simple use, making it accessible to everyone.
Despite recent nerfs, it still delivers a solid stats package and lets you, one-tap enemies.

How to get Lord of Wolves

The Lord of Wolves shotgun is a random drop within Destiny 2 but can be purchased from Xur via an exotic engram.

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