Shotgun

Shotguns are powerful close-range weapons that shoot a spray of pellets. They tend to have low accuracy, low magazine sizes, medium rates of fire, high firepower per shot, and varying reload times. They can be good for dealing large damage up close, or hitting multiple flying targets at range. They are most often used at short to point-blank range to cause high amounts of damage quickly.

Types
Shotguns come in two forms; Combat Shotguns and Assault Shotguns. Combat Shotguns are semi-automatic and more damaging. Combat Shotguns tend to have more firepower and are slower to load, while assault Shotguns are fully automatic, slightly faster firing and have larger magazines.

General Strategy
Though shotgun pellets can travel an effectively unlimited range like all guns in Borderlands, the spread-effect of the weapon means that distant targets won't be hit most times, and when they are it isn't with the entire spray. Therefore, shotguns should normally be used at close ranges. Aim carefully to make each shot count when possible, aim for weak spots to maximize criticals. Don't bother sighting shotguns, run and gun. Run when reloading; though average reload time for shotguns is about 1.25 seconds, with certain models it can be up to 2.5 seconds.

For the same reasons real hunting shotguns are used for birds, shotguns are also very effective against Rakk and their large in-game target profile even at a distance. Shotguns are also a good weapon to use against Skags - especially the quick-reloading Tediores, or the hard-hitting Jakobs. Likewise, against Psychos of all varieties, particularly Midget Psychos, shotguns are more than useful.

When choosing a shotgun that will serve the best, go for firepower and only firepower (with certain exceptions). Accuracy isn't as important at the close ranges one will be using the weapon at. In fact a narrower blast cone might actually be worse during frantic dodge-and-weave with Skags and the larger forms of Scythid. Against fragile Rakk a shotgun blast should hit as much of an approaching flock as possible, as hard as possible, with every pull of the trigger as opposed to methodically taking one Rakk down at a time.

An exception to this rule is any shotgun with an accuracy of zero, as the spread is too large for any reasonable damage output beyond point-blank range.

Shotguns, with their normally low to medium-low rate of fire make for poor elemental weapons with the exception being Incendiary effects and the Maliwan Crux. While the likihood that Shotguns will actually cause a useful elemental trigger are low, Incendiary weapons still have a default damage multiplier against enemies without working shields, especially Skags. The Maliwan Crux, on the other hand, has a relatively high chance for Corrosive trigger effects, and if used up close the multiple melting shots stack on top of each other, allowing for a brutal second and third blast against even the most heavily armored target.

Combat Shotguns
Legendary:
 * Shotgun - Balanced, 9 projectiles
 * Scattergun, Shredder - +2 projectiles, wider spread.
 * Matador - More projectiles, wider spread, 12 in total.
 * Hunters shotgun - Visabley lengthened barrel raises acuracy to 70s, greatly increasing combat effectiveness!
 * Carnage - Single small rocket instead of projecitles.
 * T.K.'s Wave - Unique quest reward from T.K.'s Life And Limb.
 * Boom Stick - Unique drop from Baron Flynt.
 * Sledge's Shotgun - Unique drop from Sledge.
 * The Blister - Unique quest reward from Like A Moth To Flame.
 * Atlas Hydra "Five heads of Death" - 5 sprays in a horizontal line.
 * Torgue Friendly Fire "Have a nice day!" - Incendiary, usually x2 and sometimes x3. Smiley-face spread pattern.
 * Dahl Bulldog "One Bad Dog!" - Extended magazine.
 * Tediore Defender "I can do this all day..." - Ammo Regeneration.
 * Jakobs Striker "Sniper Rifles are for Chumps." - Higher accuracy, +30% critical hit damage

Assault Shotguns
Legendary:
 * Brute - High damage.
 * Sweeper - High spread.
 * Death - High accuracy
 * Hyperion Butcher "Ahhh.... Fresh meat!" - 5 round burst and very high fire rate.
 * S&S Crux "Cross their heart, hope they die." - Explosive, usually x2 or x3. Cross-shaped spread pattern.
 * Vladof Hammer "Drop the Hammer!" - Explosive, usually x2 or x3. Hammer-shaped spread pattern.
 * Maliwan Crux "Bring out your Dead" - High corrosive damage, usually x4. Developer fumble: was meant to be Maliwan Plague.