Shotguns are some of the most divisive weapons in Warzone, but there’s one thing you can’t deny: they’re game-winners, and they’re guaranteed to help you get more kills.
With the Warzone meta continuously evolving, we’ve seen several weapons become “must-haves” in the Call of Duty battle royale. Shotguns have had their time in the spotlight, dominating various seasons throughout the first year. Today, the close-range weapons are still a force to be reckoned with if you’ve got the right loadout.
Whether you’re still uninitiated to the shotgun club, or looking to see what your other options are, they’re all pretty solid. Let’s take a look at which shotgun loadouts are best in Warzone Season 3. Pair any of these with the strongest assault rifles and you’re going to be lethal across all ranges and gunfights.
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9. 725
Best 725 Warzone loadout
- Muzzle: Monolithic Suppressor
- Barrel: Sawed-off Barrel
- Laser: Tac Laser
- Stock: Sawed-off Stock
- Ammunition: Slug Rounds
The 725 is the worst shotgun in Warzone. While it may have dominated games in Modern Warfare’s multiplayer modes, the Break action and two-round capacity make it completely unusable.
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While the two-round burst may deal a lot of damage, they won’t be able to shred through multiple enemies or takedown fully-armored players. Because of this, the 725 remains the least used gun in Warzone.
8. Model 680
Best Model 680 Warzone loadout
- Muzzle: FORGE TAC Marauder
- Barrel: XRK 30.0″ Sport
- Laser: 5mW Laser
- Stock: No Stock
- Ammunition: Dragon’s Breath Rounds
The pump-action nature of the Model 680 can make it rather difficult to use, particularly when you’re trying to rival Warzone’s lightning-fast SMGs. Even when kitted out with Dragon’s Breath Rounds, the 680 often struggles to deal enough damage to make it a viable option.
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If you do wish to give this shotgun a go, then you’ll want to utilize the loadout. Not only does it bolster your movement speed, but it also increases the gun’s damage range.
7. VLK Rogue
Best VLK Rogue loadout in Warzone
- Muzzle: FORGE TAC Marauder
- Barrel: 16″ Warlord
- Laser: 5mW Laser
- Stock: No Stock
- Ammunition: Dragon’s Breath Rounds
This semi-automatic shotgun once led the Warzone meta after pushing the JAK-12 out of the top spot.
With a focus on increasing the damage range, movement speed, and hip-fire accuracy, this loadout will get you zipping around the map and hitting lethal shots at your opponents. While not the best gun on this list, it’s still an incredibly viable choice to this day.
6. Hauer 77
Best Hauer 77 Warzone loadout
- Muzzle: Agency Choke
- Barrel: 25.2” Task Force
- Laser: SWAT 5mw Laser
- Ammo: STANAG 9 Rnd Tube
The Hauer 77 shares a lot of similarities to the Model 680 in that it’s also weighed down by being pump-action. While the gun’s damage is decent in close-quarter fights, you’ll need to land multiple shots if you wish to actually down your targets.
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This obviously isn’t that easy consider the Hauer has one of the slower fire rates in the game. Despite this, the Hauer’s hip fire is fairly accurate and can help you save time in those clutch situations.
5. Origin 12
Best Origin 12 loadout in Warzone
- Muzzle: Choke
- Barrel: FORCE Tac Impaler
- Laser: 5mW Laser
- Stock: No Stock
- Ammunition: 12 Round Mags
If you’re looking for a non-Dragon’s Breath shotgun, this Origin loadout is a good one to go for. It’s got a great amount of damage behind it and can easily take enemies out in 3-4 shots, just simply aim straight and spam the trigger.
It has been nerfed in recent updates but that shouldn’t deter you. If you’re looking for a standard shotgun without a fiery flair, you can’t look past the Origin on your way to some huge Warzone victories.
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4. JAK-12
Best JAK-12 Warzone loadout
- Muzzle: FORGE TAC Marauder
- Barrel: ZLR J-3600 TORRENT
- Laser: 5mW Laser
- Underbarrel: Merc Foregrip
- Ammunition: 8-R Dragon’s Breath
The AA-12 dominated players back in Modern Warfare 2, so it makes sense that this iconic shotgun is a decent pick in Warzone. After all, having a shotgun with decent range is always going to be a bonus for any player looking to increase their kill potential.
This punchy loadout is all about maxing out the shotgun’s range, allowing you to take out squads outside of traditional close-quarter fights. The Fully-automatic shots will also enable you to quickly shred through even the tankiest foes.
3. Gallo SA12
Best Gallo SA12 loadout for Warzone
- Barrel: 21.4” Reinforced Heavy
- Muzzle: Duckbill Choke
- Body: SWAT 5MW Laser Sight
- Magazine: STANAG 12 Round Tube
- Stock: Wire Stock
If you’ve played much Black Ops Cold War at all, you’ll know that the shotgun options aren’t quite as powerful or varied as the original Modern Warfare weapons.
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However, it is still worth your time to level up the Gallo SA12 in Cold War because of the Warzone integration. It’s the clear frontrunner for now, providing one of the most well-rounded options in the shotgun category.
2. Streetsweeper
Best Streetsweeper loadout in Warzone
- Muzzle: Agency Choke
- Barrel: 14.4” Task Force
- Laser: SWAT 5mw Laser Sight
- Stock: Marathon Stock
- Ammunition: STANAG 18 RND
A newer addition to Warzone, the Streetsweeper was made available throughout the first season in Black Ops Cold War. It’s not the simplest to unlock, requiring players to go on 15 separate killstreaks, but once you have it, this shotgun is a solid option.
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The standout feature of the Streetsweeper is that it’s a full-auto shotgun. This means you can just hold down the trigger and run wild. Obviously, this comes at a cost. You’ll want to add a bigger magazine attachment to save on some pretty harsh reload speeds.
1. Best R9-0 loadout in Warzone
Best R9-0 loadout in Warzone
- Muzzle: Choke
- Barrel: FORGE TAC Sentry
- Laser: 5mW Laser
- Underbarrel: Merc Foregrip
- Ammunition: Dragon’s Breath Rounds
The R9-0 is arguably the most effective shotgun in Warzone. It packs one hell of a punch and comes with an extremely fast fire rate. However, one of its strongest features comes through an ammo attachment.
Dragon’s Breath Rounds deal more damage than the usual ammunition, lighting enemies on fire and causing a burn effect over time. Despite heavy nerfs, it’s still the go-to option when it comes to shotgun loadouts.
So there you have it, our top recommendations for shotguns in Warzone. With these extremely powerful setups, you’ll be dropping foes in the blink of an eye at close range.
