There are a ton of weapons in Borderlands 2, however, what are the best shotguns in the game? In this Borderlands 2 Guide, I’m not just looking at Legendary Weapons but also the other rarities and tell you which shotguns should be in your backpack. So get ready to farm these items.
Table of contents
Borderlands 2 Best Shotguns
These are your most powerful shotguns in Borderlands 2.
5. Butcher / Overcompensator
The Overcompensator has fixed parts and is basically one specific version of the Butcher, therefore, they are both on this list. These Hyperion Shotguns have a high rate of fire and a chance to refill the weapon’s ammo. This gives them the ability to fire for an extended time beyond the default clip size that is shown.
The Butcher is a Pearlescent Shotgun that you can farm from OMGWTH in Digistruct Peak, Chubbies, or as a World Drop (Uranus in the “Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary” DLC is a great World Drop Source).
The Overcompensator can be obtained by completing the mission; Chief Executive Overlord in the Commander Lilith DLC.
4. Jolly Roger
The Jolly Roger is a unique shotgun that is manufactured by Bandit. It’s a strong but also ammo-efficient weapon as this triple-barrel’s pellet count is on par with quad-barrels. The Jolly Roger also has a fixed bullet pattern in the shape of a skull and bones 🕱.
Jolly Roger is obtained from the mission Just Desserts For Desert Deserters located in Wurmwater in the Captain Scarlet DLC.
3. Omen
The Omen is a Seraph E-tech shotgun that is manufactured by Tediore. It fires a projectile that is encircled by a ring of multiple projectiles that dynamically expands and contracts during flight ⊙. You can deal a lot of damage if you can manage to hit the target with all projectiles, something that is easier done at close range. The Omen also deals splash damage and can therefore can also be boosted by grenade damage bonuses. Because this is a Tediore Shotgun, you will be throwing it as a grenade with each reload as a new one digi-structs in your hands.
The Omen can only be obtained as a drop from the Ancient Dragons of Destruction in the Assault on Dragon Keep DLC.
2. Conference Call
The Conference Call is a legendary shotgun that is manufactured by Hyperion. While it initially doesn’t shoot a lot of projectiles it will spawn additional pellets multiple times that shoot out to the left and right of the projectile’s main path. This makes the Conference Call very effective on large enemies.
The Conference Call was super overpowered during the initial release of Borderlands 2 as it synergized really well with the Legendary Bee Shield. While that interaction got toned down, the Conference Call is still a powerful shotgun.
You can obtain the Conference Call from the final story boss of the main game (The Warrior 1.25%) or from the final story boss of the Dragon Keep DLC (Handsome Sorcerer 4.13%).
1. Interfacer
The Interfacer is a seraph shotgun that is manufactured by Hyperion and is the most powerful shotgun in Borderlands 2. Its shots spawn additional pellets that arc out to the left and right but converge back to the center projectiles. Due to this unique firing pattern, you need to position yourself at the right distance from your target but when all the projectiles hit, you will do massive damage. This is also due to the unique +60% Crit Damage Bonus the Interfacer has.
Shoots Pellets that each spawn 2 additional pellets at a set distance.
Additional Pellets arc out left and right and return to the center pellets after a set distance.
The Interfacer can be farmed from Voracidous (0.5%), Dexiduous (1.5%), and Omnd-Omnd-Ohk (0.5%) in Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt DLC. You can also purchase it for 120 crystals from the Seraph vendor in Hunter’s Grotto, however, the item is removed from the shop on Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode and the drop chance on Voracidous is increased from 0.5% to 50%.
Honorable Mentions
These shotguns might fall short on the “most powerful” list, however, that doesn’t mean they aren’t useful.
Heart breaker
The Heart Breaker is a unique shotgun that is manufactured by Hyperion and has a fixed bullet pattern in the shape of a heart. The Heart Breaker is a Moxxi weapon and therefore has healing capabilities. It restores 2% of the damage you dealt as health.
The Heart Breaker can be obtained from the mission “Safe and Sound” located in Sanctuary but only if you give the pictures to Miss Moxxi.
Slow Hand
The Slow Hand is a unique E-tech shotgun that is manufactured by Hyperion and shoots slow-moving projectiles. These projectiles aren’t affected by gravity and deal pure splash damage. The Slow Hand is a Moxxi weapon and therefore has healing capabilities. It restores 3.5% of the damage you dealt as health.
The Slow Hand can be obtained from Badassasaurus in the Torgue Arena in the Campaign of Carnage DLC.
Twister
The Twister is a unique shotgun that is manufactured by Jakobs and it shoots TORNADOS!!! This unusual weapon will always come with Shock elemental damage. The projectiles will explode on impact and will then deal Splash Damage.
The Twister can be obtained from Omnd-Omnd-Ohk in the Big Game Hunt DLC.
Flakker
The Flakker is a legendary shotgun that is manufactured by Torgue. This is your “love it or hate it” weapon. The Flakker is a spectacle with its explosive projectiles, however, because they detonate at a fixed range, you need to position yourself at the best distance to be effective.
The Flakker can be obtained from The Warrior, the Handsome Sorcerer, or you can purchase it from a Torgue vending machine in the Campaign of Carnage DLC.
Swordsplosion / Unicornsplosion
The SWORDSPLOSION!!! and the Unicornsplosion are both unique E-tech shotguns manufactured by Torgue. They both have the same stats and act similarly as they both fire a projectile that spawns more projectiles on impact. So do you want to shoot swords or unicorns? The Unicornsplosion is harder to obtain but has more spectacle to it, although the amount of glitter can also be distracting. That said both weapons pack a punch and are enjoyable.
The SWORDSPLOSION!!! is a quest reward from the mission The Sword in The Stoner in the Assault on Dragon Keep DLC.
The Unicornsplosion can only be obtained by feeding Butt Stallion in the Backburner in the Commander Lilith DLC while wearing the Mysterious Amulet from the Dragon Keep DLC.
Conclusion
These are the best Shotguns in Borderlands 2, however, that doesn’t take away that you can have fun with other Shotguns. If you think another Shotgun should be on this list, then let me know in the comments.
