Shotguns may be controversial, but there’s no doubting that they play a crucical role in the Black Ops 6 meta, and these best shotgun loadouts are perfect if you want to dominate up close.
It’s no secret that most Call of Duty players favor using the best SMGs when they want to win close-range gunfights. However, that’s not your only option, with shotguns being equally strong if you use them correctly.
A bad build will leave you outgunned more often than not. To avoid that, you’ll want to use our recommended builds that look to get the most out of these powerful weapons. Here are the best shotgun loadouts in Black Ops 6, as well as where they all rank from best to worst.
Best Shotgun loadouts in BO6
1. Marine SP
- Muzzle: Modified Choke
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Stock: Quickdraw Stock
- Laser: Steady Aim Laser
- Fire Mods: Rapid Fire
The Marine SP is easily the best shotgun in Black Ops 6, with this pump action offering impressive range, especially if you use an ADS-focused build like ours. If you want to outgun SMGs and one-tap enemies from up to 11 meters away, this is the weapon you should be using. It’s especially strong in Face Off, where the mode’s smaller maps let you dominate using this gun.
To get the most out of the Marine SP, you need to use the Modified Choke to tighten its spread. This makes the shotgun much more consistent and allows you to stretch out its range and compete from further away. However, our loadout also utilizes the Steady Aim Laser for situations where you need to hip-fire instead, making this build surprisingly versatile.
2. ASG-89
- Muzzle: Full Choke
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Rear Grip: Commando Grip
- Stock: Infiltrator Stock
- Laser: Tactical Laser
The only other shotgun in Black Ops 6 is the ASG-89, a semi-auto weapon that is ideal for players who prefer spraying over precision. Its fast rate of fire and accurate hip-fire make it the perfect choice if you enjoy playing fast and getting up close and personal. However, this gun has very little range, limiting its potential outside of the game’s smallest maps.
It’s best to use the Tactical Laser, as this attachment allows you to use Tactical Stance. Tac-Stance is very strong on this gun, with it tightening spread greatly while still letting you move around fast. It offers a great balance of accuracy and mobility, which lend themselves well to the ASG-89’s obvious strengths as a dominant, close-range weapon.
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All Black Ops 6 Shotguns ranked
There are only two shotguns at launch: the Marine-SP pump action and the ASG-89 semi-auto. Both of these serve different purposes and have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, which we’ve already outlined above.
Here’s how they rank, as well as their effective range assuming you are using the best loadout possible:
| RANK | GUN | EFFECTIVE RANGE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marine-SP | 11m |
| 2 | ASG-89 | 3m |
Meta analysis
Of the two shotguns available, the Marine-SP is the better all-around option. It has far superior range, allowing it to land one shot kills out to 11 meters, which is fairly impressive given Black Ops 6’s slower time to kill. It’s certainly a step up from the shotguns in MW3, which were nowhere near as consistent as this.
Your only other option is the ASG-89, which suffers from having so little range. Realistically, it’s only viable on a handful of the game’s smallest maps, like Stakeout, Sandhouse, and Nuketown. On larger maps, it is very difficult to use and will get outranged by quite literally every other weapon. It can still be good fun to use, but you shouldn’t expect to be overly competitive with this gun.
Fancy using something other than a shotgun? We’ve also broken down the best SMG loadouts and best sniper rifles to use in multiplayer. Don’t forget our complete gun tier list that breaks down all of Black Ops 6’s weapons too, so that you can get a full picture of how the meta looks right now.