How to find shotgun

Difficulty: 2/10 | Time: 10-15 minutes.

Briefly:

1. Get the shovel.
2. Run to the purple marker on the map, located between two beaches in the southwest part of the island.
3. Dig up the grave using the shovel.
4. Pick up the shotgun.

📍 Path to the Shotgun

• First, get the shovel. Without it, you won't get the shotgun — that's a must.
• Run to the starting beach — the one with the boat in the ocean that has the pistol and GPS locator.
• Turn your back to the water and run left to the road (img. 1). You need to get onto a straight, flat road — check the screenshot for reference (img. 2).
• Run forward and at the first opportunity, turn left (img. 3). You'll then see a native camp. I recommend not getting involved — go around the enemies on the left side and get back on the road (img. 4).
• Run further forward to the first fork (img. 5). Pay attention here.
• Turn the camera so it looks between the two roads — straight toward the clearing (img. 6). Run forward about 10-15 meters until you spot a grave (img. 7).
• As you get closer, your GPS will start beeping — a sure sign you've found it. Take out your shovel and start digging.
• Inside the grave, after digging it up, you'll find the shotgun.

💡 TIP: It's easy to miss the grave if you don't watch your GPS. The beeping sound is your best guide. When you hear it, look around closely. The beeping speed increases as you get nearer to the grave.

🔫 Shotgun: Full Overview

Shotgun — a compact pump-action shotgun with a short barrel and pistol grip. It's one of the most powerful weapons in the game, especially effective against large mutants. When firing buckshot, it's the most powerful non-explosive weapon in Sons of the Forest, capable of eliminating the strongest enemies in just a few shots.

Capacity and Ammo Types

• The shotgun holds 8 shells and can fire two types of ammunition: buckshot and slug rounds.
• Buckshot: all pellets hit together, dealing massive damage. Can kill the strongest mutants in just 2–3 shots.
• Slug rounds: fire a single projectile with damage comparable to a rifle round. Good for precise target elimination at range.
• Switching ammo types: look down and press R, similar to how you switch arrow types with the bow.
• Pump-action speed is 1.5 seconds. If you're holding a flashlight, the pump time increases: 3 seconds. Full reload of the shotgun takes 5 seconds. During a full reload, your character puts away the flashlight, which can be inconvenient in caves — keep that in mind.

Effectiveness

• Buckshot Damage:
• • "Puffy" — 1 shot point blank
• • "Fingers" — 4 shots point blank
• • "Legsy" — 6 shots point blank
• • "Twins" — 3 shots point blank
• • "Demon" — 2 shots point blank

• Slug Damage:
• • "Puffy" — 2 shots point blank
• • "Fingers" — 6 shots point blank
• • "Legsy" — 12 shots point blank
• • "Twins" — 4 shots point blank
• • "Demon" — 2 shots point blank

Upgrades

• Solafite Upgrade: the shotgun can be upgraded with 6 units of solafite at the solafite upgrade table. The result is a golden shotgun with a slight damage increase.

Interaction with Virginia

• Alternatively, you can give the shotgun to Virginia — provided you have good relationship with her. An armed companion can effectively help you in battle, and you won't need to supply her with ammo.

💎 Additional Tips

• The shotgun is for the most dangerous situations. Don't waste shells on regular cannibals — the katana or modern axe is enough for them. Save your buckshot for encounters with large mutants. If you're playing with Virginia and have a spare shotgun, definitely give it to her — it will greatly increase your survivability in tough fights. And don't forget the solafite upgrade: the golden shotgun not only looks impressive but also deals even more damage.