Modern Warfare 2: Best Shotguns Tier List

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is shaping up to be one of the biggest releases of 2022. It was the most popular release in its initial release month in terms of downloads on the Playstation 5, and it’s clear to see why. While still a very fast-paced shooter, with weapons handle and attachments work, there’s been a significant shift in gameplay.

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Shotguns are a devastating force to be reckoned with when encountered up close. We’ve tested each one in Modern Warfare 2 to provide a general guide of their performance in-game. There’s been a significant shift in the way weapons and attachments behave from past releases. Players will need to learn which ones are worth unlocking and leveling up.

Shotgun Ranking Criteria In Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2

Ranking criteria for Shotguns is largely based on TTK or Time-To-Kill. If every pellet hits the target, all shotguns will be a one-hit kill at close range. Things start to get interesting in close to mid-range as each shotgun has a slightly different Damage Range falloff. When you can no longer guarantee a one-hit kill, factors such as pellet spread, firing rate, and reload speed impact how you might play with each shotgun.

One thing that is the same between all shotguns (except the Lockwood 300) is that even though they have extensive recoil, they return to center after each shot. This makes recoil control a visual concern rather than having to compensate for stability.

MW2 Shotgun Tier List

Because shotguns are not versatile weapons and can really only compete in very close-range combat, no “S” Tier ranking has been awarded.

Worst Shotgun In MW2

Bryson 800

The Bryson 800 is a pump-action shotgun that reloads each shell individually and is, in our opinion, the worst shotgun overall. There are tradeoffs for each shotgun, but this one underperforms in a few key areas.

Comparing it to the Expedite 12, it reloads each shell a bit faster but fires them off significantly slower and has a slower ADS time. If you are looking at accuracy, the Lockwood 300 is significantly better when aiming down sights, and the damage range of the Bryson 800 drops off far sooner too. There’s no real reason to pick this over the Bryson 890.

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Good Shotguns For Modern Warfare 2

Bryson 890

The Bryson 890 is a pump-action shotgun that performs effectively the same as the Bryson 800, except that it reloads all the shells in a magazine instead of each one individually. This is a welcome improvement to the clunky and lengthy total reload time of its sibling. It does, however, come at the cost of a slightly slower Firing Rate and effective damage range.

Expedite 12

The Expedite 12 is a semi-automatic shotgun that handles remarkably well and can clear a lot of targets in a small room quickly. It has the fastest firing rate and fastest ADS speed, but the total reload time is quite long. While it does reload each shell slightly slower than the Bryson 800, the faster firing rate makes up for missing a shot or two in close-range fights. Second place, in terms of TTK, to the Lockwood 300 for mid-range combat.

Best Shotguns In MW2

Lockwood 300

If accuracy and range are important to you when choosing a shotgun, then the Lockwood 300 is the right choice. It has the tightest aimed pellet spread, the longest range, and the fastest firing rate of all the Shotguns. You’ll be able to take down targets quickly, even approaching the mid-range.

There are downsides, however. While all other shotguns recenter after firing, the Lockwood 300 has a rather extreme recoil. The other factor is that you’ll only have 2 shots before needing to reload. If you can’t connect with your shots, then you’ll have to find a way to compensate for that reload.

Next: Modern Warfare 2: Best Assault Rifle Tier List