which would be better, both in short term and long term?
the options are either caravan or single shotgun, which can be obtained within the first couple of quests.

caravan pros>
higher dps

single pros>
more accurate/slug friendly
*slightly* more dam per shot

i'll have high AG and rapid reload (how does trigger discipline effect single shot weapons? thinking of choosing it to tighten up the range on slugs) and i will use vats
my load out will be> 9mm pistol, one of these shotguns and hopefully a lead pipe.
i will be using one weapon per "body slot" meaning left and right hips and back. i'll be trying to complete the game with these, playing a humble drifter type. i've gone for lowly weapons as they have more ammo available and i don't buy ammo. so beyond the my 9mm this gun will see alot of action against all sorts.

which one should i go for and why?

they both svck compared to the other shotguns, but the single shotgun is the better of the two

If people get as close to me that I need a shotgun then I go Caravan

Single shotgun. Hits harder, has a longer (2x) effective range and easier to aim. At the start of a new character the Single Shotgun is a priority 'must get' weapon...and I have the Caravan pre-order DLC if that tells you anything.

I find them both inferior to the 9mm pistol you can get at the start of the game, let alone the 10mm which you can get just outside of Goodsprings.

I always stick with the single shotgun until i get the lever or hunting shotty because it's more damage per shot, more accurate and has a longer range

Don't really use either. But at a low level, the single shotgun destroyed the ghouls who had trapped me in the overlook of the Old Nuclear Test site. That gun saved my life.

I have the 'Classic' pack and as such use the Weathered 10mm in the beginning rather than either shotgun. Between the two, however, I would go with the Single as the Caravan Shotgun always feels feeble to me.

i came to a similar conclusion tho this outcome surprises me, i'd got the vibe most people felt the single shotgun was instantly obselete. single shotgun it is then, game on

I honestly hate both of them, i'll just use the weathered 10 mil at the start of the game or if you dont have the classic pack the 9 mill, way better imho.

Lol, Dinner Bell FTW get that shotgun its not hard :hubbahubba:

Like the Leaver-Action Shotgun myself. The gun and 105 shells weighs in at just under 10Wg with hardcoe mode active. With the right perks, and magnum buckshot, behind it the weapon hits surprisingly hard.

Unless you have Rapid Reload and Trigger Discipline, they are more or less the same.

Never found either of them worthy.

With the exception of sniping, weapon cycling rate and magazine capacity always trump base damage. Most weapons that have high rates are hampered by inaccuracy. When it comes to medium or close range, the former become more important and the latter becomes less so.

So these two, being medium to short range weapons, are nerfed by their firing rate.

lever action is better than them and the best shotgun to me on the game in the hunting shotgun modded

They're both terrible, no point in using a shotgun until you get a fully modded hunting shotgun/riot shotgun, and then upgrade to the Dinner Bell.

Yuck, both svck in the begining. Rather take a 10MM or 357. Now the Lever Shotgun is where shotguns start to be good. Then I love the Hunting Shotgun.

I don't use those shotguns since day one of playing NV. I prefer sticking with 12 gauge shotguns like Dinner Bell, Hunting and Riot shotguns.

Agreed. They're both crap. I like the Riot Gun as my choice of shotgun.

Single shot. More accurate. I usually play the sneaky bastard character, so accuracy means a lot to me. Especially when we're talking slugs.

And to those of you who post your love for RIOT and HUNTING, that isn't what's being asked. We're comparing 2 - lvl. 1 guns, not a game finisher. If you have nothing constructive to add, that pertains to the OP and the requirements with in the original post, then please refrain from posting. Really, just click on the "backstep" arrow in your browser and continue on.

I usually lurk here. Absorbing all that is possible, but there has been a dramatic dip in quality posting. Especially among newer members. Most of us Fallout fans prefer well thought out dialogue. That's one of the reasons why a lot of us like Fallout to begin with, but it also pertains to actual conversation as well. Most of you should consider lurking more and posting less.

Single shotgun, because I have one in real life (alas, a 12 gauge.) It also seems to be more prevalent in the beginning of the game, and is stronger. I started finding Caravan shotties about the same time the 10mm SMG popped up, which killed the appeal.

I think I may have used the caravan about 3 times before i found the riot shotgun and never put it down.

I dont use shotguns. The reloading glitch that causes you to lose control of your character killed shotguns and lever action rifles for me. I dont bother with any of them.

Mate, If you want to role play, go ahead with this. But, you need to remember that the amount of shotgun shells at the start of the game is small, so if you are trying to use this as your primary and you are determined not to get a better shoty and wait for the mid game, you are going to have issues.