You’re wandering through the brush, heart hammering against your ribs because you hear that wet, slapping sound of a mutant nearby. You’ve got a spear. Maybe a bow if you’ve been productive. But let's be real—nothing settles the nerves in Endnight’s brutal sequel quite like the Sons of the Forest shotgun. It is the ultimate "get off me" button. When a multi-limbed monstrosity decides it wants to taste your face, the roar of a 12-gauge is the only thing that truly provides peace of mind.
Getting it isn't exactly a walk in the park. You can't just stumble upon it while picking berries.
Where the Sons of the Forest Shotgun is Actually Hiding
Most players expect to find the best weapon in the game tucked away at the bottom of a terrifying, dark bunker. While some high-tier loot is definitely down in the depths, the shotgun is actually buried. Literally. You’re going to need the shovel. If you don't have the shovel yet, stop reading this and go get the rebreather and the rope gun first, because you aren't getting this gun without digging.
Head over to the southeast part of the map. You are looking for a specific GPS locator—the purple icon—that’s pulsing near a grave site. It’s a somber little spot. A wooden cross marks the dirt. If you’ve got your shovel ready, start digging right in front of that cross. After a few scoops of dirt, you’ll hit wood. It’s a coffin. Inside lies your prize, clutched by a fellow soldier who didn't make it. It’s a grim way to get geared up, but on this island, you take what you can get.
There is actually a second Sons of the Forest shotgun location if you’re playing multiplayer or just want to see the sights. It’s inside the Final Bunker (the one that requires the VIP Keycard). It’s sitting on a bar counter in one of the luxury rooms. Honestly, by the time you reach that point in the story, you probably should have already had the first one, but it’s a nice backup if you’re playing with a group and need to distribute the firepower.
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The Shovel Requirement is the Real Gatekeeper
It’s worth noting that the "path" to the shotgun is the real challenge. You can't just run to the grave. To get that shovel, you have to brave the Shovel Cave, which is arguably one of the most stressful environments in the early game. You’ll fight fingers, twins, and dozens of basic cannibals in cramped quarters. The irony? Having the shotgun would make getting the shovel easier, but you need the shovel to get the shotgun.
Standard survival game logic.
Why Attachments Change Everything
A bare shotgun is fine. It’s powerful. But a kitted-out Sons of the Forest shotgun is a different beast entirely. You need the Rail first. Without the shotgun rail, you can't put anything on it. You can find the rail on a corpse at a small camp on the beach near the weapon's burial site.
Once you have that rail, you can slap on a Flashlight Attachment or a Laser Sight.
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- The Flashlight: Basically mandatory. Most of your high-stakes fights happen in caves where you can't see your own hand in front of your face.
- The Laser Sight: It helps with hip-firing accuracy. Since the shotgun has a decent spread, it’s not "essential," but it makes you feel like a Tier 1 operator while you’re being chased by a mutant baby.
Buckshot vs. Slugs: Choose Wisely
Ammo is scarce. You’ll find yourself hoarding shells like they’re made of gold. There are two main types of ammo for the Sons of the Forest shotgun, and using the wrong one at the wrong time is a classic rookie mistake.
Buckshot is your bread and butter. It’s got a wide spread. At close range, it’ll turn a standard cannibal into red mist. If you’re being swarmed by a group of four or five enemies, the buckshot is great for crowd control. It stuns them, knocks them back, and gives you breathing room.
Slugs, however, are for the big boys. A slug is a single, heavy projectile. It doesn't spread. It acts more like a high-powered rifle round. If you’re staring down a Brute or a Creepy Mutant from a distance, load the slugs. You lose the "forgiveness" of the spread, but the damage concentration is absurd. Headshots with slugs will drop almost anything in the game instantly.
Maintaining Your Dominance on the Island
Don't get cocky. Even with the Sons of the Forest shotgun in your hands, the AI in this game is predatory. They will wait for you to click empty. They listen for the reload.
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One of the smartest things you can do is pair the shotgun with the hotkey system. Don't go fumbling through your inventory mat while a mutant is mid-leap. Map the shotgun to '1' or '2'. If your primary weapon breaks or you run out of arrows, you need to be able to whip out the 12-gauge in a fraction of a second.
Also, keep an eye on your ammo counts in the lower right of your HUD. It’s easy to lose track when things get chaotic. If you run out of shells, the shotgun is just a very expensive club, and it doesn’t even work well as one.
Finding More Ammo
You can't craft ammo. This isn't 7 Days to Die. You have to scavenge.
The best places to find shells for your Sons of the Forest shotgun are:
- Bunkers: Check every yellow crate.
- Campsites: Cannibal camps often have small stashes of modern loot.
- Skin Pouch: Sometimes, killing higher-tier cannibals drops a skin pouch. Open these in your inventory; they frequently contain a couple of shells.
Actionable Steps for Survival
If you're currently staring at your map wondering what to do next, follow this sequence to maximize your lethality.
- Secure the Shovel: Prioritize the Rope Gun and Rebreather caves so you can access the Shovel Cave. Without this, the shotgun remains underground and useless to you.
- Beeline for the Southeast GPS Marker: Don't get distracted by every bird or squirrel. Go to the grave, dig it up, and grab the gun.
- Raid the Beach for the Rail: Before heading back to your base, swing by the nearby coastline to grab the Shotgun Rail attachment from the corpse in the small camp.
- Set Your Hotkeys: Open your inventory, hover over the shotgun, and press a number key (1-4). This ensures you aren't caught off guard.
- Save Your Slugs: Do not waste slug rounds on basic cannibals. Use your axe or bow for the small fry and save the heavy hitters for the endgame mutants and boss encounters.
The island is a nightmare, but once you have that weight in your hands and a pocket full of shells, you stop being the prey. You become the thing that the cannibals should be afraid of.