Few things strike terror quite like a good shotgunner in Destiny 2's Crucible. There is no possible quicker time-to-kill (TTK) than a one-shot, and Shotguns can deal one-shots in spades. That doesn't mean equipping a Shotgun is going to transform you into an instant killing machine; using them successfully is going to require some decent map knowledge and a good amount of game sense.
To make things a little bit easier, let's take a look at the most important stats when it comes to Shotguns, some of the best perks available, and a few really good Legendary and Exotic options:
10 RANGE
Nothing is more important on a Shotgun than how much range it has. The more damage you can deal at six, seven, or even eight meters, the more opportunity you're going to have to use the Shotgun, and the more you'll be able to dispatch an enemy in no time at all. Good range is going to require a variety of bonuses, and we'll get into those in a little bit.
9 FULL AUTO
You can get away with a little less range on a shotgun if the shotgun has the capability of firing fully automatic, and a Shotgun with great range can become an utter nightmare to fight against if it has full-auto on top of it. Enemies at the beginning of the damage drop-off range may survive that first shot, but with that follow-up shot coming inside of a second, they're still bought and paid for. Not to mention this bonus can make a huge difference in those outnumbered engagements, allowing you to drop somebody and immediately swing to a new target and fire, provided you can bring the weapon back down to your target.
8 HAMMER FORGED
One of the best range perks available on Shotguns is Hammer Forged. This is going to give a +10 increase in Shotgun Range and doesn't take one of the later perk spots that could be used by something like Rampage.
It also doesn't come with any kind of penalty to a different stat, making it a flat buff to your weapon overall.
7 RIFLED BARREL
Rifled Barrel is very similar to Hammer Forged, with the caveat that it decreases weapon handling by a bit. That decrease in weapon handling isn't really going to be that big of a deal, but it'll be a little bit noticeable. Still, that extra range is absolutely going to be worth it in just about any situation.
6 RAMPAGE
Rampage is another undeniably awesome perk for a shotgun. Rampage allows kills to increase damage with a weapon for a short time, allowing for a much easier time on those multi-kills than usual. This is especially true for enemies trying to move out of your optimal range; that extra damage Rampage causes can make up for a slight damage drop-off due to range. Combine this with Full-Auto, and you can get that extra damage per bullet out frighteningly quickly.
5 OPENING SHOT
Opening Shot increases the range and accuracy on the first shot of your magazine, which can make for an utterly devastating beginning (and likely end) to an engagement. Combining this with one or two of the range perks can make your Shotgun into a temporarily terrifying monster capable of taking care of anybody around you in no time at all. Just make sure to reload your Shotgun every time you get a chance to do so in order to get the most out of this perk.
4 QUICKDRAW
Every once in a while, you need to pull that Shotgun out without much warning beforehand. Without Quickdraw, you might not be able to get it out and fire in time and get dropped by another shotgunner, or Sidearm, or something.
With Quickdraw, you can equip your shotgun with the mere thought of doing so, allowing you to remain competitive in almost any close-range situation, no matter how surprised you were.
3 LEGENDARY
There are plenty of really good choices when it comes to Legendary shotguns, and it is almost entirely going to come down to the roll. That said, there are some shotgun that are pretty good by default, and improved into seriously good territory by perks:
Mindbender's Ambition - A pretty decent shotgun by default, this can roll with Rifled Barrel, Accurized Rounds, and Rampage, making it an utterly devastating weapon in close range.
Retold Tale - This weapon can also come with Rifled Barrel and Accurized Rounds, along with Quickdraw and either Full Auto or Rampage. This is going to have quite a bit more range than Mindbender's as well.
2 EXOTIC
There are a couple of pretty solid choices when it comes to Exotic Shotguns in Crucible. (Or, for style points, you could equip the Tractor Cannon and really make people mad when you kill them.)
Chaperone - Chaperone may not deal the most damage of the Shotguns out there, but it does fire a single slug round, allowing for a skilled hand to get some really accurate headshots at a surprising range. This may not be the most effective Shotgun in Crucible, but it is a fun challenge.
Lord Of Wolves - Another Shotgun that breaks from the usual mold, Lord Of Wolves fires in burst instead of semi-auto or full-auto. It can also deal damage at impressive range, making it viable in close and the closer area of mid-range, as well.
1 PLAYSTYLE
Shotguns are usually going to require some slick timing and good map knowledge to be anything above average in Crucible. That said, give a good Shotgun to your team's top fragger, and it's usually going to result in a really good time. If you're looking to use your Shotgun in as many engagements possible when you have ammo for it, you're going to have to move smart and know when NOT to charge in headfirst; otherwise, you're just feeding the enemy team easy kills (and special ammo).