Wild Shotgun Overhaul

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This is more than just the 80th 'make shotgun more boom' mod that tries to fix the lackluster power of shotguns. This one modifies pretty much everything, except class.

Every ammo and gun was tested with individual values one at a time to make sure they were behaving as expected.

Guns still have a personality with a strength in some areas over others, to a point if you endure the flaw you can work around it anyway out of loyalty and love for the model.

For example, 10 gauge isn't known for its birdshot in COTW but it does exist, and you can use it. It chambers 3 rounds (even in base game) instead of the typical two. With a large bore, the pellets are little more unpredictable so there is a learning curve to getting the accuracy from it. However, the energy behind them can get them to reach quite far, and it can even save you in a close range animal attack despite not being quite the right class- the number of pellets, despite LOW penetration, are enough to take down most mid-low animals when hitting them at all is your primary focus- especially with three rapid shots. 10G Bird has stopping power but wild accuracy, making it REALLY good for larger birds like Canadian geese that are harder to drop. It's best used within 50m but can reach 100 (scattered.) Great land-game class 1 gun!

So we look at this real life sights vs barrel chart:

So using the heavy 10 guage as an example, you will find that at certain distances the iron sights work best tipped upward, and certain distances (50m) centered on the target. This game actually does have bullet physics with bullet drop, and this mod changes some properties to it. I recommend taking your shotguns to the range and figuring out the nature of each model before committing to a hunt with them.

A Word on Birds

If I'm not misreading, then flying fowl have a 'high altitude' tag that prevent them from being shootable until they reach either a closer distance to you (typically lower in the air) or begin reacting to your presence/have an awareness of you, then they become shootable. I may be wrong but the tag has a 'no trophy' attached to high altitude birds which is reserved for some mission animals. I say this so you don't say my mod is bad because it can't reach the birds flying high in the sky. It actually can, (with repeated wild crazy shots) if they become shootable, but this is not the intended use of the mod and is HARD to do. 🧐

Tweaks Include:

Number of Projectiles (Birdshot is Birdshot)

Projectile Kinetic Energy

Projectile Mass

Penetration/Expansion/Damage (Not Overdone, but what you would really expect if you've ever gone hunting with a shotgun and had that 'WOW' moment.)

*These are still shotguns. Like real life hunting, a lot of your time is going to be lining up for that perfect close shot for the ultimate impact, or strategizing for birds. The moment will just be.. better!

--Birdshot--

Number of projectiles greatly increased. Larger bores have more pellets.

They are more likely to make the range to the birds coming in or flushing.

Not a lot of recoil when fired. (Can fire off that second or third shot fairly quickly.)

Can technically kill deer after a long run to find them, but only deeply penetrate flesh, stopping on any muscle or bone.

Revontuli 10x more interesting.

--Buckshot--

Number of projectiles unchanged, as they are accurate to real life amounts.

Adjusted the penetration and other values to better match the ammo. You will see more vital hits and with proper shot placement, more stopping power, but rarely see any passthrough.

--Slugs--

Some increase to penetration and ability to make longer distances, but mostly an increase to expansion. While the entry hole itself may not be as large as expected and the bullet may not bounce within the body cavity (passthrough pretty much guaranteed when matching caliber to animal), the sure trauma