Buried beneath danger and darkness, the shotgun in Sons of the Forest isn’t just firepower-it’s survival made loud. Here’s how to find this devastating weapon before your next night turns fatal.
How to get the shotgun in Sons of the Forest
To get the shotgun, first obtain the shovel from the cave to the south, then head to the northwest part of the island and track the purple GPS marker that indicates a grave site. At the grave, use the shovel to dig at the base of the wooden cross until the shotgun and an extra GPS locator are exposed, then pick them up to add the weapon to your inventory.
To get the shotgun in Sons of the Forest, you’ll first need the shovel, which can be found in a cave further to the south.
- Open your GPS and locate the markers on the map with an exclamation point inside of them.
- Head to the marker that is closer to the coast, but not in the ocean. Check the image above for further assistance. Also, your GPS will beep faster as you get closer to the marker.
- Use the shovel to dig up the grave.
- Break open the coffin, and collect the shotgun inside.
Where to find shotgun ammo in Sons of the Forest
Shotgun shells spawn in crates near the crash site and respawn after reloading saves there. Check bunkers, abandoned camps with tents and supply crates, caves, and beach sites for buckshot or slugs. VIP lounge areas in underground bunkers often hold stacks alongside the weapon itself.
Ammo is a hot commodity in Sons of the Forest, so make sure to use your ammo sparingly. Shotgun ammo can be found scattered around the map in landmarks like caves, camps, bunkers, and random containers. If you’re really desperate for some ammo, you can save beside a location that is known to have shotgun ammo, then reload your save to respawn the ammo.
How to get the Shovel in Sons of the Forest
You get the shovel in a cave west of the big snowy mountain, but you must first have the Rebreather and Rope Gun.
Requirements before you go
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Rebreather: Found in a northern beach cave, used for a long underwater section in the shovel cave.
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Rope Gun (Zipline Gun): Found in a separate cave to the west/north-west, needed to ride a zipline over a pit early in the shovel cave.
Finding the shovel cave
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Open your GPS and go to the cave just west of the central snowy mountain, near a river; at the entrance you’ll see three workers impaled on sticks by a cliff face.
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Loot the middle body for a Slingshot if you want, then break the wooden planks blocking the cave entrance and head inside.
Inside the shovel cave (route)
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Drop down into the first pit with water and skeletons to grab supplies (including an air tank), then climb back up.
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Look up to see a rope/cloth line, then use the Rope Gun to ride the zipline across to the next section.
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Follow the tunnel; you’ll go through multiple chambers and eventually reach a big pool-equip the Rebreather and dive, following the linear underwater path until you surface deeper in the cave.
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Keep progressing along the main path (there are mutants and narrow tunnels; you can either fight or sprint past) until you reach a more open, well-lit area that looks like a small underground construction/bunker zone.
Exact shovel pickup spot and exit
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In the lit bunker area, look for a worker’s corpse lying near the lights; the shovel is in his hands-interact to pick it up.
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After grabbing it, keep going forward along the cave route; a scripted large mutant will break through a tunnel later on, and you can use explosives to clear it, then follow that new path to the alternative cave exit back to the surface.
With the shovel, you can now dig up maintenance bunker hatches, graves (including the shotgun grave), and various buried loot spots around the island.
What can you dig up with the Shovel in Sons of the Forest
With the shovel you can dig in specific “dig spots” and also almost anywhere on soft ground, mainly to access bunkers, graves, and small buried loot.
Main things you can dig up
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Maintenance bunkers and story areas: Buried hatches like Maintenance Bunker A (Firefighter Axe, Maintenance Keycard, 3D printer, etc.), plus other maintenance bunkers and several keycard/loot entrances are only accessible by digging out the hatch cover.
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Graves and marked burial plots: Any grave with a wooden cross or similar marker can be dug up to loot coffins for items such as Rope, Cloth, Coins, Canned Food, and sometimes other gear, including the shotgun grave for your GPS teammate.
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Random buried loot spots: At camps, crash sites, and other dirt/sand/snow areas, you can dig to pull up small random items like bones, coins, skulls, watches, small rocks, and canned food, similar to normal container loot tables.
How general digging works
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You can dig anywhere there is dirt, sand, or snow, but you only uncover a shallow layer; you hit hard ground after a few scoops and can’t go deeper in one spot.
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Graves and bunker hatches show a shovel icon or survey equipment on the ground and are also marked as points of interest on your GPS, so they’re the most important places to use the shovel for progression and high-value loot.
