Because they aren't firing slugs, as the firing pattern clearly shows. And we're not talking 10 ft here. We're talking 50+ feet where a single speck of buckshot will drop a clot. I don't expect it to be completely gimped at range...but I do expect it to be somewhat less effective than a rifle. Then again, the damage bonus on perks makes it pretty hard to have anything seem realistically balanced.
I just don't think Shotguns should be long range hallway sweepers. The damage value should fall off a lot more significantly than it does now.
Two things:
1. Realistically, a shotgun can reach about a
lot further (even with buckshot) than it does in game. They're effective to about 50
meters. That's half a football field. The shot still keeps going beyond that too - it's just not as effective.
2. Each pellet of shot in a shotgun shell is the equivalent of a .38 caliber pistol round. Which is a shorter version of a 9mm - it's really no surprise that a single pellet would drop a clot. Clots are wussies.
3. Support is pretty balanced nowadays. The shotguns do not require additional nerfs.
