How to Get the Hot Slugger in Borderlands 4: Guide

Borderlands 4 is packed with an endless arsenal of quirky, stylish, and devastating weapons. Among them, a certain legendary shotgun has caught the attention of fans—the Hot Slugger. If you’ve been grinding bosses, scanning loot tables, or scrolling through forums asking “How to get the Hot Slugger in Borderlands 4?” this guide is your one-stop resource.

We’ll dive into everything you need to know about this powerhouse weapon—its stats, perks, drop location, farming tips, ideal builds, and how it compares to other shotguns in the game. Whether you’re a casual Vault Hunter or a min-maxing grinder, this comprehensive guide will help you secure the legendary Hot Slugger shotgun and maximize its potential.

Read Also: How to Duel in Borderlands 4

What Is the Hot Slugger in Borderlands 4?

The Hot Slugger is a legendary shotgun manufactured by Jakobs, known for their old-school, hard-hitting, high-crit weapons. Unlike most shotguns that spray multiple pellets, the Hot Slugger fires a single, high-powered slug. This design sets it apart, rewarding accuracy and timing rather than mindless spraying.

Core Features of the Hot Slugger

Blazing Barrel Perk: After a kill, you gain +30% weapon damage for 10 seconds. This buff stacks up to three times, allowing a maximum of +90% bonus damage.
Ricochet on Critical Hits: When you hit a weak spot, bullets ricochet toward other enemies. Perfect for clearing groups.
Magazine of One: The shotgun only holds one shell at a time, but reloads quickly, making precision more important than volume.

This means that the Hot Slugger excels in burst DPS situations, where stacking buffs and landing critical shots can melt bosses or mobs in seconds.

Why Players Want the Hot Slugger

The Borderlands 4 Hot Slugger has become a highly sought-after weapon because of its high damage ceiling and synergy with crit builds. Here’s why it stands out:

Insane Damage Scaling: With three stacks of Blazing Barrel, your damage skyrockets by 90%.
Crowd Control: Ricochet bullets clear weaker mobs while you focus on priority targets.
Precision Weapon: Perfect for players who enjoy lining up headshots or exploiting weak points.
Boss Killer: Its single-shot design pairs well with skills that boost first-shot damage.

Simply put, the legendary shotgun Hot Slugger is one of the most versatile and deadly weapons in the game.

Where to Find the Hot Slugger

So, how do you get it?

The Hot Slugger drops from Callous, Harbinger of Annihilating Death, a terrifying boss located inside the Craven’s Nook Order Bunker in the Bones of Sanctuary region.

Step-by-Step Farming Path

Progress through the main campaign until you unlock access to the Bones of Sanctuary.
Locate the Craven’s Nook Order Bunker, east of Terminus Ridge / Terminus Range.
To enter the bunker, you’ll usually need a key item (often a bio-canister or mechanism) obtained through story progression.
Once inside, fight your way to Callous.
Defeat him for a chance to drop the Hot Slugger.

Since this is a legendary weapon, the drop is not guaranteed. Expect multiple runs before you see the shotgun.

Boss Guide: Callous, Harbinger of Annihilating Death

Before farming the Hot Slugger, it helps to understand the boss who drops it.

Callous Overview

Type: Heavily armored brute with AoE abilities.
Weak Spots: Exposed head and chest cores during certain attack animations.
Danger Zones: Callous spawns waves of minions mid-fight, making it easy to get overwhelmed.

Best Tactics to Beat Callous

Use Shock or Corrosive Weapons: His armor makes him resistant to most bullets, but elemental damage tears him down.
Clear Minions Fast: Don’t let mobs stack up, or you’ll get pinned while reloading.
Exploit Weak Spots: Wait for him to expose vulnerable areas to land crits and trigger ricochets.
Mobility Is Key: His AoE slam attack has a large radius—stay mobile.

Once you learn his patterns, Callous becomes farmable within minutes, making him a reliable source for the Hot Slugger.

Farming Strategies for the Hot Slugger

Grinding for a legendary shotgun can take time. Here’s how to maximize efficiency:

Fast Travel Checkpoints: Unlock the nearest respawn station to the bunker to save travel time.
Mayhem Mode: Higher difficulty increases legendary drop chances, though fights will be harder.
Loot Bonuses: Equip relics or mods that improve drop rates for legendary weapons.
Co-op Play: Farming with a squad allows multiple drops per run.
Time Management: Expect 10–20 runs before you see the Hot Slugger, though RNG can surprise you.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Hot Slugger

Like every legendary, the Hot Slugger shines in some areas but struggles in others.

Strengths

Huge damage potential when Blazing Barrel stacks (+90%).
Ricochet bullets make it excellent for mobbing.
Perfect synergy with crit builds.
Fast reload despite single-shell magazine.

Weaknesses

Projectile speed is slower than traditional shotguns.
Requires precise aim—missing is punishing.
Not as effective in frantic close-quarters fights.
Reliant on kill streaks to maintain damage buffs.

Best Builds for the Hot Slugger

To unleash the full potential of this legendary shotgun in Borderlands 4, pair it with the right character and skill tree.

1. Rafa – First Shot Specialist

Synergy: His First Impression and Vitriol skills amplify single-shot weapons.
Strategy: Open fights with Hot Slugger for devastating crit bursts.

2. Vex – Crit Master

Synergy: High crit chance, bleed effects, and ricochet perks complement the weapon.
Strategy: Chain crits into ricochets for non-stop crowd control.

3. Harlowe – Burst Damage Expert

Synergy: Crit damage boosts and short-window burst perks align with Blazing Barrel.
Strategy: Stack Blazing Barrel fast, then annihilate bosses in seconds.

4. Amon – Freeze and Shatter

Synergy: Freeze effects immobilize enemies, making slug shots easier to land.
Strategy: Freeze, crit, ricochet—repeat.

Each character amplifies the Hot Slugger in unique ways, but Vex and Rafa are widely considered top-tier for this weapon.

Comparison with Other Legendary Shotguns

How does the Hot Slugger stack up against other Borderlands 4 legendary shotguns?

Scatterstorm: Faster fire rate but less precision and no ricochet potential.
Molten Boomstick: High AoE, weaker against single bosses.
Frozen Buckler: Great crowd control with freeze, but lower raw DPS.

The Hot Slugger balances burst boss damage and ricochet crowd control, making it arguably the most versatile legendary shotgun in the game.

Pro Tips for Using the Hot Slugger

Always Aim for Crits: Ricochet is what makes this shotgun shine.
Stack Blazing Barrel Early: Kill weaker mobs first to build stacks before engaging bosses.
Use Reload Cancel Tricks: Some builds allow you to cut reload animations for faster DPS.
Pair with Elemental Gear: Since the slug itself isn’t elemental, use secondary weapons to apply status effects.
Mob Priority: Let ricochet handle minions while you focus on priority targets.

Why the Hot Slugger Is Worth the Grind

The Hot Slugger in Borderlands 4 is more than just another shotgun. It’s a weapon that:

Rewards skillful aiming and crit mastery.
Dominates both mobbing and boss encounters.
Fits seamlessly into multiple character builds.
Provides a thrilling, high-risk, high-reward playstyle.

If you’re serious about endgame farming, raid bosses, or simply flexing on mobs with ricocheting crits, the legendary Hot Slugger deserves a spot in your arsenal.

Conclusion

The Borderlands 4 Hot Slugger is a legendary shotgun that redefines precision-based gameplay in the looter-shooter genre. With its Blazing Barrel stacking perk, ricochet crits, and magazine-of-one design, it rewards smart, accurate players with devastating DPS.

To get it, you’ll need to farm Callous in Craven’s Nook Order Bunker, refine your strategy, and stay persistent. While RNG can test your patience, the payoff is well worth it. Pair it with crit-heavy builds, master reload timing, and you’ll have one of the most powerful weapons in Borderlands 4.

Whether you’re farming for loot or pushing endgame content, the Hot Slugger is a must-have legendary shotgun for any Vault Hunter.