Definitely get both. The Dinner Bell only has a .42 spread with slugs, so you can actually engage and a pretty long distance and still reliably drop targets (nothing in this game is going to scoff at almost 90 DAM with -10 DT fueling a sneak critical, I guarantee). Break out the Riot Shotgun when you need to pump out raw DPS at medium and closer ranges, or switch to shot (or ideally magnum shot) when engaging multiple targets that aren't heavily armored.

speaking of shotguns, anyone know how to fix the reload glitch?

After i reload with hunting shotgun or lever-action shotgun i can't fire for 1-2 seconds, or use pipboy for those 1-2 seconds. it's as if rapid-reload isn't working but its animation is.

Doesn't seem specific to shotguns - on my demolitions guy it happens a lot with the grenade launcher, and he doesn't even have rapid reload (and he has crap AGI to boot). No idea how to fix, but yeah it is annoying. Have only seen it occur on weapons that were not carried over from FO3 (also seen it on .357 revolver for example).

Yeah that is really annoying, happens with the repeaters too (e.g. Trail carbine/Cowboy repeater). Does that happen with the DB? If so, then the Riot pretty much wins, because the glitch basically deabilitates you for 4 seconds after the usually lengthy reload.

Riot for practicality Hunting for bad-assery

Hunting Shotgun with the two mods hands down. The Riot Shotty is nice for semi-auto spraying, but the HS is great in VATS. Still say the AA-12 needs to make an appearance along with FRAG-12 ammo... >:)

"Remember this s#$% at Christmas!" -Terry Crewes: The Expendables.

Riot Shotgun + Shotgun Surgeon = Insane killing machine

My favorite is the caravan shotgun.

Hunting shotgun. With mods it's is so much better then the Dinner Bell in my opinion, but that's probably just because I hate the print on the Dinner Bell.