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Rival 78

Shotgun Slot 4 · Rival 78 since Early Access unverified
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Rival 78

Stats

Cost$170
Damage 184
Muzzle velocity 425 m/s
Rate of fire 24 rpm
Drop range 25 m
Reload 4.7 s
Capacity 2
Reserve 18

🎯 Traits for this gun

No gun-specific traits here — take the general ones: see all traits

Source: huntshowdown.wiki.gg (Recommended Traits), CC BY-SA 4.0 · explanations — showdown.com.ua · All traits →

🏆 In lists: 💥 Shotguns (#4) · 🎒 Secondary · 🪓 Melee

🏅 Community tier

Your rating:
Full tier list →

Variants (4)

Prices and stats — huntshowdown.wiki.gg; ▲ better, ▼ worse than the base model.
All variants take the same ammo — see below.

Rival 78

Rival 78

🔗
base$170slot 4since Early Access
All stats
Cost$170
Slots4
Ammo typeShells
Damage184
Rate of fire24 rpm
Cycle time0.3 s
Muzzle velocity425 m/s
Drop range25 m
Reload4.7 s
Capacity2
Reserve12
Spread45
Sway77
Vertical recoil20
Melee damage27
Heavy melee54
Stamina cost25
Rival 78 Shorty

Rival 78 Shorty

🔗
$145slot 2since Early Access

Shortened stock and barrel.

⚖ Compare with base
  • Cost $170 → $145 ▲
  • Slots 4 → 2 ▲
  • Damage 184 → 158 ▼
  • Muzzle velocity 425 → 350 ▼
  • Drop range 25 → 20 ▼
  • Reserve 12 → 4 ▼
  • Spread 45 → 55 ▼
  • Sway 77 → 133 ▼
  • Vertical recoil 20 → 30 ▼
  • Melee damage 27 → 13 ▼
  • Heavy melee 54 → 31 ▼
  • Stamina cost 25 → 20 ▲
All stats
Cost$145
Slots2
Ammo typeShells
Damage158
Rate of fire24 rpm
Cycle time0.3 s
Muzzle velocity350 m/s
Drop range20 m
Reload4.7 s
Capacity2
Reserve4
Spread55
Sway133
Vertical recoil30
Melee damage13
Heavy melee31
Stamina cost20
Rival 78 Trauma

Rival 78 Trauma

🔗
$180slot 4since 2.0

Modified with a stock-mounted bludgeon.

⚖ Compare with base
  • Cost $170 → $180 ▼
  • Vertical recoil 20 → 22 ▼
  • Heavy melee 54 → 216 ▲
  • Stamina cost 25 → 40 ▼
All stats
Cost$180
Slots4
Ammo typeShells
Damage184
Rate of fire24 rpm
Cycle time0.3 s
Muzzle velocity425 m/s
Drop range25 m
Reload4.7 s
Capacity2
Reserve12
Spread45
Sway77
Vertical recoil22
Melee damage27
Heavy melee216
Stamina cost40
Rival 78 Mace

Rival 78 Mace

🔗
$155slot 2since 2.1

Shortened and modified with a rear bludgeon.

⚖ Compare with base
  • Cost $170 → $155 ▲
  • Slots 4 → 2 ▲
  • Damage 184 → 158 ▼
  • Muzzle velocity 425 → 350 ▼
  • Drop range 25 → 20 ▼
  • Reserve 12 → 4 ▼
  • Spread 45 → 55 ▼
  • Sway 77 → 133 ▼
  • Vertical recoil 20 → 34 ▼
  • Melee damage 27 → 54 ▲
  • Heavy melee 54 → 90 ▲
  • Stamina cost 25 → 10 ▲
All stats
Cost$155
Slots2
Ammo typeShells
Damage158
Rate of fire24 rpm
Cycle time0.3 s
Muzzle velocity350 m/s
Drop range20 m
Reload4.7 s
Capacity2
Reserve4
Spread55
Sway133
Vertical recoil34
Melee damage54
Heavy melee90
Stamina cost10

Variant data: huntshowdown.wiki.gg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · translation — showdown.com.ua

Ammo & stat changes

Compatible ammo: Dragon BreathFlechettePenny Shot AmmoSlug

Pick an ammo type — see how the stats change.

Patch history

Changed in 23 patches · ▲ 13 buffs · ▼ 17 nerfs · last — Update 2.8.1 (2026-07-01)

  1. Update 2.8.1 2026-07-01
    • ammo, buff: Rival 78 extra ammo increased from 8 to 12
    • price, nerf: Rival 78 price increased from 150 Hunt Dollars to 170 Hunt Dollars
  2. Update 2.8 2026-06-09 · Road to Hell
    • other, neutral: Rival 78 slot size changed from Large to 4
  3. Update 2.0 Hunt: Showdown 1896
    • rename, neutral: Caldwell Rival 78 renamed to Rival 78
    • damage, neutral: Bullet Drop added, replacing Effective Range
    • damage, buff: Shotgun maximum travel distance increased to 100m
    • damage, buff: Shotgun spread narrowed, and damage slightly increased
    • handling, nerf: Slugs now always have minor spread deviation when fired
  4. Update 1.16.2 Hunt: Showdown
    • damage, nerf: Flechette now loses bleed intensity over distance
  5. Update 1.16.1 Hunt: Showdown
    • unlock, neutral: Caldwell Rival 78 Dragon Breath Ammo is now unlocked through regular weapon progression
Show full history (18 more patches)
  1. Desolation's Wake Event Hunt: Showdown
    • added, neutral: Added Dragon Breath Custom Ammo to the Caldwell Rival 78 family
  2. Update 1.15 Hunt: Showdown
    • unlock, neutral: All base weapons now unlock at Bloodline Rank 1
  3. Update 1.13 Hunt: Showdown
    • damage, buff: Increased base damage for all shotguns against Hives and Armoreds
  4. Update 1.10 2022-10-12
    • unlock, neutral: Caldwell Rival 78 unlock moved from Bloodline Rank 19 to 16
    • price, nerf: Caldwell Rival 78 price increased from 100 Hunt Dollars to 150 Hunt Dollars
    • price, buff: Flechette price reduced from 45 Hunt Dollars to 40 Hunt Dollars
    • price, buff: Slug price reduced from 200 Hunt Dollars to 130 Hunt Dollars
  5. Update 1.9 2022-07-13
    • ammo, nerf: Caldwell Rival 78 Slug extra ammo reduced from 8 to 5
    • damage, nerf: Slugs in medium-barrel shotguns now have slightly stronger damage dropoff compared to long barrel shotguns
    • damage, nerf: Slug damage to lower body and limbs slightly reduced
  6. Update 1.6.2 Hunt: Showdown
    • unlock, neutral: Caldwell Rival 78 unlock moved from Bloodline Rank 18 to 10
  7. Update 1.6 Hunt: Showdown
    • handling, neutral: Caldwell Rival 78 no longer auto-ejects spent shells, instead they are manually removed. Reload speed remains unchanged
  8. Update 1.5.2 Hunt: Showdown
    • added, neutral: Added Penny Shot Custom Ammo to the Caldwell Rival 78 family
    • handling, buff: Adjustments made to medium and short barrel shotguns to be more reliable and less prone to odd RNG behavior at longer ranges
    • damage, buff: Flechette can now One-Hit-Kill if enough pellets connect with the head (9m for long/medium barrel shotguns, 8m for small barrel)
    • damage, nerf: Slug damage to lower torso slightly reduced
    • price, nerf: Slug price increased from 150 Hunt Dollars to 200 Hunt Dollars
  9. Update 1.5 Hunt: Showdown
    • added, neutral: Added Flechette and Slug Custom Ammo to the Caldwell Rival 78 family
  10. Update 1.4 Hunt: Showdown
    • damage, nerf: Shotguns no longer do rending damage or cause bleeding
  11. Update 1.0 Hunt: Showdown
    • price, nerf: Caldwell Rival 78 price increased from 62 Hunt Dollars to 100 Hunt Dollars
    • unlock, neutral: Caldwell Rival 78 unlock moved from Bloodline Rank 31 to 18
    • other, neutral: Long bullets and shotgun shells will no longer cause barrels to detonate on the first shot
  12. Early Access 6.0 Early Access
    • damage, nerf: Hunters take slightly less damage from shotgun shots to limbs
    • damage, nerf: Shotguns lose damage slightly faster over distance
    • damage, buff: Shotguns keep a slightly higher minimum damage over a longer distance
  13. Early Access 5.0 Early Access
    • damage, neutral: Shotgun Re-balance: The Caldwell Rival 78 can be considered the baseline shotgun with average range and damage
    • damage, buff: Shotgun range increase: Damage now reaches 0 at 40m instead of 30m
    • handling, buff: Overall reduction of shotgun spread across all weapons for tighter spread patterns
  14. Early Access 4.0 Early Access
    • handling, buff: Increased range on all Rifle Buttstock light melee attacks
  15. Early Access 3.0 Early Access
    • damage, nerf: Rifle buttstock attack damage reduced slightly against other Hunters, now requiring two hits to the head to kill
    • handling, buff: Rifle buttstock attack stamina consumption slightly reduced
  16. Early Access 2.5 Early Access
    • ammo, nerf: Caldwell Rival 78 extra ammo reduced from 12 to 8
    • handling, nerf: Caldwell Rival 78 recoil slightly increased
  17. Early Access 2.3 Early Access
    • damage, nerf: Slightly reduced the distance at which shotguns apply a bleed effect
  18. Early Access 0.1 Early Access
    • added, neutral: Caldwell Rival added for 62 Hunt Dollars (Unlock Rank 31)

Patch history: huntshowdown.wiki.gg (Update History), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ukrainian translation — showdown.com.ua, CC BY-SA 4.0 · all patches

Source: huntshowdown.wiki.gg/wiki/Weapons/Rival_78 · CC BY-SA 4.0